AT&T Next vs IUP

[WolfSnap]

I’m legitimately confused why anyone would use Next? I’d you use next, the payments are (basically) the same as IUP (0% financing, monthly payments, upgrade each 12 months, etc), but doesn’t AT&T also bump your per-line cost from $20 to $40 on the unlimited plan?

That extra $20/mo raises the actual interest rate quite a bit.

So, why do people use Next? Or, am I wrong?

 

[ibuyufo]

Maybe some people do not qualify after doing a credit check so they're stuck with AT&T's Next plan.

 

[HEK]

Several reasons actually. With Next on AT&T yes the charge is $40 per phone, but they give me a $25 discount per phone. So on my plan each phone is $15. Second I have choice of buying AppleCare+ or not. Third each year when I get new iphone, AT&T does not run a credit check, which drops credit score a bit. Apple program is a new loan each time from bank and they do run credit check each year.

These are the prices on my grandfathered AT&T plan along with $80 for family 15GB data plan with one month rollover. I have a 20% company discount. So I intend to stay on the Next plan this year as have done in last two years.

Everyone needs to run the numbers for themselves. Plans change and making blanket comparisons is really not possible. All depends on when you signed up, what is carried over, how many people in family, etc.

With that said, you will find costs are very close to each other most times. The carriers know what others are doing and adjust accordingly. Sometimes if timed just right you can get bonus like I did on data plan.