AT&T Early Upgrade Question

Process is the same, just costs more.

 

You're looking at $250 (early upgrade fee)+$199 (16gb iPhone)+$36 (activation fee)+taxes

 

Probably.

Actual prices will not be available until launch day.

And, to be honest, until you see the new phone, you may or may not care to spend money to get it, right?

 

That's perfect if Apple keeps the phone pricing the same. After fees and taxes we paid around $600 for my fiance's 4S. Didn't really want to do it but her crapberry stopped working 2 days before the 4S launch.

 

On the taxes issue -- if you live in Cali or RI and use ATT you be charged taxes full price of the phones .... So in my area its 65.00 (16GB) 75.00 (32GB) 85.00 (64GB) .. Verizon I don't know how they charge the iphone purchases..

 

Off topic, but how do you like your Mac Mini? I am tempted to get one to use on my Television instead of hassling with my Laptop every time.

On Topic: I wouldn't do it on launch day, I would wait for someone you know to buy it and make sure you actually want to put out the extra money.

 

I really like the mac mini. My dad bought me a 24" Samsung monitor a couple months before I bought the mini for a PC I had. I decided that it would just be cheaper to get the mini and use the Samsung monitor instead of spending an extra $1,000 for the 27" iMac. I upgraded the ram in about 2 minutes and only spent around $40 on the ram. After that, the thing is pretty speedy. I would recommend one if you want to save some money and/or if you already have a monitor.

I would honestly say just wait for your contract to be up and wait. IMO it's really not worth spending the extra $300 to get it early, especially if it's not unlocked.

 

Mine says the same thing and I've always been upgrade eligible after 12 months. So I called to find out why my line now shows 19 months... 15 minutes later I have no answers and I'm ready to hang up... I can always just use my husbands upgrade but it irritates me, for years the primary line on this account (which is mine) has been a 12 month upgrade and all the dumb ass on the phone keeps telling me is that I signed a 24 month contract... NO ****! I finally just hung up..

 

You'll get a slight discount at the 7-8 month mark. Something like 200-250 USD off the regular price. If you want a full discount you'd have to wait around 19 months. As some pre-paid cell phone plans are coming out. I think my next purchase maybe an unlocked iPhone and pick up the savings for the discount with the lower rate plans over less than a year.

 

Everything in bold LITERALLY took you more time to write than search. I don't understand. Why preface your statement with "there is probably an easy answer if I search" and then not search? Again, it's actually more work to type out your lengthy question.

 

Pretty sure it used to be based on the size of your bill and your payment history.
Bigger bills got 12 month upgrades.
Now I think it's purely based on contract length.

 

That is correct.

 

Wait what? I've never had to pay an "early upgrade fee" for any one of my iPhones (have had all of them).


When did they start this?

 

The early upgrade fee is what is built into the subsidized price. You are really paying $199 for the iphone and $250 to att.....creating the $450 subsidized upgrade price.

 

I've never had to pay that in the past....

 

do you upgrade before you two year contract is up? They let you upgrade to iphones at subsidized prices every 6 months if you choose to for that reduced price versus paying $650 out right.

 

Those days are over.
Noone is eligible every 12 months any more.
They used to do it but stopped it.
Now you gotta wait around 20 months or so for every upgrade no matter how much money you spend with AT&T every month or even if you're the main account holder on a family plan.

 

Way before 2 years is up. I've had the iPhone since it came out, granted I bought the first iPhone a few months after its release date, and every iPhone after that within a week of release date.

I've never had to pay an extra price other than the $199 or $299 (went up to the 32GB one year). Also, I was able to get them to wave any upgrade fees, which use to be $18- bumped to $36 this past year.

Way back in the day - high school days for me - i was able to upgrade to any phone i wanted, any time i wanted, due to a small loophole that I found- you just pay the $18 early upgrade fee .

 

you just have been really really lucky then. I am shocked they would let someone upgrade every year for the $199 price. The only time i know they let people do that was when the 3G and the 3GS came out. If you upgraded to the 3GS they let you get the 4 at the $199 price since it was only like 6 or 7 months later it came out.

 

Hmm I guess so ? Weird thing is, every time before a phone is released, I'd check my update and it always tells me i'm eligible for a new phone. I thought it would be because they know iPhone users want to switch to the newest one so they let them? Maybe i'm wrong?

 

Yes, you are.
AT&T changed that.
No more every year updates, was nice while it lasted though.

 

that is why they let you upgrade at the subsidized prices.....you can upgrade yearly for cheaper than the retail price, but higher than a new customer or someone who fulfilled their 2 year contract. Often if you are close to the 2 year date they will bump you up