Potentially a full price Next option that Apple as of now doesn't show as available. If not, then not, though.AT&T is offering preorders and there is no advantage that I can see from doing it directly from them.
Potentially a full price Next option that Apple as of now doesn't show as available. If not, then not, though.AT&T is offering preorders and there is no advantage that I can see from doing it directly from them.
When I chatted with multiple AT&T reps about this, they informed me that i would not have to give up my Unlimited data to do the next option. They also didn't mention anything about a mobile share plan. They all told me that that based off which Next option I select (12 or 18), the monthly price will just be tacked on to my current bill and I will not be required to make any plan changes.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong but at least 3 AT&T reps told me this and I plan on going to the store to talk to one during my lunch break.
(Former employee, left the company a week ago due to finding better opportunities else where)
Hey guys! I responded to someones thread with this, and the more I looked at it the more I thought I should post this in it's own thread. With pre-order day (and launch day) coming up, I want everyone to be 1000% clear on what AT&T Next is about. I want to clear something up before I start... I am NOT bashing AT&T Next. This program is fantastic, especially for us that have been paying full price for their phones for years. But it's very much that.. you pay full price. You no longer get the subsidy on the equipment, but a discount on the service as long as you are on Mobile Share Value. AT&T will still let you sign a two-year (the employees will fight you on it, and not because they make anything on AT&T Next, because they don't but because it is usually a better value for us as customer) if you choose. So... either get your discount up front on the equipment with a 2-year, or get a discount on your service over time with Next. Here's my original post from another thread:
Former AT&T Employee here:
AT&T Next is pretty much 20 or 24 month interest-free financing. You walk out of the store with the phone for your states/county's sales tax %, and can pay off the phone literally anytime. NOTE: people on old school "combined billing" will NOT be able to pay the phone off early. (I just left the company recently, checked back with a friend and she said this still holds true. Had this issue a few weeks ago with a customer trying to pay their Next off and they couldn't because of combined billing. So until they change this, keep it in mind.) Combined billing is where you have your U-verse or other AT&T home services (Old school phone, DSL) bundled together on one bill. It has a completely different account number than your regular wireless account.
Next does NOT affect your plan at ALL! But if you are on Mobile Share Value, you retain your $15 credit (300mb - 6GB plans) and $25 credit (10GB+ plans) if you pay "full price" for your phone(AKA AT&T Next). You do NOT need to trade it in to upgrade again. Once the phone is paid in full, you can do another Next. Keep in mind, if you do want to trade in, and upgrade at 12 or 18 payments you can do so ANY time. You just have to give AT&T 12 or 18 months payments UPFRONT + your phone and boom, you can start another Next. Or just wait the 12 or 18 months. Whenever AT&T gets their money pretty much. Though, to do this, you start a new installment all over again.
EDIT: As of right now, you can only do 4 installments of Next on your BAN (billing account number). This means if you have a family of 5, 1 person won't be able to do Next. This counts for any tablets you are paying off on Next as well.
AT&T will also let ANYONE who has 18 months or less (YES, one and a half years) left on their existing two year contract start doing Next as long as you have't missed any payments or owe them money recently. (Check with your local store on this one, but the company is letting people out of their 2 years VERY early). This will let you out of your contract with out a termination fee and then you'll be on Next.
Hope this helps. Feel free to post this in other threads talking about AT&T Next. I always hated seeing people confused about Next because it's so much different than what we're used to, and you get a different answer out of every rep you speak with.
Also PM me if you have any other questions. Again, I am not currently on AT&T's payroll, but I am not bitter about the company at all and have no problems clearing up confusion for fellow MacRumors users and fellow customers![]()
(Former employee, left the company a week ago due to finding better opportunities else where)
Hey guys! I responded to someones thread with this, and the more I looked at it the more I thought I should post this in it's own thread. With pre-order day (and launch day) coming up, I want everyone to be 1000% clear on what AT&T Next is about. I want to clear something up before I start... I am NOT bashing AT&T Next. This program is fantastic, especially for us that have been paying full price for their phones for years. But it's very much that.. you pay full price. You no longer get the subsidy on the equipment, but a discount on the service as long as you are on Mobile Share Value. AT&T will still let you sign a two-year (the employees will fight you on it, and not because they make anything on AT&T Next, because they don't but because it is usually a better value for us as customer) if you choose. So... either get your discount up front on the equipment with a 2-year, or get a discount on your service over time with Next. Here's my original post from another thread:
Former AT&T Employee here:
AT&T Next is pretty much 20 or 24 month interest-free financing. You walk out of the store with the phone for your states/county's sales tax %, and can pay off the phone literally anytime. NOTE: people on old school "combined billing" will NOT be able to pay the phone off early. (I just left the company recently, checked back with a friend and she said this still holds true. Had this issue a few weeks ago with a customer trying to pay their Next off and they couldn't because of combined billing. So until they change this, keep it in mind.) Combined billing is where you have your U-verse or other AT&T home services (Old school phone, DSL) bundled together on one bill. It has a completely different account number than your regular wireless account.
Next does NOT affect your plan at ALL! But if you are on Mobile Share Value, you retain your $15 credit (300mb - 6GB plans) and $25 credit (10GB+ plans) if you pay "full price" for your phone(AKA AT&T Next). You do NOT need to trade it in to upgrade again. Once the phone is paid in full, you can do another Next. Keep in mind, if you do want to trade in, and upgrade at 12 or 18 payments you can do so ANY time. You just have to give AT&T 12 or 18 months payments UPFRONT + your phone and boom, you can start another Next. Or just wait the 12 or 18 months. Whenever AT&T gets their money pretty much. Though, to do this, you start a new installment all over again.
EDIT: As of right now, you can only do 4 installments of Next on your BAN (billing account number). This means if you have a family of 5, 1 person won't be able to do Next. This counts for any tablets you are paying off on Next as well.
AT&T will also let ANYONE who has 18 months or less (YES, one and a half years) left on their existing two year contract start doing Next as long as you have't missed any payments or owe them money recently. (Check with your local store on this one, but the company is letting people out of their 2 years VERY early). This will let you out of your contract with out a termination fee and then you'll be on Next.
Hope this helps. Feel free to post this in other threads talking about AT&T Next. I always hated seeing people confused about Next because it's so much different than what we're used to, and you get a different answer out of every rep you speak with.
Also PM me if you have any other questions. Again, I am not currently on AT&T's payroll, but I am not bitter about the company at all and have no problems clearing up confusion for fellow MacRumors users and fellow customers![]()
Thank you very much for all your responses!
Another question... I currently am on a locked AT&T 5S and my contract has another year before it is finished. If I upgrade using AT&T Next, can I request my 5S be unlocked after the 14 day return window ends?
Thank you!
Quick question, so if I sign up for the next program and decide that I want to pay off the phone (to keep) 5 months after.. Am I able to do so? I'm currently on the Mobile Share Value plan.
1. Nope. Don't need to turn your phone in, that is yours to keep.
2. When you trade your old phone in, AT&T wipes the 8 month balance you have and you start fresh for a new phone.
3. You pay full price for the phone. A $650 phone is $32.50 a month for 2 months. You can pay it off in store (not sure about over the phone)
4. You will NOT lose those credits as long as you don't sign a 2-year contract. AT&T Next is NOT a 2-year, so you will be fine and retain your credits.
Good question! According to AT&T's unlock page, you might have an issue. Only because that IMEI number is associated with your current phone number. That current phone number will be attached to an AT&T Next and they will not unlock it under Next. Problem now is, in the store they don't unlock and over the phone they don't unlock anymore... it's literally done by a computer on AT&T's site and if the stars don't align, it won't process the request. Doesn't hurt to try, but if it doesn't there's not many people that can help since they are not required to unlock your phone.
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Yes, 100%!
Thanks for this info. Cleared up a lot.
My girlfriend and I are one year into our two year contract. We both have iPhone 5Cs. We will be upgrading to a NEXT plan with the new iPhone 6+. We get to keep our 5Cs.
We are going for the 2GB shared plan since we have wi-fi in most places.
I'm curious to know what our monthly bill will be if we both do iPhone 6+ 64GB phones and 2GB of shared data. We live in Michigan with 6% sales tax. SO I also wonder how much we're going to have to put down come the 12th if we preorder or the 19th if we don't.
My question is a bit multi-pronged, but here goes.
I currently have a Mobile Share plan and have Next (HTC One M8). I'm totally willing to add a line just to Next a 128gb 6+.
My buddy and I are gonna camp out (cause it was fun last year).
a) Will the Apple Store be able to add a Next line to my account so I can walk out of the store paying only tax?
b) Will the iPad App or Apple's website be able to do that?
Do you know how strict AT&T is when returning a phone to upgrade for the next one? it only says the phone needs to be in good condition but this is a very subjective statement.....
So as long as I dont sign a 2 year contract im fine but I can still pay it off early sell it then get a new phone on next after 12 months?
Okay, would I be able to pay more monthly than what I'm expected to? Or does it give me the option to only pay in full? Just wanted to clarify cause I called att yesterday and the guy I spoke to claimed that it's together with my phone bill. But I'm reading that it's handled separately if you're on their new mobile share plan.
Statusnone88, Thanks for the heads up and info.
I will be renewing a two year contract. Wife and I have shared 700 minutes a month, unlimited text and 2 gig each of data. Total with tax is 132 and some cents a month. Works for us.
I was told by two different employes that Next would cost us more. ??
Two 6+ 64 gig is 42.45 a month on Next each plus a shared 4 gig plan is like 150 like 230 a month
I like the two years contract at 132. Two phones 800 plus 80 plus 56 is 936
Your inability to grasp it doesn't make it a scam.Anything this complicated and impossible to explain is a scam. PERIOD.
I may be wrong but I thing your better of with mobile share 10 GB plan and next.
Your inability to grasp it doesn't make it a scam.
My problem with Next is that yes you can get a new handset every year of release by paying full price divided out over that time period and that you do get free financing to speak of, but you also pay in full.
I got an iPhone 5 64GB in Sept 2012 for $399 as the high end storage option. 2 years later I can sell that phone for $250-400 because people want iPhones out of contract or unlocked/unlockable. I can then turn around and get a new iPhone 6 64GB for $299 or a 6 Plus 64GB for $399. At the end of the day, my cost is really my activation fee.
If I have Next, I believe I own the handset in 12 months if I choose that plan, but essentially pay $649 for a $199 model up to $949 for a $499 model spread out over 12 months. Then I can do that all over again and still sell my phone. Seems like an expensive way to go to have a new phone every year.
In my opinion most people are better off going with either the 4 -> 5 -> 6 upgrade path or the 4S -> 5S -> 6S upgrade path every two years, selling their old phone, and getting the subsidized price.
If you go with a 2-year contract, you must pay $15/month or $25/month MORE for your plan than going with AT&T next
Hmm, that's annoying. What happens come next year when the contract for the 5s ends? Can you get it unlocked then or would Next have screwed things up to prevent that, too?Good question! According to AT&T's unlock page, you might have an issue. Only because that IMEI number is associated with your current phone number. That current phone number will be attached to an AT&T Next and they will not unlock it under Next. Problem now is, in the store they don't unlock and over the phone they don't unlock anymore... it's literally done by a computer on AT&T's site and if the stars don't align, it won't process the request. Doesn't hurt to try, but if it doesn't there's not many people that can help since they are not required to unlock your phone.
So wait I spoke to a att rep today and he tried to get me to switch to the 10 gb family share plan... But he didn't clarify is the 10 gb shared or limited to a certain alotment per device? I read else where some companies limit the data to per device.