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I will suggest this to you and the other guy in your boat....

Go the apple store right now, and select to purchase an iphone 4s. Select ATT and hit continue.

Then select the option "Add a new line to my existing account"

it will ask for info to check eligibility of adding a line to your account.... you will know from there what your options are. If you could report back and let me know what it says, Im interested!

after checking eligibility, it takes you to a page where you can "join an existing familytalk plan" or select a mobile share plan. after choosing "join an existing familytalk plan," it will take you to a page where you can select a data plan (300mb, 3gb, or 5gb on ATT). It will then take you to a page where you can choose your messaging plan. Then, it will go to a page where you can choose "give me a new number" or "transfer my current number." the last page asks you to "confirm your address." then, you are able to add to cart and i assume order.
 
after checking eligibility, it takes you to a page where you can "join an existing familytalk plan" or select a mobile share plan. after choosing "join an existing familytalk plan," it will take you to a page where you can select a data plan (300mb, 3gb, or 5gb on ATT). It will then take you to a page where you can choose your messaging plan. Then, it will go to a page where you can choose "give me a new number" or "transfer my current number." the last page asks you to "confirm your address." then, you are able to add to cart and i assume order.

Interesting, but I wonder what family talk plan it is putting you on if there truly is no existing one yet? ( I was under the impression all new family plans now have to be created as mobile share plans) .
 
Those of you worrying about selecting the correct plan when adding a new line. Don't bother with that. Just add a new individual line then go to the at&t store after you get the iPhone and they'll be able to merge it to your existing account and do the device swap as described in the OP.
 
Interesting, but I wonder what family talk plan it is putting you on if there truly is no existing one yet? ( I was under the impression all new family plans now have to be created as mobile share plans) .

i already have an existing family plan, so i am thinking of adding another line to it to take advantage of this. i'm not sure why the others aren't seeing the option.
 
I think the main advantage is that you don't cause your main line to renew its contract. So you can end up upgrading every year as long as you're willing to maintain the second line (which will end up effectively being $120/year... cheaper than doing an early upgrade every year)
 
Interesting, but I wonder what family talk plan it is putting you on if there truly is no existing one yet? ( I was under the impression all new family plans now have to be created as mobile share plans) .

yeah i tried to do this on att store as well... it let me add the voice but then said there were no eligible data plans... same as apple
 
i already have an existing family plan, so i am thinking of adding another line to it to take advantage of this. i'm not sure why the others aren't seeing the option.

Oh yes yes. I know what you are talking about now.

Just select the voice plan that is there (it is the family one), and then skip the mobile share by pressing the continue button. Then select the cheapest data option, and you will be good to go. The mobile share is there to try to get you to switch to it :p
 
I think the main advantage is that you don't cause your main line to renew its contract. So you can end up upgrading every year as long as you're willing to maintain the second line (which will end up effectively being $120/year... cheaper than doing an early upgrade every year)

Exactly. Someone gets it :D

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I hope this thread has been helpful to people so far. Thanks to people like Jay and everyone else who has contributed.

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Will this work on a individual plan?

450 $39.99
Unlimited text $19.99
200 mb $15.00

if you were to add a line as an individual, it will force you to go into a mobile shared plan, which it would not be worth (since an extra line is 30 a month). This is what I think it does at least.
 
Confused

I'm on the ATT Individual 450 Plan with unlimited data. When I go through the verification process at the Apple Store to add a new line, I am presented with three individual plans to choose from: a $39.99/mo, $59.99/mo, and $69.99.mo.

I've read this entire thread and I don't understand why I'm not being given a $9.99/mo second line option.
 
Exactly. Someone gets it :D

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I hope this thread has been helpful to people so far. Thanks to people like Jay and everyone else who has contributed.

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if you were to add a line as an individual, it will force you to go into a mobile shared plan, which it would not be worth (since an extra line is 30 a month). This is what I think it does at least.


So would it beneficial to switch to a family plan? My next upgrade for my individual line is 11-13. Not sure if you would have to renew for 24 months.
 
I'm on the ATT Individual 450 Plan with unlimited data. When I go through the verification process at the Apple Store to add a new line, I am presented with three individual plans to choose from: a $39.99/mo, $59.99/mo, and $69.99.mo.

I've read this entire thread and I don't understand why I'm not being given a $9.99/mo second line option.

I dont know if this will work with individual lines, but anyways how it works is when you add the new line on the family plan, you add a data plan. When yo get everything switched over, you take the data plan off the new line, and the new line is then 10 dollars a month to keep up.

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So would it beneficial to switch to a family plan? My next upgrade for my individual line is 11-13. Not sure if you would have to renew for 24 months.

I think that if you try switching to a family from an individual, you might have to do the mobile shared plans, in which it is not worth it.
 
Only problem with this is that your iPhone 4s is still on contract and therefore will not be unlocked by AT&T. Only a problem I guess if you plan on selling it.
 
this method is kind of silly unless you want to pay a higher fee just to upgrade every release. would be crappy if apple DIDN'T release a new phone as scheduled...wouldn't it? i say just pay the early upgrade fee for this one and just upgrade every 2 years with the major releases. i was not heartbroken at all when i did not upgrade to the 4s from the iphone4. sure i didn't have siri, but that novelty wore off in a week. I've upgrade on all the major releases and its worked out well. had the original, then went to a windows phone, but eventually back to a 3g when that came out, then to the iphone 4, and now i'm gonna go with the iphone 5.
 
I'm on the ATT Individual 450 Plan with unlimited data. When I go through the verification process at the Apple Store to add a new line, I am presented with three individual plans to choose from: a $39.99/mo, $59.99/mo, and $69.99.mo.

I've read this entire thread and I don't understand why I'm not being given a $9.99/mo second line option.

Because you cannot add a line to an individual plan. You can switch from the 450 individual plan to a 550 family plan, but it will cost $59.99 for two lines on the 550 plan.

Also, anyone on a 550 min plan with 3 lines, you can convert to 700 min and add a 4th line, but you'll end up paying $20 more a month.
 
The cheapest individual plan is $39.99. The cheapest family plan with two lines is $59.99. That's $240/year vs. $250 for the early iPhone upgrade cost. Seems like a wash to me if you're only getting the family plan to upgrade yearly, assuming the lowest plans even make sense for you. I think it's a great plan if you're already on a family plan.
 
This has got to be the most mis-guided thread I've ever read in my entire life. Do y'all really think an added line is just $9.99/month and that's it...ROFLMMFAO...HA HAHHHAAAHAA

Don't forget the fees and taxes on there every month. That's another $5/month or $120 after 2 years. Well there went those savings. Sell the old phone, and buy a new one. I make money off of mine every year(until I bought a Samsung GS2) Now I will be out the money, and will probably still get the phone after a few months of the new wears off, and they get the 12th update to fix everything with it. Sell my GS2, then wait a year and sell the i5 to recoupe my losses. I actually didn't lose money, I had a warranty issue on my i4 and got a new one, so I sold it for $550, when I bought my GS2, so I will just have to give that money back to get an iPhone...
 
This has got to be the most mis-guided thread I've ever read in my entire life. Do y'all really think an added line is just $9.99/month and that's it...ROFLMMFAO...HA HAHHHAAAHAA

Don't forget the fees and taxes on there every month. That's another $5/month or $120 after 2 years. Well there went those savings.

Still easy to recoup most of it if you sell the one-year-old iPhone jailbroken and ebay for $400+ and you do that every year.
 
Really? So you because you cant scrap together $250 you want to go through all this non-sense, including having a useless 2nd line so you can spread that cost out over two years?

Here's an idea... how about getting a 2nd job working 8 hours on 3 consecutive Saturdays @ $10/hr...scrubbing toilets if necessary. Problem solved

I don't think this has anything to do having the money or not. I have the money to pay the $250 but I am going to go this route too and its going to cost me about $15 extra per month. I figure why would I pay an extra $250 a year up front to get the new iphone every year when I can pay $180 over 12 months and get the same thing. This just makes good business sense to me.
 
All of the people who are like "Omg this is so stupid you guys are idiots" are so ignorant it is crazy. Oh well, I will be taking full advantage of this and will enjoy my full subsidized upgrades yearly from now on :D
 
This has got to be the most mis-guided thread I've ever read in my entire life. Do y'all really think an added line is just $9.99/month and that's it...ROFLMMFAO...HA HAHHHAAAHAA

Don't forget the fees and taxes on there every month. That's another $5/month or $120 after 2 years. Well there went those savings. Sell the old phone, and buy a new one. I make money off of mine every year(until I bought a Samsung GS2) Now I will be out the money, and will probably still get the phone after a few months of the new wears off, and they get the 12th update to fix everything with it. Sell my GS2, then wait a year and sell the i5 to recoupe my losses. I actually didn't lose money, I had a warranty issue on my i4 and got a new one, so I sold it for $550, when I bought my GS2, so I will just have to give that money back to get an iPhone...

I think you may be misguided. You are going to pay the taxes and fees no matter what plan you are on so that should not add to much to the bill. Even at an extra $15 a month this is a great option. I would much rather pay $180 over 12 months and have a full upgrade every year then have to pay the $250 up front every year. I would do this even at an extra $20 bucks a month. I sold my iPhone 32Gb 4S for $550 but anytime I can keep money in my pocket I consider that a good thing.
 
Posters like you make it very difficult to obey the no name calling rule. It has nothing to do with the upfront $ really. Number 1 I'm not leaving AT&T so an "unlocked" phone is pointless other then higher resale value. Number 2 unlocked phones aren't offered on launch. Number 3 by doing an "early" upgrade you will then be doing it every year. This way you get the phone subsidized every year for only $10 a month. Either using your main line or the new line. one will be available for an upgrade. so if you do the math.

iPhone $200 + $120 a year = $320
iPhone $200 + $250 early upgrade = $450

your actually saving money every year.

BTW I could buy 10 unlocked unsubsidized iphones if I wanted too thats not the point. We are planning for the future. We like getting the newest gadgets we work full time jobs thats our right and this is a smart way to do it without the hassle of wondering if you have subsidy or not.


You fail to mention that you are stuck in a two year contract when opening up a new line of service.

iPhone $200 +$240(plus whatever taxes are added to the $10 per month fee and taxes to the phone) = $440 and up
You could end up paying a little more for the service, but save any money? MAYBE a couple bucks IF that.
 
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