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I Will Not Upgrade From 4S...

ghsDUDE

ghsDUDE

macrumors 68030
Original poster
May 25, 2010
2,949
763
...Unfortunately I've been reading a lot on how Verizon (and soon AT&T) will no longer be grandfathering in unlimited data plans. I'm on my parents line (I'm 22) and if I upgrade to the iPhone 5 our entire family plan will cost a **** ton more because of the new plans effective on June 28th.

SO what do I do now? Upgrade and my family is screwed (which actually won't happen bc my parents would drop my line before I changed their plan lol) or buy the iPhone at full cost?

I read here that if I buy it unlocked (FULL COST) I can keep my Unlimited data...but $650 seems like A LOT for a phone (if I'm on a contract)...what to do, what to do?
 
johndoejohndoes said:
...Unfortunately I've been reading a lot on how Verizon (and soon AT&T) will no longer be grandfathering in unlimited data plans. I'm on my parents line (I'm 22) and if I upgrade to the iPhone 5 our entire family plan will cost a **** ton more because of the new plans effective on June 28th.

SO what do I do now? Upgrade and my family is screwed (which actually won't happen bc my parents would drop my line before I changed their plan lol) or buy the iPhone at full cost?

I read here that if I buy it unlocked (FULL COST) I can keep my Unlimited data...but $650 seems like A LOT for a phone (if I'm on a contract)...what to do, what to do?
Click to expand...

Move to Sprint
 
Seems like your options are limited. Just buy it off contract, or wait until you can buy a used one a year down the road. Might be on your own contract by then anyway.
 
How much data do you use? My family plan will be a buck or two cheaper on the new plan with 3 iPhones, 1 Android and 1 old regular phone with 4 gb of data. It's pretty hard for me to use over 1 gb per month. I have wifi turned on and use it whenever I can.
 
johndoejohndoes said:
...Unfortunately I've been reading a lot on how Verizon (and soon AT&T) will no longer be grandfathering in unlimited data plans. I'm on my parents line (I'm 22) and if I upgrade to the iPhone 5 our entire family plan will cost a **** ton more because of the new plans effective on June 28th.

SO what do I do now? Upgrade and my family is screwed (which actually won't happen bc my parents would drop my line before I changed their plan lol) or buy the iPhone at full cost?

I read here that if I buy it unlocked (FULL COST) I can keep my Unlimited data...but $650 seems like A LOT for a phone (if I'm on a contract)...what to do, what to do?
Click to expand...

Question is how important is unlimited data for you? Assuming you use the new iPhone for 2 years, it essentially will cost you just under $20/month to keep your unlimited data. If you get your own line and purchase it subsidized, you'll get 2 GB of data for the same price as your current unlimited (not sure, is the unlimited $30/month?) or for that same extra $20/month you can get 5 GB/month. If you'll use more than 2 GB of data a month, the cost seems to be a wash and by keeping the unlimited you get more than 5 GB if needed (assuming Verizon doesn't start throttling). So if you need more than 2 GB of data a month, I'd get the unlocked/unsubsidized iPhone. Just my $0.02.
 
You're 22. Get your own plan and make an adult decision.
 
There's nothing wrong with sharing a family plan with your parents if it's more cost effective that way (I've been married for over a decade, have two kids and my parents are on our family plan). It's all about being able to cover your own expense.
 
Why are people harping on him, asking him to get a job? I didn't get a stable, real job until I completed my Masters. My mother used to run a small grocery store and I would help her with the shop everyday for a few hours to earn myself extra pocket money from her. Believe or not, those extra money i got helping my own mother has actually tide me through university, paid for all my hundred bucks worth of textbooks.

In case you didn't realize, he was actually sparing a thought for his family and asking whether is there any alternative. If not, like the title has said, he will not upgrade from the 4S. Period.

By the way, shelling out 600+ bucks for a full retail price of the iPhone is actually not expensive in the long run. Your parents wouldn't be burdened by the expensive contracts and plans if you opted for the unlocked version and best of all you could keep the unlimited data plan which is only $30 bucks a month I guess?
You would be paying so much extra money per month just for that few GBs of data Verizon forces customers to sign when they sign up or recontract while 30 bucks is a flat rate that you would appreciate in the unlimited data plan.

Enough said. All I can say that its not necessary to upgrade from the 4S in the first place. The purpose of a 2 year plan, while its the carrier's crafty way to earn $$$$, but is also an sign and lesson that you don't have to upgrade to every iPhone that comes out every year. The 4S is actually a pretty good phone already. You also would be getting iOS 6, which is what the new iPhone would most probably launch with. It would not be worthy upgrade from a 4S unless they come out with must-have new features that are astoundingly unique.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
There's nothing wrong with sharing a family plan with your parents if it's more cost effective that way (I've been married for over a decade, have two kids and my parents are on our family plan). It's all about being able to cover your own expense.
Click to expand...

My parents were on my plan as well but I paid the entire bill. So if I deduce that I will save more by keeping unlimited I would stick to this setup and pay full price for the phone. If I deduce that I don't personally use that much data and want to save a couple hundred on the phone and give up unlimited I will put myself on my own independent plan. That was my point.
 
Also note that the OP can buy a phone for $650 and sell his old one for a couple hundred, provided he didn't treat it like crap and it's in good condition, and recoup the costs and maintain the unlimited plan.
 
Whats with all the youngin hate? This guy seems leagues ahead of any 22's I've ever talked to, and thats A LOT. (albeit I'm judging from a single forum post, but so are all of you.) Personally, I think this kind of "life-style" bashing is whats wrong with forums. None (read: most) of you wouldn't say a damn word to another posters face, but that monitor you stare at seems to make you awful judgmental. Do you forget that these are people (or at least humans) that your talking to. you really ought not be so rude.

I won't even get into how splitting costs on a family plan can actually help his parents. do none of you think?

As for the OP, I think you've got a lot of shopping around to do, and phone calls to make. And as far as the new iPhone goes, none of us NEED it, but I sure would like an upgraded gps, faster cell data speeds, possible NFC, Larger screen, inductive charging, etc.
 
I am pretty sure you can survive on an iPhone 4S. What's with people clamoring to kill their finances to buy anything new that comes out?

I am using an iPhone 4 that came out 2 years ago and now going to upgrade to a phone and going to keep that for at least another 2 years. I use my phone a lot sometimes for various things and it has worked fine until recently I figured its time to retire it. I can also afford another phone outright now so i am looking for a replacement.

I did play around with others phones side by side and had a back up captivate phone too but since my finances were tight back then i kept the 4 as it did every thing i wanted it do be after i jailbroke it.
 
First off, current verizon customers do not have to change to the new share plans. if you upgrade your phone through them, then you have to change to a tiered data plan. this info id right on their web site, so you can go look for yourself. i did the research because i wasnt going to use those plans either. but like i said, you can stay on your current plan, just no unlimited data unless you buy the phone for full price
 
Switch to Cricket or Virgin Mobile.

Keep in mind that the pre-paid carriers above probably will not get the new iPhone on the release date like AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint will.

Personally, I'd be OK with still owning the 4S when the new iPhone comes out. I don't know if that is the case for you.
 
I would just buy the iPhone off contract. You will keep the same plan. It will be $650 brand new though...Or wait a couple months and Craigslist one for $400.
 
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