IPhone 3GS Upgrade: Will better deals come later?

Apple announced the launch of the new iPhone 3G S at WWDC 2009 on Monday, and it seems that customers are not happy with AT&T over the price they will have to pay to upgrade. We do wonder if the network carrier will offer any better deals later.

This is certainly a tough time for Apple and customers of AT&T, there are plans for Apple to allow other carriers, such as Verizon to offer the iPhone to its customers, making the upgrade to the iPhone 3G S very questionable.

The Washington Post reckons that AT&T are playing in some risky waters, why should we pay so much for an upgrade only to learn that Apple will end the exclusive deal with AT&T in 2010. Surly it would be better to wait, see out the contract that you are on and wait for a year.

You would have thought that AT&T would offer its customers a sweet deal and offer them the new iPhone 3G S for a subsidized price, as the new users will get. Ok so we know that it will hit AT&T’s pockets, but keeping the customer happy is great for business, and they will tell their friends and family what a great service they receive. This word of mouth will become very important if Apple offer the iPhone to other carriers.

Look at it this way, losing $200 for the price of a handset is a small price to pay to keep a customer. If your monthly bill is $200, AT&T are getting $1200 a year, if the customer were to jump ship and head over to Verizon who are offering an iPhone 3G S for free, then they would be losing $1200 just from one customer.

This has been a constant problem when companies like Apple bring out new products; my cousin only purchased two new MacBooks just a few days ago. He is not happy as he can now purchase a new MacBook Pro with better hardware for a few dollars less than the price he paid.

So here is the question, should upgraders see out their contact in the hope of a better deal in the future?