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I'm in an interesting predicament. I'm not upgrade eligible because I'm in a 2-year contract and AT&T is telling me to pay $250 to become "Upgrade Eligible". I was going to join AT&T Next and basically pay $325 or so to get the new iPhone this year and join AT&T Next. HOWEVER, if this will allow me to upgrade because there is no contract.... then I think I'd rather do this and save the $250 and just stay in my contract and ride it out.
 
I have an old grandfathered AT&T unlimited plan. According to the eligibility check I can right now either buy an unlocked phone or one of the AT&T Next plans. Does this mean I can simply select the Apple Upgrade program instead on the 12th and stick in my existing SIM and i'm good to go, WITHOUT changing anything with AT&T ?
 
I have an old grandfathered AT&T unlimited plan. According to the eligibility check I can right now either buy an unlocked phone or one of the AT&T Next plans. Does this mean I can simply select the Apple Upgrade program instead on the 12th and stick in my existing SIM and i'm good to go, WITHOUT changing anything with AT&T ?

This is what I'm assuming. If so, this is great for people like you guys.
 
I have an old grandfathered AT&T unlimited plan. According to the eligibility check I can right now either buy an unlocked phone or one of the AT&T Next plans. Does this mean I can simply select the Apple Upgrade program instead on the 12th and stick in my existing SIM and i'm good to go, WITHOUT changing anything with AT&T ?

AT&T will prolly try to charge you an activation fee but that sounds like how it will work.
 
This confuses me so much. Currently my 2-year contract with ATT is about to expire. I'm hoping they will let me just buy a phone for $199 and renew my 2-year contract. Or am I forced to join ATT Next?

Seems like I could get off better selling my 6S next year unlocked on craigslist and make up enough of the cost to buy off-contract for the 7 to still save money vs joining ATT Next or this.

Thoughts?
 
I'm in an interesting predicament. I'm not upgrade eligible because I'm in a 2-year contract and AT&T is telling me to pay $250 to become "Upgrade Eligible". I was going to join AT&T Next and basically pay $325 or so to get the new iPhone this year and join AT&T Next. HOWEVER, if this will allow me to upgrade because there is no contract.... then I think I'd rather do this and save the $250 and just stay in my contract and ride it out.

The $250 is really just the remaining subsidy on your current phone. If you were to sell the phone for around $250 and start doing this upgrade program would basically break even. After your current 2-year contract ends your bill will decrease to the month-to-month price.

Both this and the recent carrier installment plans are basically the same minus the applecare+. Just depends who you want to deal with when it comes to financing the phone.
 

  1. 1. The iPhone Upgrade Program is available to qualified customers only with a valid U.S. personal credit card. Requires a 24-month installment loan with Citizens Bank, N.A. and iPhone activation with a national carrier — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon. Full terms apply.
It's in the fine print. What does that mean? I have the $30 100 minutes unlimited text & 5gb of data plan on tmobile. Does that mean I can't use the program? I have to activate on tmobile which means a new account or what?
 
The $250 is really just the remaining subsidy on your current phone. If you were to sell the phone for around $250 and start doing this upgrade program would basically break even. After your current 2-year contract ends your bill will decrease to the month-to-month price.

Both this and the recent carrier installment plans are basically the same minus the applecare+. Just depends who you want to deal with when it comes to financing the phone.

I'd rather deal with Apple. I buy my phones every year through Apple, so it just works. It wouldn't really break even because even the $31.42 * 12 = $388.92. I see what you are saying. I plan on giving the phone to someone anyway and I'm not worried about breaking even. I just want to get into something that easily allows me to upgrade.
 
I pay $37.49 with vw for the 64gb 6, so I'd actually be saving like 75 cents. The big question is if I will continue to get my $25 edge program discount with vw, as that offsets their plan's subsidized pricing. If they don't give me the discount, then I'd be paying way more for the same so that's the big question to me.
 
I have an old grandfathered AT&T unlimited plan. According to the eligibility check I can right now either buy an unlocked phone or one of the AT&T Next plans. Does this mean I can simply select the Apple Upgrade program instead on the 12th and stick in my existing SIM and i'm good to go, WITHOUT changing anything with AT&T ?

You will still be paying a subsidy built into the plan that you have today, plus the cost of the device, so it is almost like paying twice. If you switch to AT&Ts mobile share plans that offer you a plan credit for BYOD, you will lose your unlimited data.
 
Isn't is smarter to sell each year altogether? You buy $649 on year 1. Then next year sell it used via various different ways and use that money towards a new model. You're losing much less than the at least $384 you'd be paying each year in the $32/month plan. Am I missing something here?
 
Isn't is smarter to sell each year altogether? You buy $649 on year 1. Then next year sell it used via various different ways and use that money towards a new model. You're losing much less than the at least $384 you'd be paying each year in the $32/month plan. Am I missing something here?
Yes, that's what I'm trying to figure out. That's what I've done in the past after unlocking it. Whenever I hear about a new lease plan I always dismiss it because I know it ends up costing more.
 
Isn't is smarter to sell each year altogether? You buy $649 on year 1. Then next year sell it used via various different ways and use that money towards a new model. You're losing much less than the at least $384 you'd be paying each year in the $32/month plan. Am I missing something here?

If you buy AppleCare, you are better off getting this upgrade program, because you can't buy just 1 year of AppleCare, so you end up paying the full price for 2 years of it, but only use it for one year. The remaining year is not transferrable to a new device, so it follows the used phone. With the upgrade program, they are selling you AppleCare on a monthly basis with your current phone, and if you upgrade at the end of the first year, the AppleCare will then apply to the next phone. Also, the higher GB phones get less resale value, so more depreciation every year when you flip phones compared with this upgrade plan.
 
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I already pay over $105 monthly for my AT&T unlimited data plan and I want the iPhone 6s Plus 64GB. I'm rocking an iPhone 5 and it is time for an upgrade.

So to keep costs lower, I'm probably going to take the AT&T Next plan with 30% down payment.
 
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This is what I'd like to know. Also, it says $37.49 for a 6S Plus 16GB, so if you do a year, that's only $449.88 for the year. Buying it outright would be $749, so a $300 difference. That's about what you'd get on eBay, give or take $50, and you get AppleCare plus. If this is how it works, I'm all in. ONLY if I can keep my current plan ($45/month w/ 250 MB data).

Ouch, I thought you US guys got things cheap! I'm currently paying £11 a month in the UK for unlimited calls, unlimited SMS and unlimited 4G/LTE data!! (and it's rolling month by month, I can leave at any time)
 
I already pay over $105 monthly for my AT&T unlimited data plan and I want the iPhone 6s Plus 64GB. I'm rocking an iPhone 5 and it is time for an upgrade.

So to keep costs lower, I'm probably going to take the AT&T Next plan with 30% down payment.

Keep in mind if you want to keep unlimited data you will likely be paying $105 + device fee per month...
 
Yes, the phone would be unlocked, but is the program only available to new customers, or are existing ones in on this as well? If they are, then this may be a good deal. If it is only new customers only, that's a problem.

Anyway, in checking the pricing availability page on Apple's site, I'm in a bit of a conundrum. My wife and I are still on our 4S, and in looking at the price comparison, we could go with a 128GB 6s on ATT Next 18 for $39.55/month per phone, locked, not including AppleCare+.

By comparison, we could go through apple for an extra $1.20/month per phone, and could get the same phone, unlocked, with AppleCare+. That's almost minimal, and am getting the benefit of unlocked and the protection on it.

Not bad.

BL.

Actually, I did this completely wrong. I compared the Upgrade program with ATT Next 18, which will give you 24 installments, but can upgrade in 18 months.

This needs to be compared to ATT Next 12, which is 20 payments with the option to upgrade in 12. With that said, $40.75/month unlocked, with AppleCare+ versus $47.45/month, locked, without AppleCare+.

Apple: 40.75 * 12 = $489
ATT Next 12: (47.45 * 12) = 569.4 + 129 = $698.40

I'll even go back to what I originally posted:

Apple: 40.75 * 12 = $489
ATT Next 18: (39.55 * 12) = 474.60 + 129 = 603.60

If I stayed for the full 24 months on Apple Upgrade or Next 18:

Apple: 40.75 * 24 = 978.
ATT Next 18: (39.55 * 24) = 949.20 + 129 = 1078.20

Finally, against Next 12:

Apple: 40.75 * 24 = 978.
ATT Next 12: (47.75 * 20) = 949 + 129 = 1078.

Obviously, double the totals for two phones. The upgrade program is looking good at that point for the 6s.

BL.
 
Can you elaborate?

I just checked T-Mobile's site and it shows $27.08/month for a 16GB iPhone 6.

Plus... Jump! $10 a month for Equipment Protection and the ability to early upgrade. It's the same, but you get an unlocked phone through Apple. I'll take Apple Care+ and the unlocked phone All Day. Let me choose the carrier.
 
Actually, I did this completely wrong. I compared the Upgrade program with ATT Next 18, which will give you 24 installments, but can upgrade in 18 months.

This needs to be compared to ATT Next 12, which is 20 payments with the option to upgrade in 12. With that said, $40.75/month unlocked, with AppleCare+ versus $47.45/month, locked, without AppleCare+.

Apple: 40.75 * 12 = $489
ATT Next 12: (47.45 * 12) = 569.4 + 129 = $698.40

I'll even go back to what I originally posted:

Apple: 40.75 * 12 = $489
ATT Next 18: (39.55 * 12) = 474.60 + 129 = 603.60

If I stayed for the full 24 months on Apple Upgrade or Next 18:

Apple: 40.75 * 24 = 978.
ATT Next 18: (39.55 * 24) = 949.20 + 129 = 1078.20

Finally, against Next 12:

Apple: 40.75 * 24 = 978.
ATT Next 12: (47.75 * 20) = 949 + 129 = 1078.

Obviously, double the totals for two phones. The upgrade program is looking good at that point for the 6s.

BL.

But what about the $25 discount from Att Next if you're on a mobile share plan?
 
If you buy AppleCare, you are better off getting this upgrade program, because you can't buy just 1 year of AppleCare, so you end up paying the full price for 2 years of it, but only use it for one year. The remaining year is not transferrable to a new device, so it follows the used phone. With the upgrade program, they are selling you AppleCare on a monthly basis with your current phone, and if you upgrade at the end of the first year, the AppleCare will then apply to the next phone. Also, the higher GB phones get less resale value, so more depreciation every year when you flip phones compared with this upgrade plan.

If you turn the phone in, apple will actually refund you the balance of the plan, by check or the credit card you've used. I've done this twice already.
 
Actually, I did this completely wrong. I compared the Upgrade program with ATT Next 18, which will give you 24 installments, but can upgrade in 18 months.

This needs to be compared to ATT Next 12, which is 20 payments with the option to upgrade in 12. With that said, $40.75/month unlocked, with AppleCare+ versus $47.45/month, locked, without AppleCare+.

Apple: 40.75 * 12 = $489
ATT Next 12: (47.45 * 12) = 569.4 + 129 = $698.40

I'll even go back to what I originally posted:

Apple: 40.75 * 12 = $489
ATT Next 18: (39.55 * 12) = 474.60 + 129 = 603.60

If I stayed for the full 24 months on Apple Upgrade or Next 18:

Apple: 40.75 * 24 = 978.
ATT Next 18: (39.55 * 24) = 949.20 + 129 = 1078.20

Finally, against Next 12:

Apple: 40.75 * 24 = 978.
ATT Next 12: (47.75 * 20) = 949 + 129 = 1078.

Obviously, double the totals for two phones. The upgrade program is looking good at that point for the 6s.

BL.
It looks like you're comparing prices for the 6s with 128GB. If so, your prices for AT&T are $5 to much for each of the payment plans.

If you're comparing prices for the 6s Plus, the amount for the Apple is $44.91, not $40.75. Either way, I think you're comparing prices for two different models, so you can't see the real difference between the AT&T Next and The Apple Upgrade program prices.
 
But what about the $25 discount from Att Next if you're on a mobile share plan?

Not really relevant on this, as the discount would apply to the bill, not the installment for the phone. The numbers above only apply to the payments for the phone, not anyone's bill. That.... is another post altogether.

BL.
 
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