Yes. Just the American way. They are already trying to make iPhone and other phone full price seem "cheaper" by spreading payments to 30 months now. Wouldnt be surprise to see 36 month payment plans soon.
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Carrier Rumor that AT&T will end 2 year contracts at the end of May
- Thread starter barkomatic
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Yes. Just the American way. They are already trying to make iPhone and other phone full price seem "cheaper" by spreading payments to 30 months now. Wouldnt be surprise to see 36 month payment plans soon.
I doubt AT&T will get rid of unlimited. I hope not I pretty satisfied with AT&T.
It wasn't AT&T's goal to either get rid of unlimited or eliminate two-year contracts. It's goal was to reduce the percentage of customers in these profiles. It has been and continues to be successful doing so.
I agree.
Many people left from unlimited with all the enticing double the data promotions and cheaper next plans.
And then bam, guess what? Unlimited is back unthrottled again
Im glad I and many others stuck with our gut and kept our unlimited data plans
If they were really serious about it they would go further and do what Verizon has been doing and not offer the contract subsidy option to anyone on an older plan.
It's not a question of being "serious"; it's about managing the mix. The current methods are working better than plan.
Well, I meant that in the sense that if they really wanted to do it faster the option is there and has been in use by their main competitor to quite a bit of effectiveness. So perhaps they aren't in as much of a hurry essentially.
Probably the first step to eliminate 2 year contracts. Well, it's probably about time it happened.
http://9to5mac.com/2015/05/21/apple-att-drop-two-year-contracts/
http://9to5mac.com/2015/05/21/apple-att-drop-two-year-contracts/
While at&t next is reasonable especially with mobile sharing that's gets more data.
The real issue is have is ATT (and other carriers) have found a backdoor way of increasing prices and most people haven't gotten the slightest idea ATT has increase prices?
How can this be?
This makes no sense?
Yes it does. Let me explain. Do you really think ATT is paying $649 for base iPhone 6? Sure. Keep believing that. It's pretty much a given fact ATT gets at least a 10% discount from Apple for "bulk" orders. Look through government purchases from say the iPads (from time Apple hardly ever discounted iPad 2 when iPads were selling like hot cakes). Apple gave us govt 10% discount.
So ATT is automatically making 10% profit off of you with ATT next.
The real issue is have is ATT (and other carriers) have found a backdoor way of increasing prices and most people haven't gotten the slightest idea ATT has increase prices?
How can this be?
This makes no sense?
Yes it does. Let me explain. Do you really think ATT is paying $649 for base iPhone 6? Sure. Keep believing that. It's pretty much a given fact ATT gets at least a 10% discount from Apple for "bulk" orders. Look through government purchases from say the iPads (from time Apple hardly ever discounted iPad 2 when iPads were selling like hot cakes). Apple gave us govt 10% discount.
So ATT is automatically making 10% profit off of you with ATT next.
The other problem is, full retail prices are being raised quite a bit. The S6 for instance is $599 for the base price, which funny enough is what Verizon charges, but AT&T and T-Mobile are charging almost $700 full retail for it, which means a couple bucks more per month.
They have been making money off of you for ages, and increasing that profit--that's one of the main reasons for their existence and that of any company: to make more money. The price they offer though is the same as Apple so it's not like you are paying more than you would somewhere else (or the manufacturer themselves).
Makes zero sense. What the msrp and what ATT pays for it is completely different. ATT does not pay $649 for the base iPhone 6 from apple. Same with Samsung msrp. Sprint former ceo in the past has already mentioned Apple's products were 40% more than their next selling product (Samsung Galaxy series) even though both the Galaxy and iPhone were the same msrp roughly.
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Yes. Just shows you carriers are finding back end ways to profit off "next, edge, jump" plans. Ain't none of them are paying msrp for these phones. But they are forcing you to pay msrp for them.
AT&T sells the iPhone for the same price that Apple (the manufacturer) sells it for.
At the end of the day Apple and AT&T have the same goal, make as much money per customer as possible.
I like and patronize both.
Do I love their prices... not really, but hey I'm the customer #
I like and patronize both.
Do I love their prices... not really, but hey I'm the customer #
So you're saying that ATT suddenly gets a 10% bulk discount for iphones from apple that they didn't get when they only offered traditional 2 year contract plans?? oooookay
Not when u can buy it on various sales on 2 year contract for less than $199. Than put flip phone for $9.99/line to avoid data plan and use iPhone on another line or resell it.
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There are more discounts on contract than with next.
I can get $99 iPhone 6 base various sales. Put flip phone on that line and avoid data plan. My 8 year old nephew uses that line for just phone calls and texting with basic keyboard go $25 phone.
I use that subsidized iPhone any way I want it. Resell it. Use it on another line etc.
What at all, does that have to do with what you were saying originally???
You made an argument that ATT is marking up the equipment that they're selling to us because they allegedly get it at discount from apple.
Now you're saying that there's discounts for people depending on what contract they're signing.
Is there a specific point you're trying to make or just rambling?
You made an argument that ATT is marking up the equipment that they're selling to us because they allegedly get it at discount from apple.
Now you're saying that there's discounts for people depending on what contract they're signing.
Is there a specific point you're trying to make or just rambling?
Who cares about "discounts" when you can still wind up paying more in the end? And that contract ties you down to whatever terms exist at the time you sign up.
Another carrier comes up with a better offer? Too bad, you got another 23 months to go.
Want to take your phone to another carrier? Locked down until you pay off the device and cough up the ETF.
I never bothered with a smartphone until better contract-free and prepaid options came along. I like having the option of leaving my carrier at any time, and upgrading my phone on my schedule rather than on some fixed upgrade plan calendar.
So what you are saying is that contracts were like a loophole for people to get things cheaper and even make some money on them and getting rid of contracts gets rid of this type of loophole in a sense. Yeah, I guess in that sense these companies are totally screwing the consumers. /s
AT&T pays the lowest wholesale price of any iPhone seller. It used to get about a 10% discount, but it may be a bit richer now.
That said, comparing iPhone pricing to iPad pricing is just silly. There are far few phone sellers in a given market and iPhone pricing and margins are tighter because phones are sold on a service model.
You have no understanding of cost of goods sold, gross margin or basic cost accounting.
I agree.
Many people left from unlimited with all the enticing double the data promotions and cheaper next plans.
And then bam, guess what? Unlimited is back unthrottled again
Im glad I and many others stuck with our gut and kept our unlimited data plans
My reason for dropping the unlimited was 2 fold. Mainly i needed voice minutes, secondly my daughter was going over every other month and they were throtteling the rest of us. 3 lines. The family shared plan gave the women the ability to talk on the phone, and the promotion doubled my data. I couldnt be happier. Unlimited was a pain for our usage.
The will never take away a plan someone is currently on. They may stop offering it though. We've seen that over and over.