I just paid off my iPhone 6 Plus via the AT&T website. I was wondering about the iPhone Upgrade Program from Apple - is it better than going through ATT? I assume I can join the iphone upgrade program when I preorder the iPhone 7?
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Carrier AT&T Next vs. Apple iPhone Upgrade Program
- Thread starter Razorhog
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I think they're almost the same, Apple is a little more because it includes Apple care...
This.
If you're trading a paid off phone in, however, it's worth taking note in who is offering the better trade value.
Just be warned that Apple hits your credit when doing the monthly with them. AT&T Next does not if you currently have an account already with them.
I rather not have my credit hit again for a phone when I can get the same phone from AT&T.
I think I might go with the Apple upgrade program and ditch my insurance policy. The accidental damage policy/prices included with Applecare+ sound reasonable:
[doublepost=1473298295][/doublepost]I should add that water damage was a major factor in buying the third party insurance, but the iPhone 7's IP67 rating mitigates that to an extent. My wife's iPhone has committed suicide by jumping in the toilet twice now.
Hey guys hoping someone could answer this for me. I am currently on next but looking to pay off my 6s plus, sell it and start with Apple upgrade program because I would like an unlocked phone. I do have one question- will I have to go in store to Apple next year to upgrade or can I do it online as I have done in the past- preordered my phone from Apple and have it shipped to me? If so that will be a deal breaker as I don't have time to wait in store on launch day. Thanks for the info.
I rather have my credit hit, not have to pay $40 for an activation fee every year and not have to sign a 'contract' with AT&T. But hey thats me.
Thanks for the reply- that's what I was afraid of. I'll probably stick with Next for one more year then...
Not from what I've been told. According to Att you can order either through them(pre order) or through apples site(since it goes through carriers also) and it gets shipped to you.
Why would you have to go pick up the phone in person for next? makes no sense
We are referring the iPhone Upgrade Program, not Next.
You're quite literally including a middleman in both scenarios, that being the lender. Depending on your viewpoint your yearly credit checks might even make Apple a worse option. And you have forced Apple care (again depending on viewpoint).
I understand that but didn't he reply that you had to pick up the phone for the next program?
Its also cheaper if you do plan on upgrading yearly if you do Next. You don't really need applecare unless you're on a 24 month plan after the first year or if you drop your phones a lot. One year insurance on anything happening that you didn't cause is good to me for a year.
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selling your phone outright will make you more (after paying it off) but it is a hassle doing that.
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ooo yea i got it now.
selling your phone outright will make you more (after paying it off) but it is a hassle doing that.
Bear in mind that Insurion mobile insurance covers lost/stolen phones, whereas AppleCare+ does not. AppleCare is a great option and I would much rather deal with Apple than Insurion in most cases, but it's a big enough factor for me that for my iPhone I go through AT&T for insurance and use AppleCare+ for all my other devices.
Well if you don't like a cheaper and slightly subsidized Apple Care, then yes, don't do it. But Apple Care on a $749 phone seems like a reasonable thing to do. I think you mentioned that other forms of insurance are available, but if you use home insurance don't the have a deductible before you can collect?
I don't know what a yearly credit check would do to your credit, but I can't imagine it being much of a ding. I assume my credit gets checked a few times a year. And in any case, unless I'm getting a mortgage, I can't think of any situation where my credit going up or down a little bit is going to cost me money. But I guess if your credit is on the bubble where you might not be able to rent an apartment or something like that, then you want to protect it with kid gloves. Though in that case, you might want to consider buying a $60 Android smartphone from Amazon and making efforts to pay down debt and rehabilitate you credit.
The reason I don't value Apple care is because if I lose or have the device stolen it's a total loss. If I crack the screen once I've still already paid out what I would out of pocket for a screen repair. In the off chance I completely smash my device, it's $300-325 to repair.
I always like to say that I've saved enough money not doing Apple care over the years on our devices to buy two phones outright. And that includes having to replace a phone that went through the wash once (also, deductibles as well as out of pocket repairs were cheaper then).
I just don't consider it a big enough security net. Unless you know you treat your phones like dirt and you're likely to have multiple repair bills it just isn't and hasn't been worth it for me. But I also tend to insure things that I am either legally required to or that would cause incredible financial hardship to replace. Not saying $300 is my toilet paper, but if I had to pay it I would knowing that it's likely not s common occurrence. Replacing my car (or someone else) or my house or everything in it would be much more difficult.
As far as credit checks it's a hard check. But it doesn't really bother me. I do feel it worth mentioning when comparing products and thus allowing the poster to be as informed as possible.
I'm with you. I've never done Apple Care before this iPhone 6S. Somehow (and it remains a mystery) my screen got cracked. I went in and had it repaired (actually they replaced the phone, but only due to their snafu when they had failed to replace the screen in the two hours they promised) . But I think I still had to pay something under Apple Care. With the $29 screen repair under Apple Care it might be more worthwhile.
And I think I might go case-free more often if I was used to having Apple Care. Though I have to say using an iPhone case -free does strike me as just reckless. And it isn't like the 6 or 6S is all that pretty outside of the case to make it worthwhile. Now the 4 and 4S, that was a gorgeous phone that deserved to run free. When my 4 started its second year and had decreased in value, I like using it without a case. I never dropped it and it got handed down for two more years of use. Those were good times. But phones are more expensive now. Not sure if I'm going to release my 6S from its case. The design doesn't do it for me, the feel is slippery, and it still has $400 of blue that can get significantly degraded in a second.