By While the newest Android, otherwise known as the HTC Magic, is no doubt a great device, we have trouble recognizing it would be worth all of that $200 on contract that T-Mobile is reportedly asking for. In the face of competitors like the iPhone that are going for $99, and the lack of such “I’d pay more for THAT” features such as a hardware keyboard, this price point may prove pretty tough for T-Mobile. Even the usually unreasonable Rogers has lowered its price to $99 recently.
There is some good news to this however, although not related to the price. Apparently T-Mobile is planning on giving its current customers first dibs (as it tends to do) on the myTouch. The company is aiming to get handsets into hands between July 29th and August 3rd, while new customers will have to wait for an early August official launch.
[Via EngadgetMobile]
I didn’t buy the G1, instead I have been holding off for a new and improved second generation Android. I’m getting too impatient…can’t wait for the Hero, or the Samsung…I’m going to settle on the magic..
You gotta be stupid to buy this, its a G1 with no keyboard. Id rather get the Hero, Samsung Galaxy and etc.
@me – I second that, with no real improvments over the G1, and a higher price (G1 started at $179) this is an absolute no-brainer.
I would love to stay with TMO, my contract is up for renewal in a few months, but if they keep dragging their feet on quality phones like the Galaxy, and someone else releases the Hero soon, I’m going to have to jump ship.
Why would you be stupid to buy this? Not everyone cares about a keyboard. I don’t want the G1 because it’s too thick. If you’re in the U.S. than your options are either the G1 or this. The Hero and Galaxy won’t be released for awhile. The magic is more esthetically pleasing than the G1 and as the iPhone has clearly demonstrated people like phones that look nice.
to JJ and me you guys are re-tard the mytouch is going to be an amazing phone, way better than the galaxy and hero will ever be. The mytouch will be one of the top smart phones out there :]
Well, I guess those who are jumping ship.. Good Bye!! LOL
Those who are coming onboard.. Hello!!
I just hate to wait any longer.. The longer you wait for a better phone to come out, you’ll probably end up not even buying one. None of them are perfect. Let’s say you’re waiting for the Hero or Galaxy, then suddenly a month before it launch a better one comes out. Then before that one suppose to launch another better one comes out.. You see where I’m going? LOL (That’s how all technology work. A new one will eventually comes out and replace the old one.) Make up your mind!!
well i got my Magic last month. I just replaced my iPhone cuz i cant stand how closed the system is. anyways, im happy with my Magic. Im using to type this response… keep in mind I only paid 149.00 for it on Rogers in Canada.
@Say-Low… yeah… I got my G1 on December 18th 2008… I’m still loving it :)… I find the Sony Ericsson phone pretty badass… also the GeekPhone one… but by the time they come out… another phone will be rumored that has better specs/looks than the one that barely came out… :)
JSYK, Engadget has removed this article from their site. No surprise since it would be pretty outrageous for T-mo to charge twice as much for the myTouch – it’s just a G1 with the keyboard removed!
I got my G1 and I’m happy with it for now. I’d love to upgrade to a better Android phone but until I see one with a full qwerty that actually looks good (I’m not really liking the Morrison or Lancaster) I guess the G1 will have to do
Ok well i think its pointless too purchase this phone its nothing but a G1 theres no improvements besides full touch screen (Which the G1 already does)……… Hell i love android as much as anyone but they honestly need to hound google and HTC about bluetooth filesharing and hound HTC for slimmer phones and supoprt for native 3.5mm jack… then when that gets accomplished then people will think more sincerely about upgrading because only thing your paying for is the visual apperance of any future android phones
Is it just me or did they just called the MyTouch 3G … the Tmobile’s myPhone 3G?? LOL
Look at the title. o.O
but this one has video recording and copy and paste haha…
Its not $199 for an upgrade. There only giving a $100 discount for upgrade. I cant upgrade my G1 for mytouch 3g for $199. LAME. what a rip
I currently own a G1 and would love to get a MyTouch. But there isn’t enough of an upgrade for me to shell out 200 bucks. I’ll wait till I get my 3.5″ screen. There should be a healthy selection of 3.5″ android phones by next summer with decent battery life.
No way in the universe for me to buy this. It is exactly the same as my G1 but no qwerty keys and slimmer. That is merely not worth $200. Sorry, I like tmobile, been with them for about 6 yrs, but there is no way I’m falling for this. If they want to sell they have to offer something special – if the phone is nothing much better at least the price has to be. Besides, everyone who says the iPhone is cheaper is right to expect people to prefer a better product for less money. Don’t get me wrong, I love my android phone and I believe in its potential, yet I cannot look straight in your eye and tell you that it is better than the apple thing.
I can’t believe an android phone is more expensive than the iphone. I thought it should be the other way round. This phone carriers are beginning to piss me off.They are not paying google for the OS so what the f**k are they doing making us pay that much for something that should be free on contract.
I think i’ll go for and unlocked phone instead.
So T-Mo wants $200 for the MyTouch and ATT wants $100 for the iPhone. So what? You still don’t know how much those phones are really going to cost you. The “initial” cost for the phone is fairly meaningless. Now if someone would tell us how much you are going to pay over the life of the phone by including the contract you are required to sign up for when you plunk down your “initial” payment, that might give you a clue as to which is the better deal. It’s all “apples” and oranges until you calculate the total cost of ownership. (Or do people really not understand that there really is no free lunch; your are going to pay for the real value of that phone one way or another.)
So I’m back already. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:
http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/03/palms-pre-already-wins-the-wallet-wars/
Now I don’t know if there is any consideration of the initial phone cost in that analysis (I doubt it). But, for instance, if the monthly contract cost for the MyTouch was also $15 lower than the iPhone, over the two year contract, you’d pay $360 more for the iPhone. $360 minus the $100 higher initial cost, means you’d save $260 by buying the MyTouch.
So isn’t it a rip-off that the iPhone costs $260 more than the MyTouch?!!! ;-)
Well, I was going to by one as a gift, but it’s not worth $200. I’ll wait until it drops to $99.
Yea i just logged onto my tmobile account to check the specs out. Granted i am almost a year into my contract, and they wanted 499.99 for a 1year and 499.99 for a 2year contract. Personally i dont see you that phone is worth 500 i just cant fathom it. But I will settle with my g1 until the hero comes out and find a way to get that one on the cheap.
@ twrock,
I can assure you i’ve been using the G1 on pay as u go,and its way cheaper for me in the long run than if i got it on contract. Try it and u’ll never go back to contract.You just have to shop around.They make you believe its cheaper on contract,but its not.
@chuksy,
No doubt. I don’t live in the US and I don’t buy phones that require huge monthly contracts. I’m not fooled by the “list price” of the phone when that phone is tied to a contract. But it seems the vast majority of people haven’t even considered that the cost of the phone INCLUDES the overall cost of ownership for the length of the contract. That’s my whole point.
There is no point in saying the the MyTouch costs more than the iPhone because you can “buy” the iPhone for $99 and the MyTouch for $199. But just look at this original article and the majority of replies. Seems that the majority of people haven’t even considered the real cost of these phones (the TCO). There seems to be no consideration of how much people are going to pay over the life of that contract.
The “initial price” before you add the contract is MEANINGLESS for comparison purposes. You have to look at the whole thing.
Bah, enough trying to convince people they are being duped. It’s not worth my energy. :-)
I just went to the website and wanted to see how much it would cost to upgrade my phone. I just got a G1 last october/november and it said the cost to upgrade with a 2 year contract would be 399. wtf? and the cost to upgrade with out a contract would be 499! I thought I could get it for 199 if I got the 2 year contract????
I’m eligible for a phone upgrade on T-Mobile right now & the Myphone 3G would be $199.99 for me. I believe you need to have gone 2 years from your last phone upgrade or start of contract, before you get the upgrade price same as of a new service.
i went from my blackberry pearl 8120, to the G1. OMG biggest mistake ever. the G1 is a great phone and whatever, i really admit that, but it was too bulky for me. also the battery life was terrible. i had to charge my phone 3 TIMES a day. the data plan costs too much also. i wish it would cost less like it was 2 years ago. i had to go exchange this phone for the shadow 2, which is slightly better, but not as better as my old blackberry.i hope that this phone is better, i heard it was, but then again. i will get the 3rd or 4th generation depending which is better….
You know, because my contract is not up, they want to charge me $399 for the mytouch. It is cheaper to cancel my contract with them than to purchase this phone. Oh so tempting.
hi i have a question and need help please….i have a 2 year contract and in november ill reach my first year..so i wud like to kno if i get any kind of discount wit onli one year of my 2 year contract.