Carrier AT&T Next Every Year

[sydia21]

We may have to wait until Friday for this but does anyone know if Apple will continue to offer the AT&T Next Every Year plan this year? I remember it was cancelled thru Att last year but Apple continued to offer it if you preordered directly from them. Best Buy’s site says that it’s only offered thru select non AT&T dealers.

 

[Jus711]

Doesn’t look like it, if you go through the setup process on the Apple store app it gives you the Apple upgrade options through Apple and then for ATT there’s the 30 month plan, in the small print at the bottom it says you can upgrade after 50% of the device is paid, so that would be 15 months and not every year, I suppose you could pay down the difference and upgrade early though

 

[Caliber26]

Doesn’t look like it, if you go through the setup process on the Apple store app it gives you the Apple upgrade options through Apple and then for ATT there’s the 30 month plan, in the small print at the bottom it says you can upgrade after 50% of the device is paid, so that would be 15 months and not every year, I suppose you could pay down the difference and upgrade early though

Yep, that’s exactly how it works now, according to the details on their website. However, now they will charge you an additional $5/month if you want to sign up with their AT&T Next Up program that allows for early upgrades.

So if you want to upgrade in 12 months you will have to have paid off 50% of the device + an extra $60 for that “flexibility”.

They’ve found a way to dig a little deeper into our pockets. 😏

 

[Jus711]

Yep, that’s exactly how it works now, according to the details on their website. However, now they will charge you an additional $5/month if you want to sign up with their AT&T Next Up program that allows for early upgrades.

So if you want to upgrade in 12 months you will have to have paid off 50% of the device + an extra $60 for that “flexibility”.

They’ve found a way to dig a little deeper into our pockets. 😏

Right and that $5 doesn’t go towards anything and isn’t refundable if you change your mind down the road, so it’s a really awful policy. iPhone Upgrade Program (and possibly new carrier) here I come!

 

[sydia21]

Yea I was afraid of that. But last year the 24 month plan wasn’t showing up either and popped up on preorder day- so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they continue this for iPhone owners.

 

[batristain]

I wasn't planning to upgrade - I didn't see anything compelling BUT if I could lower my bill that would have been an incentive....since I don't want to pay 800 bucks to get a phone that really isn't offering any more than I already have I will sit this one out

 

[Ctg44]

I'm on Next Every Year and I can't find any info about it. I purchased it through best buy last year but will probably go through AT&T, or Apple if I can. However, I've paid 75% of my phone and just testing to buy a Note or something, I still can only pay in full.

 

[anticipate]

I am waiting confirmation from AT&T but it looks like here are the options for current subscribers:

1) If you are on an AT&T Next 12 plan now, turn it in, get the new Next Up plan ... but it is different than last year.

a) pay $5 more a month.
b) Same price as before per month + $5, and can turn it in when 50% of the phone is paid off (which is 15 months, not 12).
c) Keep in mind, that used to be 24 months (12 months), now it's 30 payments (15 months). So to get to 50% next year might have to either pay a little more in... or uh, I am not sure. Wait? <-- this is likely what I will do, because I like to upgrade every year.

2) If your phone is paid outright, trade it in, and get an $800 credit towards a new phone. That significantly lowers payments to about $13 a month for the 12 Pro max for example. But this is a 30 month plan. If you want a new one next year... you need to pay that off. The pay off cost would be about $600 and change... and you would have paid some $$ into the phone before. I believe if you pay off early, you lose the bill credits (the 800 is spread as credits per month) so your payoff would be in the $600+ range... this would ultimately = the cost of a new phone (and then you start payments all over next year anew)

3) Keep the phone for 2 years. If you don't upgrade this year, and got the 11 last year, you'll be fully paid off the following year and can trade it in. If you keep the 12 for 2 years, same thing

All of this shows me two things:

1) People are updating less and less, and resale values are going down
2) Apple incentivized AT&T and Verizon with subsidies for their trade in offers

Did I understand this right?

 

[sydia21]

I'm on Next Every Year and I can't find any info about it. I purchased it through best buy last year but will probably go through AT&T, or Apple if I can. However, I've paid 75% of my phone and just testing to buy a Note or something, I still can only pay in full.

Yup I’m on a Next Every Year plan as well and hope the select ‘non ATT dealers’ continue to offer it this year as well. We won’t know until Friday for sure but since I’m waiting for the Max it will give me time to make a decision.
There wasn’t any info about it last year either...

 

[mizzou-apple]

Yup I’m on a Next Every Year plan as well and hope the select ‘non ATT dealers’ continue to offer it this year as well. We won’t know until Friday for sure but since I’m waiting for the Max it will give me time to make a decision.
There wasn’t any info about it last year either...

I have the same Next every year (24 month, upgrade in 12 months, turn in phone). I too am confused as heck about what they are offering now. One of my questions (as I try and figure this all out) is what if I buy the 12 in full -- what do I do with the 11pro that I still owe money on? I realize I could pay it off, but can I do the ATT trade-in? Would that money from ATT then be used to pay off the remainder of what I owe from the Next every year on the 11pro? Is that even a possibility? Anyone out there with any insight??? 🤪

 

[Jus711]

All of this shows me two things:

1) People are updating less and less, and resale values are going down
2) Apple incentivized AT&T and Verizon with subsidies for their trade in offers

Did I understand this right?

it shows me the ATT is greedy and hostile to their customers. I have my iPad on T-Mobile on a jump plan and there’s none of this nonsense of paying extra just to upgrade. I get your point about resale values, but I find it hard to believe they couldn’t recoup 50% of the cost of an iPhone after a year, they just want to nickel and dime people like they do for everything else.

 

[anticipate]

it shows me the ATT is greedy and hostile to their customers. I have my iPad on T-Mobile on a jump plan and there’s none of this nonsense of paying extra just to upgrade. I get your point about resale values, but I find it hard to believe they couldn’t recoup 50% of the cost of an iPhone after a year, they just want to nickel and dime people like they do for everything else.

Yeah, it's a money grab pure and simple. They must not make as much as they used to on resale.

 

[Stlcheer]

I have the same Next every year (24 month, upgrade in 12 months, turn in phone). I too am confused as heck about what they are offering now. One of my questions (as I try and figure this all out) is what if I buy the 12 in full -- what do I do with the 11pro that I still owe money on? I realize I could pay it off, but can I do the ATT trade-in? Would that money from ATT then be used to pay off the remainder of what I owe from the Next every year on the 11pro? Is that even a possibility? Anyone out there with any insight??? 🤪

The $800 trade in deal does not work on a phone that still has payments left. You would have to pay off your 11 in full before you could trade it in for the $800 deal.

 

[lsh]

I’m not sure why it’s greedy.
If you can upgrade in 12 months, then just pay the 3 months difference when you upgrade so you would have paid the full half. I think every plan charges you half.
The advantage is that you have some wiggle room if Apple or other phone supplier doesn’t upgrade exactly at 12 months. When you do upgrade, you pay the balance of what’s left of the 50% up front.

Or what am I missing about your concern?

The trade $800 in offer I DON’T think is meant for people that upgrade every year.

I don’t know about the +$5 Issue.

But I know when I tried to figure it out a few years ago, ultimately, they all required you to pay 50% before you could upgrade and the difference was primarily how Apple care was handled and how many months the full amount is spread over.

So if the monthly payments are the cost of the phone divided by 30, there really isn’t a problem. You should pay less per month on their plan vs. others on 24 months, but should expect to pay a ‘catch up’ if you upgrade faster than 15 months so that you pay 50%.

The advantage of ATT is you don’t need Apple Care, if you didn’t want it.