Right now my plan with 1000 messages plus 200mb data costs $75 a month (which isn't even comparable to ST unlimited) Then I pay $11.31 on top of it for 7 seemingly made up surcharges and and government fees. If I were to bump it back up to where it used to be w/ Unlimited Messaging (+ $10) and 3GB Data (+ $15) I would be paying over $111 for less minutes and the EXACT SAME COVERAGE.
111.31 x 24 = 2671.44 + 236 = 2907.44
2907.44 -1715 = $ 1192.44 For same coverage / More Minutes / No Contract
Why in the world would I pay $1200 more for the privilege of signing a 2 year commitment? I could literally sell my old iPhone and buy the new one every year and still pay hundreds less at the end of two years than you did for your older gen iPhone.
With ST all your paying is sales tax none of this, "state telecomm Excise Surchage" and other nonsense. That's the stuff people forget to factor in when comparing prepaid plans to contracts. Even though your Massachusetts surcharges are a few bucks cheaper your going to have to give up your grandfathered plan in favor of the new pricier ones i mentioned above when you upgrade. Otherwise they won't subsidize it for you. So maybe it is infect YOU who should reconsider lol, unless spotty 4G is worth over $1000 to you.
But I am going to be using my iPhone 4 on ST starting the end of this month and if I don't get suckered in by apples keynote in a month. (Which I normally do) I'll just stick with the 4. But if I sell the 4 now I could get $150 more for it on amazon then I would a year later. That's what I keep telling myself to justify spending $800 for a longer 4G version of my current phone only to keep 4G disabled for 2 years. My battery life would probably be sweet though.
You are way off on a few things here.
First off, why are you on such a lame data plan? No wonder you are afraid of going over your cap. You can currently get 3GB for $30 a month. I'm getting 2 GB for $25 but I don't know if that's currently offered.
I'll just say it again. I currently get 450 minutes, 2 GB of data, and 1000 texts for $75 a month. That does not include MA sales tax and any additional charges. Seeing that you are currently grandfathered into the same text plan I have, I find it hard to believe that you'd be paying substantially more than me per month if you keep your text plan, go with 450 minutes (unless you have that already) and upgrade to 3 GB of data. Sales tax and extra charges amounts to roughly $8 a month extra on my plan monthly. You'd have to be paying much more than that in NY to start reaching the levels you are quoting.
You are WAY OFF saying that ST only charges state sales tax. This is what the gentleman from PA on ST stated to me on here last week regarding his bill.
"Subtotal $45.00
Discounts and Credits $0.00
Tax1 $2.70
Wireless E-911 Surcharge2 $1.00
Federal Universal Service Charge3 $0.68
Regulatory Cost Recovery Fee4 $0.09
Final Purchase Amount $49.47"
That's still a great deal, but lay off this boasting that ST only charges sales tax. Also you may be paying more than this gentleman as it appears in NY you get hit pretty hard with extras. And the bundles won't help with taxes and extra charges.
You're also dead wrong in stating that I can't keep my grandfathered plans when upgrading. You absolutely can. I kept both my text and data plans when I got my iPhone 4 after upgrading from my 3G iPhone. I've already talked to an AT&T rep regarding the next iPhone and I can indeed keep my 1000 text plan and data plan when I upgrade next month. So spare me that point too.
When you say sell on Amazon do you mean in their marketplace? Because their trade in program is only Amazon credit, not cash.
If you plan on using your iPhone 4 with ST and not upgrading to an unlocked new iPhone, then your savings will be greater. Otherwise your only benefit to getting the new iPhone is a larger screen, faster performance, and a better camera. Remains to be seen what the story is with battery life.
Like I said before, if not being on contract is important to you, then yeah I'd go with ST, but I still don't think the savings are what you make them out to be. I think you are twisting numbers and inflating your alleged savings.