iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini Cost $30 Extra for T-Mobile, Sprint, or SIM-Free Models [Updated]

[ssspinball]

There is no escaping the $30.00. You get the phone sim-free it's, 730. You get it with the AT&T "discount" for 699 you'll get charged the $30 activation fee later on anyway.

Not true, as the article said the Pro models don’t get charged the $30. This is a completely indefensible move by Apple.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Doesn't beat Samsung S20

Samsung Galaxy S20+ vs Apple iPhone 12 Pro - specs comparison

Compare Samsung Galaxy S20+ vs Apple iPhone 12 Pro with our phone comparison tool and get side-by-side specifications.

www.phonearena.com

If paper specs are important to you, hope you enjoy Samsung. Good luck with that.

 

[ssspinball]

Read the fine print
"AT&T Customer Discount
Prices include a $30 AT&T instant discount. Requires activation."

"Verizon Customer Discount
Prices include a $30 Verizon instant discount. Requires activation."

This means you will pay the 30.00 when you "activate". Either way you pay. Tmobile, Sim free and sprint don't have that.

This doesn’t explain how the 12 Pro has no price difference regardless of carrier.

 

[Taz Mangus]

I can't believe I am saying this, originally going to get 2 of the iPhone 12 minis but the wife wants the iPhone 12 Pro Max. So we are going to order 2 of them, one for me and one for her. Gold for her and blue for me.

 

[Taz Mangus]

This doesn’t explain how the 12 Pro has no price difference regardless of carrier.

I am asking a Apple agent that question right now.

 

[cwwilson]

ATT will charge you to activate anyway. Such a racket.

I didn’t get charged activation fees when I bought my 11 or iPad Pro earlier this year.

 

[tripleburst]

Not true, as the article said the Pro models don’t get charged the $30. This is a completely indefensible move by Apple.

We are in the article about the 12 and 12 mini. I didn’t say or infer anything about the Pro models.

 

[polaris20]

This is idiotic. Macrumors, and other outlets, should state the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini start at $729 and $829 whenever prices are mentioned.

Uh, no. They start at $699 and $799. However, if you're not on AT&T or Verizon, and/or you want a higher capacity, they're more money. Not really a tough thing to understand. How is it MacRumors' fault?

 

[odonnelly99]

It's called corporate partnering, or in some circles, selling out.

Whatever you call it, it's no different that the original iPhone/AT&T deal oh so many years ago. I remember being a VZW customer for years and not being able to get an iPhone because of AT&T exclusivity.

Apparently T-Mobile/Sprint didn't want to play Apple's reindeer games, and so be it. That's their right to do so in the marketplace, same as VZW did with AT&T back in the day, and they regretted it.

T-Mobile is doomed anyway (this is satire, so take it for what it's worth). Poisoned by the malignancy that is the former Nextel. Every corporate entity that merged with or acquired a current or former Nextel partner ended up doomed.

It's like when they open the Ark in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Everyone who keeps their eyes open melts.

The melters are anything that had anything to do with Nextel.....

Isn’t it common knowledge — at least amongst those of us who spend too much time on websites like this — that Jobs wanted to go with Verizon first, but they wanted to mess with the software and put their stupid stamp all over the phone? Basically the **** they did to Android phones instead.

I know I read about it Issacsons book.

 

[slimejester]

So the regular size iPhone 12 is starting at $80 more than the regular iPhone 11 last year.

$129 more, right?

 

[ssspinball]

I am asking a Apple agent that question right now.

View attachment 965959

Now ask them what the starting price of the iPhone 12 is, considering Apple’s own keynote just stated $799 multiple times.

 

[ssspinball]

We are in the article about the 12 and 12 mini. I didn’t say or infer anything about the Pro models.

Are you implying that the carriers choose to charge a $30 fee based on the precise phone model you add? Because that would make even less sense than what you said originally.

 

[tbayrgs]

Verizon gets you either way, if you buy the Verizon version you pay the $30 upgrade fee when you activate, or you buy unlocked and you plug in your sim card. :-/

This is what unchecked capitalism leads to and I’m an AT&T customer. It appears the Big 2 are using their muscle to squeeze the smaller carriers. It’s not right, I can tell you this.

Also, I have a feeling those "instant discounts" of $30 from ATT or Verizon, are deceiving. Unless they no longer charge for upgrade/activation fees - I won't be surprised if after the billing cycle ends you'll be hit with the usual $30 charge. Therefore, actually save no money, and paying that "discount" right back.

Read the fine print
"AT&T Customer Discount
Prices include a $30 AT&T instant discount. Requires activation."

"Verizon Customer Discount
Prices include a $30 Verizon instant discount. Requires activation."

This means you will pay the 30.00 when you "activate". Either way you pay. Tmobile, Sim free and sprint don't have that.

This exactly. AT&T charges $30 and Verizon $40 respectively for their activation fees while T mobile and Sprint don’t.

So those of us who prefer to buy their phones sim free get punished for Apple, AT&T, and Verizon’s even greater greed.

 

[ssspinball]

I am asking a Apple agent that question right now.

View attachment 965964

This is just false info. You don’t need to activate a new line to get the $799 price on Verizon/AT&T. It’s right there on apple.com.

 

[doboy]

$129 more, right?

Where did you get $129?

 

[Jman13]

So the regular size iPhone 12 is starting at $80 more than the regular iPhone 11 last year.

No, it's $130 more. Round to $150 if you want a charger included.
[automerge]1602617700[/automerge]

Where did you get $129?

Should be $130
It was $699 last year, it's $829 unlocked this year.

 

[ssspinball]

This exactly. AT&T charges $30 and Verizon $40 respectively for their activation fees while T mobile and Sprint don’t.

This doesn’t explain A) why the SIM free option is $829 B) why the 12 Pro is $999 regardless of carrier and C) why this has never been the case for any previous iphone launch.

 

[mcbumbersnazzle]

You guys don't get it, that extra $30 is for the environment guys, it's extra so we can help the environment. We here at Apple really love the environment and you should too!

 

[iPlaid]

Nevermind...

 

[Jman13]

I saw that, but I think it was a web page mistake on Apple's part. If I go to the buy page for all 4 phones now, the SIM-free is the cheapest option.

Refresh the page and check it out.

Refreshed the page....still shows $829 for unlocked. In fact, the price says "Includes a verizon customer discount" or "Includes an AT&T customer discount." Which in that case means Apple advertising that it is priced at $799 isn't just fine print...it's an outright lie. The phone is $829, and Verizon and AT&T have discounts.

 

[jz0309]

Carriers will pay Apple to lock a phone to their service. So it does make since. The phone is slightly subsidized.

no, it does not make sense, it's robbery

 

[Saturn1217]

At what point does this become false advertising? I feel like they are skirting the line.

Hoping that media outlets don’t let this slide. Charging a premium for your phones is fine. Everyone expects iPhones to be expensive and in general you do get a quality product out of it. But don’t lie!

 

[jz0309]

Refreshed the page....still shows $829 for unlocked. In fact, the price says "Includes a verizon customer discount" or "Includes an AT&T customer discount." Which in that case means Apple advertising that it is priced at $799 isn't just fine print...it's an outright lie. The phone is $829, and Verizon and AT&T have discounts.

if apple were advertising it as that, fine, but how they do it ... that's bad

 

[appleecosys]

This doesn’t explain how the 12 Pro has no price difference regardless of carrier.

Easy, these will sell more.

 

[compwiz1202]

I don't think there's an upgrade fee if you just swap sim cards.

There isn't but what if you don't have a 5G SIM. Will VZW still charge you to get one?