Clarification On AT&T Next From An AT&T Employee

[BD1]

Trying understand how this can help me or not.

I have 4 iphone/lines. Unlimited data plan, subsidized phones.

Plan: mobile share plan can save me $720/year or $60/month

Phones: I buy 2 new phones a year for $400/each (-$800) and Sell 2 phones for $200 (+$400) so Phones cost me $400/year or $33/month. So far I have been able to get activation fees waived.

With NEXT, how much will buying 2 new phones each year cost and will it save me to switch? I have been buying the $399 subsidized phone each year.

 

[rui no onna]

Trying understand how this can help me or not.

I have 4 iphone/lines. Unlimited data plan, subsidized phones.

Plan: mobile share plan can save me $720/year or $60/month

Phones: I buy 2 new phones a year for $400/each (-$800) and Sell 2 phones for $200 (+$400) so Phones cost me $400/year or $33/month. So far I have been able to get activation fees waived.

With NEXT, how much will buying 2 new phones each year cost and will it save me to switch? I have been buying the $399 subsidized phone each year.

Keep your unlimited. The subsidy in your plan is $18.75/mo per line ($450 / 24). Savings from Mobile Share needs to be at least $75/mo for a break even scenario.

 

[BD1]

Keep your unlimited. The subsidy in your plan is $18.75/mo per line ($450 / 24). Savings from Mobile Share needs to be at least $75/mo for a break even scenario.

Ok, just so I know total $. How much will Next cost for 4 phones, buying 2 phones each year? In other words, keeping a phone for 2 years.

I am just trying to understand the math.

 

[rui no onna]

Ok, just so I know total $. How much will Next cost for 4 phones, buying 2 phones each year? In other words, keeping a phone for 2 years.

I am just trying to understand the math.

If you keep the phones, basically, MSRP x number of phones you're buying. If you buy 2x iPhone 6+ 64GB (and whatever replaces it in subsequent years), that's $1,700 every year.

If you trade in the phone after 12 months, though, $1020 per year.

 

[titans1127]

I would love to switch to a Mobile Share plan for the tethering ability out of the box and use of full speed after 5gb (not as bad as you think, since you still get LTE latency) but I can't justify the extra cost on the bill even without doing Next and just buying full price.

Its just my mom and myself (she uses a flip phone and I have a 5S):
550 Family Talk - $59.99
1000 text messages for my line only (With so many friends using iPhones I rarely use half of them) - $10
Unlimited data for my line only - $30
20% discount through my college
= ~$100 after taxes

With the 6 or 10 gig Mobile Share even with the discount we would be looking at 110-120 before taxes so roughly $30-40 more than what we pay now. For me and as much as I am on my phone I don't think the price increase is worth what extra I get out of it (which is really just hotspot that an inevitable I6P jailbreak can take care of). We have plenty of rollover minutes and I neither of us have use for unlimited texting.

From what I have seen as a former Sprint employee with similarly structured plans most of the time these plans tend to benefit those with 3 or more lines depending on what you had previously. Of course you also have to take into account the cost of the phone either up front or on the bill monthly which is why the plan prices are much cheaper since the subsidy isn't involved.

 

[iPhil]

OP: I got a Question that you be able solve for me --


Q: I'm on NEXT from a 2 yr plan - If I pick android device to try it out then wanna switch back to iPhone - whats the Brass tax? Gotta pay remaining due e.g. 8 or 9 payments etc then switch ?

 

[rui no onna]

Q: I'm on NEXT from a 2 yr plan - If I pick android device to try it out then wanna switch back to iPhone - whats the Brass tax? Gotta pay remaining due e.g. 8 or 9 payments etc then switch ?

On Next 12, you need to have made a total of 12 monthly payments. On Next 18, you need 18 monthly payments. In both cases, you still need to trade in the phone.

 

[derekgroves]

Any processing delay when paying off remaining NEXT balance?

Thanks for helping everyone out statusnone8!

1. I'll be making my purchase at a physical Apple Store. If my intention is to outright fully pay off two of my NEXT lines on my account, and turn right around and "reset" with two 6's on NEXT.....is there any sort of delay with AT&T processing my immediate pay off of the lines (via debit/credit card) before I can do 2 new NEXT plans? I already have 4 NEXT lines on my account, and a couple are low enough to pay off then turn immediately around and do NEXT again.

I'm concerned that there may be some disconnect or delay standing there in the Apple Store in line- I visualize paying off the NEXT accounts during the transaction and then it taking AT&T's systems 24 hours or something to reset my eligibility thereby screwing up my ability to buy right then and there on NEXT.

2. AT&T website, as well as apple.com reflects me being eligible for "partial discount" on a number of my lines. Basically the ole "early upgrade" option where I just pay $250 on tope of 2-year contract price for a device. I thought AT&T did away with early upgrades in favor of NEXT? Do some people still qualify for the early upgrades based on account history/age/type or something?

Thanks again for your valuable insight!