AT&T finally came out with their planned iPhone 3G plan prices, exposing Steve Job’s $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB variant prices as borderline duplicituous.

Those figures are only available to AT&T customers who are “upgrade eligible” (find out if you are here). Buyers who don’t meet the criteria will have to pay extra for the “early upgrade”; $399 for the 8GB version, or $499 for the 16GB iPhone. Either setup locks you into a two-year contract with AT&T.

Surprisingly, AT&T has also announced the future availability of a no-contract iPhone 3G. The 8GB variant will cost $499, while the 16GB version will set you back $599.

In any case, buyers are required to have their new iPhone activated in-store. Customers will need a photo ID and their social security number for the credit check. If you’re really interested in getting the iPhone 3G once it’s out at 8AM Eastern on July 11, AT&T has helpfully provided a comprehensiveonline brochure to help you out.

Even if buying an iPhone 3G will apparently be more complicated—a procedure no doubt meant to counter bulk buyers who plan to unlock and sell those cheap $199 phones—I’m pretty sure Apple and AT&T stores will be full come launch day.

Post from: The Gadget Blog