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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.

I'll save you a trip... this is 100% correct. AT&T Next and Mobile Share (or any plan changes) are COMPLETELY SEPARATE! They do go hand in hand when it comes to value, but you don't need to switch anything. This is why AT&T rocks. They don't force you to leave your current plan. They'll just help give you a rundown of how much data you use on unlimited and how much you could potentially save if you switch. I promise you though, we didn't make jack squat on AT&T Next and Mobile Share Value.. we honestly wanted to make people happy. Happier customers buy more... Also we had to sleep at night so screwing people over isn't what the company preaches. :)
 
(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 :)

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.
 
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?
 
(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 :)

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.....
 
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!

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.

----------

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.

Yes, 100%!
 
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.

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?
 
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.

----------



Yes, 100%!

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.
 
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.

2GB of data is $40, each line will cost you $25 so that makes $90 total for the base. $90 x 18% for 911 fee's, federal/state/county tax is around $106.20 base before the phones. Each 6+ 64GB will be $850 full price, so that's $35.42 a month for 24 months per phone. Times that by two, plus your $106.20 and we got $177.04 a month (very rough, but close estimate) for 2GB, 2 phones, and nothing else like insurance, etc.

Sales tax on your phones should come out to $51 for each phone so your grand total is $177 a month and $102 out of pocket that day.

----------

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?

I am unsure. Some people are saying AT&T Next isn't available from Apple yet so I'd probably go to an AT&T store if you're adding a line. The people at AT&T make money from adding lines, and Apple people do not, so it would be nice for you to reward someone for helping you. :) Also unsure of the iPad App or the website... I'd check directly with Apple.

----------

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.....

They have 4 questions to answer and most of them are about missing batteries and cracked screens/backs/water damage. If it's little cosmetic things, they really don't care. Just don't bring it in looking like garbage and I think you'll be fine. :p

----------

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?

Once it's paid off early, you can get an upgrade ANY time! So if you bought an iPhone 6 and lets say you wanted a 6+ in two months, as long as you pay off the 6 in full, you're eligible again.

----------

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.

You cannot make higher payments on it. You can't make double payments like you can with a car either, as of right now. It's either pay it on your bill every month (which yes, thats true. It's on your cell bill) or pay it in full when you want.
 
I recommend to all if you go the apple.com route for ATT right now be sure to check if your line is ready for an upgrade.I am having a major issue with apple. ATT tells me not only can i do a next upgrade my line is out of contract. However at apple .com cant do the upgrade has some error message no one seems to know why.I checked best buy site all fine for an Upgrade.
I havea question wrong thread I guess but anyone that has preordered iphone from att.com di you receive iphone on launch day?

I trust apple 100 percent getting iphones out for launch day but I dont trust att.

thanks

QUOTE=duaneu;19615512]It appears that you can set up NEXT on apple.com.[/QUOTE]
 
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
 
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

I may be wrong but I thing your better of with mobile share 10 GB plan and next.
 
Why does anyone pay full price for a phone if you are still doing a contract. Why would you NOT take advantaged of $400 off the phone cost?
 
I have a question about trading in an off-contract (previously subsidized) phone when going to Next. Do you get credit for the value of the phone through the trade-in program that makes your monthly Next payment lower or do they just provide a bill credit? Do you have to use the gift card on accessories?

In the past, I have always gotten the latest model iPhone (every 12 months) for free by trading in my existing phone. With the new plans, if I do that on my eligible line, I'll be paying $25/mo more in "penalty" from AT&T for having a subsidized phone. So, if I want to switch to Next and trade in my current 5S (which is off contract) for the $300 credit, how does that work?
 
I may be wrong but I thing your better of with mobile share 10 GB plan and next.

That plan would cost me 130 + all that BS fees and tax, It is like 132.20 total now We never go over our data. Like 1 gig of rthe wife and about 1.5 2 for me. We need 4 gig or more
 
Your inability to grasp it doesn't make it a scam.

Super-witty!!! all of these "plans" are a scam... AT&T can't actually offer anything that's reasonably understandable bu even genius' without hours of discussion & debate & use cases thrown at it... and the net result is, it works out good for some but not others, and there's lots of fine print, and if you do XYZ before Tuesday it works out great, but if you wait 'till Thursday you get hit with these fees, and you are pre-paying vs post-paying with 2-term cycles..

it's all a scam... I don't know a single person that went from on old plan to a new plan that promised to save money.. actually save money.. it's all a series of gotcha's.

Join or "Family Share Plan" it's only $100 a month for up to four lines with unlimited data, text voice and it saves you tons of money and you get free upgrades and phones... Excellent sign me up.... and the bill comes $267/mo....WTF?

It's all a SCAM
 
Thanks so much!

I hadnt checked out plans in quite a while and I was getting abused in overages... Thanks for starting this thread - it made me check out my plan!

I just signed up for the Mobileshare 10Gb plan and saved about $30/month..

Planning on preordering a 64 or 128gb 6plus with next on Friday.
 
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.

At&t and all the other carriers are trying to move away from subsidized plans. They don't want to pay for hardware if they can pass that cost along to you. It will only be a matter of time before we see all subsidized plans disappear. Now that smartphones are established in the market and financing is readily available there is no need for the carriers to eat subsidies anymore.

Like bbeagle stated:

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

So, basically, you can sign a two year contract and have At&t subsidize the initial cost of your phone, but they are going to get that money back by charging you higher monthly rates on your plan. Simply put, those who want to subsidize are penalized with higher monthly bills.

The upgrade path of buying a phone every two years and selling your previous model is still a viable option whether you buy your phone at full price (financing or not) or whether you subsidize. However, the savings previously associated with subsidizing no longer exist now that monthly rates are higher for those who choose the subsidy and 2 year contract.

In terms of numbers you can think of it this way:
If you go with a 2 year contract and subsidy then you will save $350 ($549 - $199) on your initial upgrade cost. That seems great, but keep in mind you will be paying out either $15 or $25 more per month on your bill depending on your selected data plan. So, that works out to either $360 ($15 x 24mo) or $600 ($25 x 24mo) depending on your plan. Your initial savings is completely lost based on your higher monthly payments. When looking at it this way you see that signing a 2 year contract with a subsidy actually cost you money in the long run as opposed to buying your phone outright or financing it at 0% with the Next Plan.

If you are on an old At&t plan and haven't upgraded in a while then you may not be currently paying the higher monthly rates. Don't let that confuse you. At&t will not force you to change plans, but if you upgrade and subsidize they will raise your monthly rates for the new contract period. Keeping your same plan doesn't mean you get to keep your older and cheaper monthly payment.

*** My comments and numbers are based on utilization of an At&t Family Share Plan. If you are on an individual plan or an older grandfathered plan than this example is not applicable to you.
 
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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.
 
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.
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?
 
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.

Shared - Check it out on the ATT website. THe fine print says that for the 10Gb plan, overages are charged at $15/gb. Its a data pool that all devices on the plan pull from.
 
Question

A few months back I signed up to the 10gb share plan to save some money
My bill went from $130 to $106
2 iPhones in my account. , my contract ends in sept , one person has an iphone 4 & I have the iphone 5

I want to upgrade to iphone 6. & the other person is going to take my iphone 5

So on Friday I can preorder an iphone 6 16gb
Using the next plan

And this will only add $30 to my bill ?
 
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