So how did that call to Apple regarding “no on 8″ go?
Hello, I’m a bigot who wants different rules for different groups of people. And can I get segregated fries with that? ^_^

It’s just an idea but then again they have the App Store to back up some of the loss of profits by decreasing the price so it wouldn’t be nearly as crazy if they decided to drop the price without that 30% community income.

And finally I think it would label the phone as cheap and diminish the overall technology advancements the iphone has made, which is exactly what Apple tries to avoid. You buy a shiny Mac and you feel like a hero in disguise, even if it set you back 2,000 bones versus an equivalent PC at half the price. Again these are just some ideas I’ve thrown around. Take it with a grain of salt on your flamer wounds.

It’s not just the rates, but the fact that the base rate doesn’t even include text messaging. If you were close to switching and then felt like you were being gouged you might change your mind. Not pointing the finger at AT&T any more than other carriers (they all do it).

Then there’s AT&T itself. Some people will simply not use them. Period. Others can’t use them since they’re not in coverage areas. And others may be in voice/EDGE coverage but out of 3G coverage and not want them for that reason as well.

In other countries, the above can apply to whatever local carrier(s) Apple chose to deal with.

And for some it’s more psychological. That is, it’s a barrier of wondering whether they really need (or want) their phone to do all those things in the first place. It’s a lot of commitment for two years to find out whether you’ll use it much.

And I think for some people adding a smartphone to a family plan makes the rate plan change more noticeable, and harder to justify. Sometimes the feeling is that a family must add two, and the expense goes up accordingly.

In all the above, I don’t think a $99 price will change the landscape much. I think Apple grabbed most of that low-hanging fruit with the drop to $199.

I’m not sure that they would need to go back to a higher price. I do agree that they could charge more for more functionality, but the original cell phone cost $4,000 and no one would pay that for the same tech now, so who’s to say today’s smart phone won’t become tomorrow’s “regular cheap phone”? Unless you think mobile communications tech has crested, or maybe that consumer spending on said tech has reached its peak, which is possibly more conceivable.

Apple is hardly the only company that uses its income for political purposes. Many companies do it. For example, Google contributed to the no on 8 campaign as well. LArge companies contribute their income to political campaigns all the time. That is simply the nature of the beast. If you’re going to scrutinize Apple’s political contributions–their prop 8 contribution is a tiny drop in the bucket compared to their quarterly sales, profit, and cash on hand, mind you–then you better start putting every business you buy from under the microscope.

Being that it’s made by Apple, I’m waiting to see how this whole “No on Proposition 8” thing turns out. I called customer relations on Friday and let them know that I refuse to give my hard-earned money to a company that’s going to turn around and use it for political reasons. (Yes, I know a lot of companies probably do this kind of thing, but I don’t know about it and am enjoying my ignorance, thankyouverymuch.) Even if I agreed with their position, who’s to say I’ll agree with the next political measure they decide to use my money to back?

If Steve Jobs had donated the same $100K—or even $100M!—I’d applaud him for putting his money behind a cause he believes in. If they’d asked every Apple Store customer, “Would you like $10 of this purchase to go towards ‘No on Proposition 8’?” I could even deal with that. But an unqualified donation from Apple is an unqualified donation from its customers, and I for one refuse to be a part of that.

Now, Apple dropping the wholesale cost of an 8gb by 100, combined with releasing a new 32gb model, would let them notch into the lower price point while giving “more at the same prices” like they typically like to.

I’d put a VERY low chance of having a $99 phone with lower subscription costs. But a “refresh” sometime mid Nov to introduce a 32gb model, is entirely possible.