Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AT&T new upgrade policy
- Thread starter PharmDoc
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't changing anything in contracts, except abiding by the 2 year term that everyone signs. The early upgrade was courtesy given to subscribers. But, lets be conspiratorial because the government is spying on us, so they are letting the carriers do whatever they want. Now where is my tinfoil hat.
I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't changing anything in contracts, except abiding by the 2 year term that everyone signs. The early upgrade was courtesy given to subscribers. But, lets be conspiratorial because the government is spying on us, so they are letting the carriers do whatever they want. Now where is my tinfoil hat.
I'm not really sure, but I thought the every 18-20 month upgrades was written in the contracts. It was these early "yearly" upgrades that was never a real policy. If the every 20 month upgrades wasn't in the contract, why would they have to announce a new policy of every 24 month upgrades? In fact, sounds like a good reason to get out of your contract.
It's still a 2 year contract that was signed. They aren't changing the terms of the contract. They were allowing you upgrade early if signed a new 2 year contract. And if I recall, your tenure with AT&T determined if you were allowed an early upgrade or not.
How does this work exactly. $10 extra a month but doesn't the new iPhone line also require a data plan adding around another $30? Isn't it really am extra $40 a month?
Ridiculous. But whatever.
Buy iPhone 5 - $200 on contract
Sell iPhone 5 - ~$500 used
Buy iPhone 5S - $450 w/ early upgrade
Profit extra
Buy iPhone 5 - $200 on contract
Sell iPhone 5 - ~$500 used
Buy iPhone 5S - $450 w/ early upgrade
Profit extra
Won't affect me.
Every year, I get the new iPhone.
1 week before announcement, sell current iPhone for $650.
iPhone announced, pre-order later that week for $299+ $250 fee (AT&T Early upgrade).
Break even with eBay fees and taxes.
In the 2-3 weeks without iPhone, I put my SIM into a cheap prepaid AT&T phone from Best Buy. 30 Day Return Policy = Free Temporary Phone.
Every year, I get the new iPhone.
1 week before announcement, sell current iPhone for $650.
iPhone announced, pre-order later that week for $299+ $250 fee (AT&T Early upgrade).
Break even with eBay fees and taxes.
In the 2-3 weeks without iPhone, I put my SIM into a cheap prepaid AT&T phone from Best Buy. 30 Day Return Policy = Free Temporary Phone.
I got suspended for a week for saying someone was trolling....Reason? "You can't say someone is trolling".
What? Every thread on here has someone calling another poster a troll. That's a lot of suspensions.
Well maybe he's a fanboy who likes to get his phones on launch day. I've had every iPhone on launch day since 07 and was subsidized on every one. Just because it doesn't apply to u doesn't make it irrelevant.
Apple has no say if AT&T or Verizon decide to pay for their customers upgrades every 18-20 months or every 24 months.
Apple is just the manufacturer and doesn't control whatever agreement goes on between you and your wireless carrier.
Sell on CL and avoid paying those outrageous fees.
----------
False. AT&T no longer pushes up upgrade dates for the iPhone. Been this way for at least 2 years.
I wouldn't be surprised if they aren't changing anything in contracts, except abiding by the 2 year term that everyone signs. The early upgrade was courtesy given to subscribers. But, lets be conspiratorial because the government is spying on us, so they are letting the carriers do whatever they want. Now where is my tinfoil hat.
I wouldn't say the carriers do whatever they want just now because of the spying thing that just got out.
The US carriers have been very anticonsumer and with many other bad practices for many many years while the government looked the other way and let them. The way its going is they keep giving us less choices and charging us more for service and devices. Whatever great idea one of them comes up with to nickel and dime us more the other one copies it and seems like they're going back and forth who's gonna come up with better ways to get more money from the customer while offering less. Its crazy
That's the big 2 that I'm talking about, Tmobile seems to be going the other way with better rates, offering unlimited data, no contracts and a cheaper monthly premium if you bring in your own device or buy your own phone in full.
It's very refreshing IMO.
With all of the lowballers and flakes on craigslist... not to mention safety risks, I's rather pay eBay fees. Craigslist (at least in my area) always generates offers lower than eBay auctions. So the eBay fees are really a wash... plus I avoid headaches.
Not sure why what I'm saying is so hard to understand -
Guess what? I bought a 4S on launch day.
October 2012: 4S
May 2013, early upgrade time: 5
Next planned upgrade: iPhone 6 in December 2014, which will be just a couple months after it's released.
See what I did there? 3 phones out of 4 released by using early upgrades, even as a launch day 4S owner. if you want to forfeit your early upgrades and only get phones every two years anyway and only get every other phone, so be it, but not all of us do that...a lot of us want to use the upgrades as they come and ultimately end up getting more generations of the phone.
Again, launch day has nothing to do with it.
Last edited:
I used to love ATT and defended them to everyone that talked **** about them but now I just despise them. Upgrade charges, mobility charge, getting rid of the middle texting plans, no facetime over cellular, no hangouts over cellular, just about every other sneaky move they pull off in order to make money. On the plus side, i've never had problems with the service and their customer service (at the call center, their in store service is HORRIBLE) is stellar.
I wouldn't say the carriers do whatever they want just now because of the spying thing that just got out.
The US carriers have been very anticonsumer and with many other bad practices for many many years while the government looked the other way and let them. The way its going is they keep giving us less choices and charging us more for service and devices. Whatever great idea one of them comes up with to nickel and dime us more the other one copies it and seems like they're going back and forth who's gonna come up with better ways to get more money from the customer while offering less. Its crazy
That's the big 2 that I'm talking about, Tmobile seems to be going the other way with better rates, offering unlimited data, no contracts and a cheaper monthly premium if you bring in your own device or buy your own phone in full.
It's very refreshing IMO.
The problem is TMO can't compete in coverage with 3G, let alone 4G/LTE with Verizon or AT&T. They have to offer those things just to compete. The other issue with carriers are tech differences, i.e. CDMA vs GSM. In other countries where it most likely is GSM only, it's a lot easier to BYOD because you have 3-4 choices of carrier.
Nope. You use the extra line for the upgrade, and use the phone on your existing iPhone line. The extra line just turns into a dummy line.
I hear you on that.
They are way behind on coverage when it comes to hspa+ and LTE compared to the big 2.
Hope they can catch up down the road. As far as Sprint goes I don't see it all. They're a lost cause
Then how did I upgrade from the iPhone 4 to a 4S and then the 5 last year on launch day?
You are the exception, not the rule.
They don't do that any more for every customer obviously.
Did you pay a fee?
Most carriers will let you pay a fee (usually the ETF) if you want to upgrade early
