Thank you for this. This makes it an easy decision for me then, go with the Apple upgrade program. Does this mean I can just put the SIM card from my current phone into the phone I get from Apple and I'm good to go?
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Apple Announces iPhone Upgrade Program for Annual iPhone Purchasers
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That's the good part. You aren't giving up anything in your plan. The purchase of the phone should be independent of your plan, especially if you have already fulfilled the terms of your plan.
Up until late last year, I was on the same UDP that I had when the iPhone 3G came out. Since I had fulfilled the two years on that, I could have essentially jumped on the apple update program, paid for my phone that way, and not have anything touch my plan. Since you're not paying through your carrier for your phone, the device used for your plan should not matter.
I'll put it this way. What would happen if you went back to a Nokia 7250i or a Motorola Razr (not Droid)? Both are capable of using data. Would your plan change?
BL.
The difference is that you have to pay off %60 of the phone cost with NEXT as opposed to %50 with Apple. It's the same if you are going to but it out except for the AppleCare requirement.
True. I guess that is why I am seeing a chance to make a few bucks by buying and selling vs just handing it back. That extra 10% I paid. To be honest. I would probably go apple's plan if it were available online.
By Saturday, it should be online, albeit the fact that you'd have to go into the Apple Store to pick up the phone.
What concerns me more is that the legalese for their upgrade program still isn't online. For example, while they state that you need a personal credit card, what they don't go into is if it has to be an actual credit card, or a bank issued credit/debit card with your name on it, etc. You'd think that they would have that ironed out by now, especially since they're at less than 31 hours from this going live.
BL.
This is the best part of the plan for me. I like how TMO structured their plan but I still had to pay off the phone to get it unlocked. An installment plan on an unlocked phone and I can keep my TMO calling plan? Done and done.
The problem is I have unlimited and I also have 4 lines of service. I take one of the upgrades every year. I paid $399 and got the iphone6. I then hand down the 1 year old phone to my wife. Hers goes to one of the kids. With this new plan I can't do that. My plan is not cheap so paying the $41 per month on top of my old out dated plan is not an option either. Pricing of the shared plans look good but just afraid to do it with kids that go over every month now.
I wonder how that will actually work out in the US, since there is no single iPhone that completely supports all US carriers, hence four models (A1633, A1634, A1687, and A1688). As I understand it, these are actual hardware differences, so how can they truly be carrier-agnostic?
http://www.apple.com/iphone-6s/specs/
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i also don't agree with throwing in apple care in a plan that was designed to trade in every 12 month. You get 12 months when you get a new phone. There will be millions of people with a $35+ per month payment going to apple for the rest of there life's. Smart move apple.
I meant fully online, order and ship to my door on release day. Why the need to go to the store? Would hate to fall into some sort of back order or 4 hour lines.
And yes on your other part. My wife, mother in law and I are all on the same plan. Can I use my Credit and credit card/debit card to buy them all? Does each person have to credit check / have a CC?
Remember, they're throwing in AppleCare+, which covers accidental damage.
The regular AppleCare warranty that comes with every iPhone does not cover accidental damage.
I know some people still won't find any value in that, but with Apple letting you upgrade at 12/24 payments, their monthly payment w/ AppleCare+ included in it is still a few bucks cheaper per month than ATT's Next plan that lets you upgrade yearly (because ATT spreads the payments over 20 months, not 24, which makes the monthly payment higher, without any warranty included).
For people on ATT's Next program that allows yearly upgrades, they're going to save money on Apple's program, and get AppleCare+.
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I bet the whole store idea is to have people turn in the 'old' phones. Not a thing *this* year but most people every time after this will be replacing a phone. And you will need to hand over your old phone to get the new one. No way will they let you get the new one in the mail and have to police the people that don't sent the old one back promptly.
I'd like that method also, but it's a logistical nightmare. Now, how the stores are going to keep on top of it I have no idea. They better have good appointment scheduling for this...
While I agree with month to month charges giving a slight edge to Apple, things change on the Next plan if you do what I just did. I bought my phone by paying the rest of the installments and will now sell it for more than I had left on installments. Recouping that slight extra a month and then some.
On Apple plan, assuming you can do the same thing and buy it out, you are closer to breaking even because you had more months left
It's honestly probably close to the same when it is all said and done. That's why I am thinking AT&T Next because I can avoid whatever this buy in store thing causes. Not to mention the savings if you're not an AppleCare + buyer.
While I understand what you mean, you are assuming that everyone would be coming from the previous iPhone. Unfortunately, this isn't the case, as I'd get next to near nothing for my wife's and my 4Ses. We'd get $31 each for them as is, and $50 each for them unlocked.
BL.
I'm in sort of a similar situation. My kids aren't old enough for phones yet, but I upgrade and renew a 2-year contract every year and hand my phone down to my wife (alternating annual upgrades between the two lines). I then resell my wife's old phone for typically $50-$150 less than the $399 I pay for my new phone and keep my UDP intact. It seems like this is still by far the best way for me to go since even if I moved to a shared data plan I'd only be saving about $35/mo which is not nearly enough to match the cost to keep both lines in the latest or even second latest phone on Next or Apple's new plan. Am I missing anything?
I'm going to AT&T this evening and doing some pricing. They will give you either $15 or $25 off your bill if your not on contract depending which share plan you choose. I'm thinking is not too much cheaper than what I have now. I know I'm staying with AT&T so the sale pitch of you can go anywhere is not appealing to me. I just worried because my kids go over and I use about 5 gigs per month. The 15 gig share plane is not enough. The 20 gig plane will cost about the same aswhat I pay now.
I guess people are missing my point.
Is AT&T going to be locking these phones to their non-contract contract?
Will I be able to take my Apple Plan iPhone with AT&T to the UK, and stick a chip in it and get it to work? AT&T has ritualistically locked other unlocked phones to their plans in the past. It took the usability/benefit out of buying an unlocked iPhone away, and pissed off a lot of people...
I don't really see how it is terrible. I have liked it so far. I just paid off the remainder on my Next 12 and am selling my phone for a profit. But even without the profit how is something that is 0% on an item terrible? It's worked so well for carriers that even Apple is doing it now.