ATT you just go one step closer to loosing a customer now kick me from my unlimited data and I'm gonetry me
Doubt they are scared. Carriers only care about their bottom dollar.
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Apple Store No Longer Sells iPhone With 2-Year Contract on AT&T
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Doubt they are scared. Carriers only care about their bottom dollar.
Lulz.
Where did you even hear that??
I'm glad some users here could correct you quickly, before you spread that misinformation to anyone else...
I can't believe the amount of people fooled by the AT&T Next plan...
Let's do the math: AT&T says that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will have a monthly installment fee of $32, on top of your existing AT&T service fees, which already include a device subsidy. The exact amount of that subsidy is unknown, but most industry estimates have put it at something like $20 per month. That's how you can get a GS4 for $199 with a new two-year contract, even though it costs $620 at retail: after two years, AT&T will have collected $680 in total device payments from you, and you get to keep the phone.
But the balance tips entirely towards AT&T with Next. Assuming that same $20 subsidy, after 12 months of Next you will have paid AT&T $384 in Next monthly installments and $240 in device subsidies, for a grand total of $620. Again, that's exactly the full retail cost of an unlocked Galaxy S4 — but you don't get to keep that phone, even though you just paid full price for it. You have to trade it in to get a new phone — effectively giving AT&T a free GS4 to refurbish and resell to its next unwitting customer.
Now, you do get to keep your Next phone if you pay 20 monthly installments, which will cost you a whopping $1,040 if you assume a $20 subsidy: $640 in Next payments, plus $400 in subsidies built into your AT&T plan. That's $420 in pure profit for AT&T, which just made you pay full price for a phone while charging you inflated service prices that include a subsidy specifically designed to lower the upfront cost of that phone.
source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff
Let's do the math: AT&T says that the Samsung Galaxy S4 will have a monthly installment fee of $32, on top of your existing AT&T service fees, which already include a device subsidy. The exact amount of that subsidy is unknown, but most industry estimates have put it at something like $20 per month. That's how you can get a GS4 for $199 with a new two-year contract, even though it costs $620 at retail: after two years, AT&T will have collected $680 in total device payments from you, and you get to keep the phone.
But the balance tips entirely towards AT&T with Next. Assuming that same $20 subsidy, after 12 months of Next you will have paid AT&T $384 in Next monthly installments and $240 in device subsidies, for a grand total of $620. Again, that's exactly the full retail cost of an unlocked Galaxy S4 — but you don't get to keep that phone, even though you just paid full price for it. You have to trade it in to get a new phone — effectively giving AT&T a free GS4 to refurbish and resell to its next unwitting customer.
Now, you do get to keep your Next phone if you pay 20 monthly installments, which will cost you a whopping $1,040 if you assume a $20 subsidy: $640 in Next payments, plus $400 in subsidies built into your AT&T plan. That's $420 in pure profit for AT&T, which just made you pay full price for a phone while charging you inflated service prices that include a subsidy specifically designed to lower the upfront cost of that phone.
source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff
Same here. I've been with ATT from the start (very first iPhone) and always choose the 2 year contract. I sell my previous phone for around $200 every two years and then sign up for a new contract. Since I only use 300mb of data or less, my bill is $68 a month. Last fall, I went to an ATT store and called their 800 number before buying the new iPhone 6, from my calculations, I would save a couple hundred of dollars sticking to the 2-year contract over the NEXT program. So this doesn't seem to be good news if they won't allow me to do this when the iPhone 7 comes out. Also, my GF is grandfathered into the unlimited data, will they not allow this either? Could be bye-bye AT&T for me.
Well, I think that's the final nail in the coffin. I've been wanting to switch off of AT&T for a couple years now and I've been whole heartedly avoiding AT&T Next. I haven't done as much research as I probably should have, but I have a bad gut feeling about it, I feel like somehow they're screwing me over or else they never would have switched to this model. Can anyone tell me otherwise? I think my next iPhone will be on Verizon though...
Same for my GF, she would be pissed to give up the unlimited data but looks like they will force you out of this next time you upgrade. Ugh.
no savings the price increased by 30.00 per month after the original iPhone now you save 15... they are making more no matter how you look at it
Is AT&T doing away with 2 year contracts all together or just for the iPhone?
So much for potentially getting a 6S+ with my subsidy.
might be worth holding onto my jailbroken 6+ for quite some time then
They are offing the 2 year contract in steps. First they choke it out of third party retailers. After people funnel to AT&T for direct information and upgrades, in which they try their best to upsell on NEXT, eventually they don't give them a choice
I don't know about 1GB of data, but AT&T does provide a chart for 10GB of data to compare between the two plans:
The difference is, after the 30 months of payments, 2.5 years, your monthly due on the Next plan drops $25/month if you keep the phone. You can, if you want, trade in your phone at 24 months and get a new model. and keep your current bill the same.
The "2 year contract" was a horrible deal.
$36 activation
$199 up-front + tax
$25 a month bill increase
That means for a $650 iPhone you end up paying at least $835 for it.
Many people end up paying the $25 a month after the 2 years is up, so they keep paying and paying and paying...
Either go with AT&T Next or buy the iPhone out-right. Put it on credit card, if you have to.
$36 activation
$199 up-front + tax
$25 a month bill increase
That means for a $650 iPhone you end up paying at least $835 for it.
Many people end up paying the $25 a month after the 2 years is up, so they keep paying and paying and paying...
Either go with AT&T Next or buy the iPhone out-right. Put it on credit card, if you have to.
I ditched AT&T for T-Mobile a couple of years ago and haven't looked back.
I added a 3rd line and my phone bill still dropped by $45/month.
I did the math last fall and their NEXT program is more expensive than a 2-year contract even if they tell you differently, and when I went into an AT&T store and called their 800 number, I was told 10 different things
If you are grandfathered into unlimited data or switch to a new phone every two years, then the 2-year contract is a better value by a couple hundred dollars. With NEXT, you trade your phone in, with the 2-year you can sell your phone and that works out better for the consumer if you keep you phone in great shape.
You are leaving out that when you sign a 2-year contract, you own the phone and can sell it which I do for a min. of $200 after my two years are up and I'm ready for a new iPhone. I did the math, the NEXT is more expensive for me. Sad
Yeah the whole issue with AT&T getting rid of the 2 year contracts is that the plans are the same if not more expensive.
I pay $75/mo after discount for unlimited data, 450min, 1000 sms. And I get a new phone every 2 years at full discount, plus I can sell my old phone for at least a few hundred bucks.
If I have to pay $100/mo for non-unlimited data and a full price phone (even if it's spread out over monthly payments) then all of these arguments about saving people are bogus.
I pay $75/mo after discount for unlimited data, 450min, 1000 sms. And I get a new phone every 2 years at full discount, plus I can sell my old phone for at least a few hundred bucks.
If I have to pay $100/mo for non-unlimited data and a full price phone (even if it's spread out over monthly payments) then all of these arguments about saving people are bogus.
I was skeptical about ATT's new plans and the Next program, but once I did the math I saw we actually saved a lot of money by moving to a Family Share plan, and then getting new phones on ATT Next only brought the bill back up to what it was before, but gave us a better data package and finally included tethering without having to buy an add-on. And for four months of the two-year-life cycle of our phones, the bill drops down again.
I didn't have an unlimited data package to lose, but I do wonder if people who do have looked at their usage and compared it to current pricing. Are most of them really saving money, or is it just the psychological issue of losing "unlimited"? I'm sure there are outliers who use gobs and gobs of their unlimited data, but don't you get throttled eventually?
I didn't have an unlimited data package to lose, but I do wonder if people who do have looked at their usage and compared it to current pricing. Are most of them really saving money, or is it just the psychological issue of losing "unlimited"? I'm sure there are outliers who use gobs and gobs of their unlimited data, but don't you get throttled eventually?
Well, now I guess I'm buying my phone from the carrier, outright, or at another store until this is corrected.
they are screwing you over
NEXT can work for some but for me, it was more expensive than the 2-year.
All Next is is phone leasing.
I do not like to lease.
I like to have some equity in my products.
When I upgrade I can usually get back close to the same amount that I paid for it in the beginning.
With Next, nope, you turn your phone in for what? NOTHING. No return.
I do not like to lease.
I like to have some equity in my products.
When I upgrade I can usually get back close to the same amount that I paid for it in the beginning.
With Next, nope, you turn your phone in for what? NOTHING. No return.
still don't get why it is called subsidized. Users are still paying the full price or even more (if they don't upgrade after two years), but they never pay less .... AT&T is not subsidizing anything, they are just hiding the cost in the monthly bill.
Not true, if you keep your phone more than 2 years, yes NEXT would be better, but if you buy a new iPhone every two years, then for me the 2-year contract saved me over $200.
Carriers trying to take some control from Apple?
I bet Apple is not happy with these convoluted changes as now ATT just complicated the whole buying process. I hope Apple fires back in some big way by exposing the true cost of switching to this plan.
Does apple typically sell unsubsidized phones day 1?
I bet Apple is not happy with these convoluted changes as now ATT just complicated the whole buying process. I hope Apple fires back in some big way by exposing the true cost of switching to this plan.
Does apple typically sell unsubsidized phones day 1?