14 DAY TRIAL // AT&T, the largest provider of both local and long distance telephone services in America, has recently revealed that it was sitting on a pile of pre-owned iPhone 3Gs. The company has polished them up and is now selling the phones as brand new (well, almost) for the amazing price of just $99. iPhone 3G costs 16GB, that is $199US.
Naturally, a plan is in order, as iPhones are never sold without contract. For example, one of the plans available with the device - Nation 450 w/Rollover Minutes - offers 450 anytime minutes, 5000 night and weekend minutes, unlimited mobile to mobile minutes, no extra charge for long distance or roaming calls, $0.45 per minute for additional minutes.
The activation fee is $36.00, and you pay $39.99/month (for two years) for all the benefits listed above. Cheaper plans are, of course, available. For $15.00/month, the iPhone Text Messaging 1500 contract gives you up to 1500 SMS (or text) messages to send or receive in the U.S. The full list of available contracts is available here (zip code required).
As for the refurbished iPhones and other devices sold through AT&T's online store, the carrier notes,
Refurbished phones are previously owned devices that have been unused or lightly used and returned during the 30-day trial period. Each refurbished phone is independently quality tested and loaded with the latest software to meet current factory standards. Some refurbished iPhone 3G devices will have minor scratches.
Refurbished iPhone 3G devices carry a warranty of 90 days or more. For details about the warranty on your refurbished iPhone 3G go to www.apple.com/support/oss/
If you've been saving cash to get an iPhone 3G, this may be the offer you don't want to miss. As you would expect, AT&T only sells the refurbished iPhones until December 31. After that, only Apple knows when the price of the iPhone (8GB) will come down to $99 again.