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Full Unlocked price vs Early upgrade At&t to save $100

C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
Like almost everybody here in this forum I'm eligible for the "early" At&t upgrade, I need two new iPhones 5s 32gb, with the early upgrade I'll be paying $549 x 2 = $1098

Next year I'll be doing the same unless Apple/At&t will lower the prices (!) and doing this I'm getting into a new 2 year contract every time I do the "early" upgrade.

Doing the numbers for the 2 year purchases it will be $549 x 4 = $2196

Now if instead of doing the early upgrade I go and buy two fully unlocked iPhone 5s 32gb it will be $749 x 2 = $1498

I'll be paying $200 extra this year but I'll not extend my contract and next year with the new iPhone I'll be at the end of my contract where I can select the best option for me, new carrier, prepaid, etc.

I'll become fully eligible for the $299 full upgrade for the new phone if I decide to stay with At&t too.

My math:

2 unlocked iPhone 5s 32gb this year $749 x 2 = $1498
2 iPhone at full upgrade price next year = $299 x 2 = $598

Total = $2096


If I do not go that route and I keep signing for 2 year contract, I'm always stuck in the middle of contract and doing early upgrade price.


2 early upgrade iPhones this year: $549 x 2 = $1098
2 early upgrade iPhones next year: $549 x 2 = $1098

Total = $2196

Going Unlocked the savings are = $100

I'll be saving $100 if I go the unlocked way this year and do full eligible upgrade price next year.

On top of that I'll be finishing my contract next year with two unlocked iPhones and in good position to go prepaid or any carrier I want or stay and take advantage of the full upgrade benefits.

How are unlocked phones selling? are in less demand than regular At&t "locked" phones?

Am I crazy?
 
C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
saving107 said:
After spending $1,489 + $598 over a year, does $100 really matter?
Click to expand...

$100 is a lot of money, of course it matters, if In the Apple keynote they've announced that the new iPhone is going to cost $100 more than previous iPhones everybody will be outraged by that increase, I'm not sure in your camp but a $100 savings is more than welcome in my household.

That and the idea of saving money plus being contract free in one year fully owning your device ready to select whatever new choices with carriers, prepaid and more we will have next year.

Do you like to spend an extra $100?, I don't.
 
6

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
curtoise said:
$100 is a lot of money, of course it matters, if In the Apple keynote they've announced that the new iPhone is going to cost $100 more than previous iPhones everybody will be outraged by that increase, I'm not sure in your camp but a $100 savings is more than welcome in my household.

That and the idea of saving money plus being contract free in one year fully owning your device ready to select whatever new choices with carriers, prepaid and more we will have next year.

Do you like to spend an extra $100?, I don't.
Click to expand...

If $100 was a lot of money you would not be upgrading every year.
 
saving107

saving107

macrumors 603
Oct 14, 2007
6,384
33
San Jose, Ca
curtoise said:
Do you like to spend an extra $100?, I don't.
Click to expand...

Saving money by spending money, its like buying something that you don't need just because its on sale.

This is how I read your comment
617aircav said:
If $100 was a lot of money you would not be upgrading every year.
Click to expand...
sp_1411_clip05.jpg


Damn interent.
 
C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
Saving $100 and being contract free next year, is there anything wrong with that or I should go and give more money to AT&T just because?
 
powerstrokin

powerstrokin

macrumors 6502a
May 18, 2013
696
1
OP just give up. No one here cares what you do with your money.

Buy the phone whichever way makes YOU feel the happiest and be done with it.

Jesus.
 
M

mjcxp

macrumors regular
Jul 12, 2008
211
57
You will also have to pay the $36 upgrade fee if you upgrade each year. It is getting increasingly harder to have them waive the fee.
 
6

617aircav

Suspended
Jul 2, 2012
3,975
818
curtoise said:
Saving $100 and being contract free next year, is there anything wrong with that or I should go and give more money to AT&T just because?
Click to expand...

Technically there is no savings in buying an item just because it's the latest model.
 
C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
OK thanks everybody for answering, this is a wonderful and helpful community.
 
C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
Thank you, I'm checking eBay and the iPhone 5 32GB unlocked is going for about $480 and the carrier specific locked ones are going for about $400.

I thought that the unlocked version should sell higher than that or I'm looking in the wrong place.

How is the stock availability of unlocked on launch day? Is there a greater chance to walk out the Apple store with an unlocked phone than a carrier locked one? Anybody with previous experience on this?
 
J

jankm

macrumors newbie
Oct 18, 2005
14
0
I was considering this route too, but just for a single phone, for the reasons you mentioned: To save a few bucks if I stayed with AT&T but also be off-contract in a year and have the option to switch to T-Mobile.

I'd also add the $36/phone savings this year of not upgrading through AT&T. I think that would make your total savings $172 + as you mentioned, selling 2 unlocked phones in a year vs selling locked phones.
 
C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
jankm said:
I was considering this route too, but just for a single phone, for the reasons you mentioned: To save a few bucks if I stayed with AT&T but also be off-contract in a year and have the option to switch to T-Mobile.

I'd also add the $36/phone savings this year of not upgrading through AT&T. I think that would make your total savings $172 + as you mentioned, selling 2 unlocked phones in a year vs selling locked phones.
Click to expand...

I never thought about the $36 fee, are you sure I'll not have to pay that if I buy unlocked and add my old SIM ? the new phone will need to be activated too.
 
J

jankm

macrumors newbie
Oct 18, 2005
14
0
curtoise said:
I never thought about the $36 fee, are you sure I'll not have to pay that if I buy unlocked and add my old SIM ? the new phone will need to be activated too.
Click to expand...

I had just assumed, but applying logic to AT&T fees is dangerous. I found this support page. The 'at a discount' phrase is what I'd latch onto.

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=52268&cv=820#fbid=1r5EYkVGvz1

Upgrade Fee

The upgrade fee is a $36 one-time charge that applies when you purchase a new wireless device at a discount to replace an old device. The upgrade fee will be added to your next bill.
 
C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
jankm said:
I had just assumed, but applying logic to AT&T fees is dangerous. I found this support page. The 'at a discount' phrase is what I'd latch onto.

http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=52268&cv=820#fbid=1r5EYkVGvz1

Upgrade Fee

The upgrade fee is a $36 one-time charge that applies when you purchase a new wireless device at a discount to replace an old device. The upgrade fee will be added to your next bill.
Click to expand...

Well I've purchased a $199 Unlocked Nexus 4 2 weeks ago and I went to the corporate store and they put a SIM and gave me the phone working in 5 minutes, no question, no charges.

In a reseller store they wanted $25 for a SIM.
 
G

GadgetGav

macrumors member
Oct 18, 2010
75
1
curtoise said:
Thank you, I'm checking eBay and the iPhone 5 32GB unlocked is going for about $480 and the carrier specific locked ones are going for about $400.

I thought that the unlocked version should sell higher than that or I'm looking in the wrong place.

How is the stock availability of unlocked on launch day? Is there a greater chance to walk out the Apple store with an unlocked phone than a carrier locked one? Anybody with previous experience on this?
Click to expand...

My guess to why there's little to no price difference is that it's pretty trivial now to unlock a phone. I just paid $1.99 to an online service to have my AT&T iPhone 5 unlocked so that I could use a local SIM in Europe. Easy, quick and effective.

I'm wondering the same about the availability of unlocked phones in stores. I have no idea how Apple decides on the mix of phones to stock.
 
C

curtoise

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2010
529
14
Let's day that they are not selling unlocked phones on day one, can you just ho and buy a full price at&t phone without using an upgrade and messing with your line?
 
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