
The G1 went on sale in the United Kingdom slightly longer than
a month ago but the price is already dropping,
reports Pocket-Lint. Whereas scooping up a G1 would have been free with a
£40 monthly contract up to now, lucky ‘Droiders now need only
£30 to commit. Here are a couple key quotes directly from T-Mobile
representatives on the matter:While industry sources suggest the £10 drop is in
an attempt to “overcome fierce competition from other high-end devices”, T-Mobile
insists that it’s not a reaction to poor sales.
A T-Mobile spokesperson told Mobile: “We have chosen to offer the device free with a
£30 contract to make the pricing more competitive in light of recent device
launches. We are well on track to achieve our sales forecasts”.
The price drop doesn’t surprise me too much: the G1 is a one-of-a-kind product right now and
the more of a bargain they make it, the more people will flock to T-Mobile and despite trying
economic times they should enjoy bumps in customer retention and customer acquisition because of
the move. Pocket Lint’s article comes with the sub-title “Early Adopters Shafted
Again” which I thought was hilarious in a depressing kind of way. If you think getting a free
G1 on contract is getting shafted in any way possible, come join us in the good old USA where
you’ll need $179 of your capitalistic dollars PLUS contract to seal the deal! Early adopters
often shoulder some disappointment but it comes with the territory. Apparently moreso when your
territory is America. So who from the UK does this either excite or bother? [Thanks Ben!]
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