ATT Next is a huge scam! Is it still possible to get 2 year iPhone 6s+ contract w AT&T?

[gugy]

Your math is not completely accurate:

Family Talk

Phones: $800
Phones: $200,$200,$400 = $800

Service: $1,440
$80 * 24 months less 25% corporate discount (Assuming only 700 minutes) $70 for first two lines, $10 additional line

Data: $2,160.00
3 lines at $30 per line = $90 * 24 months

Total:
$4,400 with 700 minutes and no text messages
$5,120 with 700 minutes and text messaging
Add another $30/month or $720 if you wanted unlimited text
3GB data per line - 9GB total

Next/MobileShare

Phones: $2,100
Phones: $650,$650,$400 = $800

Service: $1,080
$15 per line per month * 24 months

Data: $1,800.00
15GB for $100 - 25% Corporate Discount * 24 months

Total: $4,980 with unlimited minutes, unlimited text messages and 15GB or data

Savings per line increase as you add additional lines or if you plan on keeping a phone more than 2 years. If you plan on keeping any line more than two years, you are essentially paying $40/mine with no benefit. On MobileShare it is $15.

Thanks for the detailed post.
I did call AT&T and got some more info.

I current have a mobile shared plan with 22% corporate discount. So I pay $104 for 3 lines with sharing 3gb data.
If I get the 2 year agreement plan, I will end up saving $75 per line. The reason for this is because I don't pay activation fee due my corporate plan.
This works up better than the Next plan 18 even with the activation discount.

 

[bushman4]

Next is only a deal for some people because AT&T first raised the price of data tremendously, then gave a discount off the newly inflated price. Anyone with a grandfathered unlimited plan is better off going with the subsidy. I'm guessing this is the last year it will be around.

As for being the last year 2 year contracts are around…………..maybe not ATT is going to pick up a lot of Apple business since they don't offer 2 year contracts any more. Besides with all the deals and offers around if they do away with them, there will always be something else.

 

[knightfolk]

Well, I am thinking in getting the 2y contract. I use AT&T and for most part have no interest in leaving. Their service has been fair IMO.
My lame math

Getting 3 iPhones for family
(two 6S/16gb and one 6S+/64gb)
2y - $200 each and $400 = $800
24 months family shared plan $ 2832
total: $3632

no upgrade fee for me since I have a corporate account. But that's $45 for 3 phones.

Next 24 (30 installments)
$650 x2= 1300 and $850 = $2150
24 months family shared plan with $25 monthly discount on data = $2232
total: $4382

So a $750 difference. I don't mind to hold my phone for 2 years and keep it after it expires. With Next you must return the phone unless you make all the 30 installments.

Unless I am missing something, it's a no brainer to go with the 2y agreement. Next IMO it is a ripoff for someone like me. Sure I understand if you want to upgrade every year then some folks might want to go the Next route.

If you only took $25 off per month, that is what you missed. The 25 bucks is off each line charge, no the data portion of the bill. So over 24 months that is $1800 in savings. The more lines you have the better Next scales.

 

[Mr D]

That's false.
Again like many of your false assumptions.
Att hasn't throttied me for months.
They got hit with a lawsuit and can only do it on certain busy towers during peak times.
I been getting 10-12gb with no slow downs at all. Someone like you on mobile share would have paid hundreds $$ in overages.

Not an assumption when it has happened to me, and many others.

From what I've read - the lawsuit was based on how much they throttling it (to unusable speeds)...not on the sole fact they were throttling.

 

[iphoneZ]

yep huge scam that targets plebtard sheeple. just an attempt to capture some part of the resell market, and now apple is in on it too. quite disgusting to see how these kleptoxecs view the masses

 

[Mr D]

1. If you think about it they're both contracts. Some as bad as 30 months long with next payments. Imagine that. Paying on a phone for 2 and a half years.

No, they are not both contracts. One is financing the full price of a phone, and the other is agreeing to keep service for X amount of years. 1, you can pay the full price of the phone and be done with it and have a physical item.

The other, you're only option is to pay a cancellation fee in which you will have nothing to show for.

2. Both now have upgrade fees. I never paid one for years though with att.

Upgrade fee through 2 year is $40 vs the $15 on ATT Next...?

2 year contracts are good for me. I been with Att since 1998, I don't switch carriers often and it gives me $450 off my iPhone price for signing a 2 year agreement every 20 months.

No matter how u look at it with family plans, unlimited data and subsidies the older plans are way better value than the new mobile share plans and next financing.

2 year contracts are only advantageous if you switch phones every 2 years or if you do some work and sell your phone and buy a new phone mid way through your contract (12 months) at full MSRP.

However, with Apple's new financing, you don't have to do that.

 

[macher]

Not an assumption when it has happened to me, and many others.

From what I've read - the lawsuit was based on how much they throttling it (to unusable speeds)...not on the sole fact they were throttling.

They can throttle but not like the old hard throttling policy. I'm using 12+GB a month and haven't gotten hard throttled.

 

[bielen]

Thanks for the detailed post.
I did call AT&T and got some more info.

I current have a mobile shared plan with 22% corporate discount. So I pay $104 for 3 lines with sharing 3gb data.
If I get the 2 year agreement plan, I will end up saving $75 per line. The reason for this is because I don't pay activation fee due my corporate plan.
This works up better than the Next plan 18 even with the activation discount.

the two year agreement is no longer available once on MobileShare plus the cost is $40 per line vs $15. How are you going to save $75 per line when your bill is $104? I get a 24% discount and Next can be less expensive depending on options and Number of lines of service.

 

[b1scu1t]

Obviously MSV is a better deal for you, I never said that it may not work for some people(heck it works better for my brother's plan). It is just that, the only option right now for anybody signing up on ATT or any other carrier is the MSV plan. In my family, we don't care for unlimited texting/talking(all of us are on ATT so calling was "free" to begin with), but that doesn't matter, right now I am constantly being pushed around to switch to the MSV plan.

I just want the ability to pay for services, not be foisted upon with services I don't want. Right now I just don't have a choice with the big 4 carriers to just pay for some data and not have to pay for a whole lot of other extra stuff(talk/text).

The moment one decides to go with a cheap ios device or an even cheaper android device the MSV plan makes a WHOLE lot of sense even then much more so for a family plan rather than a single line user.

If you believe your mobile prices are not going up, then you definitely are onto something, I agree it is anecdotal, but in my circle of friends/family there isn't one person who doesn't complain about their mobile bills being so high. Pushing the device subsidy on to the consumer & further charging a lot more for data definitely seems to translate to higher bills.

http://www.dailytech.com/Average+Mo...+Growing+Despite+Competition/article34485.htm

I beg to differ.

Let's use a traditional 4 member family as an example.

We'll stay away from grandfathered unlimited data plans as well, just for the simple fact that it's not very common (in the grand scheme) of a feature for the general consumer to have.

Family Talk:

700 Mins Share = $60
3x Partner Lines = $30
4x 3gb data plans = $120
Unlim text shared = $30
---
$240, or $60 per line per month


MSV:

MSV 15 Gig Share(unlim talk/text) = $100
4x Smart phones = $60
---
$160, or $40 per line per month


Now lets add in some equipment (Comparing 2 year options)


Family Talk (2 year contracts):

4x 16 GB iPhone 6s: $199.99/ea or $799.96

Take $799.96 and divide it by 24 months (to directly compare to next), that's $33.33 per month added on top of the $240 Family talk plan, per month for equipment charges. You're at $273.33 per month, plus taxes and upgrade fees.

Mobile Share Value:

4x 16 gb iPhone 6s: $649.99/ea or $2599.96

Take $799.96 and divide it by 24 months (to directly compare to 2 year contract on Family Talk), that's $108.33 per month added on top of the $160 Family talk plan, per month for equipment charges. You're at $268.33 per month, plus taxes and upgrade fees. (Keep in mind the upgrade/activation fees are $30 cheaper per line with next compared to subsidy as well).

Now. Let's say you complete 24 months, and don't upgrade for another year (Very realistic with a lot of families).

The Family talk plan STAYS at $240 per month for the rate plan after 24 months for the next 12 months.

The MSV with next, the charges for the phones drop from the bill. That means that the MSV plan goes down to the base rate of $160 for the next 12 months, saving the customer in this example another $960 compared to the family talk plan.

(This example is just that, an example)


This is pretty basic stuff. Now, that being said. There's a TON of factors that go into EACH individual plan, such as fan discounts, state tax rates, grandfathered plans, amount of data traditionally used, varying amounts of lines of service.

Does the MSV/Next make sense for everyone? No... but you cannot spout off that the overall costs have gone UP, because they have not. Worst case scenario, the consumer pays the same, less, or a bit more HOWEVER gets MORE bang for their buck. There's other advantages that people get, like mobile hotspot for example, they wouldn't get in the comparison above if they had the family talk.

 

[lordofthereef]

For my situation I would be paying about 600 to rent the phone with ATT next. I would not get to keep the phone in a year.

With ATT contract I am paying about 600 and I get to keep the phone & sell it in a year's time and get 500-600 back.

We get it. That's why there are options. Options does not equate to something being a scam, though.

In most cases, next is a better deal with their new plans. Most grandfathered plans will be a better value on contract.

The reason next is more expensive for YOU is because ATT wants you to choose. You either get to move to one of their newer tiered plans or you can sign another two year contract, but they aren't allowing you the best of both worlds.

Again, not a scam, just different incentives.

 

[macher]

We get it. That's why there are options. Options does not equate to something being a scam, though.

In most cases, next is a better deal with their new plans. Most grandfathered plans will be a better value on contract.

The reason next is more expensive for YOU is because ATT wants you to choose. You either get to move to one of their newer tiered plans or you can sign another two year contract, but they aren't allowing you the best of both worlds.

Again, not a scam, just different incentives.

Depends on your situation. In my case we have 4 grandfathered unlimited lines and each line uses a lot of data. Total we use 40'ish GB a month. My bill is $213 a month for 4 lines.

 

[lordofthereef]

Depends on your situation. In my case we have 4 grandfathered unlimited lines and each line uses a lot of data. Total we use 40'ish GB a month. My bill is $213 a month for 4 lines.

Absolutely. That's why I said "most cases". The average user isn't using that kind of data. Regardless, my point was, calling t a scam is just flat out wrong. They're not trying to scam anyone into anything. There are three options out there for acquiring news handsets. 1. But it outright. 2. Sign up for next. 3. Sign s contract. Each option can be viewed right in their website. They're upfront and honest about the information and nothing is being hidden from you.

I will concede that these options can be confusing as is evidenced by the sheer number of threads that exists in the subject. Frankly I am amazed att has even kept the two year contract option going. I can't think of s reason they really need to.

 

[jrcsh6]

It's a wash. I've gone round and round at the AT&T store trying to understand but it is confusing. From all I can tell its swings about 100$ by "the end". I stayed with a 2 year contract.

 

[bruinsrme]

the are many factors that come in to play.
For me I have 6 lines and a tablet with 30gb.
All the phones are paid for, most are 5S, then there's the 6 and soon to be 6+S.
The sales agent and I ran through a number of scenarios.
Next was certainly the best plan for me.
I would be the last person to give praise to a wireless company but it's nice to have options that better fit my needs.

 

[Applejuiced]

I had an unlimited plan. I gave it up when I realized I was leaving money on the table. I'll take that money today and not worry about what might happen tomorrow. Net present value and all that. I find it somewhat humorous that some folks tout having an unlimited plan as some sort of badge of honor or something. It's kinda...yesterday's news.

With my FAN discount unlimited data comes out to $22.5 per month and with around 10gb use Im not leaving anything on the table

 

[Applejuiced]

No, they are not both contracts. One is financing the full price of a phone, and the other is agreeing to keep service for X amount of years. 1, you can pay the full price of the phone and be done with it and have a physical item.

The other, you're only option is to pay a cancellation fee in which you will have nothing to show for.



Upgrade fee through 2 year is $40 vs the $15 on ATT Next...?



2 year contracts are only advantageous if you switch phones every 2 years or if you do some work and sell your phone and buy a new phone mid way through your contract (12 months) at full MSRP.

However, with Apple's new financing, you don't have to do that.

One is financing that you have to pay off the balance of the phone in full if you cancel service. The other is a 2 year agreement that you have to pay off the remaining ETF left. And yes you have something to show for, a fully unlocked iphone.
Either case you're tied up and with some next plans you're tied up for up to 30 months.

Not an assumption when it has happened to me, and many others.

From what I've read - the lawsuit was based on how much they throttling it (to unusable speeds)...not on the sole fact they were throttling.

You are wrong again. The lawsuit has nothing to do with how slower the speed was, it was the fact that the throttling was done and customers where never notified or agreed to those changes. That's why they only do it now on very rare occasions.

 

[AbSoluTc]

ATT next is a huge ripoff in comparison to the 2 year contract pricing

Let's give one scenario on ATT 2 year vs ATT next 12.

ATT 2 year:
the 2 year contract pricing for a 6+ last year was around 599 and you would own the phone outright.


With ATT next:
you'd still be paying around 599 at the one year mark (at 40 something a month) yet you won't own the phone until you pay off the full amount which is around the same price as a full priced unlocked phone.

Is there any way to still get the ATT 2 year contract pricing?

Gotta love ignorant posters who think they know everything yet are completely wrong. If you had any clue as to what next is, you would not say it is a scam.

I love these posts. AT&T NEXT is a great service. Bash it all you want but a service that allows you to pay a small portion every month, NO INTEREST and gives you the option to either turn in the phone and upgrade again (every year) or buy the phone outright is AWESOME!

Did you think somehow you would get the phone much cheaper and not have to pay full price somehow? You pay full price for the phone no matter what plan/option you choose. Granted you may pay a few dollars more here or a few dollars less there but ultimately, you pay.

So do you want to fork over $1000 dollars up front plus taxes or do you want to split that payment up across 12 months interest free? Take your pick.

Uninformed users are the worst.

 

[Oridus]

One is financing that you have to pay off the balance of the phone in full if you cancel service. The other is a 2 year agreement that you have to pay off the remaining ETF left. And yes you have something to show for, a fully unlocked iphone.
Either case you're tied up and with some next plans you're tied up for up to 30 months.




You are wrong again. The lawsuit has nothing to do with how slower the speed was, it was the fact that the throttling was done and customers where never notified or agreed to those changes. That's why they only do it now on very rare occasions.

With my FAN discount unlimited data comes out to $22.5 per month and with around 10gb use Im not leaving anything on the table

Your point is? With the way MY plan is set up, between my wife's and my phones, we have 2 next (mine 12, her's 18), insurance, 15 gigs of data, unlim talk, text... and I pay $50 a month... so what? Does this matter to you? No. Waving your costs around doesn't serve any purpose.

 

[Applejuiced]

Your point is? With the way MY plan is set up, between my wife's and my phones, we have 2 next (mine 12, her's 18), insurance, 15 gigs of data, unlim talk, text... and I pay $50 a month... so what? Does this matter to you? No. Waving your costs around doesn't serve any purpose.

Don't get all Pissey.
I can wave my costs and post anything I want about my plan or experience on this forum.
Is that ok with you? Does it upset you?

And btw you don't just pay $50 a month. You're missing more charges and next payments fees in that plan and monthly access fees.
Good try though.

 

[Oridus]

Don't get all Pissey.
I can wave my costs and post anything I want about my plan or experience on this forum.
Is that ok with you? Does it upset you?

And btw you don't just pay $50 a month. You're missing more changes and next payments fees in there and access fee.

Why yes, yes I personally do pay $50 a month. Does it upset you?

 

[Applejuiced]

Why yes, yes I personally do pay $50 a month. Does it upset you?

Not at all.
But like I said your math is off

 

[Oridus]

Not at all.
But like I said your math is off

It's not at all. I'm trying to demonstrate that throwing around "personal" numbers will do nothing in this besides further strengthen my argument that everybody's plan is different and whether you have Next and MSV or FT and 2yr Contracts, everybody will do what's right for them... and that keeping FT / 2 yr is not always the best option.


The math isn't off, but there's a lot more to my plan that you don't know about, but I'm not lying when I say that I pay $50 out of my bank account for all that.

 

[Applejuiced]

It's not at all. I'm trying to demonstrate that throwing around "personal" numbers will do nothing in this besides further strengthen my argument that everybody's plan is different and whether you have Next and MSV or FT and 2yr Contracts, everybody will do what's right for them... and that keeping FT / 2 yr is not always the best option.


The math isn't off, but there's a lot more to my plan that you don't know about, but I'm not lying when I say that I pay $50 out of my bank account for all that.

How much your next 12 payment costs per month and how much is your data access fee?

 

[WordsmithMR]

Ill be picking up an unlocked phone and paying my $30/month... I am so glad AT&T screwed me over earlier this year. Moving on from them has saved me $80/month.

Granted the Next isn't a scam. And yes there cell service is good... Their prices are a bit extreme and their customer service is unacceptable.

 

[Oridus]

How much your next 12 payment costs per month and how much is your data access fee?

How much? Perfect price, that's how much