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Does At&t early upgrade option reset your full upgrade?

U

UKyank

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 5, 2011
13
0
Quick question: if you choose to do the early upgrade with at&t (paying the additional $250), does that in affect 'reset' your full subsidy upgrade to 2 years again?

I.e. my full upgrade is Sept 2014, if I pay the extra for the early upgrade when the 5s comes out will my full upgrade stay Sept 2014 or be pushed back to 2015?

Just trying to figure out what would be cheaper, doing the early upgrade option or buying an iPhone outright & then upgrading to the 6 fully subsidized.
Thanks!
 
Upgrading a phone every year makes no economical sense either. It's a premium you pay to have a new phone early.
 
Yes, your contract will be extended until 2015 and your upgrade eligibility adjusted accordingly.

Option 1: You can buy unsubsidized for $649 and then get a new phone next year for $199. Total cost ~850

Option 2: Do the early upgrade for $449 this year and again next year. Total cost ~900

If you can afford to put up $650 right now you save about $50 in the long run but its not much of a difference.
 
bigcstyle4 said:
If you can afford to put up $650 right now you save about $50 in the long run but its not much of a difference.
Click to expand...

Its still not much of a difference, but you also would avoid the upgrade fee if you just purchased the phone outright rather then 'early upgrade'.
 
That's true but you'd still end up paying it next year when purchased at the subsidized price. So either scenario has one $36 upgrade fee whether now or later so it's a wash.
 
bigcstyle4 said:
That's true but you'd still end up paying it next year when purchased at the subsidized price. So either scenario has one $36 upgrade fee whether now or later so it's a wash.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't scenario 2 give you 2 upgrade fees to pay as opposed to just one with scenario 1?

I'm only considering this because I was offered $650 for my iPhone5 (64gb), otherwise I really don't see much of anything from what's been leaked of the 5S to make it a very compelling upgrade.
 
UKyank said:
Wouldn't scenario 2 give you 2 upgrade fees to pay as opposed to just one with scenario 1?
Click to expand...

Haha indeed you're right. Not sure how that slipped my mind. So it really ends up saving you $86 over the course of a year.
 
open second line, buy 5S for $200. put your old sim in the new phone, remove the new data plan and pay $10/month for 12 months. total cost, $200+50(tax)+120(ghost line for a year)=$370. You should be able to get at least $380-400 for the 5. Next year, your original line will be upgraded at $200+$50, plus another $120 for year two of the ghost line...sell 5S for $380-400...then rinse and repeat...free upgrade every year...

the above ignores month fees that gets tacked onto the ghost line...probably another $2-3 in fees and taxes and other crap...
 
Last edited:
If you want a new phone its better to just sell your current iPhone and buy your new one at full price -- and while you're at it you might as well get the unlocked model. Then, in another year you'll qualify for a full upgrade.
 
maximus96 said:
open second line, buy 5S for $200. put your old sim in the new phone, remove the new data plan and pay $10/month for 12 months. total cost, $200+50(tax)+120(ghost line for a year)=$370. You should be able to get at least $380-400 for the 5. Next year, your original line will be upgraded at $200+$50, plus another $120 for year two of the ghost line...sell 5S for $380-400...then rinse and repeat...free upgrade every year...

the above ignores month fees that gets tacked onto the ghost line...probably another $2-3 in fees and taxes and other crap...
Click to expand...

This option does seem to come out cheaper, though I'd lose my unlimited data - though with throttling does it really matter. Hmmmm, more options to think about.
 
UKyank said:
This option does seem to come out cheaper, though I'd lose my unlimited data - though with throttling does it really matter. Hmmmm, more options to think about.
Click to expand...

another thing to keep in mind: after you early-upgrade once, you can't doing it again until after 18 months
 
617aircav said:
Upgrading a phone every year makes no economical sense either. It's a premium you pay to have a new phone early.
Click to expand...

lol you have no idea what you are talking about... I have had every iphone since the beginging and have spent maybe $500 for all of them...


1st year - $200
2nd year - sell for $450/buy new $650, -$400
3rd year - sell for $450/ buy for $200, -$150
4th year - sell for $450/buy for $650, -$350
5th year - sell for $450/buy for $200, -$150
6th year - sell for $450/buy for $650, -$350
7th year - sell for $450/buy for $200, -$150

see a trend here?...I have sold MANY iPhone since the original release, you will always get $400-$500 for your phone. The worst time to sell is now, give it a month after the 5s comes out and prices will go back up. It has happened every year and will continue to. I have had multiple copies of each release of the phone due to various wheeling and dealings, especially with a couple loop holes i found that are still active :D The above trend though is rock solid, its a given and should be done...

According to the numbers above which a very close to what happened every year give or take $25-$50 i gave the $500 i am down since the original iphone purchase. More than likely though i am only down $300ish. These new plans the carrier are release are a joke, give us your old phone for next to nothing!!
 
If you add a 2nd line and swap sims ... Are you sure you can remove the data plan on it? I thought the 2 year agreement was on both the line and monthly data plan
 
Fant said:
If you add a 2nd line and swap sims ... Are you sure you can remove the data plan on it? I thought the 2 year agreement was on both the line and monthly data plan
Click to expand...

Positive. I have 5 lines. All are upgradeable at different times (so I can upgrade whenever I want to whatever I want (or the wife wants, as the case may be...)). Only 2 have data plans (my unlimited and her gimped 2GB plan). They don't care as long as you pay the $10+++.

It's an easy way to always have the latest and greatest. And if $10+++ a month is worrying you, then you SHOULDN'T be buying the latest and greatest anyway...
 
kupkakez said:
Does AT&T even do $10 a line anymore with the new plans? Wouldn't it be like $40 a line?
Click to expand...
On the new plans, yes. You're stuck paying that $40 per month unless you pay ETF. Older Family Talk plans, it's actually worth getting the extra line if you want to upgrade every year.
 
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