As has been previously mentioned, in the past the option to pay full retail WAS NOT available through preorder on Apple's website.
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How can I get the iPhone 5 on a prepaid network? (Virgin|Cricket|Smart Talk)
- Thread starter Lick
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As has been previously mentioned, in the past the option to pay full retail WAS NOT available through preorder on Apple's website.
This one! I don't care if I have to use the thing on AT&T prepaid! I just want to be able to buy the iPhone outright without having them try to crosscheck an account!
You can, just can't preorder it. I walked into an Apple store a few days after launch last year and bought one full retail with no reference to an AT&T account.
Do you think I would be able to buy one on launch day like that as well? I know they did crosscheck our Verizon account when we tried to buy them outright on launch day as well. I do not want the 5 on Verizon though, so I would like to outright purchase an AT&T model without an account, and use it on T-Mobile/ST/AT&T Prepaid
Only one way to find out
. I'd bet the account requirement is related to the CDMA tech (no sim) used for Verizon's 3G network since you can't just drop in a SIM card but must activate it for a specific account.
I'm not sure why you would want to buy an AT&T phone. Unlocked is much better. Once again, it's all about supply. If apple has enough on hand then they might sell unlocked on launch day, if not...
Have you pre odered unlocked versions before? Because i asked about this on the sept release date thread and a few people told me they don't allow pre orders for unlocked only contract phones. If your right that would be fantastic news.
Wait so your saying there's a difference between the factory unlocked one that they release later and what I would get if I just went in store and asked to buy the GSM one for full price as a gift for someone on AT&T?
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You throw out situations after the fact. Now you are going to Walmart to purchase minutes? And why does it matter where you DON'T pay sales tax when you live in NY and you clearly do? Dude you are so baffling. And where are you coming up with ST being $126 for 3 months instead of $130? And even if that's true, who cares. A savings of $4 dollars. Big deal.
You still haven't been clear at all about your current plan. You state your current AT&T plan is 1000 text messages for $10, which I also have, but then you state you aren't grandfathered into anything. Do you even realized said text plan is not currently offered by AT&T which means you would be grandfathered into it if you get a new iPhone? I also find it funny that you completely ignored my correct counter in that when you upgrade your iPhone you can indeed keep your data and text plans that are no longer offered.
You don't sound like an ST rep but you also can't have a clear counter with me. You bring up facts after the fact and I honestly think you are not being honest in this discussion. I really don't care in that you can join ST and do whatever the hell you want. But you also can't have a clear conversation regarding this. The ST plan isn't truly unlimited by the way. They throttle your data if you go past 2.5 GB's per month or a set amount of data per day. I've read this on multiple sites. Bottom line, you will save if you join ST, but not nearly as much as you are making it out to be.
I'll do some final math and hopefully end this here. I'll leave out NY sales tax in the equation in both instances. I'm also going to propose an AT&T plan that is clearly currently offered. I'm also going by the fact that you said previously that you have a 1000 text/$10 a month plan.
If you have 450 minutes, 3 GB of data, and 1000 texts, then your monthly bill is....
$40 (minutes) + $30 (data) + $10 (texts) = $80/month.
This does not include NY sales tax and surcharges every month.
If you were to get the new iPhone 16 GB model at a subsidized price then your payment over 2 years would be......$80 x 24 + $200 + $36 (activation fee) = $2,156.
If you go with Straight Talk, again, taxes and surcharges withstanding....
$1,080 ($45/month, even if you do bundles you won't be saving much, x 24) + $650 (16 GB non-contract iPhone) + $15 (SIM card) = $1,745.
$2,156 - $1,745 = $411 over a 2 year period and $205.50 a year.
I don't care how you try to spin this, there is no way you are really going to be saving substantially more than that. I have no idea how you proclaim the savings that you do. The advantage to ST is no contract meaning you can drop and pick up service as desired. And if texting is super important to you and you need to use a cellular network, then I give ST the nod. But otherwise, you are full of BS with your bold proclamations. Do whatever you want man, but at least be honest with the numbers.
I believe there is but am not sure. I think I remember someone stating they had difficulty getting a euro sim to work with an unlocked AT&T phone.
IMO it's worth waiting for the factory unlocked. They do havea higher resale value.
Yea I wish I could find someone who worked for apple and knew for certain the differences and the proper technique for getting one day one. I don't wanna spend $900 on an AT&T 64GB version and get home to find out it's not unlocked.
Which reminds me what are the odds of us seeing a higher GB model? I would love it if 64GB became the 2nd and 32 was entry level.
Settle down, your really aggressive about this which is weird enough on it's own but your posting in a thread in which I'm asking for help with regards to MVNO's.
$126 @ Wallmart You don't pay those surcharges which you keep leaving out of your math. So add in another $271 then factor in the higher resale value of the Factory Unlocked phone. Not to mention intangibles like overage charges.
So here's how it really boils down...
Straight Talk------------------------------------------- AT&T
-HSPA+-------------------------------------------------- 4G
-Unlimited Talk------------------------------------------ 450 Minutes
-Unlimited Text------------------------------------------ 1000 Texts
-Unlimited Data (Throttled at 2.5)---------------------- 3GB Data
-Unlocked Phone (Extra $100 Resale)------------------ N/A
-No Contract---------------------------------------------- 2 Year Contract
-$682 Cash----------------------------------------------- Fun Overage Charges!
If ST's lack of 4G for the foreseeable future is worth the extra cash and all those concessions then more power to ya. I however am a true American and I prefer money and freedom.
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I'm not being aggressive. I'm just clearing pointing out that the savings your boast about aren't nearly as strong as you are stating.
Let's say you pay no surcharges. You still pay a sales tax for those Walmart cards but I'll even forget that for now.
Where are you coming up with this $271 number? Taxes and surcharges with AT&T for 24 months? So go ahead and add that to my original numbers. That's $682 over 2 years and $341 a year. Overage charges? AT&T is charging $10 a month if you go over your data plan. Not the end of the world. Plus you are getting throttled on ST if you hit 2.5 GB. The difference between getting throttled or paying an extra $10 a month essentially evens itself out.
Your resale value on the iPhone will be identical considering you can unlock your iPhone after 24 months with AT&T.
At the very most you'll save $341 a year. Nothing to sneeze at but not near the levels you boasted about earlier in this thread.
126 x 4 x 2 + 700 (iPhone plus tax) + 15/24 = $71.79 a month. You'll be paying essentially $10 less a month than me. I don't see the point. I really don't.
I'll be paying $28.42 less a month then you, your math is bad and you should feel bad. 682/24
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Your math is bad too.
126 x 4 x 2 + 700 + 15 = $1,723. That's 71.79 a month when you factor all your costs in. That isn't your monthly bill. But that's how much you are truly paying when everything is accounted for.
Here's me:
$82 x 24 + $248.50 (iPhone 16 GB plus sales tax plus activation fee) = $2,216.50. That's $92.35 a month in the same scenario. So we were both wrong. You are actually saving $20.56 a month compared to me. And that's assuming Walmart won't charge you for tax on your refills, which I'm not even sure of.
So that's $493.44 over 2 years and $246.72 a year. I'm not exactly blown away by what you are saving compared to me. Plus I get LTE. And for the millionth time, your savings aren't nearly as much as you previously boasted about in this thread.
"If I was I'd be far more savy, I'm just a guy who read the forums, did some math, and realized I could get the same service on an unlimited plan with no contract and save enough money at the end of 2 years to buy a new macbook air, a couple of kegs, and still be paying less then I did on AT&T."
Keep dreaming.
There is no difference between an AT&T version that has been unlocked and an 'official' unlocked.
This. Myself and many others went this route with no hassle or difficulty.
I've preordered the last two versions (my 4 and my wife's 4s) and in both cases there was no option to buy it outright at full retail. You either had to input your existing account info to verify your upgrade eligibility or start a new line.
No--see my response above.
Shouldn't answer if you're not sure. One person having difficulty does not the truth make. I ready about a bunch of difficulties--usually because people didn't know they had to connect it to iTunes and restore it.
I will agree though that the easiest way to avoid any hassle is to wait for the factory unlocked version. Otherwise, if you must have it unlocked now and nothing has changed from previous launches, you should be just fine getting an AT&T version at full retail. Point is though, nobody here knows exactly how the launch will work until they announce it and there is no way you're going to be able to get a definitive answer, so sit back, have a beverage of your choice # and relax.
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There is no difference between an AT&T version that has been unlocked and an 'official' unlocked.
This. Myself and many others went this route with no hassle or difficulty.
I've preordered the last two versions (my 4 and my wife's 4s) and in both cases there was no option to buy it outright at full retail. You either had to input your existing account info to verify your upgrade eligibility or start a new line.
No--see my response above.
Shouldn't answer if you're not sure. One person having difficulty does not the truth make. I ready about a bunch of difficulties--usually because people didn't know they had to connect it to iTunes and restore it.
I will agree though that the easiest way to avoid any hassle is to wait for the factory unlocked version. Otherwise, if you must have it unlocked now and nothing has changed from previous launches, you should be just fine getting an AT&T version at full retail. Point is though, nobody here knows exactly how the launch will work until they announce it and there is no way you're going to be able to get a definitive answer, so sit back, have a beverage of your choice # and relax.
Awesome just the man I was looking for thank you for a definitive answer. Just to clarify when you preordered the last two versions online you actually got them for AT&T and entered in to a two year contract? Or are you saying you preordered for pickup in store using your old or new AT&T account and then told them you would like to pay full price and somehow never had to activate it on AT&T?
I know things likely could be different this year now that every carrier and their brother sell the iPhone but just in case could you walk me through the exact procedure?
If you would explain it to me like I'm 5 I'd really appreciate it. I'm a bit slow on the uptake and I like to know exactly what I'm doing before I do something.
Lick, myself or others have answered all of these questions already (did you even read the last paragraph of my last post?)--go back and re-read if you need to. Sorry but I'm not typing it all out again. Here are some highlights since it seems you overlooked them the first go around:
Only one way to find out
There is no difference between an AT&T version that has been unlocked and an 'official' unlocked.
This. Myself and many others went this route with no hassle or difficulty.
I've preordered the last two versions (my 4 and my wife's 4s) and in both cases there was no option to buy it outright at full retail. You either had to input your existing account info to verify your upgrade eligibility or start a new line.
No--see my response above.
Shouldn't answer if you're not sure. One person having difficulty does not the truth make. I ready about a bunch of difficulties--usually because people didn't know they had to connect it to iTunes and restore it.
I will agree though that the easiest way to avoid any hassle is to wait for the factory unlocked version. Otherwise, if you must have it unlocked now and nothing has changed from previous launches, you should be just fine getting an AT&T version at full retail. Point is though, nobody here knows exactly how the launch will work until they announce it and there is no way you're going to be able to get a definitive answer, so sit back, have a beverage of your choice # and relax.
My fault I read everything but I was thrown off by the line about you and your wife pre ordering the 4 and 4s online. I assumed since you said you bought unlocked before that you bought all your phones that way. Any reason why you opted to go with the contract route with the last 2 phones? Bad experience on prepaid or do family plans make the price difference between that and prepaid negligible?
At any rate I appreciate the help, hopefully sept 12 they announce some killer features, allow unlocked pre orders, or at the very least have a healthy supply stockpiled. Because there is no way I'm lining up in front of an apple store at 6am on a Saturday...
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Just for the heck of it, I checked AT&T.com for the monthly price for an iPhone 4S plan:
450 minutes - $39.99
Unlimited SMS (no 1,000 SMS plan) - $20.00
3GB data - $30.00
This works out to $89.99/month (pre-tax).
For my current Straight Talk plan:
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited SMS
“Unlimited data”
This works out to $45/month (pre-tax).
Over a 2-year period, the AT&T plan works out to $2,159.76+$199=$2,358.76 (pre-tax) and the Straight Talk plan works out to $1,080+$649=$1,729 (pre-tax). This works out to a savings of $629.76 (pre-tax).
450 minutes - $39.99
Unlimited SMS (no 1,000 SMS plan) - $20.00
3GB data - $30.00
This works out to $89.99/month (pre-tax).
For my current Straight Talk plan:
Unlimited minutes
Unlimited SMS
“Unlimited data”
This works out to $45/month (pre-tax).
Over a 2-year period, the AT&T plan works out to $2,159.76+$199=$2,358.76 (pre-tax) and the Straight Talk plan works out to $1,080+$649=$1,729 (pre-tax). This works out to a savings of $629.76 (pre-tax).
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I agree. I learned the hard way one year into my Sprint contract. Somebody told me to buy unlocked, but I had no idea at the time I could go with T-Mobile for $30/mo. non-contract. Even if I sold my 4S and paid the ETF and bought the new iPhone unlocked, it would still cost me more if I just finished my contract with Sprint.
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WOW! Sprints 450min plan is $79.99 unlimited plus I get 25% off of that.
Anyway, I agree that's a tremendous savings.
Last year I bought a non-commitment AT&T iPhone 4S, and it was fully factory unlocked. There was no difference between the full-price AT&T version and the factory unlocked one. Presumably, there won't be a difference as well in the upcoming iPhone 5.
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Before I had bought my full-price 4S last year, I asked an Apple Store employee about their return policy. I think they said I had 30 days to return it for a full refund, and they allowed open-boxed returns too. In that case, if for some reason my phone wasn't truly factory unlocked, I could return it without penalty. I presume it'll be like that too for the upcoming iPhone.
Hmm. I called an AT&T store today and asked if they sold the 4s unlocked and they said no.
I always avoid the AT&T physical store; I would check the Apple store or order online at http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone/iphone4s. As such, its possible that some AT&T stores dont carry labeled factory unlocked iPhones. Did you ask if they have full-priced iPhones?
The 4S was released in October, and I think the Apple Store had ones labeled as factory unlocked in November, but I may be off.