7 questions about AT&T Next
\\\\\ Context
I pre-ordered my iPhone 6 plus 128gb at 1:00am PT on 9/12 on my iPhone 5 Apple store app. It arrives this week.
Current plan:
- 10gb Mobile Share value plan
- 3 lines, my phone and 2 others which will be off contract in November, but they are currently labeled, "Eligible for upgrade"
- 10gb/month plan
- 24% corporate discount which I believe applies to just the data cost part, not the line cost part.
We're using just under 6 gb/month, but the 6gb plan costs more than the 10gb plan.
I travel for work and use tethering all the time instead of connecting to insecure public wifis or when there's no wifi.
I called ATT 2 weeks before ordering to see if I could order the iPhone 6 at the on-contract price. Answer was yes, even though it's a couple weeks early. I asked if I should shift to a different data plan to save $. Answer was no, using close to max data (10gb data plan) with 3 lines. So I could order new iPhone and my plan stays the same. The ATT person did NOT mention of the extra $25/month for 2 years = $600 in fees that the text message notified me of.
Yes, I'm sure those details were in the fine print when I signed up for Mobile Share eons ago, and I should have remembered. And I'm sure it was somewhere on my iPhone 5 as I was squinting at the order screen at 1am Friday morning trying to checkout as quickly as possible. So no lectures on that please.
This definitely has caused me to look at other carriers. It feels like AT&T is punishing me for being a loyal customer by making the on-contract arrangement the most expensive option.
\\\\\ Questions.. since I have learned more by reading here vs talking to the ATT operator
If I stay with AT&T, I will
a) Take my purchased $500 iPhone that I receive this week into an Apple Store.
b) Return it
(Q#1) Can I make an appointment to do this or will I need to wait in line?
c) Repurchase it with AT&T Next 12. I've read here that the Apple Store can do that if you take a on-contract phone and turn it into a Next phone (and aren't in NYC.)
The text message about the fee increase from $15 to $40 / month referred me to
http://www.att.com/planconfirm
"You have options" section
Even if I sign up for ATT Next 12, I would want to give my current iPhone 6 plus to my husband after I pay it off. Not trade it in. (Because I am the geek and tech aficionado in the family, I get the new phone first
For a 128gb iPhone 6 Plus, contract-free price = $950:
With ATT Next 12:
Total phone cost = 20 payments of $47.50 = $950
Eligible for new phone after 12 payments
Month 13 through 20 = 8 payments of $47.50 = $380 (I guess this is what ATT is banking they can sell my phone for if I upgrade on month 13)
(Q#2) If I upgrade after 12 months...
In order to give my old iPhone6 to my husband, what I'd need to do is
- Month 13, I make the payments for Month 13 - 20, at which time the phone is mine to give to my husband. Right?
- I would then need to sign up for a new ATT Next 12 plan when I purchase my next phone.
(Q#3) If I upgrade after 24 months...
My phone purchase "installment plan" cost of $47.50 simply no longer appears on my bill at month 21.
I keep using that phone and just owe the monthly Mobile Share Value Plan fees.
At month 21 I own the phone outright and don't have to trade it in when I upgrade it on month 24. Right?
(Q#4) During the 18 month period when I'm paying for the ATT iPhone 6 Plus, if I travel internationally, can I put a different carrier's SIM in it?
(Q#5) If I decide to pay it off early and switch carriers, can I unlock it and put a different carrier's SIM in it?
(Q#6) If a second phone on my account goes on the ATT Next plan, will I see any extra surprise fees beyond the phone payments?
(Q#7) If I have had an account in good standing for many years, will ATT do a hard pull on my credit report?
"footnote #3 in link below -
AT&T Next: Requires 20-month or 24-month 0% APR installment agreement and qualifying credit."
My credit score is now just above 800, and I do NOT want a hard pull.
(Q#8) If AT&T wants to do a hard pull on my credit report for ATT Next, I will return my purchased on-contract phone and repurchase it by paying in full. Is there any technical reason to purchase the T-Mobile contract free version instead of the ATT contract free version? i.e., are there any extra LTE bands covered by T-Mobile?
My preference would be to give the total phone purchase $$ to T-Mobile, since
a) ATT is stealing time from my life with this change, and clearly doesn't value it's on-contract clients by making that the most expensive option. They are now like all the insurance companies who raise the rates of loyal auto and home insurance customers who are not inclined to shop around each year, until they realize they are paying totally non-competitive rates.
b) John Legere is cool. (T-Mobile CEO)
Thanks in advance for your help.
Reference link for AT&T next
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/ne...aidSearchTerm=at&t+next+plan#fbid=7AK3z8OsxUe
\\\\\ Context
I pre-ordered my iPhone 6 plus 128gb at 1:00am PT on 9/12 on my iPhone 5 Apple store app. It arrives this week.
Current plan:
- 10gb Mobile Share value plan
- 3 lines, my phone and 2 others which will be off contract in November, but they are currently labeled, "Eligible for upgrade"
- 10gb/month plan
- 24% corporate discount which I believe applies to just the data cost part, not the line cost part.
We're using just under 6 gb/month, but the 6gb plan costs more than the 10gb plan.
I travel for work and use tethering all the time instead of connecting to insecure public wifis or when there's no wifi.
I called ATT 2 weeks before ordering to see if I could order the iPhone 6 at the on-contract price. Answer was yes, even though it's a couple weeks early. I asked if I should shift to a different data plan to save $. Answer was no, using close to max data (10gb data plan) with 3 lines. So I could order new iPhone and my plan stays the same. The ATT person did NOT mention of the extra $25/month for 2 years = $600 in fees that the text message notified me of.
Yes, I'm sure those details were in the fine print when I signed up for Mobile Share eons ago, and I should have remembered. And I'm sure it was somewhere on my iPhone 5 as I was squinting at the order screen at 1am Friday morning trying to checkout as quickly as possible. So no lectures on that please.
This definitely has caused me to look at other carriers. It feels like AT&T is punishing me for being a loyal customer by making the on-contract arrangement the most expensive option.
\\\\\ Questions.. since I have learned more by reading here vs talking to the ATT operator
If I stay with AT&T, I will
a) Take my purchased $500 iPhone that I receive this week into an Apple Store.
b) Return it
(Q#1) Can I make an appointment to do this or will I need to wait in line?
c) Repurchase it with AT&T Next 12. I've read here that the Apple Store can do that if you take a on-contract phone and turn it into a Next phone (and aren't in NYC.)
The text message about the fee increase from $15 to $40 / month referred me to
http://www.att.com/planconfirm
"You have options" section
Even if I sign up for ATT Next 12, I would want to give my current iPhone 6 plus to my husband after I pay it off. Not trade it in. (Because I am the geek and tech aficionado in the family, I get the new phone first
For a 128gb iPhone 6 Plus, contract-free price = $950:
With ATT Next 12:
Total phone cost = 20 payments of $47.50 = $950
Eligible for new phone after 12 payments
Month 13 through 20 = 8 payments of $47.50 = $380 (I guess this is what ATT is banking they can sell my phone for if I upgrade on month 13)
(Q#2) If I upgrade after 12 months...
In order to give my old iPhone6 to my husband, what I'd need to do is
- Month 13, I make the payments for Month 13 - 20, at which time the phone is mine to give to my husband. Right?
- I would then need to sign up for a new ATT Next 12 plan when I purchase my next phone.
(Q#3) If I upgrade after 24 months...
My phone purchase "installment plan" cost of $47.50 simply no longer appears on my bill at month 21.
I keep using that phone and just owe the monthly Mobile Share Value Plan fees.
At month 21 I own the phone outright and don't have to trade it in when I upgrade it on month 24. Right?
(Q#4) During the 18 month period when I'm paying for the ATT iPhone 6 Plus, if I travel internationally, can I put a different carrier's SIM in it?
(Q#5) If I decide to pay it off early and switch carriers, can I unlock it and put a different carrier's SIM in it?
(Q#6) If a second phone on my account goes on the ATT Next plan, will I see any extra surprise fees beyond the phone payments?
(Q#7) If I have had an account in good standing for many years, will ATT do a hard pull on my credit report?
"footnote #3 in link below -
AT&T Next: Requires 20-month or 24-month 0% APR installment agreement and qualifying credit."
My credit score is now just above 800, and I do NOT want a hard pull.
(Q#8) If AT&T wants to do a hard pull on my credit report for ATT Next, I will return my purchased on-contract phone and repurchase it by paying in full. Is there any technical reason to purchase the T-Mobile contract free version instead of the ATT contract free version? i.e., are there any extra LTE bands covered by T-Mobile?
My preference would be to give the total phone purchase $$ to T-Mobile, since
a) ATT is stealing time from my life with this change, and clearly doesn't value it's on-contract clients by making that the most expensive option. They are now like all the insurance companies who raise the rates of loyal auto and home insurance customers who are not inclined to shop around each year, until they realize they are paying totally non-competitive rates.
b) John Legere is cool. (T-Mobile CEO)
Thanks in advance for your help.
Reference link for AT&T next
http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/ne...aidSearchTerm=at&t+next+plan#fbid=7AK3z8OsxUe