Free Phones Attacking the iPhone 3G

July 16, 2008 - PRLog -- A year and a half after it's first release the iPhone 3G has been released and among the hysteria, cell phone manufacturers are answering the call first heard when the first iPhone was released.

When the iPhone was released there was great excitement, camping lines, the anticipation. Chances are you know more than a dozen people who have an iPhone from the first month of it's release over a year ago. While the release of the 3G has gained great momentum in the media, carriers and manufactures are coming to arms bringing in a whole new line of touch screen phones to combat the Apple sensation.

Using the same marketing tactics that have been used for over a decade, major wireless carriers are offering their competitive touch screen phone products for free with multi annual contracts.  Even the original iPhone carrier AT&T is offering the new LG Vu at a discount price of $24.99 with a contract.  

“It makes sense that AT&T would bring in additional rival products”, says Aaron Siegel, CEO of TopSavings.Net, a company that offers online shopping of the new touch screen phones. “If AT&T were to adhere to just one pricey phone they would be missing out on a market already well established. It'd be throwing away decades of marketing progress. At the time it was a smart move, but wireless subscriptions must continue to grow for them to remain competitive and iPhone is no longer the only touch screen phone available. It's official, they're out of the bag.”

The leading competition to the iPhone is wireless carrier Sprint PCS with their new release of the Instinct HTC Touch phone. The Instinct has Bluetooth capabilities, something iPhone has yet to address. With the recent passing of the new California cell phone driving laws, the release of the HTC Touch phone couldn't come at a better time.

The HTC touch screen smartphone aka Instinct boasts a 8 GB of memory, hassle free replacement of battery, music WMA format along with the other standards of MP3 and ACC,  voice dial capability, removable memory card slot, and weighs one ounce less than the iPhone. What will make consumers happiest though is the price of free.

Apple may have overlooked many features in their 3G iPhone that some of the new touch screen phones are equipped with, however it is probably a safe bet that within a year these features will be matched. Will an iPhone ever be available for free with a subscription contract? Only time will tell, but in the meantime it is quite apparent that Apple may be getting a run for it's money despite it's record sales.

While not everyone may be whistling Dixie, Aaron Siegel of TopSavings.Net is nothing less than pleased. “I think it's great that Sprint is opening a larger market allowing the average consumer the opportunity to partake in emerging new technologies. Not everyone could afford an iPhone, but now they can enjoy a feature rich phone that mimics the Apple iPhone very well. It's a major win for the everyday consumer.”

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TopSavings.Net is an online company that offers consumers and businesses the opportunity to compare offers from various phone and Internet providers. The company is located in Santa Cruz, CA Visit http://topsavings.net