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I want the iPhone 5, but my current Verizon contract doesn't end for another year

Z

Z Overlord

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 13, 2012
17
0
So I have a year old Galaxy Nexus, my sister has a 4S, there is a service suspended iPhone 4 (my sister lost it, we still gotta pay for it :rolleyes:) and my mom has a dumbphone

What are my options here? Can I cancel the contract for the Galaxy Nexus, sell the Galaxy Nexus, and then pay off the Early Termination Fee with the cash from the Galaxy Nexus? IDK what to do, but I must have the iPhone 5 :p
 
Z Overlord said:
So I have a year old Galaxy Nexus, my sister has a 4S, there is a service suspended iPhone 4 (my sister lost it, we still gotta pay for it :rolleyes:) and my mom has a dumbphone

What are my options here? Can I cancel the contract for the Galaxy Nexus, sell the Galaxy Nexus, and then pay off the Early Termination Fee with the cash from the Galaxy Nexus? IDK what to do, but I must have the iPhone 5 :p
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Start saving and pay full price on it. Or add another line to the account, use it to get the iPhone 5 then switch it to a dumb phone and pay the $10 or $30 depending on your plan a month for it. Then you can have upgrades every year.
 
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Frasern1 said:
Start saving and pay full price on it. Or add another line to the account, use it to get the iPhone 5 then switch it to a dumb phone and pay the $10 a month for it. Then you can have upgrades every year.
Click to expand...

could you explain this for someone who barely understands contracts?
 
Z Overlord said:
could you explain this for someone who barely understands contracts?
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I've never done it, I have had no need since I am on a family plan and no one else wants their upgrades so I always have one, but you open up a new line and order the iPhone. When it comes you activate on your line, the line you want to use, and get a cheap used dumb phone to put on the other line, the line you just used the upgrade from to get the iPhone. Since it's a dumb phone it is only $10 extra a month, at least on the new share plans if I remember correctly. Next iPhone you can use your primary line to upgrade, the one following you use the dumb phone's upgrade and when the iPhone comes switch it to your main line.

There is a ton of threads on the forum about doing this.

Edit:

I was wrong the new share plans are 30 for a basic phone so it costs a little bit more.
 
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$360 per year is a bit steep. If you've got a year left on your contract, your ETF is substantially cheaper. $375 minus $10 for every month completed on your contract. Now...if you are eligible for an upgrade in a year from now....at the 20 month mark, it means you have completed 8 months of your contract...so $375-$80=$295. Not cheap, but better than $360. Even still, though, take the $295+$199 for the new phone and you're looking at a shade under $500 for the new phone...is it worth that much to you? If so, you might considering just forking over the $649 and buy it flat out.
 
I'm in the same boat since my wife and I made the jump from AT&T last year to Verizon with the iPhone 4S due to service issues in our area. We aren't eligible for an upgrade of course and don't expect to be so I am going to have to fork out the cost of two new phones. We want to go LTE for the voice/data at the same time which is a draw back with Verizon, we knew this going in but worth the ability to actually have a call without drops... However since are phones are in pristine condition, I always take care of my phones, and I still have 2 of 2 on my applecare+ for each phone AND they are unlocked with Verizon I am going to be able to fetch 300$-400$ per current phone. So 849$ - 300/400$ puts me at 449$ or 549$ per phone which isn't bad when the unit would be $399 with an upgrade. But next year when iPhone 5S comes out I'll be eligible :).
 
when you cancel a contract, is that number lost forever or as soon as it's canceled and payed can you add another subsidized phone to it?

if so, can't I just sell the Galaxy Nexus which would net me more money than the cost of the Early Termination Fee?
 
Z Overlord said:
when you cancel a contract, is that number lost forever or as soon as it's canceled and payed can you add another subsidized phone to it?

if so, can't I just sell the Galaxy Nexus which would net me more money than the cost of the Early Termination Fee?
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I know ATT does this, not sure if Verizon operates the same way or not, but when I wanted the new iPhone at ATT, they offered me an early upgrade of $199 (subsidized phone) + $250 early upgrade (termination) fee = $450.

I hear Verizon offers a similar thing, but only to certain people.

Either way, you can keep that same number. You still keep that same account, they basically just give you a new two year contract and charge you anywhere from $200-300
 
mikelegacy said:
I know ATT does this, not sure if Verizon operates the same way or not, but when I wanted the new iPhone at ATT, they offered me an early upgrade of $199 (subsidized phone) + $250 early upgrade (termination) fee = $450.

I hear Verizon offers a similar thing, but only to certain people.

Either way, you can keep that same number. You still keep that same account, they basically just give you a new two year contract and charge you anywhere from $200-300
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The fee for me is $350-X where X=months you have had the phone times $10. This month is the 12th month, so the fee would be $230, I have people offering me $300 for my Galaxy Nexus, so I could pay the fee and have $70 left.

This sound like a good plan?
 
Z Overlord said:
The fee for me is $350-X where X=months you have had the phone times $10. This month is the 12th month, so the fee would be $230, I have people offering me $300 for my Galaxy Nexus, so I could pay the fee and have $70 left.

This sound like a good plan?
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Yeah, I mean I used to do this for every iPhone purchase. I will definitely be selling my Droid Bionic to make up for some of the $649 loss I'm about to take at 3:00 AM EDT. :D

But remember, you still will be paying the $199 for the cost of the subsidized phone, so technically, you will be spending $129 to get a new phone. Not bad.
 
mikelegacy said:
Yeah, I mean I used to do this for every iPhone purchase. I will definitely be selling my Droid Bionic to make up for some of the $649 loss I'm about to take at 3:00 AM EDT. :D

But remember, you still will be paying the $199 for the cost of the subsidized phone, so technically, you will be spending $129 to get a new phone. Not bad.
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So every IPhone you got a new number or you were able to keep it? Or did you just pay the $350?
 
ja2ed said:
So every IPhone you got a new number or you were able to keep it? Or did you just pay the $350?
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I was able to keep my number.

As far as I know, you keep the same account number and nothing changes except for the fact that you are locked in for another 2 years. (oh, and you have to pay the extra $250-$350 smackeroonies :D )
 
mikelegacy said:
I was able to keep my number.

As far as I know, you keep the same account number and nothing changes except for the fact that you are locked in for another 2 years. (oh, and you have to pay the extra $250-$350 smackeroonies :D )
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Paying extra isn't an issue with me I am fine with that. The only other thing is if I do cancel my current number I will lose the unlimited data. I am better off just opening another line (I have three already) then when it comes activating it on my current line. I just want to know if there will be any other fees other than the $350 or $375 I have been seeing.
 
ja2ed said:
Paying extra isn't an issue with me I am fine with that. The only other thing is if I do cancel my current number I will lose the unlimited data. I am better off just opening another line (I have three already) then when it comes activating it on my current line. I just want to know if there will be any other fees other than the $350 or $375 I have been seeing.
Click to expand...

I haven't pre-ordered before, so I'm not sure how all of this works while doing so, but when I've dealt with VZW in the store, you can do either one. Adding a new line will let you keep your unlimited by just switching that phone over to your unlimited line once you receive it. (my mom gave me her line when I was added on her family share so I could have unlimited).

On the other hand, buying the phone outright at $649 will not give you that added monthly charge...it's up to you, really.
 
Z Overlord said:
when you cancel a contract, is that number lost forever or as soon as it's canceled and payed can you add another subsidized phone to it?

if so, can't I just sell the Galaxy Nexus which would net me more money than the cost of the Early Termination Fee?
Click to expand...

I not only called but went into an Verizon store and asked just what you posted. I have a dumb phone (9 months left on contract) and want to ETF the darn thing, and was told by the rep in doing so, I would lose the number by canceling and would get a new number for the iphone which can be subsidized. Interesting part is, all I wanted to do and pay off the ETF contract, keep the dumb phone for awhile, paying month to month and activate the new iphone with new number on a 2 yr contract, but was told that was not possible. Don't know if that will change or the reps were wrong or what.
 
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I Called Verizon

I called verizon earlier today and an employee told me verzion no longer is doing the early upgrades!!!! WHY!!! and ive had my iphone for for a year now and would like to know how can i get the 5. I was thinking canceling my line which is on a family plan then creating a new one but would that even work? would they let me keep my number?
 
The adding a second line and upgrading every year is over with. With the new Shared Plans as soon as you upgrade the line the iPhone is on you unlimited is gone. I imagine Verizon won't let these tricks go on forever.
 
boomhower said:
The adding a second line and upgrading every year is over with. With the new Shared Plans as soon as you upgrade the line the iPhone is on you unlimited is gone. I imagine Verizon won't let these tricks go on forever.
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are you talking about the people wanting to keep unlimited data? or are you saying they won't let you cancel a contract, pay the early termination fee, and then get a new subsidized phone?
 
Z Overlord said:
are you talking about the people wanting to keep unlimited data? or are you saying they won't let you cancel a contract, pay the early termination fee, and then get a new subsidized phone?
Click to expand...

The keeping unlimited part.
 
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