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AT&T ETF is less than the $250 Early Upgrade. I'm buying unlocked and going T-Mobile

T

The New iPad

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 5, 2012
123
1
No sense in paying more to upgrade than it is to just change to a better carrier. T-Mobile's Bring Your Plan promotion is an amazing deal ($69.99/mo. for unlimited talk, text, and data). T-Mobile is currently refarming their spectrum to 1900 mHz so the iPhone can use its mobile broadband infrastructure meaning users won't be stuck with 2.5G Edge speeds anymore. It's worth considering for anyone who can't upgrade early due to AT&T's ridiculousness of making 4S owners wait until 2013 to get the iPhone 5, by which time the next iPhone would already be in production.

http://explore.t-mobile.com/phone-sim-card
 
the question is will tmobile get nano sims?

or can a micro sim be cut down to nano sim size?

If I for sure knew the answer to either of these things, I would switch in a heartbeat.
 
There are other pay as you go options that are even cheaper, and they us AT&T's towers. I am honestly unclear why so many people thing TMO is the better deal. Maybe because they are one of the "big four"?
 
zstaley said:
the question is will tmobile get nano sims?

or can a micro sim be cut down to nano sim size?

If I for sure knew the answer to either of these things, I would switch in a heartbeat.
Click to expand...

T-Mobile may get nano sims but not for awhile... better deal would be to wait until Straight Talk gets nano sims and get their unlimited 'bring your own phone' plan for like $45/mo.

A normal sim and/or a micro sim *can* be cut down to nano sim size but the nano sim is thinner. You will have to use fine grit sandpaper and shave a bit off the top very carefully to make it fit.

There are nano sim cutters on eBay but they are reaming you right now because of iPhone5 release (they're like $33 each).

If you're very careful you can do it yourself or take it somewhere where they know what they're doing and pay them a few bucks to use their cutter.
 
Aqua Bliss said:
T-Mobile may get nano sims but not for awhile... better deal would be to wait until Straight Talk gets nano sims and get their unlimited 'bring your own phone' plan for like $45/mo.

A normal sim and/or a micro sim *can* be cut down to nano sim size but the nano sim is thinner. You will have to use fine grit sandpaper and shave a bit off the top very carefully to make it fit.

There are nano sim cutters on eBay but they are reaming you right now because of iPhone5 release (they're like $33 each).

If you're very careful you can do it yourself or take it somewhere where they know what they're doing and pay them a few bucks to use their cutter.
Click to expand...
how do u know the nano sim can work as micro sim cut down?
 
sonic2911 said:
how do u know the nano sim can work as micro sim cut down?
Click to expand...

According to several articles I've read, the new nano sim is thinner than the micro sim. You could cut it down but it wont fit. Whats interesting is that some of the comments have noted that you could probably just sand it down and make it fit. It's .09mm thinner. We'll have to wait and see if it works.

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/09/12/dont-plan-on-cutting-microsim-to-fit-iphone-5-nano-sim-slot/
 
The New iPad said:
No sense in paying more to upgrade than it is to just change to a better carrier. T-Mobile's Bring Your Plan promotion is an amazing deal ($69.99/mo. for unlimited talk, text, and data). T-Mobile is currently refarming their spectrum to 1900 mHz so the iPhone can use its mobile broadband infrastructure meaning users won't be stuck with 2.5G Edge speeds anymore. It's worth considering for anyone who can't upgrade early due to AT&T's ridiculousness of making 4S owners wait until 2013 to get the iPhone 5, by which time the next iPhone would already be in production.

http://explore.t-mobile.com/phone-sim-card
Click to expand...

Yep, it's absolutely rediculous that AT&T wants you to fullfil the contract you agreed to or pay an increased fee to upgrade early. Absolutely ridiculous.

/sarcasm off
 
boomhower said:
Yep, it's absolutely rediculous that AT&T wants you to fullfil the contract you agreed to or pay an increased fee to upgrade early. Absolutely ridiculous.

/sarcasm off
Click to expand...

Dumb logic as AT&T has allowed full subsidized pricing in the past before 2 years into the contract.
 
The New iPad said:
Dumb logic as AT&T has allowed full subsidized pricing in the past before 2 years into the contract.
Click to expand...

Just because they did the customer a solid in the past and allowed the customer to upgrade early doesn't give them the right to upgrade early every year. You sign a two year contract in exchange for a subsidy be prepared to honor that contract. If they let you upgrade early, great. But just because they don't doesn't make then an evil cooperation.

What is dumb is expecting a $400 subsidy every year. Main reason they did it last year was to lock in contracts before Verizon got the iPhone.
 
DeaconGraves said:
Honest question. What's the point of buying an iPhone 5 if you're switching it to a service that doesn't have LTE?
Click to expand...

1. The speeds are theoretical. You'll never get anywhere near 100Mbps
2. My videos buffer faster than they play so the increase in speed isn't so sought-after in my eyes.
 
The New iPad said:
1. The speeds are theoretical. You'll never get anywhere near 100Mbps
2. My videos buffer faster than they play so the increase in speed isn't so sought-after in my eyes.
Click to expand...

Doesn't answer my question. If LTE doesn't matter to you, what features on the iPhone5 are that much more amazing than the 4S?
 
DeaconGraves said:
Honest question. What's the point of buying an iPhone 5 if you're switching it to a service that doesn't have LTE?
Click to expand...

doesnt even have 3g! on the phone.. unlimted 2g service! whoaaaaaa :rolleyes:

----------
The New iPad said:
1. The speeds are theoretical. You'll never get anywhere near 100Mbps
2. My videos buffer faster than they play so the increase in speed isn't so sought-after in my eyes.
Click to expand...

no but i get 20-30 mbps a lot faster than any 3g here in america.
 
The New iPad said:
No sense in paying more to upgrade than it is to just change to a better carrier. T-Mobile's Bring Your Plan promotion is an amazing deal ($69.99/mo. for unlimited talk, text, and data). T-Mobile is currently refarming their spectrum to 1900 mHz so the iPhone can use its mobile broadband infrastructure meaning users won't be stuck with 2.5G Edge speeds anymore. It's worth considering for anyone who can't upgrade early due to AT&T's ridiculousness of making 4S owners wait until 2013 to get the iPhone 5, by which time the next iPhone would already be in production.

http://explore.t-mobile.com/phone-sim-card
Click to expand...

Aww you signed a 2year contract and can't upgrade 11months in. Poor you
 
I do not understand the OP point... T-Mobile does not have the iPhone... So you either have to buy an unlocked iPhone 5 (which will cost much more than paying the ETF first, then buying on subsidy, or doing the "early upgrade") or bring and older iPhone over to their network.

Plus, if you buy the iPhone 5 for T-Mobile... You will pay $650, $750, or $850 depending on the model you choose... As well as the ETF fee... this logic makes no sense, unless you do not plan to upgrade to the iPhone 5.

Is that your plan? Stick with your current phone and go to T-Mobile? Cuz if not, you may want to check your math before you make a decision.
 
Want300 said:
I do not understand the OP point... T-Mobile does not have the iPhone... So you either have to buy an unlocked iPhone 5 (which will cost much more than paying the ETF first, then buying on subsidy, or doing the "early upgrade") or bring and older iPhone over to their network.

Plus, if you buy the iPhone 5 for T-Mobile... You will pay $650, $750, or $850 depending on the model you choose... As well as the ETF fee... this logic makes no sense, unless you do not plan to upgrade to the iPhone 5.

Is that your plan? Stick with your current phone and go to T-Mobile? Cuz if not, you may want to check your math before you make a decision.
Click to expand...

The math here is incrediy simple, and it's clear you didn't do any of it other than thinking "Oh HURR DURR the unlocked iPhone costs more so u not saving any money."

Using 1st grade math, let's see how this pans out with AT&T for the next 2 years if I early upgrade on the 21st:
$449 iPhone + 24($39.99 rate plan + $19.99 unlimited text + $29.99 unlimited data) = $2608.28 I'll have spent over the next two years

Now let's see what happens if I go with the ETF and the unlocked unsubsizdized phone and go with T-Mobile:
$649 iPhone + $225 ETF + 24($69.99 unlimited talk, text, data) = $2553.76

In my case, it would actually be even lower because I'm joining back into my T-Mobile family plan

+$5 a line and $20 for unlimited data for 24 months is $600 so I'm not even near that $2553.76 price tag. It's actually going to be $1474.

As you can see, you can't just go "derp unlocked iPhone is costs moar so u not save the money u idoit looool"
 
Honestly $50 savings isn't much over 2 years, especially if your area is not refarmed to have 3g for t-mobile. I would just pay $50 more and enjoy your LTE with 5gb throttled for 2 years
 
forcetactic said:
Honestly $50 savings isn't much over 2 years, especially if your area is not refarmed to have 3g for t-mobile. I would just pay $50 more and enjoy your LTE with 5gb throttled for 2 years
Click to expand...

Don't forget I'm actually saving $1200 + ~$450 for selling my current iPhone towards getting the 5.
 
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