Even if you're on unlimited (which I used to be), you're better off just buying phones on Craigslist or swappa.com and just upgrading at your leisure by swapping SIMs. Don't mess with AT&T at all.
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Apple Store No Longer Sells iPhone With 2-Year Contract on AT&T
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Even if you're on unlimited (which I used to be), you're better off just buying phones on Craigslist or swappa.com and just upgrading at your leisure by swapping SIMs. Don't mess with AT&T at all.
if you haven't noticed...T-Mobile has been doing for the longest time.
it's just the trend, soon there will be no more 2-year contract (to get cheaper phone). it's just pay full price like the rest of the world.
I think this is a good thing. people will actually keep their phones for more than 2 years (produce less waste).
but yea, just gotta stop complaining and accept the fact that this is where the industry is heading. YOUR GRANDFATHER UNLIMITED DATA PLAN will end!!!! sooner or later, one way or another it will end.
it's just the trend, soon there will be no more 2-year contract (to get cheaper phone). it's just pay full price like the rest of the world.
I think this is a good thing. people will actually keep their phones for more than 2 years (produce less waste).
but yea, just gotta stop complaining and accept the fact that this is where the industry is heading. YOUR GRANDFATHER UNLIMITED DATA PLAN will end!!!! sooner or later, one way or another it will end.
Tapdawg - This is about how much I pay in fees as well. Which I also paid before I ditched my contract. This is NOT a subsidy. It is TAXES which doesn't go to ATT. I don't think I can read this thread anymore because too many people clearly have no idea what they are talking about. For the most part doing a 2 year contract with subsidy, doing the att next plan, or buying a phone out of pocket are ALL THE SAME. There are minor variations in cost but if you break everything down like I have the difference are negligible. Like I said before - if you are paying a subsidy and paying for your hardware CALL ATT - you shouldn't be paying this much.
I did a comparison a while back when the Shared Data plans came into play, along with Paying Full Price, Next and Next+ 2yr Contract options. To switch plans to what then was the 15gb Doubled to 30gb, it would have cost an extra $1000 over 2 years for me. I haven't looked at the numbers in quite some time but I would bet its about the same.
People who say the prices are the same either don't have an older non-shared data plan or are unable to figure out the math (AT&T's plan to sucker people in is my opinion).
Also people who are on legacy plans and pay full price for phones are crazy. Your subsidy is figured into your plan already, so for each line you never sign a contract for you lose out on the subsidized money. In most cases its $449/line based on paying $200 for an 16gb iPhone which retails for $649. Note: I'm not bothering factoring in upgrade fees because I always have mine waived on everything.
People who say the prices are the same either don't have an older non-shared data plan or are unable to figure out the math (AT&T's plan to sucker people in is my opinion).
Also people who are on legacy plans and pay full price for phones are crazy. Your subsidy is figured into your plan already, so for each line you never sign a contract for you lose out on the subsidized money. In most cases its $449/line based on paying $200 for an 16gb iPhone which retails for $649. Note: I'm not bothering factoring in upgrade fees because I always have mine waived on everything.
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But with Next, after paying it off you then have to trade it in to upgrade, instead of selling it.
I think the big difference, is with the two year contract, at the end the phone is yours, but with Next, it's AT&T's and is sent back for the new phone. So when you factor in the 2 years, then deduct what the outgoing phone sells for on eBay, it changes the equation.
Really? I highly doubt that. Most people I know would think twice, thrice, and four more times about upgrading if they have to spend $700 on a cell phone instead of $0-200. It's also why the used phone market is so thriving.
People! There are two camps here. People in the current (and horrible) NEXT or contract mobile share plans -and- people in grandfathered older plans. Anyone in an old plan has a much better deal and this news about loss of subsidized phones means serious increase in monthly cell phone bills.
For example, I pay $120 for 550 shared minutes with rollover (we rarely go over) and unlimited data on two lines. I get a brand new iPhone every 2 years at $450 off. There is no 'surcharge' as some of you put it for this benefit. I pay less than anyone with a NEXT plan unless they share 1GB. On top of that I have a corp discount of 25% to lower my bill to $92.50 before taxes, but that's besides this comparison.
So, to sum up: if you're on a current subsidized plan, this doesn't mean much because the current contract plans are absolutely horrible priced (you pay $25 more per month for 24 months or $600 to get a $450 discount on an iPhone every two years - dumb dumb dumb choice). If you have the old family plan like I do with unlimited data, this is a huge blow once they finally kill our $450 discount every two years. T-mobile is not an option for me. They don't offer corp discounts anymore and $100 / month is more than I'm paying now for two lines. This is crazy, service should be getting less expensive not more.
For example, I pay $120 for 550 shared minutes with rollover (we rarely go over) and unlimited data on two lines. I get a brand new iPhone every 2 years at $450 off. There is no 'surcharge' as some of you put it for this benefit. I pay less than anyone with a NEXT plan unless they share 1GB. On top of that I have a corp discount of 25% to lower my bill to $92.50 before taxes, but that's besides this comparison.
So, to sum up: if you're on a current subsidized plan, this doesn't mean much because the current contract plans are absolutely horrible priced (you pay $25 more per month for 24 months or $600 to get a $450 discount on an iPhone every two years - dumb dumb dumb choice). If you have the old family plan like I do with unlimited data, this is a huge blow once they finally kill our $450 discount every two years. T-mobile is not an option for me. They don't offer corp discounts anymore and $100 / month is more than I'm paying now for two lines. This is crazy, service should be getting less expensive not more.
Again, WTF are you talking about. Those $15 are regulatory fees that the government imposes. It has nothing to do with subsidies and is not money that goes to AT&T.
If you're talking about only the unlimited plans, then spell it out clearly in each post. Otherwise, you're confusing people who are not on those plans and would benefit from the free financing of the Next program. Instead, you tell us that the surcharges and fees are a hidden subsidy on our plans although we don't have the unlimited plans and they are clearly not.
what is this hidden subsidy you're talking about?
aren't the plan pretty straight forward?
NEXT is like financing (for ppl that can't pay 800$ ish for a phone upfront), so you pay $800/24 a month for 24 months. because you're the Next plan, you're monthly service (data, minutes, txt) + equipment charge (40$ / month) (this is like the % rate for the financing)
so to sump up with an example (lets leave the fees and tax out of this)
NEXT $$/month + 100$ (10gb, unlimited talk/text) + 40$ a month (equipment charge)
OR
(buy you're own phone, from whatever source u like) + 100$ +15$ (equipment charge)
so what OTHER HIDDEN subsidy you're talking about?
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Wrong. The phone is yours to do as you please.
Just another attempt to get those of us with unlimited plans to switch plans. If I switch its going to be to a new carrier. Hopefully this backfires on them.
Maybe they will change it when the new iPhones come out. So random for them to change it now. Oh well I'll just preorder from att than. Sucks not order from Apple but done preorders for both start at same time on launch day.
depends if you completely pay if off versus have a "balance". By the way, trading it in is simply foolish. Pay it off, sell it on CL or eBay and get top dollar. Don't let AT&T get that money
No, you don't.
The only time you HAVE to trade it in is if you want to upgrade before you've paid it off. And even then, you can sell the stupid phone yourself, and use the money you made from Craigslist/eBay to pay off what you owe on it.
He said that you have to turn it in AFTER paying it off. That was wrong.
I do agree that it never makes sense to give it back to AT&T.
As I said, once you have unlimited or mobile share plan locked in, you should never mess with AT&T again for hardware. Just bring your own. Works much better.
Thank you for posting actual numbers. I did the same math - on a piece of paper (so I don't have it anymore). The difference between our plans is that my initial plan not including the lines was way more than yours. I don't know how yours is only $64. That is a great deal. Mine was well over $100 without the lines and that was with a 20% employer discount (apple). For you it makes sense but that is only because your plan is so damn cheap. I've never seen it that low... When I did the same math everything came to be about the same...
With the 2-year contract, you pay the subsidy + fees, and can't opt out to get the latest greatest smart phone unless you pay the termination fee. After your 2-year contract, you get to keep the phone. I get it. You can do whatever you want after the 2-year.
With the AT&T Next plan, you don't pay subsidy, but pay the phone in monthly installments. You have the incentive to TRADE in your phone after 12 months to get the latest greatest smart phone without paying a termination fee OR pay the remaining monthly installment balance to keep the phone and start a NEW AT&T Next with the new phone. From here you can keep the old one (i.e. give it to family friends, etc.) or sell it.
I believe we have some big confusion with the 2-year contract and AT&T Next plans. I don't get why the people with 2-year contracts are getting hurt for the change to the AT&T Next. If you are on a 2-year contract, you don't expect to get a NEW phone anyways. You will most likely complete your contract and then get a new phone. On the AT&T Next, you have the OPTION to trade it in after the 12 months, OR you do what you do and complete the 24 or 30 month installment or just outright pay the remaining installment fee.
For those that are on the grandfather unlimited plan, it's really up to you. I was on the grandfather plan last year before I made the switch to the Next with family sharing plan. I figured I will get throttled anyways, so changed plans with a 15GB family share plan. Fortunately, during the iphone 6/6+ opening, AT&T was promoting the "Double your Data" plan and I now have 30GB family share plan and pay the same I would for a grandfather unlimited plan. I never used all of my data and have plenty each month. I would say the AT&T Next is very convenient for folks who wants the latest greatest.
My 2 cents....
I've tried to keep up with this thread the best I can and it's very hard. I'll just ask for to be clear: If you have a grandfathered unlimited plan and switch to a NEXT Plan, do you lose the Unlimited?
Also, is it confirmed if buying from AT&T (at least for now) still gives the option of a 2 year contract option?
Thank you.
Also, is it confirmed if buying from AT&T (at least for now) still gives the option of a 2 year contract option?
Thank you.
Actually I just chatted with an AT&T rep, she was singing the praises of how NEXT upgrades are better than 2 year contract upgrades. Actually, they are offering to let you keep you minute/text/data plans for the same monthly price and just simply change your UPGRADE plan from 2 year contract to NEXT. So for an apples to apples comparison 2 year contact and 24 Month Next. I can pay $399 for a 64GB iP6+ upfront with 2 year contract -or- I can pay $35.38 / month for 24 months. At the end of each 24 months, I own each phone. But I paid $399 with 2 year or $849 with NEXT. So its X per month for your 2 year contract + $199/299/399/499 for the phone once every 2 years or X + X99/24 every month with next. You do the math.
I don't agree. My service cost went down with the mobile share plan.