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Currently on AT&T no contract...what's my best bet for iPhone 6?

A

Anthony T

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 10, 2008
1,021
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I was on T-Mobile's Jump plan with a 32GB iPhone 5s. After experiencing terrible service in my area, I paid off my phone and switched back to AT&T. I get unlimited texts/calling with 2GB of LTE data for $65 a month, no contract. I usually go over my data by no more than 1GB, costing me an extra $15 a month, so figure I pay almost $80 a month for my phone bill.

I plan on keeping my 5s for now, since I plan on waiting for the 5.5" model (if the rumors are true). Should I buy the 5.5" outright and sell my 5s after I get it? Or would AT&T's Next plan be a better option for me?

I want to keep my monthly bill as low as possible.
 
Anthony T said:
I was on T-Mobile's Jump plan with a 32GB iPhone 5s. After experiencing terrible service in my area, I paid off my phone and switched back to AT&T. I get unlimited texts/calling with 2GB of LTE data for $65 a month, no contract. I usually go over my data by no more than 1GB, costing me an extra $15 a month, so figure I pay almost $80 a month for my phone bill.

I plan on keeping my 5s for now, since I plan on waiting for the 5.5" model (if the rumors are true). Should I buy the 5.5" outright and sell my 5s after I get it? Or would AT&T's Next plan be a better option for me?

I want to keep my monthly bill as low as possible.
Click to expand...

If you go with a 2-year contract, that'll go up to something like $90/mo for 2 years. If you go with AT&T Next, you can keep your $65/mo plan. With the device installments, though, you'll be paying about $90/mo anyhow, but no contract, subsidy, or downpayment. I'm doing the same thing.
 
oldwren said:
If you go with a 2-year contract, that'll go up to something like $90/mo for 2 years. If you go with AT&T Next, you can keep your $65/mo plan. With the device installments, though, you'll be paying about $90/mo anyhow, but no contract. I'm doing the same thing.
Click to expand...

So basically I'm better off just buying the phone unsubsidized/without a contract?
 
Buy the phone off contract.

I don't believe in being tied down to a 2-year contract, nor do I agree with the ETF.

I don't see NEXT as a good option for me, plus, it was way too expensive for 4 phones.

I will stick with the family plan, that's good enough for me. I'll just have to get the phone unlocked.

That's your best bet.
 
JuanBadApple said:
I don't see NEXT as a good option for me, plus, it was way too expensive for 4 phones.
Click to expand...

How is it any more expensive than off-contract? There's no interest on the device payments, and the plans are discounted because there's no subsidy, unlike on a contract. Paying upfront is no less expensive than paying installments that add up to the same exact amount. I don't understand the math here.

617aircav said:
Ill be buying mine on contract and cancel after the first month.
Click to expand...

…and return the phone that you won't yet own?
 
oldwren said:
How is it any more expensive than off-contract? There's no interest on the device payments, and the plans are discounted because there's no subsidy, unlike on a contract. Paying upfront is no less expensive than paying installments that add up to the same exact amount. I don't understand the math here.
Click to expand...

Math isn't my forte, so I'm not going to bother doing the math.

I get it, unlocked phones are expensive, but after I pay the money for it, I just have to pay my $160 a month.

With the next program, I would have paid the $160 + 4 phones ($27 + $25 + $24 + $24, approximate, I'm sure there were cents thrown in the mix somewhere) so I would have to pay $260 plus the tax, which would have been ~270.

That's what the lady told me, at least. I feel much comfortable paying the money for the phone, and just paying $160/month than paying ~$270, again, because I don't remember the exact cents.
 
JuanBadApple said:
Math isn't my forte, so I'm not going to bother doing the math.

I get it, unlocked phones are expensive, but after I pay the money for it, I just have to pay my $160 a month.

With the next program, I would have paid the $160 + 4 phones ($27 + $25 + $24 + $24, approximate, I'm sure there were cents thrown in the mix somewhere) so I would have to pay $260 plus the tax, which would have been ~270.

That's what the lady told me, at least. I feel much comfortable paying the money for the phone, and just paying $160/month than paying ~$270, again, because I don't remember the exact cents.
Click to expand...

True, your monthly bill would be cheaper if you buy the phones outright upfront, but your initial costs will be much more expensive.

For example, if you were buying four 16GB iPhone 5ses at $649 each, that's $2596 total. You can pay all that upfront and then have only the plan to pay for month-to-month, OR you can pay the plan plus $129.80 for 20 months, but no hefty fee upfront. In the end, there is no difference. You've paid the same amount either way. The difference is when you paid it. A lot of people find $2596 to be too much to pay upfront and that $129.80 for X amount of months is more manageable. That's why people have signed 2-year contracts in the past.
 
oldwren said:
How is it any more expensive than off-contract? There's no interest on the device payments, and the plans are discounted because there's no subsidy, unlike on a contract. Paying upfront is no less expensive than paying installments that add up to the same exact amount. I don't understand the math here.



…and return the phone that you won't yet own?
Click to expand...
Nope keep it and pay the etf.
 
617aircav said:
Nope keep it and pay the etf.
Click to expand...

I don't understand how that makes sense financially—you'd end up paying fees you wouldn't ordinarily have to pay just to get out of a contract you never wanted to begin with. Why not just go with something like Next or Edge or buy an unlocked phone upfront?
 
oldwren said:
I don't understand how that makes sense financially—you'd end up paying fees you wouldn't ordinarily have to pay just to get out of a contract you never wanted to begin with. Why not just go with something like Next or Edge or buy an unlocked phone upfront?
Click to expand...
Buying iPhone outright = $649 + tax
Buying on contract = $200 + $350 ETF = $550 total...

Ends up being less but a lot of work to save $100.
 
rockitdog said:
Buying iPhone outright = $649 + tax
Buying on contract = $200 + $350 ETF = $550 total...

Ends up being less but a lot of work to save $100.
Click to expand...

Except that the ETF would also include the full price of the device, so you don't get to "steal" the phone.
 
oldwren said:
True, your monthly bill would be cheaper if you buy the phones outright upfront, but your initial costs will be much more expensive.

For example, if you were buying four 16GB iPhone 5ses at $649 each, that's $2596 total. You can pay all that upfront and then have only the plan to pay for month-to-month, OR you can pay the plan plus $129.80 for 20 months, but no hefty fee upfront. In the end, there is no difference. You've paid the same amount either way. The difference is when you paid it. A lot of people find $2596 to be too much to pay upfront and that $129.80 for X amount of months is more manageable. That's why people have signed 2-year contracts in the past.
Click to expand...

Yup, basically.
I plan to only upgrade one phone this year, and that's mine, so it'll be $749. The rest of the family is okay with the phones they have.
 
*shrug* If only it were so easy for all of us. For me, given that I live in CA, I'd have to pay sales tax on the subsidized cost. No cost savings at all. And yes, I do find that unethical.
 
rockitdog said:
Buying iPhone outright = $649 + tax
Buying on contract = $200 + $350 ETF = $550 total...

Ends up being less but a lot of work to save $100.
Click to expand...

Don't forget you have to pay your first month bill plus activation fee which together will be about 100 dollars so you actually save nothing and you end up with a locked device instead of an unlocked one.
 
Knowimagination said:
Don't forget you have to pay your first month bill plus activation fee which together will be about 100 dollars so you actually save nothing and you end up with a locked device instead of an unlocked one.
Click to expand...


Exactly. Activation fees. First month bill which is prorated and usually higher than the rest. Don't pay that? Then off to collection you go... For $100 bucks all that is not worth one bit....
 
Anthony T said:
I was on T-Mobile's Jump plan with a 32GB iPhone 5s. After experiencing terrible service in my area, I paid off my phone and switched back to AT&T. I get unlimited texts/calling with 2GB of LTE data for $65 a month, no contract. I usually go over my data by no more than 1GB, costing me an extra $15 a month, so figure I pay almost $80 a month for my phone bill.

I plan on keeping my 5s for now, since I plan on waiting for the 5.5" model (if the rumors are true). Should I buy the 5.5" outright and sell my 5s after I get it? Or would AT&T's Next plan be a better option for me?

I want to keep my monthly bill as low as possible.
Click to expand...

If you ever choose to sell your 5s that will bring in like 325-400 depending on condition
 
This is just like many other threads. NEXT will cost the same as buying it upfront.

The cost via NEXT or buying outright is the same. One way is pay it all now, but get a lower monthly rate. The other is pay a little each month, and therefore higher per month. At the end of the period, the TOTAL cost is the same.

The only reason to buy outright is because you will be going intl and want the phone unlocked. If you are not sure, and do travel intl 6 months from now, you can pay off the NEXT thing, and get it unlocked. Cost? Still the same as buying it upfront.

If you decide to switch carriers in 6 months. Pay it off. Cost? Still the same as upfront.
 
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