I lost my iPhone 5s ;(

[Bacong]

Ya you can't make partial payments. I just went through this and signed up with next, paid nothing down, waited a couple of months then paid the phone off fully and the installment came off my monthly bill, as it should. Then att unlocked the phone for me. I really like it. Worked out great.

again, this makes no sense. You can pay as much as you want on an AT&T bill online, why wouldn't that be the same for Next?

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I think he was referring to giving them something like $200 towards the phone. Not paying the full price because then there would be no purpose in singing up Next.

No purpose for the consumer. For AT&T it's still 649 bucks in their pocket.

 

[gsusser]

Just to put a period on this....

I was ready to forego the 5s and continue with my 4s for another 1.5 years or until I was eligible for an upgrade. There were no relatively inexpensive alternatives.

Then AT&T coughed up an offer and saved me from being a lowly and out of date user of a 4s (are we all this spoiled, haha). They made an exception because of my record and agreed to drop my old plan if I went with NEXT. Now, it's a no brainer. My monthly payment goes up by about $40, which is a lot less than the alternatives, and I get a new phone every year. I can drop NEXT after 20 months. I've come close to leaving AT&T many times, but it seems they always come in with an offer at the end to keep me happy.

 

[MsRandall]

Just to put a period on this....

I was ready to forego the 5s and continue with my 4s for another 1.5 years or until I was eligible for an upgrade. There were no relatively inexpensive alternatives.

Then AT&T coughed up an offer and saved me from being a lowly and out of date user of a 4s (are we all this spoiled, haha). They made an exception because of my record and agreed to drop my old plan if I went with NEXT. Now, it's a no brainer. My monthly payment goes up by about $40, which is a lot less than the alternatives, and I get a new phone every year. I can drop NEXT after 20 months. I've come close to leaving AT&T many times, but it seems they always come in with an offer at the end to keep me happy.

Glad it worked out for you - insurance?????

 

[gsusser]

Glad it worked out for you - insurance?????

I'm insured up to the wazoo this time... by AT&T, Applecare plus and a homeowners policy. I'm never gonna go thru this again. Probably overkill.

Meanwhile, I got the phone! They shipped it overnight at no charge.

 

[Shadowbech]

I hear you on the discount for an unlocked phone. I was thinking about doing the Next program when the iPhone 6 is released, but my bill will end up being more if I do that. Yes I get a $15 discount, but the monthly payment is at least $20, so I am still paying at least $5 more a month, and they are making tons of extra money off me this way. Has anyone tried Next? If you pay money upfront. Like say $200 does the monthly price go down, or do they shorten your months to pay?

I used my AT&T next to get the Samsung S5. Monthly price will be the same but if you pay more then what you pay say 200 bucks then they shorten your months to pay so instead of paying for 20 month you be at like around 15 month or something. It's like leasing a car IMO. Once you pay off the cost of the device it's yours to keep.

 

[bmac4]

I used my AT&T next to get the Samsung S5. Monthly price will be the same but if you pay more then what you pay say 200 bucks then they shorten your months to pay so instead of paying for 20 month you be at like around 15 month or something. It's like leasing a car IMO. Once you pay off the cost of the device it's yours to keep.

So if I am paying $50 monthly right now. If I went with the Next program would my bill not be higher because I have to add the monthly payment to it?

 

[ron7624]

there's no way they wouldn't take a full device payment if you offered it.

NEXT is a program to allow you to have a phone or tablet when you can't afford (or don't want) to buy one outright. Why would we be talking about a big down-payment or paying off a phone on the NEXT program? If you got the money, you don't use NEXT at all. What am I missing here?

 

[Shadowbech]

So if I am paying $50 monthly right now. If I went with the Next program would my bill not be higher because I have to add the monthly payment to it?

Your bill would be higher. So if you are on AT&T next and say you pay 32.50 a month, that gets added to your bill monthly. So i'm paying say $50.00 a month for having a service, I would be paying 32.50 on top of the 50 bucks.

 

[bmac4]

Your bill would be higher. So if you are on AT&T next and say you pay 32.50 a month, that gets added to your bill monthly. So i'm paying say $50.00 a month for having a service, I would be paying 32.50 on top of the 50 bucks.

That is crap. They are making us pay double for the phone because your monthly service was covering the cost of the phone before. If they are not changing the price then you are paying for the phone in monthly installments, and paying for it in your monthly bill. An iPhone ends up costing almost $2000 after two years.

 

[cipher29]

I hate all carriers equally.

 

[Shadowbech]

That is crap. They are making us pay double for the phone because your monthly service was covering the cost of the phone before. If they are not changing the price then you are paying for the phone in monthly installments, and paying for it in your monthly bill. An iPhone ends up costing almost $2000 after two years.

Not really 2000 since, iphones doesn't cost that much.

Well you do have an option to trade it every 12 month or 18 month depending which one you choose to go with. But if you want to keep the device and not use the trade in then yes you have to pay the remaining balance of the cost of the device.

So it take 20 month if you pay 32.50 to get 650.00 (since I got the S5, the S5 does cost $649.99). Once you pay off the device then you only pay for the phone service (texting, data, calling) and you aren't in any contract.

Yea for some people, this doesn't make any sense.

 

[C DM]

That is crap. They are making us pay double for the phone because your monthly service was covering the cost of the phone before. If they are not changing the price then you are paying for the phone in monthly installments, and paying for it in your monthly bill. An iPhone ends up costing almost $2000 after two years.

You get a monthly discount on the cost of the line for being on Next.

 

[bmac4]

Not really 2000 since, iphones doesn't cost that much.



Well you do have an option to trade it every 12 month or 18 month depending which one you choose to go with. But if you want to keep the device and not use the trade in then yes you have to pay the remaining balance of the cost of the device.



So it take 20 month if you pay 32.50 to get 650.00 (since I got the S5, the S5 does cost $649.99). Once you pay off the device then you only pay for the phone service (texting, data, calling) and you aren't in any contract.



Yea for some people, this doesn't make any sense.

Well what I was saying is that with the next program you pay for the phone over 2 years with monthly payments you pay $600+. Then when paying your monthly bill you are paying for the device then too, so now another $600+. Maybe not $2000, but close & $1400

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You get a monthly discount on the cost of the line for being on Next.

Is it like $15 dollars?

 

[C DM]

Well what I was saying is that with the next program you pay for the phone over 2 years with monthly payments you pay $600+. Then when paying your monthly bill you are paying for the device then too, so now another $600+. Maybe not $2000, but close & $1400

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Is it like $15 dollars?

It depends on your plan, I believe can be as much as $25. So essentially you aren't really paying the subsidy as part of your plan price and just as part of the device payment itself.

 

[iolinux333]

If you like your at&t coverage I would just buy a used iphone 5. You can get one on swappa for around $275 probably less and hold off until the iphone 6 comes out. If you're patient of course.

This. I have a 5 and a 5s and performance is indistinguishable.

 

[Shadowbech]

Well what I was saying is that with the next program you pay for the phone over 2 years with monthly payments you pay $600+. Then when paying your monthly bill you are paying for the device then too, so now another $600+. Maybe not $2000, but close & $1400

Oh I see where your coming at. That is if you decide to keep the device though. Unless you decide to upgrade every 12 month plan then it's 32.50 x 12. So you only pay $390 and then when you are eligible for the Next program after 12 month the you have to trade in and upgrade. But it also depends on the total cost, I'm sure the iphones would be at a lower rate for the 16 GB.

 

[bmac4]

Oh I see where your coming at. That is if you decide to keep the device though. Unless you decide to upgrade every 12 month plan then it's 32.50 x 12. So you only pay $390 and then when you are eligible for the Next program after 12 month the you have to trade in and upgrade. But it also depends on the total cost, I'm sure the iphones would be at a lower rate for the 16 GB.

Yeah I am just really trying to see if it would be worth it for me to do it when the next iPhone is released.

 

[Bacong]

NEXT is a program to allow you to have a phone or tablet when you can't afford (or don't want) to buy one outright. Why would we be talking about a big down-payment or paying off a phone on the NEXT program? If you got the money, you don't use NEXT at all. What am I missing here?

Why does it matter to AT&T? They're still trying to sell devices. What if someone can't afford the device yet but will be able to in a few months?

I'd still like absolutely firm confirmation that AT&T does not allow advance payments, partial payments, or full payments. Whatever. If I want to give AT&T 200 bucks at once in lieu of that 200 over 7 months for the phone I have no idea why they wouldn't take it.