Why would you include the cost of service in the price? I don’t follow the logic here.
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AT&T Takes Up to $1,000 Off iPhone 15 Models Ahead of iPhone 16 Launch
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To each their own. I'm happy with ATT. Been with them for years. I get a new phone every 3 years for $5/mo. Pretty sure in 3 months, my iPhone 13 Pro Max 256GB won't be worth $1000 from Apple or anyone sane. So, Apple giving me $1000 towards a new phone is cash in my pocket. Plus, I don't have to hand over $1500 (incl. tax) for a new phone.
Hostage? You own a car or a home? Do you change lenders every other month on those or are you a "hostage" too? I'm happy with ATT and have no interest in wasting time switching carriers every other month for the "best deal". I've compared our 5 lines to Verizon and TM, and don't really see any savings by switching (and the hassle of doing so for all the family members).
Getting $1,000 for a phone worth at least $290 seems pretty good. Who else would pay $1,000 for a 13 Pro or $700 for an iPhone 12?
- To qualify for $1000 credit, minimum Trade-In value must be $290 or higher after device condition questions have been answered
- Eligible devices:
- Apple iPhone: 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max, 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max
- Samsung Galaxy: S23+, S23 Ultra, Z Fold4, Z Flip5, Z Fold5
- Google: Pixel Fold, 8, 8 Pro
- To qualify for $700 credit, minimum Trade-In value must be $130-$289 after device condition questions have been answered
- Eligible devices:
- Apple iPhone: 11 Pro Max, 12, 12mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13, 13 Mini
- Samsung Galaxy: Note20 Ultra, Note20 Ultra 5G, Fold, Fold 5G, S21 Ultra 5G, S22 5G, S22+ 5G, Z Fold3 5G, Z Flip4, S22 Ultra 5G, S23
- Google: Pixel 6 Pro, 7, 7 Pro, 7a
- OTHER: OnePlus 10 Pro
You need to pay the phone off before AT&T will unlock it to allow use of alternate carriers. Maybe thats not a use case you have but others like myself do. I mentioned earlier when you disagreed that paying for something is a good idea that I have two carriers. AT&T and Verizon. No one provider is great everywhere so I have improved my coverage options.
You're completely ignoring the MVNOs, which is where the real savings are.
A lot of talk about how much your trade in is worth and how much you're getting the new phone for. Nobody talks about how much their monthly service is. If you're paying too much for the service, the "free" phone is irrelevant.
No thanks. I get a discount for using my own device and if I get one from a carrier, that discount goes away.
Right. My "Verizon" line is Visible. Fantastic service.
You can pay it off and keep the credits at any time. So if you pay it off after 18 months you can keep the $500 credits.
But, you cannot leave the carrier before the contract is up, without a paying an early termination fee.
I'm on US Mobile and it has the exact same service/speed as my work-issued iPhone on Verizon's high-priority first-responder network.
I don't think there is a contract on the eligible plans other than a 90 day waiting period.
Trust me, there is a contract. Otherwise they would gain nothing from this offer, and companies aren't in business to not make financial gains. If you finance a phone through any of the big carriers, you have to remain with that carrier until the contract term is up, regardless if you pay the phone off early or not, or pay an early termination fee to get out of the contract.
Edit: I stand corrected on this. Some carriers no longer require a contract when you finance a phone through them.
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When I left t-mobile a year early, I paid off my phone and was done; there was no ETF. Those have more-or-less ended, but the carriers make up for it by jacking up the rates of the plans required to get these upgrade "deals".
Oh okay, I guess this has changed with some carriers anyway. AT&T mentioned a contract with an early termination fee when financing phones, which I then told them I never do. @onenorth I stand corrected, at least some carriers no longer put customers on a contract when you finance a phone through them.
To see what your cost is over 36 months vs buying iPhone on your own and using a different carrier because not everyone needs an unlimited plan and there are plans that are over half off the $75.99/mo plan price that's required to qualify for this AT&T offer.
If you only use between 10GB to 15GB per month, AT&T has a pre-paid plan that's $25/mo for up to 16GB.
$1,299 (512GB iPhone 15 Pro from Apple) + ($25/mo plan x 36 months) = $2,199. That's a $536 savings. If a 256GB iPhone 15 Pro is sufficient, that would save you over $736.
Even if you bought 1TB iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1599, you'd still be ahead. $1599 + ($25/mo x 36 months) = $2,499.00 vs $2,735.64
Need unlimited data? Visible and Cricket offer them starting at $25/mo. Same amount of savings compared to this AT&T "deal"
US Mobile has an unlimited plan (100GB premium data) for $32.50/mo (all taxes and fees included unlike with AT&T's $75.99/mo plan). Again, still less expensive that this AT&T offer.
And I'm not even including how much you could get for selling your iPhone on your own. Factor that in and you're saving even more.
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I only switched over to Visible in 2021, should have done it years and years sooner. I typically keep my phones for a few years.
I try to explain it to people, and it's really shocking how some people can't wrap their minds around how you don't get phones "for free" on prepaid, and how you're usually overpaying for the phone on postpaid.
"But it's free, I didn't have to pay anything."
Lol, nooooo it's not baby girl.
IOW “Don’t worry, AT&T and Apple are getting their money.”
Carrier deals are to brainwash people who don't know math. You usually have to get the highest plan which is just stupid to feel like you're getting a deal when they give you $1000 back for your phone.
I'm not sure how a trade-in would work online when paying full price for the phone. Perhaps you'd have to go to an AT&T Store. The price of a 1TB iPhone 15 Pro would be $1,499.99. The 13 Pro would be worth around $290. Based on that, you'd be better off going through Apple as they currently offer $380 trade-in for a 13 Pro.
If you go with an AT&T inflated trade-in value offer, you would get $1,000 trade-in (not $290) for the 13 Pro which is spread over 36 months via monthly bill credits. The plan would have to be $75.99/month or higher to qualify.
Possible reasons to finance would be the 0% APR and/or the discount/inflated trade-in value on the phone but, as discussed in this thread, that can require a higher priced plan than one may want or need plus lock them in for two to three years. As you said, to each their own.
How much do they charge per line when you have that many people? I have 5 people right now. I think my bill is $150 on Tmobile not including device payments by brother inlaw and his wife have. Anywhere close and worth switching to att for?
You would receive a box in the mail to ship in your device which would be evaluated to verify if it matches your description. I dont suggest anyone do that though, the chance of the device getting lost and not receiving credit is too high. I would take it to a store for the trade-in and hand it to them.
Yeah, with third party carriers they allow you to pay 0% as well. No discounts on iPhones, but you can pay over 24 months instead of all at once at no interest. With Spectrum, for example, the unlimited is $30 and you can finance a phone at no interest. If you want Motorola or some other Android they often have sales that are not contract dependent. Got wife's mom a moto for $5 a month for 24 months. She has the 1Gig plan for $14 or something like that. Works for her.