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So if I sell my 4S this week, how do I go about upgrading? I want to go the 200+39+iPhone Price way.

Do I need to temporarily suspend my service? Do I just tell AT&T?
 
So if I sell my 4S this week, how do I go about upgrading? I want to go the 200+39+iPhone Price way.

Do I need to temporarily suspend my service? Do I just tell AT&T?

Sell it, take out your sim, and put it in another phone. You might have to get another sim because the iPhone uses the micro simcards. But otherwise nothing, because whoever gets it will just put their sim card into the phone to start using it.
 
I think if you are the primary account holder and you have 3+ lines you can upgrade in 12 months every other upgrade. I bought the 4 at release and around July last year I was eligible for an upgrade. I think that you have to wait 18 months every other year or something like that

In 12 months every other year (rather than every year as in the past)? Got a source/link?

At least that's better than losing the ability to upgrade every 12 months entirely.

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The way I look at it is if you want the newest phone every year:
Early Upgrade: Pay $199 + $250 + 36 = $485 year 1, $485 year 2, $485 year 3, etc...
Pay Full Price: Pay $199 + 36 year 1, $649 year 2, $199 + 36 year 3, $649 year 4, etc.

So with the Early Upgrade, you are paying $485 a year to have the newest. With the pay full priced every other year, you are paying $442 a year on average. This is of course for the 16GB model; just add $100 for each additional storage option.

So if you want the best every year, paying full priced every other year is the way to go. Now the question becomes, do you need the best every year? Or is this the exception? Maybe this was the exception this year due to the LTE and bigger screen. Maybe next year you will decide that the upgrades aren't worth it. So with the early upgrade strategy, you will be saving money instead.

All of this is assuming Apple (and AT&T) keeps their current pricing plans of course. If they end up changing them, then the calculations may no longer be correct.

Another way to get the best every year. Take out another line (as in family plan) for an additional $10 per month but don't use it. That comes out to $120 per year. That way you get the full discount every year by device swapping between the two lines (use a dumbphone with no data for the other line). Sell the old one (jailbroken and unlocked) every year to make up the cost difference.
 
Sell it, take out your sim, and put it in another phone. You might have to get another sim because the iPhone uses the micro simcards. But otherwise nothing, because whoever gets it will just put their sim card into the phone to start using it.

So they won't care if I'm just paying for the monthly fee, without any linked device, correct?
 
Correct.

I'm just saying you can't rely on the statement "You qualify for an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-year commitment" to mean a certain thing, because it could refer to a partial discount or a full discount. However, if you know you're over 18 months since you last upgraded, it's safe to assume you'll get the full discount.

This is what is confusing me. I have got every iPhone on launch day including the 4s last year and mine says "we can offer you a early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $36 upgrade fee at a participating iPhone sales location." I read that as a full discount, just pay the $36, I think this is the same message I got last year when I checked my upgrade eligibility for the 4s. I'm going to try and extract a backup and see if I still have the text from AT&T from last year. At least that's give some kind of idea.

EDIT: welll exported my SMS.db to try and compare with no luck. Guess I erased the message at some point or used the wrong backup.
 
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This is what is confusing me. I have got every iPhone on launch day including the 4s last year and mine says "we can offer you a early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $36 upgrade fee at a participating iPhone sales location." I read that as a full discount, just pay the $36, I think this is the same message I got last year when I checked my upgrade eligibility for the 4s. I'm going to try and extract a backup and see if I still have the text from AT&T from last year. At least that's give some kind of idea.

Yes, they did use that exact statement in the past years when referring to the full discount. Unfortunately, this year they seem to be applying that statement for all the lines whether it's for partial or full discount. I have 5 lines on my family plan with that same statement, two of which are eligible for the partial discount and three of which are eligible for the full discount. If you pay close attention to the statement, it's vague enough to refer to either (as it says nothing about full or partial discount, just upgrade).
 
Yes, they did use that exact statement in the past years when referring to the full discount. Unfortunately, this year they seem to be applying that statement for all the lines whether it's for partial or full discount. I have 5 lines on my family plan with that same statement, two of which are eligible for the partial discount and three of which are eligible for the full discount. If you pay close attention to the statement, it's vague enough to refer to either (as it says nothing about full or partial discount, just upgrade).

The way im looking at it is, if they offer me a full upgrade then I'll stick it out with AT&T. If not I've got some thinking to do about carriers. At "early upgrade" prices of $199 etc + $250 You might as well just wait until the factory unlocked versions are available and purchase one of them.
 
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The way im looking at it is, if they offer me a full upgrade then I'll stick it out with AT&T. If not I've got some thinking to do about carriers. At "early upgrade" prices of $199 etc + $250 You might as well just wait until the factory unlocked versions are available and purchase one of them.

You'd have to pay the ETF as you're still in the middle of a contract. If you'd like to continue to upgrade yearly for a nominal cost ($120 per year, which you can easily recoup if you sell the old iPhone), then follow my method in post #104.
 
Yes, they did use that exact statement in the past years when referring to the full discount. Unfortunately, this year they seem to be applying that statement for all the lines whether it's for partial or full discount. I have 5 lines on my family plan with that same statement, two of which are eligible for the partial discount and three of which are eligible for the full discount. If you pay close attention to the statement, it's vague enough to refer to either (as it says nothing about full or partial discount, just upgrade).

Its not vague, it tells you if you can do an early upgrade perfectly clear and when you will be eligable for a full upgrade.
All you gotta do is dial *639# on your AT&T iphone and you will get a text with all that info in seconds.
 
Its not vague, it tells you if you can do an early upgrade perfectly clear and when you will be eligable for a full upgrade.
All you gotta do is dial *639# on your AT&T iphone and you will get a text with all that info in seconds.

That's why it's vague in the first place. The statement "As a valued AT&T customer, you may qualify for discounted equipment pricing with a new two-year commitment" says nothing about whether you're eligible for full or partial discount and you have to dial *639# to get more info (or go to the at&t website and click on Upgrade Eligibility to view upgrade options).
 
Online I get this:
"Great news! You qualify for an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-year commitment. Full upgrade available: May 07, 2013"

Dialing *639# on my iPhone I get this:

"A full discount on a standard device or iPhone upgrade is not available at this time but you may qualify on 05/08/2013. We can offer you a discounted iPhone upgrade at 2-yr commitment pricing + $250 along with a new 2-yr commitment and an $36 upgrade fee. Please visit a participating iPhone sales location for pricing on this offer."

They mean the same thing

Full discount/upgrade = subsidized price
Early upgrade/discount = subsidized price + $250

Your mileage may vary
Just be aware, "early upgrade" ≠ full subsidized pricing

So, when you text *639# you get a completely different message then I do, so I'm guessing that I will be ok as far as "full upgrade" pricing goes then. The text I get makes no mention of $250, just the $36. Just to verify though I did check my wife's line(completely seperate and out of contract) and got the same message I previously posted. So, If using *639# and you get "early upgrade with $36 fee" you should be ok and get full upgrade prices?? Does this sound right or am I way out in left field?
 
So, when you text *639# you get a completely different message then I do, so I'm guessing that I will be ok as far as "full upgrade" pricing goes then. The text I get makes no mention of $250, just the $36. Just to verify though I did check my wife's line(completely seperate and out of contract) and got the same message I previously posted. So, If using *639# and you get "early upgrade with $36 fee" you should be ok and get full upgrade prices?? Does this sound right or am I way out in left field?

So dialing *639# returned no mention of the $250? Does it say the same thing when you click on Upgrade Eligibility when you log onto your at&t account through website?

Unless it's wrong, you're the first and only person who's eligible to receive the fully subsidized price of $199/299/399 after only 12 months, as you got the 4S on launch day.
 
Just out of curiosity I decided to check my upgrade eligibility date when I got this message:

"We can offer you an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and a $36 upgrade fee at a participating iPhone sales location. Additional discounts for all other handsets may be available on 03/24/2013."

Before reading this I was aware that in order to be an upgrade before date stated above I was going to have to pay $250+199+16 but after reading this I'm under the impression that I will be able to upgrade earlier than the said date as long as I upgrade to another iPhone. Is that correct?:confused:

Thanks in advance!
 
So dialing *639# returned no mention of the $250? Does it say the same thing when you click on Upgrade Eligibility when you log onto your at&t account through website?

Unless it's wrong, you're the first and only person who's eligible to receive the fully subsidized price of $199/299/399 after only 12 months, as you got the 4S on launch day.

No mention whatsoever. I'm not saying that I am for fact eligible, I'm just saying that when I use *639# it makes no mention of $250 and I upgraded to the 4s on launch day. This is exactly what it says,

we can offer you an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $36 upgrade fee at a participating iPhone sales location. *Additional discounts for all other handsets may be available on 05/08/2013. *
 
Seriously though, what kind of impact will this have on initial sales of the iPhone 5? In the past obviously, most people were allowed full upgrades if they paid $100+ on their bill without question.

I doubt that I will bother upgrading now unless I can sell my 4S for at least $450 on eBay considering another 32GB phone will run me $550 now. I can't imagine millions shelling out that type of money for the new one now. I will just skip this and wait for the iPhone 6 I suppose.
 
I doubt that I will bother upgrading now unless I can sell my 4S for at least $450 on eBay considering another 32GB phone will run me $550 now. I can't imagine millions shelling out that type of money for the new one now. I will just skip this and wait for the iPhone 6 I suppose.

Every last generation iPhone has sold for ~$450 (for a 32GB) on ebay if you jailbreak and unlock it (even about a month after the new iPhone debuts) and it'll be no different this time around.

Lots of people couldn't imagine millions shelling out that type of money for the 4S when the only new thing it has was Siri, but they did.
 
No mention whatsoever. I'm not saying that I am for fact eligible, I'm just saying that when I use *639# it makes no mention of $250 and I upgraded to the 4s on launch day. This is exactly what it says,

we can offer you an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $36 upgrade fee at a participating iPhone sales location. *Additional discounts for all other handsets may be available on 05/08/2013. *

I just checked *639# on my mother's iPhone 3GS (she's of course eligible for the full upgrade) and this is what it said:

As a valued customer, we can offer you an upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $36 upgrade fee.

No mention of "early iPhone upgrade," which some here take to mean $199 + 250.
 
Just out of curiosity I decided to check my upgrade eligibility date when I got this message:

"We can offer you an early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and a $36 upgrade fee at a participating iPhone sales location. Additional discounts for all other handsets may be available on 03/24/2013."

Before reading this I was aware that in order to be an upgrade before date stated above I was going to have to pay $250+199+16 but after reading this I'm under the impression that I will be able to upgrade earlier than the said date as long as I upgrade to another iPhone. Is that correct?:confused:

Thanks in advance!

No you will have to pay $250+199+36. I've done it every year. They are only saying you can early upgrade to another iPhone, but it's the the 199+250 early upgrade.
 
Every last generation iPhone has sold for ~$450 (for a 32GB) on ebay if you jailbreak and unlock it (even about a month after the new iPhone debuts) and it'll be no different this time around.

Lots of people couldn't imagine millions shelling out that type of money for the 4S when the only new thing it has was Siri, but they did.

AT&T moved up the upgrade dates more millions of people like myself who also bought the iPhone 4 on launch day. This time they apparently are not, according to posters on here, and my upgrade date like most others who purchased the 4S on launch day cannot upgrade till May 2013. That's the difference. I am willing to spend $300 on a new 32GB phone but probably not $550. If I can sell it for $450+ then I might think about it, but otherwise it's a no go unless there is something truly amazing out the new phone outside of LTE, which I will burn through in a few days if it's anything like advertised.
 
AT&T moved up the upgrade dates more millions of people like myself who also bought the iPhone 4 on launch day. This time they apparently are not, according to posters on here, and my upgrade date like most others who purchased the 4S on launch day cannot upgrade till May 2013. That's the difference. I am willing to spend $300 on a new 32GB phone but probably not $550. If I can sell it for $450+ then I might think about it, but otherwise it's a no go unless there is something truly amazing out the new phone outside of LTE, which I will burn through in a few days if it's anything like advertised.

If I had the same situation I would feel the same way. Plus wait a while and the prices will begin to fall on Craigslist anyway and you'll find a new one for a decent price.
 
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