UK G1 Gets Price Drop Amid Competitive Pressure

The G1 went on sale in the United Kingdom slightly longer than a month ago but the price is already dropping, reports Pocket-Lint. Whereas scooping up a G1 would have been free with a £40 monthly contract up to now, lucky ‘Droiders now need only £30 to commit.

Here are a couple key quotes directly from T-Mobile representatives on the matter:

While industry sources suggest the £10 drop is in an attempt to “overcome fierce competition from other high-end devices”, T-Mobile insists that it’s not a reaction to poor sales.

A T-Mobile spokesperson told Mobile: “We have chosen to offer the device free with a £30 contract to make the pricing more competitive in light of recent device launches. We are well on track to achieve our sales forecasts”.

The price drop doesn’t surprise me too much: the G1 is a one-of-a-kind product right now and the more of a bargain they make it, the more people will flock to T-Mobile and despite trying economic times they should enjoy bumps in customer retention and customer acquisition because of the move.

Pocket Lint’s article comes with the sub-title “Early Adopters Shafted Again” which I thought was hilarious in a depressing kind of way. If you think getting a free G1 on contract is getting shafted in any way possible, come join us in the good old USA where you’ll need $179 of your capitalistic dollars PLUS contract to seal the deal! Early adopters often shoulder some disappointment but it comes with the territory. Apparently moreso when your territory is America.

So who from the UK does this either excite or bother?

UPDATE: From T-Mobile UK “If there are customers who bought the device before the price changes and feel that they had to opt for a higher price plan in order to get the T-Mobile G1 for free, they should contact our customer services, who can alter their price plan for them”. [Via Pocket-Lint again]

[Thanks Ben!]

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