AT&T Offers $100 Bill Credit for New Next Line Activations

[C DM]

yeah pretty much. my point though is its not any cheaper than a contract. same stuff, easier month to month for some perhaps.

but all this has already been discussed on other threads so yeah.

Well, it could be cheaper by some amount depending on plan. So for some it can be a better option. For others more or less the same. And others can be worse. It's not that it's never a good deal, let alone always a bad one.

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How do you get it 25$

Shared data plans with 10 GB or more get $25 off a month per non-contract line.

 

[Surreal]

Can I switch to next without buying a phone from them? Just… Bring my phone and get a "I am not subsidizing this" discount?

 

[C DM]

Can I switch to next without buying a phone from them? Just… Bring my phone and get a "I am not subsidizing this" discount?

It's a discount for non-contract phones. You don't have to be on Next to get it.

 

[acarney]

It's a discount for non-contract phones. You don't have to be on Next to get it.

I'm guessing this can't be applied to old grandfathered plans. I bought my iPhone 5S retail from apple (freaking ~$920 or something) and am on grandfathered unlimited. Doubt I can get a monthly discount for having my phone paid for, right?

 

[kaielement]

At $27/Mo, it is $324 the first year, or $648 for 2 years, Vs $199. Just for the hardware. I can pay $199 up front and be done with it. For most people, putting it on a credit card and making payments it would be cheaper.

If I get a new iPhone every 2 years, I can sell the current one for AT LEAST $200, and use that to buy the next one. I do this every time. This is like pay once, all subsequent ones are free.

That's exactly how it's a rip off. Ya think at&t would have any program at all this isn't a rip off? Every service all of these telcos and cable companies offer is a rip off.

I guess you don't get how the Next program works. You could sign a 2 year contract and pay 199.99 for phone plus taxes and upgrade fee. I don't know what state you live in but here in California they make you pay taxes based of full retail value of the phone not the 199.99 price. So if you ad the taxes and upgrade fee witch is $40 from AT&T you get almost $300. Now in two years if you decided to get a new phone with is what most people do your cost will be about the same. So now you have paid $600 for two phones. Now I don't know how they tax in what ever state your in but if you do the Next program all you pay up front is the taxes based on how ever they calculate it in your state. Also you don't pay the $40 upgrade fee. Now as to your plan if you chose the 2gb plan it's $40 and you get unlimited talk and text. It's $25 for the line access fee instead of the $40 it normally is and the payment for the iPhone is about $30 depending on what iPhone you go with which in total comes out to $95. And keep in mind if you pay off the phone your bill drops to $65. I don't know know what you pay per month right now but for me that's about what I was already paying for before I did the Next program and now that I am on the Next program my bill stayed about the same. So would you rather pay $600 for 2 phones or just pay taxes and have the option to upgrade every year and not be in contract? You tell me. Plus either way I need a phone so I will pay $95 a month for 2 years either way. But I can tell you this paying just the taxes up front and keeping my bill the same is a heck of a lot cheaper then paying $300 a pop for a phone. And two your point about putting it on a credit card and making payments. I don't know any that would let you put $700 on a card with out charging interest. With the Next program they don't charge interest on the phone. Plus with the iPhone they give you a $50 discount. You can also pay it off early with no penalty. So if I was going to buy the phone out right I would do the Next program and pay it off in a month and save my self $50. Something to think about.

 

[kaielement]

yeah pretty much. my point though is its not any cheaper than a contract. same stuff, easier month to month for some perhaps.

but all this has already been discussed on other threads so yeah.

I get what you are saying if you bill stayed about the same on Next your right the same then no not any cheaper. But if you look at the upfront coast that's were you save. You only pay taxes on the phone based on how ever your state evaluates it plus no upgrade fee. So for most not all but most it's a lot of savings especially if you have more then one line. I have seen a family of 4 go in to do 2 year up grades and walk out spending almost $1,000 for 4 phones. Last time I checked taxes are a heck of a lot cheaper then even the pricing for 2 year contract. So really in how you look at it. And yes as stated this has been discussed on plenty of other threads and I even read one that gave a really good break down to show the over all savings over to years. So take it as you will. But I have a feeling this is where all the major carries are headed and seeing as t-mobile won't even let you sign a 2 year contract any more it's no surprise that the other carries are going in this direction.

 

[vpro]

What a crock of ding dongs!

This company hands over all your private information and data to NSA daily, plus they are the least competitive.

I'm just grateful my Mother-in-law pays for my phone on our family plan *sigh* but I have okay'd her to cut it off any time. Mind you I mainly use that phone for the family, I only ever use free wifi hotspots and through the company hotspots exclusively saving on data every month for the rest of the family members to use

I love you all.

 

[tennisproha]

I get what you are saying if you bill stayed about the same on Next your right the same then no not any cheaper. But if you look at the upfront coast that's were you save. You only pay taxes on the phone based on how ever your state evaluates it plus no upgrade fee. So for most not all but most it's a lot of savings especially if you have more then one line. I have seen a family of 4 go in to do 2 year up grades and walk out spending almost $1,000 for 4 phones. Last time I checked taxes are a heck of a lot cheaper then even the pricing for 2 year contract. So really in how you look at it. And yes as stated this has been discussed on plenty of other threads and I even read one that gave a really good break down to show the over all savings over to years. So take it as you will. But I have a feeling this is where all the major carries are headed and seeing as t-mobile won't even let you sign a 2 year contract any more it's no surprise that the other carries are going in this direction.

yeah I concur. it's a bit like going to buy a car as a slight metaphor. you don't have the cash to buy it outright for most so finance except here it's 0% interest kinda.

but I'm irked by all these b/c I see it as a systemic issue. just offer cheaper plans on par with the service people are receiving (did 200 text really cost $15 up until last year? smh) and then just let ppl buy phones outright however they please. offer optional insurance on the phone as a revenue stream. don't get into all these convoluted schemes as a means to show you care for the customer. that's kinda how I feel about the whole thing.

mainly I feel our plans are outrageously expensive for the service they actually provide excluding the whole device fiasco.

 

[kaielement]

yeah I concur. it's a bit like going to buy a car as a slight metaphor. you don't have the cash to buy it outright for most so finance except here it's 0% interest kinda.

but I'm irked by all these b/c I see it as a systemic issue. just offer cheaper plans on par with the service people are receiving (did 200 text really cost $15 up until last year? smh) and then just let ppl buy phones outright however they please. offer optional insurance on the phone as a revenue stream. don't get into all these convoluted schemes as a means to show you care for the customer. that's kinda how I feel about the whole thing.

mainly I feel our plans are outrageously expensive for the service they actually provide excluding the whole device fiasco.

Yes I agree but you know us Americans. We got to over complicate things and we hate chage. But if people only knew how the new plans worked lol. It's kind of sad that even when the math is done and proven that they save money doing Next or what ever (edege, easy pay, and jump in most cases) they still don't and demand a 2 year contract. And I am not saying that how the phone companies are doing it is the best way to handle it but in the end I am all up for saving money lol. All I can do is lower my head in shame as the rest of the world looks at us and laughs.

 

[SockRolid]

AT&T offers both 20 and 24-month Next installment plans ...

What a F-ed up mess. I'd gladly pay Apple $10 more per month than my current AT&T bill if my iPhone "6" were able to automatically switch between AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc. Depending on whoever has the strongest signal. I'm serious.

It would be worth much more than that, considering that I live in a fringe reception area for AT&T. I hear Verizon customers have booming-strong signals in my area.

 

[crisss1205]

At $27/Mo, it is $324 the first year, or $648 for 2 years, Vs $199. Just for the hardware. I can pay $199 up front and be done with it. For most people, putting it on a credit card and making payments it would be cheaper.

If I get a new iPhone every 2 years, I can sell the current one for AT LEAST $200, and use that to buy the next one. I do this every time. This is like pay once, all subsequent ones are free.

That's exactly how it's a rip off. Ya think at&t would have any program at all this isn't a rip off? Every service all of these telcos and cable companies offer is a rip off.

You are forgetting one thing, depending on the plan, you will be paying an extra $25 a month for the 2 year contract. So 25*24 = $600, then add the $199 and you have $800 over 2 years vs the $648 you just quoted on Next.

 

[yg17]

if you do the math, over the course of a contract, it makes no difference. they're just stealing money from ya. same BS, just a different way to 'market' their money hoarding scams really.

Right. They're stealing money from you by charging you for a product you purchased from them. Makes sense.

If you have a problem with the cost of an iPhone on Next, take that up with Apple.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

Next program is a
complete joke!!!

Is it really that bad?

 

[C DM]

Is it really that bad?

Clearly it's not, as many posts have already shown.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

Clearly it's not, as many posts have already shown.

Haven't looked through all the posts.

 

[MrX8503]

No matter how you slice it, smartphones are expensive. With next you pay in installments and you can upgrade in 12 months but you have to trade your phone in.

ATT offering $100 off is a good deal.

 

[C DM]

Haven't looked through all the posts.

Seems like the thing to do when posting.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

How exactly is it a rip off?

No matter how you slice it, smartphones are expensive. With next you pay in installments and you can upgrade in 12 months but you have to trade your phone in.

ATT offering $100 off is a good deal.

It really just depends what kind of plan one is grandfathered into now. For me, I'd be cheating myself as I still have "unlimited data/5GB LTE" for $30. I have zero qualms about only getting to update my phone ever 2 years because iPhones evolve at glacier pace, and I like having a subdized phone. The basic difference, for example, between my 5 and the 5S is the touch ID and the M7 processor which a year later still isn't really put to use my many apps.

If I was on the Next program and traded my unlimited data for a "discounted" rate I'd be paying about $20 more than I do now but less data. As we go into an age when data is king I'm not giving up unlimited data unless I can actually save significant $.

But someone on one of the newer non-Next plans, or a family, then I can see where it makes sense. So it's all user dependent. The day ATT tells me no more unlimited data is the day I walk.

 

[ron7624]

If iPhone 6 allows simultaneous voice and data on Verizon, AT&T will have lost it’s edge. This seems like a preemptive move to avoid losing customers to a more reliable (where I live) network.

It can't. Verizon is CDMA and only one data track at a time works. Either voice or data,, but not both simultaneously. I doubt that a verizon phone will have both CDMA and gsm built into the handset and still be priced competitively with the gsm only handsets.

 

[ZacUSNYR]

At $27/Mo, it is $324 the first year, or $648 for 2 years, Vs $199. Just for the hardware. I can pay $199 up front and be done with it. For most people, putting it on a credit card and making payments it would be cheaper.

If I get a new iPhone every 2 years, I can sell the current one for AT LEAST $200, and use that to buy the next one. I do this every time. This is like pay once, all subsequent ones are free.

That's exactly how it's a rip off. Ya think at&t would have any program at all this isn't a rip off? Every service all of these telcos and cable companies offer is a rip off.

I was paying nearly $170 a month for my wife and I to share 4gb data. We bought new iPhones for $200 each. I'm now paying $80 a month for us to share a plan with my parents. But I lose the ability to pay $200 for a phone. Now I buy it for the best price I can find in cash or consider next.

The savings over the contract period would pay for two iPhones cash. I can't wait till subsidy prices are gone. It'll force prices to come down when the true prices are seen.

 

[crisss1205]

It can't. Verizon is CDMA and only one data track at a time works. Either voice or data,, but not both simultaneously. I doubt that a verizon phone will have both CDMA and gsm built into the handset and still be priced competitively with the gsm only handsets.

What? The current iPhone is already GSM and CDMA. It is just that apple chose not to include the second radio to work in conjunction. (Apple opted for a single radio that supports both CDMA and GSM)

Many other phones like the Galaxy S5 can do it.

Remember, LTE is a GSM evolution and that is why they have SIM cards and can work on AT&T and other GSM carriers.

 

[TalonFlyer]

Rethink you numbers.

RETHINK YOU NUMBERS.

At $27/Mo, it is $324 the first year, or $648 for 2 years, Vs $199. Just for the hardware. I can pay $199 up front and be done with it. For most people, putting it on a credit card and making payments it would be cheaper.

If I get a new iPhone every 2 years, I can sell the current one for AT LEAST $200, and use that to buy the next one. I do this every time. This is like pay once, all subsequent ones are free.

That's exactly how it's a rip off. Ya think at&t would have any program at all this isn't a rip off? Every service all of these telcos and cable companies offer is a rip off.

You are assuming that the pricing structure will be the same as previous years. Since AT&T has changed there pricing plans, I suspect that AT&T will no longer subsidize the iPhone devices. Read about AT&T's NEXT plan and its clear they are simply passing on what were the subsidized costs. You will most likely still pay Apple $199 to $499 for a device PLUS the ATT NEXT monthly costs.

In the past we paid higher monthly costs for mobile service. Now we pay for data, lines and devices separately. Ultimately, we are most likely paying more than before with the difference being we can now see all the costs.

This is just my guess, I suppose we'll see soon.

 

[C DM]

What? The current iPhone is already GSM and CDMA. It is just that apple chose not to include the second radio to work in conjunction. (Apple opted for a single radio that supports both CDMA and GSM)

Many other phones like the Galaxy S5 can do it.

Remember, LTE is a GSM evolution and that is why they have SIM cards and can work on AT&T and other GSM carriers.

LTE isn't really the reason why they can do it as various pre-LTE Verizon phones supported GSM as well. That said, yes, it's basically down to a radio being there to support data and CDMA voice separately.

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RETHINK YOU NUMBERS.



You are assuming that the pricing structure will be the same as previous years. Since AT&T has changed there pricing plans, I suspect that AT&T will no longer subsidize the iPhone devices. Read about AT&T's NEXT plan and its clear they are simply passing on what were the subsidized costs. You will most likely still pay Apple $199 to $499 for a device PLUS the ATT NEXT monthly costs.

In the past we paid higher monthly costs for mobile service. Now we pay for data, lines and devices separately. Ultimately, we are most likely paying more than before with the difference being we can now see all the costs.

This is just my guess, I suppose we'll see soon.

No need to guess really as everyone can calculate what applies to them and compare the numbers to see what works better for them.

 

[ron7624]

RETHINK YOU NUMBERS.



You are assuming that the pricing structure will be the same as previous years. Since AT&T has changed there pricing plans, I suspect that AT&T will no longer subsidize the iPhone devices. Read about AT&T's NEXT plan and its clear they are simply passing on what were the subsidized costs. You will most likely still pay Apple $199 to $499 for a device PLUS the ATT NEXT monthly costs.

In the past we paid higher monthly costs for mobile service. Now we pay for data, lines and devices separately. Ultimately, we are most likely paying more than before with the difference being we can now see all the costs.

This is just my guess, I suppose we'll see soon.

They will continue to subsidize the iPhone when you reach the end of your two year agreement. I have called and verified. My agreement ends in December and I will be able to get three subsidized phone.

 

[ron7624]

What? The current iPhone is already GSM and CDMA. It is just that apple chose not to include the second radio to work in conjunction. (Apple opted for a single radio that supports both CDMA and GSM)

Many other phones like the Galaxy S5 can do it.

Remember, LTE is a GSM evolution and that is why they have SIM cards and can work on AT&T and other GSM carriers.

I didn't realize they added CDMA to one of the 5 gsm models :
Model A1453: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26)
That's a lot of different radios.
Good talk.