Cost Breakdown

Done for me by Allen Sterns at Centernetworks

So let's take a look at the math.

• $640 Phone - $599 plus tax (~8%)
• $60/mo Voice Plan - cheapest plan with unlimited nights and weekends
• $40/mo Media Max 3000 Bundle - includes 3000 texts and unlimited MediaNet which I assume will work as the browse function on the iPhone
• $8/mo Fees - lovely fees

The total cost: Over a year, that's a grand total of $1,936. For that, you get 900 minutes of talk time a month, and 3,000 SMS text messages according to Stern. Also remember that you have to sign a two-year contract with ATT/Cingular.

His comparison of what that money buys you is illuminating:

* 387 Starbucks grande drinks
* 2,129 McDonalds hamburgers
* 968 rides on the NYC Subway
* A round-trip ticket to Japan from the USA
* A new LCD 42" TV with enough money left over to buy all 5 seasons of 24 on DVD
* A Mac Powerbook

And none of this includes insurance so when you sit on your iPhone and break it, you don't have to shell out another $500 for a new one.

A recent post had an interesting prediction about the future price of the iPhone:

Will the $599 price drop quick? Yep. My bet is that by the holiday shopping period, it will be down to $299.

My decision: Come June 29, I will likely wait and see what happens.