Anyone else paying retail? Which carrier?

[alphaod]

I always pay retail.

 

[nostresshere]

NEXT plan is a ripoff........

Please explain how paying the same thing over time as full retail is a "ripoff"?

 

[siurpeeman]

4.7" will be the same price. Flagships are almost always $199. No way Apple is entering the market with a base model that's $100 more.

ever since the iphone 3g, the contract price has been $199, but that's not to say the full retail price hasn't changed over the years. the 4s was $50 more expensive than the 4, and i wouldn't be surprised to see the full retail price of the 6 to go up as well.

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The only benefit of contracts is for people who can't eat the iPhone cost up front, and want to finance via contract. Some of us aren't in that kind of a financial bind.

for me on verizon, paying outright for a phone would drop my monthly bill by about $10, $240 over the course of a normal 2-year contract. if i were to buy a phone on contract, i'd miss out on that $240 savings, but the phone is subsidized $450 ($649-$199) and i make out a little bit ahead. for the years i don't qualify for an upgrade, i just buy outright like i would have anyway if i were on verizon edge.

 

[Menel]

for me on verizon, paying outright for a phone would drop my monthly bill by about $10, $240 over the course of a normal 2-year contract. if i were to buy a phone on contract, i'd miss out on that $240 savings, but the phone is subsidized $450 ($649-$199) and i make out a little bit ahead. for the years i don't qualify for an upgrade, i just buy outright like i would have anyway if i were on verizon edge.

What is your monthly bill?

 

[siurpeeman]

What is your monthly bill?

$60/mo plus tax. what does that matter?

 

[3rdiguy]

I'll pay retail again. But I'll be waiting for an "s" version next summer. Verizon.

Same here. I will do my best to just sit back and gather info about it but I'm going for a new macbook first and the "s" version next year. Hopefully 5.5"

 

[jlake02]

NEXT plan is exactly the same cost as buying retail unless you trade it in rather than paying it off. You can use NEXT and pay off in full after two months and then you are "off contract."

Exactly this. Personally I see no reason to pay full price when I can get the phone at 0% financing and pay it off whenever I want in full in the near future.

 

[nostresshere]

Exactly this. Personally I see no reason to pay full price when I can get the phone at 0% financing and pay it off whenever I want in full in the near future.

Yes. But people keep coming here saying NEXT is a ripoff scam.

I don't get it.

 

[AZhappyjack]

Yes. But people keep coming here saying NEXT is a ripoff scam.

I don't get it.

The Next type plans are a rip-off if you continue to maintain the standard family share plan (as opposed to switching to the new "mobile shared" plan). The reason is simple - with the older plans, you are already paying x dollars to satisfy subsidy pricing - and you are not getting a phone subsidy.

In that scenario, you are basically paying twice for the phone - the subsidy "repayment" that is included in your existing plan PLUS the Next payment on the device.

If you switch to the "mobile shared" plans, you will pay less on a monthly basis for service because there is no subsidy "payback" included in that plan. In that case, the Next plan is not a ripoff, but, as has been stated, you are simply paying for the cost of your equipment over time with no interest. In that case, it’s not a bad deal.

 

[Carlanga]

I contract with AT&T and keep my unlimited data. Does Verizon not let you do that?

So, every other year I pay retail, the in-between years I get the discount. Last year I paid retail for my 5S, so this year will be a discount year.

verizon doesn't let you pay upgrade pricing on grandfather unlimited plans anymore.