I'll happily sell my 4s on craigslist and buy whatever Apple calls the new one (presumably 5s). Squaretrade is great for that kind of thing.
T-Mobile doesn't force subsidies on you like AT&T and Verizon do.
Buying full price with T-Mobile = lower monthly bill.
Buying on contract with AT&T/Verizon = higher/subsidized bill.
Buying full price with AT&T/Verizon = higher/subsidized bill.
I still have the 2009 phones I got with AT&T. I'm still paying the higher/subsidized monthly prices. I don't want to get "new" phones with them and end up in a contract. That works out for me, because I can now switch my lines to T-Mobile.
Ever heard of Straight Talk? Net10? T-Mobile? Contracts are so 2 years ago (pun intended). Some of can do math.
You're the exact type of person who just reads what is the price on the internet and assumes everyone can get that same price OR MORE.
When you see it priced that high, it does not mean any joe blow or jane doe can sell theirs for that price as well. That's the misconception of these sales on the internet; used prices that are just ridiculously high and yet forum members post messages saying "hey, look, it goes for this price online so you are a fool to sell it for any less!" -
You do realize it takes a lot of effort to sell used. Sure amazon or any other buy back online will take it for more but this is not always the case and having bestbuy do this promotion makes it a safe and easy way for EVERYONE to get a new iPhone.
There's really no point in the USA to buy an unlocked phone either. You still pay monthly premiums AND most of the time you are on a contract. If you go out and buy an unlocked phone WITHOUT a contract you are just dumb or have too much money to throw around. Take the 2 year contract and get the phone discounted up front. Otherwise you just pay even more with the non-contract phone.
p.s. Regarding T-Mobile: That is a good option. But have people had a good experience with network speeds and coverage? I also am lucky to be grandfathered into a (semi)unlimited AT&T plan with a 10 or 15% discount on top and a ton of roll over minutes. My total monthly bill is $75, so I'd be reluctant to give that up to jump ship to T-Mobile.