Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
After all my calculations, I have come to figure out this. If you always have one line to upgrade in your plan every year, 2 year contract works. If you are on individual plan, then sorry, tough

Assumptions:

16GB phone
Mobile Share Plan

ATT next - one year - 32.5*12 + 15*12 = 570
Contract -199 +40*12+ 40(upgrade fee) = 720
Sell Contract Phone for ~ 350-400 - Final price for contract - 320 - 380.

You will come out minimum 190 cheaper, max it can go to 250.
This is just for one year, if you are like me who gets new phone every year.
 
Well, the other side of that is I can sell my 32 GB 5 for around $200-250, which reduces that upfront cost as well. I could still switch to the 10 GB plan on either scenario with a small increase in my monthly cost.

You could sell it now either way couldn't you? And then just use the money to defray the monthly Next costs. I'm kind of in the same boat, I'm used to selling mine every year and use an upgrade from another line to upgrade every year, but now with mobile share and Next I'm intrigued. I sold my 5s for $350, and if i do Next I can upgrade every year without losing the $25 discount on another line or paying the $40 upgrade fee, but I no longer have phone to sell every year either, its a tough call.

----------

After all my calculations, I have come to figure out this. If you always have one line to upgrade in your plan every year, 2 year contract works. If you are on individual plan, then sorry, tough

Assumptions:

16GB phone
Mobile Share Plan

ATT next - one year - 32.5*12 + 15*12 = 570
Contract -199 +40*12+ 40(upgrade fee) = 720
Sell Contract Phone for ~ 350-400 - Final price for contract - 320 - 380.

You will come out minimum 190 cheaper, max it can go to 250.
This is just for one year, if you are like me who gets new phone every year.

Yes but you have to pay the other year for the other line at the higher fee once you extend the contract. That is to say, you're on the hook for $40/month for 2 years regardless, and the same with the other line the next year, with Next you're always at $15/month.
 
Last edited:
Personally, I'd rather have my money go toward a tangible object vs services. In my case the Next plan costs less. Even if there were even, I'd rather pay for the phone vs the service.
 
Something to consider....

With contract pricing, your cost to cancel AT&T service while keeping your phone is $325, and $0 if you switch to T-Mobile (which reimburses ETFs). With NEXT, you've got to pay off the cost of the phone.

T-Mobile does not pay NEXT fees.
 
So do we still get to keep our FAN discount if we move to Next? I have one line of a 3 line shared mobile account I want to put on next.
 
Contract for me. Never giving up "unlimited/5GB LTE" for $30. Plus I end up virtually getting my subsidized phone for free after I sell it 2 years later.
 
Ish, I essentially do the same thing you do with the kids. BUT I find it's cheaper to go NEXT this time vs contract.

Are you already on the Mobile share value plan? If so, do the math. It seems that NEXT may work in our favor, honestly.

This year I'll use NEXT on my line.
Next year I will use NEXT on a kid's line.
And so on...
1 phone on NEXT is cheaper than 1 phone on a contract. And when the NEXT is paid off my kids will keep carrying it and carrying it.

Thanks, I agree. Next is a better option.
 
After all my calculations, I have come to figure out this. If you always have one line to upgrade in your plan every year, 2 year contract works. If you are on individual plan, then sorry, tough

Assumptions:

16GB phone
Mobile Share Plan

ATT next - one year - 32.5*12 + 15*12 = 570
Contract -199 +40*12+ 40(upgrade fee) = 720
Sell Contract Phone for ~ 350-400 - Final price for contract - 320 - 380.

You will come out minimum 190 cheaper, max it can go to 250.
This is just for one year, if you are like me who gets new phone every year.

Maybe im missing something but why is every at&t employee telling me to not go next and keep my grandfathered data plan and save $50/mo.
 
Next is a HUGE ripoff......If you want to pay for your phone twice and then not keep it go ahead.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/16/4528404/att-next-phone-upgrade-plans-a-huge-ripoff

This is outdated information. NEXT is an Interest free loan that gives you a lot of flexibility. The overall cost completely depends on what plans you have, what you switch to, and what device you want. For me, switching to Next costs maybe $25/year more, but I can upgrade with no hoops when I want and I don't have to pony up $500 up front for my top of the line device. Not that I couldn't but if AT&T wants to give me an interest free loan I'll take it.
 
Now I'm torn...I wasn't considering NEXT until I read this...

I have a single line, FAN account with 17% discount. Mobile Share Value Plan 2GB. After discounts my total bill is about $63...so far I've been upgrading every year or so, paying out of pocket and selling my previous phone.
 
Sorry for the second post...
I can do NEXT right now for full price of $749, or 2 year contract for $549.
In twelve months i can do it all over again either with NEXT or 2 year contract.

If I don't care about being under contract am I better off with the lower price and the contract?
 
I went with AT&T's NEXT program. I pay full retail for my iPhones anyway so it's nice to be able to pay it off a few interest free payments at a time. I'll pay on it for a few months and then pay the balance off.
 
I went with AT&T's NEXT program. I pay full retail for my iPhones anyway so it's nice to be able to pay it off a few interest free payments at a time. I'll pay on it for a few months and then pay the balance off.

Is that really the only benefit? To be able to make payments on it?
 
Yep - you get the same plan pricing whether you pay up front or pay via NEXT but the latter allows you to do so via interest free payments with no real contract other than that you agree to buy the phone out at full price if you want out early - the same cost as if you paid up front.
 
Is that really the only benefit? To be able to make payments on it?

For me it is because I have an unlimited data plan and would not qualify for the monthly NEXT discount. However, people on that use NEXT and are on AT&T's new plans would receive a discount off their plan each month which is a good thing for some people.
 
Can I switch to NEXT if I'm currently under contract? I would save the $40 activation fee also.
 
Thanks, how is it a ripoff, just trying to understand.


I agree. I don't think it is a ripoff if you understand how it works.

1. you're not on a contract, so paying full price sounds about right!
2. I am getting additional discounts on my plan. I don't have a grandfathered plan.
3. I get to keep my phone after 20 months or 12.
4. Payment plans are feasible for some people. I can pay for my phone outright, but I'd rather invest it or use it for my Disney World trip.

I'm just dreading the higher bill each month. They said I can pay if off early if I wanted to, which is a plus! I'm still researching, got to make sure I'm going to make a decision I can stick with.
 
This is outdated information. NEXT is an Interest free loan that gives you a lot of flexibility. The overall cost completely depends on what plans you have, what you switch to, and what device you want. For me, switching to Next costs maybe $25/year more, but I can upgrade with no hoops when I want and I don't have to pony up $500 up front for my top of the line device. Not that I couldn't but if AT&T wants to give me an interest free loan I'll take it.

Its not outdated. AT&T is still charging the subsidy behind the scenes.

You people really think this is in the benefit of the customer. Plaaaaaeeese!
 
Its not outdated. AT&T is still charging the subsidy behind the scenes.

You people really think this is in the benefit of the customer. Plaaaaaeeese!

Well, to be honest, if you do the next plan and you keep upgrading your phone every year, then you are definitely paying a premium to do so... But if you keep the phone the 2 years of time, your no better off than if you were to buy it outright and keep it for two years. It benefits customers who plan on keeping the phone. If your upgrading every year, it's mutually benefiting both sides, as AT&T profits from it, but you are also getting new phones quicker than you were on the subsidy model.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.