AT&T Upgrade Eligibility Questions Raised Ahead of Next iPhone

[aneftp]

And with Sprint you can upgrade once a year with only paying $70 a line.

Has Sprint found someone to buy them out yet? Oh wait, no one will buy them out. I was a former Sprint customer for 7 plus years.

The reason no one will buy Sprint out is simple. They won't repeat the same mistake Sprint did with buying Nextel. You simple don't buy out a competitor who runs or will run on a completely different standard (WiMax) as your three biggest competitors (LTE...Verizon/ATT/Tmobile).

That's why Sprint has a $70 line limit upgrade each year. To retain their customers. I wish Sprint the best. It's just that Nextel purchased absolutely killed them and they are moving almost to a pre paid model (Boost Mobile etc) (along with Tmobile) to "keep their numbers up"

 

[moracity]

Not getting too worried yet, but if it doesn't change, this is just stupid:
-Got the 2G on day of release, paid full price
-Got the 3G on day of release, paid discounted rate
-Got the 3GS day of release, paid full price

Now they want me to pay full price if I want a G4 day of release? Thats crap, the 3GS was unsubsidized. Come June it'll have been 2 years since my last subsidized device. (online says I'm not elligable for an upgrade until 11/20).

God help them if that date sticks and a Verizon iPhone comes out by 11/20

There are 3 different prices. One is the upgrade-eligible price w/ 2-year contract (199/299). One is a reduced discount that still has a 2-year contract (399/499). The third is a true unsubsidized price that has no contract.

It appears that they don't even list the no-contract price online. I believe you have to go to a store to buy unsubsidized. My guess is that it's 599/699.

I got my 2G in the fall after its release. I got the 4GB that was discontinued and going cheap at the Apple store. I got it for 299 w/ no contract. I used it on T-mobile until 3/2009, when I upgraded to a $99 3G refurb. I won't upgrade to the new iPhone until refurbs are available. My wi-fi iPad has pretty much eliminated most usage of my iPhone. The only reason I'll upgrade the phone is to get a usable navigation app to replace my Garmin. The nav apps are unusable on the 3G. Hell, I may even just upgrade to a 3GS for super cheap instead of the new one.

 

[golfstud]

It appears June 23rd is the DAY

Here is what my upgrade page says:

As a valued AT&T customer, we can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at a higher price, along with a 2-year commitment and an $18 upgrade fee. Please proceed with the online upgrade process for pricing details. You may qualify for a full discount on a standard iPhone upgrade on 06/23/2010

I bought a 3GS the first day it came out, was an original IPHONE user for two years before that. Thus, it looks like ATT is going to be aggressive in keeping customers by giving 1 year upgrade paths. I believe Verizon is coming.

 

[h1w1nd]

we all bought our 3G iPhones in January 2009 for the subsidized price since we paid full price for the 2G iPhones. Does that mean on release day we can get an early upgrade? my bill is over $200+ month.

 

[byeehaaw]

this stinks. we got a family plan of 4 iphones in april before the 3gs came out. Our upgrade doesnt happen til 12/05/10 . This sucks hopefully this changes.

 

[LoganT]

Mine still says October 8, 2010. I'm hoping it's upgraded soon.

 

[Blue Fox]

...The "upgrade eligibility" date is simply the date that the customer is released from this obligation, and will again qualify for a new subsidized phone without penalty.

That above quote from the original poster is WRONG. Your contract date is 24-months from the date you originally obtained the new subsidized phone. The "upgrade eligibility" is essentially AT&T allowing you to upgrade to a newer phone before your contract end date. (which extends the time you are in contract for an ADDITIONAL 24 months from the date you upgrade your phone). It does NOT mean you are out of your obligation on that date, you are still in contract with AT&T service until the end of your contract date (which is 24 months from the date you signed up for the 2-year contract)

Now, the contract is NOT in any way attached to the phone, it's attached to the phone number. You can swap your phone to a flip phone or any other phone as many times as you want (even swapping plans and features around) anytime throughout your contract. Even if you swap phones with some other SIM enabled phone, and you switch around your plan, there is no penalty at all, granted you keep that line active on AT&T.

Also, upgrade eligibility is based on many factors, NOT on the date a phone will be coming out. Your upgrade eligibility is based on how good of a customer you are. If you have the most basic of plans and always pay late, your upgrade is at a later date. If you have a more advanced plan (multiple lines, iPhone plans, Smartphone data plans, etc.) and you pay on time, that allows your upgrade eligibility to become earlier and earlier. AT&T rewards good customers with early upgrades. Customers who constantly make payments late, constantly have their phone turned off due to late payments, constantly call in to get credits, etc. are all examples of behaviors that will ultimately keep them from getting an early upgrade.

So if you want an early upgrade, don't call in and be a complete ass to the people trying to help you, make your payments on time and when the account is updated, your eligibility date will be shortened.

 

[DeathChill]

Heh, I'm on the excellent Spousal Upgrade Plan too. I got the original, my wife got mine two years later when I got the 3GS, now I get the new one and she gets the 3GS. I'll be eligible for the new model every year. Beauty.

Hope she doesn't mind my sloppy seconds.

I do this exact thing. Welcome to the club.

 

[/dev/toaster]

Again you guys/gals need to realize how ATT sells the iphone

fully subsdized (199/299 pricing)
partially subsidized (399/499)
no subsidy (599/699).

Many of you guys complaining about buying an iphone 3gs last June for "full price" and not be eligible for an upgrade by June 2010-September 2010 need to re check your receipts. Did you pay 399/499? or 599/699? If you paid the full 599/699 price, you should have a full eligibility.

But if you paid the partial upgrade 399/499 pricing last June 2009 for the 3GS model, it "resetted" your entire upgrade path. So that means you are either eligible for fully subsidized upgrade pricing 12 months later (June 20 2010 if you are the primary line averaging more than $99) OR fully subsidized upgrade pricing 15-21 months afterwords depending on your overall pricing plans.

I paid $299 for my 3GS last year (32GB model). I have upgraded at the lowest price every single year that a new iPhone is released. I expect AT&T to continue honoring the same offering.

I have 2 lines on the account and pay close to $190 a month. My 2nd line was eligible every year and a half which I am ok with. However, with the kinda money I am spending they better give me the upgrade in June.

 

[Lestdog]

Has Sprint found someone to buy them out yet? Oh wait, no one will buy them out. I was a former Sprint customer for 7 plus years.

The reason no one will buy Sprint out is simple. They won't repeat the same mistake Sprint did with buying Nextel. You simple don't buy out a competitor who runs or will run on a completely different standard (WiMax) as your three biggest competitors (LTE...Verizon/ATT/Tmobile).

That's why Sprint has a $70 line limit upgrade each year. To retain their customers. I wish Sprint the best. It's just that Nextel purchased absolutely killed them and they are moving almost to a pre paid model (Boost Mobile etc) (along with Tmobile) to "keep their numbers up"

Just my 2 cents. A few years back we we're invited to present a surveillance product (a lot like icam) to the Sprint team at the Sprint University in Kansas.

I have never met a more unambitious lazy management team in my life. I'm not saying that they should have jumped all over what we had to sell but scheduled attendees were showing up late and unprepared. They were totally negative on the onset and it just appeared to me that this was team getting fat paychecks and didn't want to get involved in anything that would put a little more work on their table.

 

[dmelgar]

Also, upgrade eligibility is based on many factors, NOT on the date a phone will be coming out. Your upgrade eligibility is based on how good of a customer you are. If you have the most basic of plans and always pay late, your upgrade is at a later date. If you have a more advanced plan (multiple lines, iPhone plans, Smartphone data plans, etc.) and you pay on time, that allows your upgrade eligibility to become earlier and earlier. AT&T rewards good customers with early upgrades. Customers who constantly make payments late, constantly have their phone turned off due to late payments, constantly call in to get credits, etc. are all examples of behaviors that will ultimately keep them from getting an early upgrade.

So if you want an early upgrade, don't call in and be a complete ass to the people trying to help you, make your payments on time and when the account is updated, your eligibility date will be shortened.

I bought an iPhone 3G in July 2008. I've never been late on a payment, have never called to get a credit. I am on a FAN account. AT&T has dorked with my upgrade date. Originally stating December 2009, therefore not letting me get an iPhone 3GS. As that date approached, they moved it farther out.

Besides no coverage, I am not a happy camper w AT&T. Don't need them.

 

[p-rice]

Wow I was already dead set on paying full price for the new iphone. This is really good news for me.

 

[tigress666]

I bought an iPhone 3G in July 2008. I've never been late on a payment, have never called to get a credit. I am on a FAN account. AT&T has dorked with my upgrade date. Originally stating December 2009, therefore not letting me get an iPhone 3GS. As that date approached, they moved it farther out.

Besides no coverage, I am not a happy camper w AT&T. Don't need them.

Huh? Technically you shouldn't have been able to get an upgrade til July 2010 (2 years from your contract start). They were being very nice to let you get an upgrade in 12/2009 (7 months earlier than the 2 years are up).

I fail to see why you are complaining.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

The "upgrade eligibility" is essentially AT&T allowing you to upgrade to a newer phone before your contract end date. (which extends the time you are in contract for an ADDITIONAL 24 months from the date you upgrade your

I suppose you should turn yourself in to the disinformation police b/c that tidbit is inaccurate.

Upgrading does not ADD any additional months to your contract; it simply resets the clock. So if you upgrade with six months left, it goes back to 24 months not 6+24.

 

[LoganT]

Huh? Technically you shouldn't have been able to get an upgrade til July 2010 (2 years from your contract start). They were being very nice to let you get an upgrade in 12/2009 (7 months earlier than the 2 years are up).

I fail to see why you are complaining.

AT&T lets you upgrade after owning your phone for about a year. It's been that way for a long time. It's a way to keep you with AT&T, because every year you extend your contract by another two years.

 

[Tankfantry]

I will have to wait until December but at least it give me time to see how everything pans out between all the service provides.

 

[hetz8500]

I got a 3G in July of 2008. My upgrade date isn't until 10/06/10. I think this is because I moved and switched my phone number in Feb. of 2009 and they created a new account. My contract expires in July 2010 but I'm not elligible for upgrade until October 2010...interesting. Is this something AT&T will override?

 

[eoin3-]

Not happy at all.

Paid subsidized price for my 3g on release date 2008

paid $399 for 3gS on release date 2009

I fell just short of being subsidized because my bill was $94 +tax a month

so here I am hoping that 2 years after my last subsidized phone I would mabey be eligible for upgrade to the iPhone HD

Bu noooooo now at$t is telling me that the $399 was considered subsidized a I now have to wait until November 11th 2010.

So I has to pay 399 and other people paid 199 and they are already eligible and I'm not?

WTF are they trying to lose customers??

 

[UK-MacAddict]

I think this new iPhone will be worth getting whether you get it subsidised or have to pay full price.

I'm in the UK with O2, owned every iPhone since they launched and I will be buying the 4G on launch day without a contract for around £500 ($700 roughly) most likely. I only upgraded to a 3GS in Feb because my 3G cracked and started splitting on the side. But O2 gave me a very good deal. I got the 3GS for free and they also added unlimited texts to my tariff

I'm going to have to buy the 4G and the the one the release next year full price without a contract since my current contract does not end until Feb 2012 :S

 

[E.Lizardo]

All I care about is the full price. I don't want a contract. It will probably be $599 and $699 for a phone they can't even build with out some pathetic defects.

And yet you want it?

 

[weemanpow3]

I am so damn confused about the upgrade thing. My plan is a family plan with four phones. 3 iphone 3GS and 1 regular.

Both of these phones were bought at the same time at AT&T store.

• 1 iPhone 3GS bought in 9/7/09. Eligibility upgrade = 9/27/10
• 1 iPhone 3GS bought in 9/7/09. Eligibility upgrade = 5/17/11

The third iPhone was bought a week later.

• 1 iPhone 3GS bought in 9/15/09. Eligibility upgrade = 5/25/11

I am also getting 15% off the bill because I work with Black & Decker. Does this have anything to do with the upgrade?

 

[E.Lizardo]

Not getting too worried yet, but if it doesn't change, this is just stupid:
-Got the 2G on day of release, paid full price
-Got the 3G on day of release, paid discounted rate
-Got the 3GS day of release, paid full price

Now they want me to pay full price if I want a G4 day of release? Thats crap, the 3GS was unsubsidized. Come June it'll have been 2 years since my last subsidized device. (online says I'm not elligable for an upgrade until 11/20).

God help them if that date sticks and a Verizon iPhone comes out by 11/20

So you paid the unsubsidized price for the 3GS?$500-$600 dollars?

 

[Sabenth]

its taken apple this long to get this gear into main stream as it is all of this should have been shipped with version 1

 

[firewood]

I'm slightly amused at everybody ready to slap down hundreds of bucks on something they know nothing about yet. All you know is rumor, and that prototype could be nothing like what eventually comes out.

For a developer (on the order of 10K to 100K of us), the less they know about it, they more they need to buy it, as close to day 1 as possible, to see if it breaks their apps or otherwise require some sort of coding update.

 

[LoganT]

The way the iPhone pricing works is,

199/299 dollars when eligible to upgrade
399/499 dollars when not eligible to upgrade
599/699 dollars when you don't want to sign up for a new contract.

Let's say the iPhone comes out on June 21 and it says on your account you are not eligible for the upgrade until November 24. You could either wait till November 24 and get it for 199/299 dollars or buy it for 399/499 dollars if you don't want to wait that long. The latter option still has you sign up for a new two year contract.