Carrier AT&T Next Upgrades 2015 [MERGED]

[yanki01]

my wife is eligible for a new phone. I'm thinking of going the next route with her's and have her get the space gray (I now prefer the space gray over silver). I got my iP6 on release day last year and is on a 2yr contract and will be eligible for an upgrade next release. I'm thinking of her to upgrade to the iP6 on the next 24 but we swap sims and I use her space gray over my silver iPhone 6. what will happen with the iPhone I'm using come next release that will not be eligible for an upgrade?

 

[kungxpao]

I'm about to pay off the remaining balance of my next plan. Does anyone know if I would instantly be able to sign up for another next plan for the iPhone 6s or will it take some time before I can upgrade?

 

[duaneu]

I'm about to pay off the remaining balance of my next plan. Does anyone know if I would instantly be able to sign up for another next plan for the iPhone 6s or will it take some time before I can upgrade?

You should be eligible as soon as you make the payment.

 

[Qoo]

So if I've paid 12 of my 20, and I then pre-order on Saturday, when/how do we 'turn in' our current devices?

If you pre-order online they will ship you the new phone along with a return label, by the time you receive the new phone you have 10 days to return the old one, all you have to do just put the old one in the box and ship it back to them, if you pre-order from the local store you can turn in the old phone when you pick up the new one, you should have 10 day to return the old one to the store as well i believe.

 

[cashlion]

If you pre-order online they will ship you the new phone along with a return label, by the time you receive the new phone you have 10 days to return the old one, all you have to do just put the old one in the box and ship it back to them, if you pre-order from the local store you can turn in the old phone when you pick up the new one, you should have 10 day to return the old one to the store as well i believe.

'

Wonderful. Thank you!

 

[PTVMan]

Sadly, I think there are going to be thousands of folks that do not get this deal.

You can not pay ATT (or anyone) less than the total cost of the phone and then just keep it. They need to get their money.

You can turn it in, and sign up for another phone deal. They get to keep the phone since you never FULLY paid for it, and they get you on the hook for the new phone.

Simple stuff folks. Just think it through.

Thanks for being so condescending.

 

[lsh]

You should be eligible as soon as you make the payment.

I just paid my 12th payment and did the Apple eligibility test and passed the test. I tried before I did the payoff and failed. So YES, it's fast.

 

[lsh]

my wife is eligible for a new phone. I'm thinking of going the next route with her's and have her get the space gray (I now prefer the space gray over silver). I got my iP6 on release day last year and is on a 2yr contract and will be eligible for an upgrade next release. I'm thinking of her to upgrade to the iP6 on the next 24 but we swap sims and I use her space gray over my silver iPhone 6. what will happen with the iPhone I'm using come next release that will not be eligible for an upgrade?

So YOUR phone is on a 2 year NOT Next plan? I believe you can 'swap' the upgrade eligibility between phones but the sim swap works too. I did that in the past before they had the swap eligibility feature.

 

[lsh]

I dialed *639# from my iPhone and this is the message I got from ATT:

This line may be eligible for an upgrade after 2 more installment payment(s). To become eligible for an upgrade now you must trade in the current AT&T Next device in good physical and fully functional condition and pay $74.90. Or, upgrade without a trade-in by paying the remaining installment balance of $374.50.

Does this mean I can pay pre-pay the 2 more installments now and be eligible to upgrade to the 6S+ using Next immediately?

I suggest you go thru a trial upgrade on the AT&T site. I did and you have to decide up front if you are paying off the minimum # months OR the entire thing. SO you have to decide up front, you can't decide later.

If did that and went ahead to pay off the minimum, pretending to buy a iPhone 6. It took me thru the payoff then I cancelled the transaction. I am now eligible for a trade in upgrade on both apple and at&t.

 

[PTVMan]

If you pre-order online they will ship you the new phone along with a return label, by the time you receive the new phone you have 10 days to return the old one, all you have to do just put the old one in the box and ship it back to them, if you pre-order from the local store you can turn in the old phone when you pick up the new one, you should have 10 day to return the old one to the store as well i believe.

Does this process apply to pre-ordering through Apple? Or, pre-ordering through ATT as well?

 

[tpabrad]

Last year I pre-ordered with AT&T next for the first time and just made my last payment to trade in and upgrade. Does anyone have any experience on how this works? Is it possible to even do pre-ordering this year or do I have to go through the AT&T site now to do so? When I check upgrade eligibility on Apples site it shows the Next plans as "Future Eligibility". I'm guessing I would be able to go through the process on AT&T's site but would rather go through Apple. I would actually like to do the new upgrade program since it has AppleCare included but at this point thats on the bottom of the list. Very interested to know though if anyone has any experience with the completion of the Next program though and how the phone trade in process works.

Thanks!

 

[Irock619]

Last year I pre-ordered with AT&T next for the first time and just made my last payment to trade in and upgrade. Does anyone have any experience on how this works? Is it possible to even do pre-ordering this year or do I have to go through the AT&T site now to do so? When I check upgrade eligibility on Apples site it shows the Next plans as "Future Eligibility". I'm guessing I would be able to go through the process on AT&T's site but would rather go through Apple. I would actually like to do the new upgrade program since it has AppleCare included but at this point thats on the bottom of the list. Very interested to know though if anyone has any experience with the completion of the Next program though and how the phone trade in process works.

Thanks!

If you just made your last payment call ATT and ask them to make your account reflect upgrade eligibility. I would call them to make sure your payment is processed and you're eligible before pre ordering starts. Once that's completed you can just upgrade through Apple and your monthly payments start over. I believe then you will have to turn in your old iPhone to an ATT branch location.

 

[Decimotox]

Yep - did the trade-in last year going from 5s to 6.

I did mine last year in-store. I had to pay the remaining balance to be eligible to do the trade-in upgrade...it was like $120-something. Not horrible. I chose the longer payment plans to lower my bill. But this year I'm doing the 12 month plan so I can upgrade to the 7 next fall.

If you're not showing as eligible for Next upgrade yet, here's what you do:

-Go into your account online and choose the line you want to upgrade.
-You should see a some dollar amount that you need to pay in order to be eligible to upgrade WITH phone trade-in.
-Go through the process of the upgrade (this means picking a new phone to "upgrade" to, but you won't be upgrading today, don't worry - just making yourself eligible to use the Apple Store app/online store.)
-You'll come to a screen where you must pay that remaining balance in order to be eligible. It's a separate transaction and will ask for your credit card number.
-Pay that amount and then right after, cancel the rest of the "upgrade".

Wait a second, and check your eligibility through the Apple Store. Should be good to go!

 

[Decimotox]

However, if you did just make that last payment to be eligible with trade-in, call AT&T like the poster above suggested and have them update the eligibility.

 

[tpabrad]

Ok thanks, a call is probably whats needed. When I log into AT&T's site both my Next phones are showing upgrade eligible. When I click on one I get the following-

Congratulations! This line is eligible for an upgrade with the trade in of the current installment billed device.

Hopefully this doesnt become a painful process!

 

[darknyt]

Last year I pre-ordered with AT&T next for the first time and just made my last payment to trade in and upgrade. Does anyone have any experience on how this works? Is it possible to even do pre-ordering this year or do I have to go through the AT&T site now to do so? When I check upgrade eligibility on Apples site it shows the Next plans as "Future Eligibility". I'm guessing I would be able to go through the process on AT&T's site but would rather go through Apple. I would actually like to do the new upgrade program since it has AppleCare included but at this point thats on the bottom of the list. Very interested to know though if anyone has any experience with the completion of the Next program though and how the phone trade in process works.

Thanks!

Did ATT let you make last payment by itself or was it part of your bill? I ask since I preordered last year too but am stuck on one last payment due on next months bill holding up the upgrade via Apple.

I would think a lot of us 6/6+ preorders would be in the same boat. ATT just randomly moved my bill date without asking a few months ago and claimed they were moving everybody to same.

It's frustrating as both apple and ATT told me there would be a "pay to upgrade" option via apples preorder site that would let you catch up last payment and upgrade. Apples preorder tool is showing the opposite now, that it has to be done via att. And their preorder for plus 128 sucks.

 

[Four oF NINE]

I'm really annoyed at the entire process here.. it's very confusing.

 

[tpabrad]

Did ATT let you make last payment by itself or was it part of your bill? I ask since I preordered last year too but am stuck on one last payment due on next months bill holding up the upgrade via Apple.

I would think a lot of us 6/6+ preorders would be in the same boat. ATT just randomly moved my bill date without asking a few months ago and claimed they were moving everybody to same.

It's frustrating as both apple and ATT told me there would be a "pay to upgrade" option via apples preorder site that would let you catch up last payment and upgrade. Apples preorder tool is showing the opposite now, that it has to be done via att. And their preorder for plus 128 sucks.

My cycle ends around the 28th of the month so the bill I just got had the last payment on it. I usually pay within a day or two of the bill posting but wondering if it would take a cycle for the Apple systems to start getting the right info without having to call them first. So as it stands it fell at the right time for me. I thought it may end up being behind a few days. It seems like the pre-ordering is a little bit earlier this year than last as well. I dont remember the exact dates last year.

 

[Irock619]

I'm really annoyed at the entire process here.. it's very confusing.

Whats confusing? Just pay your balance so you are eligible for an upgrade and preorder on the 12th.

 

[Four oF NINE]

Whats confusing? Just pay your balance so you are eligible for an upgrade and preorder on the 12th.

It's confusing because my contract is fulfilled and I'm on the grandfathered unlimited data AT&T plan.. and it's not available to renew via the Apple online store. So I'm considering other carriers, and their websites are opaque and contradictory.

It's a mess.

 

[tpabrad]

It's confusing because my contract is fulfilled and I'm on the grandfathered unlimited data AT&T plan.. and it's not available to renew via the Apple online store. So I'm considering other carriers, and their websites are opaque and contradictory.

It's a mess.

As far as I know grandfathered plans are only going to be upheld when ordering and/or working directly with the carrier. Since nobody outside of Sprint offers unlimited these days you don't really have many options.

 

[anonymous6237]

It's confusing because my contract is fulfilled and I'm on the grandfathered unlimited data AT&T plan.. and it's not available to renew via the Apple online store. So I'm considering other carriers, and their websites are opaque and contradictory.

It's a mess.

It was reported here a while back that 2 year contract subsidies for AT&T are only going to be available through the carrier directly. Apple will only do Next and full price now.

For the original poster... I paid off my entire balance and the app store app immediately reflected my upgrade eligibility (in the get ready to pre-order part). Not sure if it's different for those just making the 12th installment to be eligible for trade in so YMMV.

 

[cobie454]

If you just made your last payment call ATT and ask them to make your account reflect upgrade eligibility. I would call them to make sure your payment is processed and you're eligible before pre ordering starts. Once that's completed you can just upgrade through Apple and your monthly payments start over. I believe then you will have to turn in your old iPhone to an ATT branch location.

 

[cobie454]

If you just made your last payment call ATT and ask them to make your account reflect upgrade eligibility. I would call them to make sure your payment is processed and you're eligible before pre ordering starts. Once that's completed you can just upgrade through Apple and your monthly payments start over. I believe then you will have to turn in your old iPhone to an ATT branch location.

 

[heyloo]

If you're not showing as eligible for Next upgrade yet, here's what you do:
[...]
Wait a second, and check your eligibility through the Apple Store. Should be good to go!

@Decimotox Thanks for the tip. Made my eligible-for-Next-upgrade payment (12th installment) and now am able to pre-order online.
Spoke with an AT&T rep, he told me that I'd either have to pay off the device or trade in the phone at a local store—nothing in between. /smh. Found your post, followed the steps, and now am upgrade eligible. Thumbsup.