Hello guys, My 2 years contract is about to end and I am bout to get a new 2 years contract for a new phone. Does anyone know where I can get a good deal on an iphone 5s please? Any carrier is fine with me, just want a good deal on the phone . Thank you!
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Best 2 years contract plan?
- Thread starter frenchbullcho
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If you can Id wait for the redesign, I'm still using my 4 as I gave my 5 to my sister and whilst I really want to upgrade I know I'd regret it after the 6 comes out.
Like above I'd rather buy a phone outright, I don't know about the market in the US but in the UK you've got many smaller networks offering excellent sim only plans that make it cheaper and give you more flexibility, plus in 12months prices for things like 4G will drop which would allow you to get more bang for your buck.
Like above I'd rather buy a phone outright, I don't know about the market in the US but in the UK you've got many smaller networks offering excellent sim only plans that make it cheaper and give you more flexibility, plus in 12months prices for things like 4G will drop which would allow you to get more bang for your buck.
T5BRICK
macrumors G3
Which carrier do you have currently? And which plan are you on?
Most new plans give you a discount on your service if you buy the phone outright or choose to use their finance plans like Edge, Next or Jump.
Anyway, you're going to need to do the math yourself to figure out which plan is best for you.
IMO if I had to pick a single line 2-year subsidized contract I'd probably go with Verizon's $60 single line plan with unlimited talk/txt + 1gb of data.
Of course you will have others saying "don't do a contract!" but that's not what the OP is asking... 😉
Of course you will have others saying "don't do a contract!" but that's not what the OP is asking... 😉
KUguardgrl13
macrumors 68020
I'd wait for the 6 if you can. The major carriers all seem to have the 5s for $199 with a contract or varying monthly payments with Edge, Next, or T-Mobile's Uncarrier (T-Mobile's is for $24 months, basically like a contract).
If you decide to sign a contract and not do a payment plan, then you need to look at the cost of service for however much data you want. Only T-Mobile and Sprint still have unlimited data available. Verizon has 1 or 2gb for a single line (or more for a Share Everything plan which can have one line), and AT&T only has one 2gb single line plan. Both will charge for going over. I couldn't figure out Sprint's plans, to be honest. The Framily plan has 1gb of data per line. T-Mobile has 1gb, 3gb, 5gb or unlimited. The nice thing about their plans is they don't charge if you go over; you're just throttled to 2G speeds.
So it depends on how much data you use. Also consider coverage where you live and work. T-Mobile can be a good deal, but their coverage in some areas still isn't as good as AT&T or Verizon and vise versa.
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I like Verizon, but 1gb isn't much, especially if you don't have a lot of wifi access! I'm on a Share Everything plan with 6gb of data.
My boyfriend has T-Mobile and pays $70/month for unlimited data (pretty sure he got to keep it when they changed the pricing) plus whatever the monthly payment is for his iPhone 5.
If I were to pick a single line plan today, I'd probably go with T-Mobile since they don't charge if you go over your data allotment. 3gb would probably be enough though since I have wifi most places I go.
If you decide to sign a contract and not do a payment plan, then you need to look at the cost of service for however much data you want. Only T-Mobile and Sprint still have unlimited data available. Verizon has 1 or 2gb for a single line (or more for a Share Everything plan which can have one line), and AT&T only has one 2gb single line plan. Both will charge for going over. I couldn't figure out Sprint's plans, to be honest. The Framily plan has 1gb of data per line. T-Mobile has 1gb, 3gb, 5gb or unlimited. The nice thing about their plans is they don't charge if you go over; you're just throttled to 2G speeds.
So it depends on how much data you use. Also consider coverage where you live and work. T-Mobile can be a good deal, but their coverage in some areas still isn't as good as AT&T or Verizon and vise versa.
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I like Verizon, but 1gb isn't much, especially if you don't have a lot of wifi access! I'm on a Share Everything plan with 6gb of data.
My boyfriend has T-Mobile and pays $70/month for unlimited data (pretty sure he got to keep it when they changed the pricing) plus whatever the monthly payment is for his iPhone 5.
If I were to pick a single line plan today, I'd probably go with T-Mobile since they don't charge if you go over your data allotment. 3gb would probably be enough though since I have wifi most places I go.
1gb is plenty as long as you aren't streaming music/movies over your cellular data. Plus OP is asking about his single line, not a family "share everything" type plan.
Just like you said, unlimited data is now $80 a month on T-mobile. Not to mention the additional $27/mo someone would pay T-mobile for the 5s Equipment Installment Plan. $107/mo? **** that!
T-mobile
3gb plan = $60/mo
iPhone 5s = $27/mo (24 month EIP)
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$87/month, no thanks...
Verizon
1gb plan = $60/mo
iPhone 5s = $200 down payment (basically $8/mo over 24 mo)
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$68/month, sounds good to me! 🙂
Not to mention the fact that T-mobile has terrible building penetration and their LTE coverage pales in comparisons to Verizon's.
KUguardgrl13
macrumors 68020
My boyfriend still gets the $70 unlimited, and I believe his payments are less than $27 because he traded in a 4S and also paid the normal down payment. That was in September right before the 5s came was available. It's still probably $90 after taxes and fees. Not sure though.
1gb would be very limiting for me. Plus in reality when my parents drop me from our Verizon plan I'll probably hop over to my boyfriend's T-Mobile plan, and we'll split the cost. Coverage is pretty good where we are. I agree that Verizon is better, but I have to choose the best plan for me. I would need 3gb to feel comfortable, and only T-Mobile offers that for a single line. Verizon also requires really good credit to start a plan with them. I don't really have credit yet (college student, no loans, no credit card).
But my original point was to get OP to consider their usage. Verizon and AT&T overages are a b****.
Not to mention, the general attitude of this forum is, "Need ALL the data!!!!!!" The lengths people go to keep their unlimited plans on Verizon...
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1GB would be blown through extremely fast on an LTE phone on Verizon. Unless you barely use your data. The overages would pile up quickly. There aren't any overages on T-Mobile and I believe their 1GB plan is $50.
Best 2 year contract if you can use any carrier is Verizon's loyalty plan. $50 unlimited talk/text/1gb LTE with subsidy. You have to call to get this rate
KUguardgrl13
macrumors 68020
Yep, exactly. I've blown through 5gb in a month while sharing a 6gb plan with my family. I don't know what the overages were that month, but I'm sure they weren't pretty.
If I were to leave my Verizon plan today and get my own, I'd go with T-Mobile's 3gb plan. LTE coverage in my area is pretty good, and I don't travel outside of major metro areas very much. I also have wifi at home and at school.
OP, T-Mobile's device payment plans are basically like a contract unless you get Jump. You pay a monthly fee ($27 for as 5s currently) for your phone for two years and can't upgrade early unless you pay the remaining balance. Jump allows you to upgrade early like AT&T's Next or Verizon Edge.
Everyone's usage is different. I have a plan with 4 iPhones on Verizon with just 3 GB shared data and had to go over once due to traveling and more than usual data needs in quite a while.
KUguardgrl13
macrumors 68020
RadioShack has the 5s for $99 with a 2 year contract! AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint.
PsstGreek
macrumors 68040
You don't have to just pay the monthly for your phone right? You can put "$200 down" if you wanted toward T-Mobile.
KUguardgrl13
macrumors 68020
You can put down however much you want, but you're paying for the full $650, not the $199 like other carrier subsidies, it's justified in that after two years, your bill goes down unlike other carriers when your contract ends.