AT&T Contracts?

[DatzKray]

iPhone 8 is coming upon us. It was rumored to start at $1100. Will ATT offer two year contracts again? Thats a lot to pay for a phone

 

[jbachandouris]

Probably not, but it's too soon to tell.

 

[Newtons Apple]

No way AT&T will go back to the contracts and discount your new phone. The carriers are happy to be rid of it.

You need to start saving now.

 

[noobinator]

Start saving or just pay it off over a few years like you do now. If they went back to contracts they'd raise the monthly price of plans to cover the increase.

 

[geoff5093]

iPhone 8 is coming upon us. It was rumored to start at $1100. Will ATT offer two year contracts again? Thats a lot to pay for a phone

No, but that's why carriers and Apple offer device financing, so you don't have to fork that money out at once.

 

[Mlrollin91]

There is not a chance any carrier brings back a 2-year contract. They are making more money with this structure.

 

[Applejuiced]

Not going to happen.
T-Mobile might come out with a similar deal like last year where you upgrade by handing in your old iPhone and get bill credits towards the eip plan for 2 years.

 

[phillytim]

There is not a chance any carrier brings back a 2-year contract. They are making more money with this structure.

You bet they are. I'm still paying AT&T the same price (now $10 more, really) for my grandfathered unlimited data plan that I've had since 2009, even now that I'm newly off-contract (from my last one with 2015's iPhone 6s Plus) and nothing being subsidized at all (nor ever again, it appears).

AT&T is effectively making $20 extra from me a month now for nothing, compared to the normal $20 access fee it charges others without the grandfathered unlimited. In fact, if I got on to one of AT&T's standard plans, it would cost me the same $80/month for a 6Gb mobile share plan (with $20 access fee for one device) as it is with my current setup ($35 voice + $5 text + 40 unlimited data / access fee). And I'm not even using over 4Gb per month. Ridiculous.

I'm NEVER buying a phone directly through AT&T again. I'll only be purchasing a SIM-Free (or Verizon-capable) iPhone from Apple, and reminding AT&T that I'm a free agent and may leave them if I even simply roll out of the wrong side of bed one day.