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back to article AT&T drops Facebook phone to 99 cents

Facebook's long game looks to be an attempt to create a shadow web by making the site a reasonable substitute for almost anything one does online. Why wade through Reddit when your friends share content on Facebook? Or bother with Flickr or Picasa when Facebook will store your snaps? Messaging also happens quite happily within …

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  1. Ted 3
    Facepalm

    Before any says "Still $0.99 too much"

    It occurs to me that some may jump to the conclusion that $0.99 is still $0.99 cents too much for a Facebook phone.

    But is is probably $173.18 too much, on average.

    Cos according to Syncapse's wild-stab-in-the-dark, I mean reasoned and entirely precise estimate, the average Facebook is worth $174.17 to Facebook as of April 2013 (http://www.syncapse.com/value-of-a-facebook-fan-2013/#.UYx630pFNlI).

    A highly improbable $173 rebate would sure shift some units!

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    1. Jamie Jones Silver badge
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      Thumb Down

      Re: Before any says "Still $0.99 too much"

      That implies the user gets zero amount of use/value in return.

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      1. Michael Wojcik Silver badge
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        Re: Before any says "Still $0.99 too much"

        That implies the user gets zero amount of use/value in return.

        Right. The rebate should be much higher, to account for the negative value of Facebook.

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  2. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

    FFS

    It's only "$1" if you sign up to a two year contract.

    Hence, it is not $1.

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    1. LarsG
      Reply Icon
      Meh

      With all the revenue

      It gets by selling my details on to all and sundry, it should offer me a free phone for just being on Facebook. In fact what about an annual return?

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      1. Number6
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        Re: With all the revenue

        Why do you give all your details to Facebook in the first place? I left most of it blank, and I don't guarantee the accuracy of what I did provide.

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    2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
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      Megaphone

      Re: FFS

      Sorry that handle is already taken,

      Thank you. That's my pet peeve, and so I was about to grumpily post something similar. Try asking to buy the handset for $0.99 without a 2 year contract, and see how far you get. Then tell me how much the phone really costs.

      I just had this discussion with someone last night. She wants a new phone, and she's on a SIM free tariff. But of course, Tesco are going to give her a free phone, out of the kindness of their hearts - as she's already got a contract, and hasn't ever had a handset.

      After all, Tesco are known for their warmth and generosity.

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      1. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: FFS

        Indeed, the AT&T website shows the HTC First as being $250 upfront on a one year contract, or $350 upfront on a rolling monthly contract. All that's changed here is the "discount" incentive on the two year contract.

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  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Wow, FaceBook cannot catch a break. First they do an IPO and the stock price falls. They release a phone, the price falls. FaceBook can only succeed when the cost is free it appears.

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  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Quick! Broker! Short my shares of FB stock! Whoot!

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  5. Fihart

    So, it's a free phone on contract !

    Admittedly a 99% discount sounds dramatic but plenty more expensive phones are free if you are prepared to sign a contract. Given the idiotic amount of time some Facebook users waste checking their page, the phone company could be on to a good thing.

    However, it's hard to see the need for a dedicated Facebook phone when so many already include an app built in -- and I think anyone buying the Facebook phone is, in effect, admitting that they are an idiot.

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    1. Chad H.
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      Re: So, it's a free phone on contract !

      It was however an expensive even with subsidy phone last week...

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  7. Shippwreck1

    Well as much as I don't care for Facebook, this article has introduced Google Tracks to me, as well as a host of other Google apps... not saying they are any good as I've not tested them, but they are certainly more interesting to me than Facebook on my phone ;-)

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  8. mikeyboosh
    Thumb Up

    This may be a wolf in sheep's clothing as you can easily disable the facebook launcher and you're back to stock android.

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  9. LoCatus

    HA!

    Facebook Phone.... The ONLY thing less desirable than Windows 8.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: HA!

      How much money was spent to sell each WP though? AT&T spent $150 million of Marketing and didn't even manage to move less than 500,000 of them. That is a lot of money spent to move a $99 phone. The subsidy was around $300 and yet after all that marketing cost, that evaporated. That doesn't even include what Nokia and Microsoft has spent.

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  10. DougW
    FAIL

    wake me when it's over.

    Long since removed the failbook app because of the continuous stream of sponsored junk. Thankfully firefox has a handy Adblock extension.

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