Well, this is certainly rare and welcome news. AT&T has decided to allow iPhone 3G early adopters (those who purchased a 3G in July, August or September 2008 with a contract) to upgrade to the iPhone 3GS at the same price new customers will pay. In other words, instead of paying $399 (16GB) or $499 (32GB) for a new 3GS – which was the original upgrade policy – these customers will pay $199 or $299 if they qualify.
If you’ve already placed an order for the new iPhone through AT&T or Apple, and you qualify, you’ll still get the deal. Those who will pick-up their preorders at an AT&T retail store will have the price adjusted then. Qualifying online AT&T preorder customers will get an email with the details and a credit. If you preordered from Apple’s online store “your upgrade eligibility will be reassessed based on AT&T’s new upgrade policy … if you are eligible for the lower price, Apple will issue you a credit for the difference as applicable.”
It’s not every day that a company makes a 180-degree turn around like this, so it’s welcome news. If it proves to work as advertised (i.e. they don’t play games with upgrade qualifications), they deserve a big thanks.
