AT&T buying iPhone on launch day no NEXT

[metsjetsfan]

does anyone know if you can buy an iphone at least right now without next for full price on att? if you went with the lower pricing of course and cant use subsidies

i know we wont know if we can do for iphone 6 until maybe launch day.

thanks

 

[617aircav]

Why not. I walked into an att store and bought my 5s full price. I didn't even use att.

 

[Newtons Apple]

does anyone know if you can buy an iphone at least right now without next for full price on att? if you went with the lower pricing of course and cant use subsidies

i know we wont know if we can do for iphone 6 until maybe launch day.

thanks

I have always been able to walk into an AT&T store and get a new released phone at full price OR use my upgrade. AT&T will be glad to sell you a phone at full price.

Why go to AT&T, as Apple will do the same.

 

[barkomatic]

does anyone know if you can buy an iphone at least right now without next for full price on att? if you went with the lower pricing of course and cant use subsidies

i know we wont know if we can do for iphone 6 until maybe launch day.

thanks

I believe that in the past AT&T has refused to sell full priced iPhones at launch. However, with NEXT its hard to say.

You've always had this option at an Apple store though.

 

[ricktat]

Last year my store limited the Iphone to one per person and didn't want retail price on launch day.

As long as NEXT is offered at the store you are purchasing from, then you won't have an issue.

If they won't take retail, just do NEXT and pay it off. NEXT actually helps with being able to use the cash when I resell my phone for the new Iphone. I can get my new phone and then sell the old one.

 

[rockitdog]

AT&T isn't going to allow people to buy iPhones at full price on launch day from what I understand. If you want to purchase one at full price you'll need to hit the Apple Store or wait about a week or so and then AT&T will allow a full priced iPhone sale. They make their money on 2 year plans and NEXT plans, not on full priced Phone sales.

 

[617aircav]

AT&T isn't going to allow people to buy iPhones at full price on launch day from what I understand. If you want to purchase one at full price you'll need to hit the Apple Store or wait about a week or so and then AT&T will allow a full priced iPhone sale. They make their money on 2 year plans and NEXT plans, not on full priced Phone sales.

Well I and a lot of others on here did it last year.

 

[Deguello]

AT&T isn't going to allow people to buy iPhones at full price on launch day from what I understand. If you want to purchase one at full price you'll need to hit the Apple Store or wait about a week or so and then AT&T will allow a full priced iPhone sale. They make their money on 2 year plans and NEXT plans, not on full priced Phone sales.

Next plans are interest free installment plans. Can you shed some light on how that's a moneymaker for AT&T more so than a full price sale is?

 

[rockitdog]

Next plans are interest free installment plans. Can you shed some light on how that's a moneymaker for AT&T more so than a full price sale is?

Because it allows someone to swap their device for a new one in 12 or 18 months. People never realize it's basically a phone lease. AT&T is banking on people not keeping their phones for the full 24 months and swapping it out for the latest and greatest as soon as they can. So if you pay $25/mo for 18 months and then trade your phone in you lost the phone and 18 months worth of payment. That is how AT&T makes money on NEXT.

 

[rockitdog]

Well I and a lot of others on here did it last year.

I think its technically against their policy but also depends on the store employees/ manager.

 

[Ajones330]

Bingo, people seem to forget that you have to turn it in on NEXT unless you plan on paying it all the way off. Might as well do traditional 2 yr contract if that's the case...

 

[Deguello]

Because it allows someone to swap their device for a new one in 12 or 18 months. People never realize it's basically a phone lease. AT&T is banking on people not keeping their phones for the full 24 months and swapping it out for the latest and greatest as soon as they can. So if you pay $25/mo for 18 months and then trade your phone in you lost the phone and 18 months worth of payment. That is how AT&T makes money on NEXT.

It's only a phone lease if people treat it as a phone lease. Do you have any numbers that show how many people actually do that?

Regardless, how does pushing out full priced phones a mere week from launch day meaningfully affect revenue for AT&T? At most, even in your scenario, people start trading in phones a week earlier, while AT&T lost revenue to Apple for everyone who wanted to pay full price during that time.

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Might as well do traditional 2 yr contract if that's the case...

Not necessarily, no.

 

[rockitdog]

It's only a phone lease if people treat it as a phone lease. Do you have any numbers that show how many people actually do that?

Regardless, how does pushing out full priced phones a mere week from launch day meaningfully affect revenue for AT&T? At most, even in your scenario, people start trading in phones a week earlier, while AT&T lost revenue to Apple for everyone who wanted to pay full price during that time.

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Not necessarily, no.

Look, I'm going off of what the manager at the AT&T Store told me about iPhones being sold at full price on launch day! AT&T's business is locking people into contracts, not selling devices that can be unlocked.

Seriously, think about this logically for a minute. Who is going to buy a phone for $649 and make 24 monthly payments on a phone when they can just pay $200 and lock into a 2 year contract and get the same phone for $200? AT&T markets their NEXT program as a way to upgrade sooner and people forget about the notion that they are leasing a device. If AT&T get's you to sign up for NEXT they get your money from the Phone and for the service. If they just sell the phone at full price there is no money there because you could end up unlocking and switching companies.

 

[617aircav]

I think its technically against their policy but also depends on the store employees/ manager.

So many people on this site and other sites reported doing this. Seems it was nationwide.

 

[rui no onna]

Because it allows someone to swap their device for a new one in 12 or 18 months. People never realize it's basically a phone lease. AT&T is banking on people not keeping their phones for the full 24 months and swapping it out for the latest and greatest as soon as they can. So if you pay $25/mo for 18 months and then trade your phone in you lost the phone and 18 months worth of payment. That is how AT&T makes money on NEXT.

Sure, AT&T makes money on trade-ins especially since they can then turn those phones around and sell them as refurb. However, trade in value is similar to what you get from Amazon, Gazelle, etc. For folks who use those services instead of dealing with hassles associated with selling on eBay or CL, trading via AT&T NEXT might be a net-zero proposition.

It's only a phone lease if the customer decides to treat it as such. Even then, it still might be of some benefit to the consumer.

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Bingo, people seem to forget that you have to turn it in on NEXT unless you plan on paying it all the way off. Might as well do traditional 2 yr contract if that's the case...

Except with the new Mobile Share pricing scheme, that $650 iPhone's gonna cost you $800 (plus activation fee if applicable) on a 2-year contract on 10GB plans or higher.

 

[Deguello]

Seriously, think about this logically for a minute. Who is going to buy a phone for $649 and make 24 monthly payments on a phone when they can just pay $200 and lock into a 2 year contract and get the same phone for $200?

People who understand that when you get the same phone for $200, you're still making 24 monthly payments, it's just obfuscated into your service cost.

People who want to pay only the tax on the phone upfront, rather than $200 plus tax up front.

People who don't want to pay a $36 activation fee.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I think its technically against their policy but also depends on the store employees/ manager.

I do not know where you are getting you info from but it is not correct. I have purchased 4 or 5 of the last new iphone on opening day at full price. I think you must be visiting one of those kiosk at the mall!

At&t will sell them day one for full price if you want.

 

[rockitdog]

I do not know where you are getting you info from but it is not correct. I have purchased 4 or 5 of the last new iphone on opening day at full price. I think you must be visiting one of those kiosk at the mall!

At&t will sell them day one for full price if you want.

AT&T store manager at the Mall of America is who I got my info from.

 

[Newtons Apple]

AT&T store manager at the Mall of America is who I got my info from.

Sorry but he is wrong, you need to go and tell him, as I have never had a problem buying a full priced phone at AT&T. In fact last year, I bought THREE!

 

[ricktat]

Sorry but he is wrong, you need to go and tell him, as I have never had a problem buying a full priced phone at AT&T. In fact last year, I bought THREE!

It is up to the Manager of the store you are at an no one else. ATT can't force them to sell it at retail and can't stop them if want.

The new value plans force people to go with NEXT or retail plans and not upgrade. If you do a 2 year contract your line bill goes up $25 per month if you are on a value plan.

I did the math and it still costs you almost the same amount, no matter what you do now. But, you can search the old threads that do the math and the debate.

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The only bad thing about NEXT instead of retail is they will run your credit if you aren't a current ATT customer.

If you are current then they don't run it and you can pay it off in month 1 anyways...

 

[617aircav]

It is up to the Manager of the store you are at an no one else. ATT can't force them to sell it at retail and can't stop them if want.

The new value plans force people to go with NEXT or retail plans and not upgrade. If you do a 2 year contract your line bill goes up $25 per month if you are on a value plan.

I did the math and it still costs you almost the same amount, no matter what you do now. But, you can search the old threads that do the math and the debate.

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The only bad thing about NEXT instead of retail is they will run your credit if you aren't a current ATT customer.

If you are current then they don't run it and you can pay it off in month 1 anyways...

Wait att can't tell their store managers to follow company policy?

 

[ricktat]

Wait att can't tell their store managers to follow company policy?

90% of ATT stores aren't owned by ATT. The 10% of stores that are owned by ATT let their managers make these type of decisions.

The same way you can call ATT and they can give you an early upgrade and even note it on your account.... but let you know that it is up to the store manager to decide if they will offer it at their location. ATT will do it over the phone... but can't make the store.

Have you seen the policy that says that stores must sell phones at Retail?

 

[617aircav]

90% of ATT stores aren't owned by ATT. The 10% of stores that are owned by ATT let their managers make these type of decisions.

The same way you can call ATT and they can give you an early upgrade and even note it on your account.... but let you know that it is up to the store manager to decide if they will offer it at their location. ATT will do it over the phone... but can't make the store.

Have you seen the policy that says that stores must sell phones at Retail?

Have not seen the policy but based on my experience and feedback on here, many people did it on iPhone 5s launch day.

 

[ricktat]

Have not seen the policy but based on my experience and feedback on here, many people did it on iPhone 5s launch day.

Yes I know... I have done it before too and then been denied at another store.

The best way to know is to call the store you go to and ask the manager.

 

[rockitdog]

Sorry but he is wrong, you need to go and tell him, as I have never had a problem buying a full priced phone at AT&T. In fact last year, I bought THREE!

LOL, no really. I don't. I have better things to do than go to the AT&T store and argue with their store manager and tell him that some guy on a tech forum told me that he bought three last year! Haha