Like I have posted many times though, its not about the money for me at least. I am paying the same price for an early upgrade on my line, except now my line will still be eligible for upgrade in the future, and its paid over time.
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Before you pay for an "early upgrade" on an ATT family plan.....(Dont do it).
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Like I have posted many times though, its not about the money for me at least. I am paying the same price for an early upgrade on my line, except now my line will still be eligible for upgrade in the future, and its paid over time.
Hey Thanx For The Info.Edit: Credits to JayLenochiniMac for this bit of info .... "However, keep in mind that adding a line won't be $9.99 per month if you've already upgraded to the mobile share plan as even a dumbphone on that plan is $30 per month. " Let me just say THIS WILL NOT WORK FOR FAMILY PLANS WITH SHARED DATA PLANS.
(Well it will work, it will just be much more expensive).
I just wanted to bring to light an option that a lot of people do not know they have when getting a new iPhone.
For a 16GB early upgrade, you will be paying 450 plus tax, bringing the total to about 500 dollars.
However, one option that you can do is open a new line on the account.
You open the line, and purchase the iPhone 5 on that line. You pay about 250 for the 16GB after taxes. You have to add a data plan when opening the line of course, but you can just add the cheapest one.
You then take the iPhone 5, and put it on your current line that is not eligible for an upgrade yet. You can grandfather the unlimited data plan (if you have it), and you will now have the same number.
So what do you do with the extra line you opened? Well, you just need an old ATT phone that does not need the data. You can put that old phone on the line, and cancel the data plan, making that line 10 dollars per month to have.
Early upgrade: 450 + tax = About 500 dollars.
Adding new line: 36 dollar activation fee, 250 for the new iPhone 5, and 10 dollars a month for 24 months. Total = 526
THE BIG DIFFERENCE HOWEVER is that you do not need to come up with the 500 dollars up front. In addition, your original line is untouched, and will be eligible for an upgrade the next time the new iphone comes out.
This is an option a lot of people do not know about, and it can add a lot of versatility to your family plan for future upgrades. I just wanted to share
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I just also wanted to add you will have to go to the ATT store for much of this because of the new nano sim, but the trouble is worth the amount gained from it.
Guys, I'm only eligible for the $649 price... no discount at all.
I'm on the family plan and have 2 lines with unlimited date (Iphones 4s). Last time I checked ATT requires that you have a data plan if you started the line with a smart phone.
I don't see how by just swapping hardware (have an old BB) I wouldn't have to pay the required data plan for the 3rd line.
Also, my guess is ATT will be ok with providing me a nano-sim for my main line (4s > 5) an a micro-sim (4s > BlackBerry)?
Any help would be appreciated. As of right now i'm looking at $649 and $449 to upgrade both 4s, so anything would help.
I'm on the family plan and have 2 lines with unlimited date (Iphones 4s). Last time I checked ATT requires that you have a data plan if you started the line with a smart phone.
I don't see how by just swapping hardware (have an old BB) I wouldn't have to pay the required data plan for the 3rd line.
Also, my guess is ATT will be ok with providing me a nano-sim for my main line (4s > 5) an a micro-sim (4s > BlackBerry)?
Any help would be appreciated. As of right now i'm looking at $649 and $449 to upgrade both 4s, so anything would help.
You need to put a phone on the 3rd line that does not require a data plan (a non smartphone). When you do this, you can have them take the data off of that line, since there is no phone on it that requires a data plan.
Do you get what I am saying?
I'm the same boat. I only get the early upgrade with a fee. Although, that doesn't bug me because I sold my iPhone for $650 a month ago. Therefore, I'm almost paying nothing basically. Its a cycle that I'm going to be doing every to get a new device. 
HMM, so the blackberry wouldn't do then? (can someone recommend a dummy?)
And would this equipment swap happen at the store ?
Like, bring the 5 and the dummy phone and have the CSR give me a nano-sim for my primary line and a sim for the dummy phone and also cancel the data on the 3rd line.
Sorry for the questions but this would save me money and give me an extra phone to use (no need but mobile-to-mobile is free). I just don't want to be stuck paying $40 if I can't get rid of the data line for the 3rd.
yeah you need a data plan for blackberries I believe although Im not sure if all of them work... you can always buy like a 20 dollar go phone and use that too...
But yes you could go to the ATT store, get the line switched over to yours, get a sim for the dummy phone, get that activated, and once that phone is activated on the line, then they can go in the system and delete that data plan.
You can call CS if youd like for confirmation as well.
check out ebay for the dummy phone. They have used nokia dumb phones for $10. Since I am probably never going to use the phone I just want the cheapest phone I can find that works.
I don't think you will see it on the web site. Even on the AT&T website it says that if you are adding a line you need to add a seperate individual line and then once the line is active you can come back to your online account and convert it to a family talk plan. I called and and AT&T rep confirmed this. As far as i know you won't be able to change to family talk while adding the line. This has to come later.
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That would be great but I don't know anyone on at&t that does not have a smartphone so that won''t work for me.
I might wait until my one year is up, oct 13th, and see if my upgrade changes. She informed me that it's apple that is locking in the contracts. Apple won't allow any carrier to offer the subizied upgrade. I don't know if that is all that true. Maybe we should all hold out and protest
I don't see why this would be done on Apple's end, given that they're paid either way. I'm surprised they haven't come up with single year subsidy rates. As for burying costs, they bury them either way in your rates.
I'm not sure if this will work for Sprint, perhaps a roundabout way is possible. A couple months ago I was already preparing for i5. I had two lines on my account, a 4S and a dumbphone. I was using the dumbphone and my parents had the 4S. So what I did was, I asked Sprint to swap the numbers so I can use the 4S. They wouldn't allow it. They told me that the number on the 4S (my parents) was linked to the 2-yr contract. I didn't want to let go my number on my dumb phone, so I had to cancel the service on the dumb phone and went with a single plan on the 4S. However, another customer service agent was able to recover my old number on my dumbphone approximately 4 days after I cancelled it and applied it to the 4S.
I'm just mentioning this just in case someone here from Sprint wants to do something similar. You'll risk your number just in case you get someone at Sprint telling you can't keep your number.
I'm just mentioning this just in case someone here from Sprint wants to do something similar. You'll risk your number just in case you get someone at Sprint telling you can't keep your number.
Not sure if this has been posted yet....
I work for a wireless carrier and the "advice" in this thread is terrible. The $10 Add-A-Line that you are opening up to get a discounted iPhone requires a two year contract WITH two years of data. You can't get the discount and then take the data plan off. So in the end you are paying $10 a month just to have the line open plus another $20 a month just for the internet, along with the activation fee and taxes. You end up paying over $30 a month extra for two years just to receive that shiny iPhone for $364 off retail price ($400 subsidy minus $36 activation fee). $30 for 24 months is $720. You're paying twice as much in the long run. Don't do it.
I work for a wireless carrier and the "advice" in this thread is terrible. The $10 Add-A-Line that you are opening up to get a discounted iPhone requires a two year contract WITH two years of data. You can't get the discount and then take the data plan off. So in the end you are paying $10 a month just to have the line open plus another $20 a month just for the internet, along with the activation fee and taxes. You end up paying over $30 a month extra for two years just to receive that shiny iPhone for $364 off retail price ($400 subsidy minus $36 activation fee). $30 for 24 months is $720. You're paying twice as much in the long run. Don't do it.
For AT&T, you can take off the data. You just need to place any dumbohone on that line and ask AT&T to remove data. Done it before.
You don't know what you're talking about.
My .02 on this. The math isn't exactly correct for this, at least for most. The $9.99/month is the line cost but most will have to pay taxes on that. Before we went to Shared Mobile, my voice only line (wife's phone) was almost $13/month after taxes. So, not a huge jump each month, but you should recognize the tax situation for you and factor that in.
Also, in terms of the person who works for the wireless carrier, not sure which one but I can definitely back up what the person right after you says. I'm on AT&T and I've been able to move an iPhone to another line and get a newly activated smart phone line (fully subsidized) back down to just a voice plan with no issue. In fact, that's what most are doing when they do an upgrade swap.
Also, in terms of the person who works for the wireless carrier, not sure which one but I can definitely back up what the person right after you says. I'm on AT&T and I've been able to move an iPhone to another line and get a newly activated smart phone line (fully subsidized) back down to just a voice plan with no issue. In fact, that's what most are doing when they do an upgrade swap.
A rep told me about this yesterday morning on the phone. Thy also gave e family messaging free for six months..
Anyways this would not work for me I already have three lines on my family plan and that's the Max for the 550 plan. I would have to upgrade to the 750 plan which is 8 more bucks and then pay the 10 once I suspend the line.
Comes out to what 718 total in two years. Blah not worth it. Wish it was though.
Also I forgot to ask.. But when I had tmobile suspending a line added the length of the suspension time to your contract.
Anyways this would not work for me I already have three lines on my family plan and that's the Max for the 550 plan. I would have to upgrade to the 750 plan which is 8 more bucks and then pay the 10 once I suspend the line.
Comes out to what 718 total in two years. Blah not worth it. Wish it was though.
Also I forgot to ask.. But when I had tmobile suspending a line added the length of the suspension time to your contract.
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Sure add new line
24 months to $10 for extra line =$240
$199 iphone on new contract
$36 activation fee
Total costs: $476 for adding new line
"early upgrade" pricing $199 plus $250 early upgrade price plus $36 activation
So $486 for early upgrade.
Wow, you saved yourself $10 by doing this.
ATT knows this. ATT has closed all the loopholes.
Actually many people before they raised the ETF to $325 just added another line and than paid the old $175 ETF.
There is really no cost savings with adding a line even on the older tiered voice plans.
$10 difference.
Sure upfront $486 for early upgrade vs. $476 gradual costs. But overall cost with adding a dummy line vs early upgrade is virtually identical
24 months to $10 for extra line =$240
$199 iphone on new contract
$36 activation fee
Total costs: $476 for adding new line
"early upgrade" pricing $199 plus $250 early upgrade price plus $36 activation
So $486 for early upgrade.
Wow, you saved yourself $10 by doing this.
ATT knows this. ATT has closed all the loopholes.
Actually many people before they raised the ETF to $325 just added another line and than paid the old $175 ETF.
There is really no cost savings with adding a line even on the older tiered voice plans.
$10 difference.
Sure upfront $486 for early upgrade vs. $476 gradual costs. But overall cost with adding a dummy line vs early upgrade is virtually identical
No you fail to read my post. IM NOT LEAVING AT&T! So 2 year contract or 10 year contract doesn't matter. I have upgraded to the new iPhone every year and will continue to do so. With 2 lines I will alternate my upgrades. New line this year next year my line will be up for an upgrade so ill use that. Making my math correct.
$200 + $120 a year
Versus
$200 + $250 EVERY YEAR since the early upgrade restarts the wait for a full subsidy.
As I've stated previously, it's not $10/month for most. There will be tax, so it's at least $12 to $13/month.
I was told by a AT&T manager that paying the $250 doesn't guarantee that I wont be in the same situation next year. Meaning I might as well pay $10/ month for the ability to upgrade each year.
*I should add that by doing this, I will be able to "add" a line to my current plan, buy the iphone and put the iphone onto my line, put a dummy phone onto the new line, and next year, my line will be avail for a upgrade.
2 years - $240
by paying the $250 upgrade fee ... twice in two years its $500.
That's assuming if at&t will even offer the early upgrade option for $250 next year. Verizon and Sprint aren't doing it so what motivation does at&t have to continue to offer it next year?