iPhone 3GS Now Free with Contract - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iPhone 3GS Now Free with Contract

by

iphone 3gs oblique

As predicted, Apple also kept the iPhone 3GS around to be a low end "free with contract" device on AT&T.

That means Apple is presently selling 3 generations of devices: iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S. Having a free option will help Apple compete with many of the cheaper Android phones. The 3GS is the oldest iPhone to support iOS 5.

Top Rated Comments

191 months ago
My 3GS kinda struggled with iOS 4 ... I think it's going to perform like a free phone on iOS 5.

My 3Gs is running faster on IOS5 beta 7 than it did on 4.3.5. No joke. Noticeably.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
191 months ago
I'd rather have a 3GS than a new Android phone.

When you're used to Apple, everything else feels low.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
r.j.s Avatar
191 months ago
My 3GS kinda struggled with iOS 4 ... I think it's going to perform like a free phone on iOS 5.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Adidas Addict Avatar
191 months ago
Really? We'll pay $200 for the 16gb iPhone 4s here in the USA for a 24 month contract.
They have better competition over there.
Yeah the iPhone 4 has been available for free pretty much since launch over here, I would guess the same will happen with the 16GB 4S. Price fixing seems to be rife in the USA, maybe it will get better now you have more networks to choose from. In the UK iPhones are on Orange, Three, Vodafone, O2, T-Mobile & Tesco-Mobile. Even if the networks don't offer it free, the independents will (Carphone Warehouse, Phones4U etc etc along with the 100's of online contract sites).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
r.j.s Avatar
191 months ago
My 3Gs is running faster on IOS5 beta 7 than it did on 4.3.5. No joke. Noticeably.

Well, that's good to know. :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
191 months ago
I too am amazed with the 3Gs and Apple's software engineers who know how to optimize iOS 5. My 3Gs feels faster with 5.0 GM than it did with iOS4...and this is a phone that is about 2.5 to 3 years old. Great work apple!
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro Launching in September With These 10 New Features

Saturday May 9, 2026 6:03 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
General Apps Reddit Feature

Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

Monday May 11, 2026 6:10 am PDT by
Social network Reddit recently began blocking mobile visitors to its website while pushing them to download the official Reddit app, and it's fair to say that the move is not going down well with users. If you visit reddit.com on your iPhone today, you may see a new popup that can't be dismissed, asking you to "get the app to keep using Reddit." A Reddit spokesperson told Ars Technica...