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...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?

Att has not said they are getting rid of unlimited plans. You will still be grandfathered in just throttled speeds with hspa(3gb) and LTE(5gb).
 
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.

It's in great condition...I'm just going to give it to my mom because I'm the only one with data on my family plan (the other 4 don't use data) that's why I don't want to upgrade b/c it would definitely be a burden.

Also, for all the haters out there...I work an internship (I'm a senior in college) where I work 70 hours a week and get paid $500 a month...it's **** money but great experience where I'm hoping to get hired on in January after I graduate in December...so quit trying to act like I'm stuck on the family teet and not grown up.

I've been checking out Virgin Mobile and MetroPCS (heard they might get the iPhone soon)...but if all else fails I'd pay the full $600 b/c it'l definitely save my family a **** ton of money.
 
Sell your 4s, add $300 or so and buy iPhone 5 at full retail. If you can't afford to spend $100 over the subsidized price then get a job.
 
Sell your 4s, add $300 or so and buy iPhone 5 at full retail. If you can't afford to spend $100 over the subsidized price then get a job.

Did you not read the part about me giving the 4S to my mom above?
 
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.

With Verizon's new plans, your math may not be certain (he doesn't have options to do the old plans... unless he moves to AT&T and they haven't changed their plan offerings yet).

If he just has a single line, he's probably going to be paying a lot more than what he is paying now with grandfathered plan for a whole lot less data (the 1 GB shared data is 50 dollars added on to the 40 dollars smartphone fee!!!). Even if his family is willing to move to the family shared data, it depends on their usage if it is a good deal (For me and my roommate it would be more expensive than what we pay now, but we're grandfathered on AT&T unlimited and a small voice plan as well that I don't think AT&T offers anymore and we don't pay for texts as it is not worth it to us. Especially now that most of our friends/family have iphones so we can use imessage).

So, your advice may be horrible advice depending on what he needs. Cause with the new plans Verizon offers, it may very well be more expensive with a lot less data.
 
You're 22. Get your own plan and make an adult decision.

I would just get your own plan.

Twenty-two and still on your parents phone account? Forget the data. Figure out your priorities, first.

It's hard to believe how narrow minded some people are. I'm 26 and married. Both my wife and I are on my parents family plan. It's simply the most economical way. Of course we pay them for it. Right now on at&t we only pay $35 for voice and unlimited text (plus data of course). To get the same on our own plan we would pay over double that. What's the incentive? It has nothing to do with lacking responsibility.

Back on topic, I would recommend waiting till all the specific details are announced to make an educated decision. I'm not sure if everything is completely known for Verizon yet, but I know at&t has been completely quiet on the subject. I've been doing my voodoo dance every night that at&t will let me keep my $30 unlimited as I move to LTE.
 
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...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?

For $650, you may as well just keep your unlimited plan and your current phone - you'll save MUCH MORE in the long-term.

Plus, the 4S won't start getting phased out until iOS7 or even iOS8, so I wouldn't worry about being "left behind" for another year+.
 
I don't know why a lot of people are attacking the OP for being on his parents cellphone plan. I'm currently on a plan with my boyfriend with two unlimited data plans. I refuse to pay full price for a device when carriers don't make you pay any less than people who are paying for a subsidy.

That being said, my mon has five lines on her current plan. Two smartphones and three dumb phones. My boyfriend and I have four lines, two with smartphones and two with dumb phones for yearly upgrading. With Verizon's new plans all of this works out perfectly for us. My boyfriend and I will be jumping on my moms phone plan when she switches to it. She gets a 22% discount at work, so the 20GB data plan will be $117 with the discount. My boyfriend and I will be adding out LTE iPads to our two dumb phone lines and only have to pay $10 a month per iPad. My moms work pays for minutes and texts, so essentially for nine lines, with six accessing data, the bill (essentially $117+tax) will be split four ways, my mom, my brother, my boyfriend and I.

So while these plans may not work for everyone, these new plans are going to allow my boyfriend and I go from paying $164/month, to just paying ~$59 to be split between the two of us. Really $30/month for 5GB of data for me, unlimited texts, unlimited minutes and yearly upgrades when switching from our main lines and our iPad lines.

Going with that logic, why can't someone in their 20's be on their parents phone plan. Should I "get my priorities straight" because I want to save $130/month?
 
Also, for all the haters out there...I work an internship (I'm a senior in college) where I work 70 hours a week and get paid $500 a month...it's **** money but great experience where I'm hoping to get hired on in January after I graduate in December...so quit trying to act like I'm stuck on the family teet and not grown up.

No haters, but that fact you work your balls off for little money is of little relevance. Nobody is going to say "oh, well, you deserve it then". There are plenty of people that work long hours, make less than $30k a year, and still have house payments, utilities, etc. etc. My point? They don't get blessed with inexpensive phones either. I want a new car every year, and I work pretty damn hard. Unfortunately I can;t afford it, so I don't get one. It sounds like you are in the same boat, possibly, with this phone. Good life lessons though. Keep up the hard work, I am sure you will be in a better financial situation soon enough. I was once where you are now too! :)
 
You still maybe screwed if you buy it out right seeing as moving from a 3G plan to a 4G plan will drop the unlimted data, even if one buys the phone outright. Seeing as the next iPhone may come with LTE may mean you could be in a tricky situation.
 
Most people who are 22 are on the family plan. However, many, including myself, pay a part of the bill. It's just cheaper and there's more minutes to put in the Rollover bin (7000 and counting!).

I'm keeping the 4S, but it's because of all the uncertainty and changes in the 5, I'll sit it out, I just got the LifeProof case and accessories for the 4S, so I'll hang onto that for a while, and after the dust has settled for a year on all the big changes, I'll get a 6 or something.
 
No haters, but that fact you work your balls off for little money is of little relevance. Nobody is going to say "oh, well, you deserve it then". There are plenty of people that work long hours, make less than $30k a year, and still have house payments, utilities, etc. etc. My point? They don't get blessed with inexpensive phones either. I want a new car every year, and I work pretty damn hard. Unfortunately I can;t afford it, so I don't get one. It sounds like you are in the same boat, possibly, with this phone. Good life lessons though. Keep up the hard work, I am sure you will be in a better financial situation soon enough. I was once where you are now too! :)

Hmm, idk... Just because some peoe have a crappy situation doesn't mean everyone should live like that if they don't have to. I'm 21 and still on my parents' phone plan. I do pay for most things, but my parents insist on paying for things they deem to be necessities (food and whatnot). I am working my ass off with research and whatnot, and I will hopefully get accepted into medical school soon and start on that path. I'll have even less time to make money then with the time commitment medical school. Thankfully the internship I have right now pays pretty well. But that won't last forever

Fact of the matter is, I don't think I could have afforded to go on this career path if my parents didn't give me financial support. It would cost more than I make, and I would have to dedicate time that I don't have working. There are people who manage to juggle everything, and I commend them. But I can't

(Admittedly part of the problem is I have ongoing health problems which cost roughly $1500/month in insurance copays... But even without that I don't think I could have done it without my parents' support. And I will try to repay them someday)
 
I'm not upgrading because I just got an AT&T 4S off of Craigslist and set it up on T-Mobile for $30 a month. I have had every iPhone to date but keeping a low cost plan is much more important to me than upgrading to the new iPhone and having to pay $70 more per month.

I will wait until the 5S or whatever it's called and then purchase that outright when T-Mobile has LTE and I will be able to utilize those speeds at a lower cost.
 
Also, for all the haters out there...I work an internship (I'm a senior in college) where I work 70 hours a week and get paid $500 a month...it's **** money but great experience where I'm hoping to get hired on in January after I graduate in December...so quit trying to act like I'm stuck on the family teet and not grown up.

I've been checking out Virgin Mobile and MetroPCS (heard they might get the iPhone soon)...but if all else fails I'd pay the full $600 b/c it'l definitely save my family a **** ton of money.

Sometimes, people who give good advice do sound like haters.

Anyways, what are you going to lose if you cannot afford a iPhone 5 and are using an iPhone 4S? Bragging rights?
 
I am in a similar boat as you, OP, and thought about upgrading my contract just to get a fresh two years started. But I'm thinking, merely speculating, that VZW won't honor the unlimited data plans that we have on our 3G phones for a (likely) 4G LTE iPhone 5.

In that scenario, the upgrade would be for naught, actually counter-productive. Just another thing to think about (and I don't think I saw anyone else mention that in this thread).

Good luck.
 
Hmm, idk... Just because some peoe have a crappy situation doesn't mean everyone should live like that if they don't have to. I'm 21 and still on my parents' phone plan. I do pay for most things, but my parents insist on paying for things they deem to be necessities (food and whatnot). I am working my ass off with research and whatnot, and I will hopefully get accepted into medical school soon and start on that path. I'll have even less time to make money then with the time commitment medical school. Thankfully the internship I have right now pays pretty well. But that won't last forever

Fact of the matter is, I don't think I could have afforded to go on this career path if my parents didn't give me financial support. It would cost more than I make, and I would have to dedicate time that I don't have working. There are people who manage to juggle everything, and I commend them. But I can't

(Admittedly part of the problem is I have ongoing health problems which cost roughly $1500/month in insurance copays... But even without that I don't think I could have done it without my parents' support. And I will try to repay them someday)

I appreciate this story, but what does this have to do with anything I said? I basically said "if you can't afford it, you can't afford it." I didn't say "live like a poor man because there are others out there that live that way too." Frankly he is saying he can;t afford the phone but that we shouldn't get on him because he works hard. Well, life it tough sometimes. Better to learn those lessons now than to make stupid decisions and get into debt by buying things one cannot afford.

The amount parents are willing to give is always variable. My friend got a new Merc for her 16th birthday. I got a co-sign on a loan for a Jetta. If you are lucky to get support from parents, great! I only assume that the OP isn't in the same situation since he is asking here on how to get a cheap upgrade (which, by the way, if there was a "secret" to doing this, everyone would be going that route because they'd be stupid not to).
 
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.

I deduce that you used the word deduce 1 too many times. :eek:)
 
My parents are begging me not to move out, but they drive me kinda crazy. So I'm going to move out. But I'll still stay on the family plan, it's cheaper for both of us, and I'll just pay part of the bill each month and get more plan for less $$$.
 
Does loosing unlimited suck? Yep. Is everyones unlimited going to be lost at some point? Yeah. Whether it's through them just eventually cutting it off when everyone is out of contract or they throttle to the point they give it voluntarily. It's just delaying the inevitable. It sucks but it's the way things are going.
 
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