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AT&T.. I want to purchase the phone for full price. Does this renew my contract?

OrlandoTragic

OrlandoTragic

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 13, 2007
1,517
380
Orlando, FL
Basically, I plan on dropping the full price for the phone since I don't have an upgrade for a long time.

When I check my eligibility on Apple, it shows that I can purchase for full price, but it also shows with two asterisks next to it, and those asterisks indicate that the purchase requires a new two year contract..........

Am I missing something here?
 
Trying to confirm the same thing. The app shows there is no contract extension when purchasing full price, but I'm not sure.
 
If you pay full retail for a phone it does not effect your contract. Only buying at a subsidized price effects your contract.
 
duelingdragons said:
Basically, I plan on dropping the full price for the phone since I don't have an upgrade for a long time.

When I check my eligibility on Apple, it shows that I can purchase for full price, but it also shows with two asterisks next to it, and those asterisks indicate that the purchase requires a new two year contract..........

Am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

the only way to extend your contract is to pay the subsidized price of $199 or $299 depending on your model. If you pay full price for any of them there is no contract extension
 
No, it doesn't.

If you pay full-price thru AT&T, it doesn't come unlocked (you have to request the unlock online), but it is contract-free.
 
C DM said:
I still don't understand how a full priced phone wouldn't be unlocked.
Click to expand...

Contract free does NOT equal unlocked. It simply means that if you purchase the phone at full price, it won't extend your current contract.
 
https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/

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Contract-free ≠unlocked from AT&T
 
Photography said:
Contract free does NOT equal unlocked. It simply means that if you purchase the phone at full price, it won't extend your current contract.
Click to expand...
I understand that's not how AT&T treats it, I'm just curious how they can explain/justify it (aside from "that's just how it is"). It's one thing when its locked because you are on contract or still owe them money on the phone (Next), but of the phone is outright yours and you have no contract or any other obligation to AT&T then what's possibly behind it?

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sarcosis said:
If you paid in full price for the phone, you just need to request an unlock from ATT. You shouldn't have a problem unlocking it.
Click to expand...
They really should do that pretty much automatically as part of a full price sale.
 
duelingdragons said:
Basically, I plan on dropping the full price for the phone since I don't have an upgrade for a long time.

When I check my eligibility on Apple, it shows that I can purchase for full price, but it also shows with two asterisks next to it, and those asterisks indicate that the purchase requires a new two year contract..........

Am I missing something here?
Click to expand...

I just saw this thread because it was "suggested" at the bottom of another. I'm following up -- very late -- in case someone else encounters it and is looking for an answer.

On launch day, I went into an AT&T store and asked them this very question: if I pay full price for the phone, will they sell me an unlocked phone?

The answer: No, all of the phones we sell are already locked.

My followup question: will you unlock it immediately?

The sales guy had to go ask the manager. The answer: No, not for 6 months. I should note that I'm not 100% sure he said "six months". It may have been a different length. But, it settled the issue for me because I wanted to unlock it immediately, for an upcoming trip out of the US.

I pointed out to him that I could buy an unlocked phone from Apple, so they were missing out on a sale. Then, I walked away.

The phone would have been contract-free, but still locked at least for a few month. But, I'm not sure you could initiate that transaction over the web -- you may have had to go into the store.
 
AT&T.. I want to purchase the phone for full price. Does this renew my contract?

AutoUnion39 said:
No, it doesn't.



If you pay full-price thru AT&T, it doesn't come unlocked (you have to request the unlock online), but it is contract-free.
Click to expand...


This is not true. I purchased an ATT iphone 6 for a full price from the apple store and it came unlocked. Using it on tmobile now. They key here is to purchase. It full price from apple store and NOT att.
 
I was able to get a full price phone without the contract extension on AT&T. No problem.

Question on the unlock though, I was thinking of unlocking it, but since I am still using AT&T, is there any reason to? I was thinking that if my phone was stolen, it is worth more to the thief unlocked? Or does it not matter since I would report it stolen? Not sure how that works.
 
C DM said:
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[/COLOR]They really should do that pretty much automatically as part of a full price sale.
Click to expand...

But why would AT&T not place another hurdle in front of someone wanting to go to another carrier? They would, of course, remove the lock on request. But, why do it voluntarily and make it easy for someone to leave?

If the lock could prevent even a few unsophisticated users from not knowing/ not bothering to request the unlock; and prevent them from leaving AT&T - it is worth it from their perspective. Those in the know, will call and request an unlock anyways.
 
g.t. rags said:
i just looked at the back of my 6+ and noticed that it doesn't say at&t anywhere on the phone itself... wonder when that happened....
Click to expand...


Iphones, since their inception, have never had any carrier branding, not that i know of. Not sure about sprint though.
 
mtneer said:
But why would AT&T not place another hurdle in front of someone wanting to go to another carrier? They would, of course, remove the lock on request. But, why do it voluntarily and make it easy for someone to leave?

If the lock could prevent even a few unsophisticated users from not knowing/ not bothering to request the unlock; and prevent them from leaving AT&T - it is worth it from their perspective. Those in the know, will call and request an unlock anyways.
Click to expand...

Why won't they also then not lock someone into a contract automatically either, and then those in the know will call and request not to be in a contract. ;)
 
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