AT&T relents, offers iPhone 3G S discounts to some 3G users

Got an iPhone 3G? Mad that you'll have to pay $200 extra to trade up for the iPhone 3G S? Well, good news: AT&T has announced that it's opening the discount eligibility window for some—but not all—iPhone 3G owners.

In a press release sent out early Wednesday afternoon, AT&T writes that those iPhone 3G users who wouldn't normally be eligible for a fully discounted handset upgrade until July, August, or September 2009 will get the "best" iPhone 3G S upgrade pricing starting tomorrow, June 18.

That means upgrading to the iPhone 3G S will cost you just $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB version—just as advertised during Apple's big iPhone announcement last week.

That said, if you're an iPhone 3G owner and you're not eligible for a fully discounted phone upgrade until after September, you'll still have to settle for "early upgrade" pricing—that is, $399 for the 16GB iPhone 3G S or $499 for the 32GB variety.

Another option is "no-commitment"—or no-contract" pricing, which is a whopping $599 for the 16GB 3G S or $699 for the 32GB handset.

OK, but what if you're now eligible for the full discount but already paid for an "early" iPhone 3G S upgrade? In that case, expect a credit from either Apple or AT&T (depending on who you ordered your iPhone from).

So that's the latest—and that's about all we're probably going to get, given that carriers like AT&T typically only grant discounts to subscribers who are at least 18 months into their two-year contracts, and the iPhone 3G has barely been out a year.

Happy with AT&T's concession? Still feeling burned? Let us know.

P.S. You can check your upgrade eligibility on AT&T's Web site, although we're told that the new iPhone 3G S policy won't be reflected in the tool until Thursday. You can also read AT&T's iPhone discount F.A.Q. here.