AT&T announced that the second-generation iPhone will be in stores starting July 11, 2008. Aside from that, the company also mentioned that they will also let the interested 3G iPhone buyers to purchase the smartphone even if they do not want to sign up for the yearly contract.

Whether you are a current AT&T subscriber or you are a new one, you can purchase the 3G iPhone starting from $199 up to $299 along with a 24-month contract, just like the AT&T previously announced. There will be an additional fee for activating your 3G iPhone which will cost $18 to $36.
Aside from that, AT&T also mentioned that they would probably sell the 3G iPhone in the future without

However, expect a much expensive price for the 3G iPhone unit. The 8 GB version of the second-generation iPhone will cost as much as %599 while the 16 GB versions of the 3G iPhone can be purchased for $699.

However, AT&T did not mention a specific month, year or date that this option will become available for the interested buyers.
But although the economy of United States is not experiencing a crisis, just a slowdown, this caused the consumers to delay their dreams of purchasing a new phone, especially the high-end models just like Apple Inc.’s iPhone. If the 3G iPhone can go against that trend, it still remains to be seen.