Once Again AT&T Is Screwing iPhone Users. Wants to Charge You $699 For the New iPhone 3GS

AT&T is once again showing proof of how much it sucks. The new iPhone just came out with two basic features that we’ve been waiting for a long time: MMS and tethering. Unfortunately, AT&T sucks so much they were not able to get their shit together on time and we’ll have to wait to be able to use these features. How long do we have to wait? Well, we don’t know… As Jason Kincaid from TechCrunch says:

At launch on June 17th, MMS is going to be supported by 29 carriers, and tethering will be supported by 22 of them. So when can we finally expect these stateside? MMS is apparently coming “later this summer”. And tethering? A much more nebulous (and ominous) “later”.

This is ridiculous, plain and simple. AT&T has almost certainly known about Apple’s plans for many months if not years, and was probably involved in determining when these features would be launching in the first place.

Want to hear even more ridiculous? I tried to pre-order the new iPhone 3GS on Apple’s website and I can’t get it for under $599… Yes, the price tag says $299 but you have to qualify for it. Here is what the fine print says:

Requires new two-year AT&T wireless service contract, sold separately to qualified customers; credit check required; must be 18 or older. For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB).

This is far beyond scandalous. I switched to AT&T to get the first iPhone. I renewed a 2 year contract to get the iPhone 3G last year, and now, I have to pay full price – $699 – for the new iPhone 3GS. Are you serious? I hope this is a mistake and it will be fixed quickly.