Yeah, would be like in the days of subsidized phones saying "the new iPhone, starting at $0"*, but just not quite so aggressively misleading.
[buried in fine print:]
*requires activation with carrier x and two-year contract.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini Cost $30 Extra for T-Mobile, Sprint, or SIM-Free Models [Updated]
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yeah, would be like in the days of subsidized phones saying "the new iPhone, starting at $0"*, but just not quite so aggressively misleading.
[buried in fine print:]
*requires activation with carrier x and two-year contract.
I thought Apple would require you to activate on ATT or Verizon to leave the store with the phone. So how will you avoid the fee?
You could choose to activate later but with the new wording on the site, choosing that option does not get you the $30 discount. Keep in mind, activating the phone through apple at time of purchase will mean you will also be charged an activation fee by your carrier which usually is in the $30 range. So in all, you will be paying $30 more then what is being advertised for these phones regardless of which way you go.
You'll notice that this specifies phones *purchased from Verizon* and that the Apple website specifies that all phones sold without a payment plan are unlocked (and further specifies that the only not unlocked phone is the one with the AT&T payment plan).When was the last time you purchased a Verizon version of the iPhone? Verizon phones used to come unlocked, but Verizon quietly updated their phone lock policy to 60 days from purchase sometime in the last year, I think. I have run into the issue where I purchased a Verizon iPhone I thought was unlocked, but a different carrier SIM wasn’t allowed.
Device Unlocking Policies | Verizon Privacy Policy
In order to mitigate theft and other fraudulent activity, newly purchased devices are “locked” to work exclusively on the Verizon network. We have separate device unlocking policies that cover postpay and prepaid devices, as well as special rules for deployed military personnel.www.verizon.com
So selecting Verizon when purchasing from Apple should not result in receiving a locked phone, unless this is a case in which both Verizon and Apple are lying in print to consumers.
ETA: To be clear, Verizon does say that they'll lock the phone for 60 days after activation, but this only applies if you activate.
Last edited:
I suppose this is progress in that we're griping about the actual device price, rather than back in the not-so-distant past when the pricing only reflected the subsidized cost under a multiyear contract commitment.
Here's the press release for the original iPhone. The price there was $500 for the 4GB model and $600 for the 8GB, but in that case the fine print was a two-year contract.
Fast forward to the iPhone 5s introduction. Even though contract-free plans had become more widely available by that time, the quoted iPhone pricing that went up on the big screen at the introduction still only included the subsidized cost. $200 for the 16GB model, $300 for the 32GB model, and $400 for the 64GB model. Again, no mention at all about the device-only pricing, which was $450 higher and at that time only available for the T-Mobile configuration.
The iPhone 6s/6s Plus presser took the obfuscation one step further when it only mentioned the monthly cost with zero down.
It wasn't until the iPhone 7/7 Plus came out in 2016 (9 years later) that Apple finally quoted the full price for the device at the introductory presser.
Glad that I bought my iPhone SE when I did. The quoted price was the actual price, and I got the accessories (since I was upgrading from an iPhone 5s, I needed the Lightning earbuds) that Apple has now expunged from all iPhone boxes.
Here's the press release for the original iPhone. The price there was $500 for the 4GB model and $600 for the 8GB, but in that case the fine print was a two-year contract.
Apple Reinvents the Phone with iPhone
www.apple.com
Fast forward to the iPhone 5s introduction. Even though contract-free plans had become more widely available by that time, the quoted iPhone pricing that went up on the big screen at the introduction still only included the subsidized cost. $200 for the 16GB model, $300 for the 32GB model, and $400 for the 64GB model. Again, no mention at all about the device-only pricing, which was $450 higher and at that time only available for the T-Mobile configuration.
The iPhone 6s/6s Plus presser took the obfuscation one step further when it only mentioned the monthly cost with zero down.
Apple Introduces iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus
www.apple.com
It wasn't until the iPhone 7/7 Plus came out in 2016 (9 years later) that Apple finally quoted the full price for the device at the introductory presser.
Apple introduces iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus
Apple today announced iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, including new advanced camera systems and the best battery life ever on an iPhone.
www.apple.com
Glad that I bought my iPhone SE when I did. The quoted price was the actual price, and I got the accessories (since I was upgrading from an iPhone 5s, I needed the Lightning earbuds) that Apple has now expunged from all iPhone boxes.
Last edited:
You mean like when Jobs quoted the original iPhone at $500? Or when the iPhone 6s was introduced at a price of $0 down? Always read the fine print has always applied to the iPhones, especially when carrier options are involved. Retailers like Best Buy and Target have quoted activation-dependent prices like this for years. Too bad Apple has now gone along with that model as well.
T-Mobile doesn't play the retail spiffs game anymore. Verizon and AT&T give retailers a cut plus incentives in exchange for product placement and promotion. That's why you don't see dedicated T-Mobile sections with carrier-locked phones at retail stores, and why retailers like Best Buy and Target don't offer discounts for phones that you would activate on T-Mobile's network.
Last edited:
So the Apple Store app shows me this. I am a T-Mobile customer. Am I missing something here, or is the phone $799 now and not $829?
*EDIT* Nevermind, when you get to the next step it goes back up to the $829 price.
*EDIT* Nevermind, when you get to the next step it goes back up to the $829 price.
Attachments
Last edited:
The one insane thing to me is why is the AT&T Trade Deal so much better than VZW. You could get a regular 12 for free (plus taxes, and after bill credits) with just trading an 8! VZW only gives $500 for an 11PM! Might be time to return.
My ? is if I would get another SIM Free, but need a 5G SIM, would VZW charge again to activate that 5G SIM? So would it actually be better to get the VZW model for $30 less and just pay the SIM charge instead of the charge plus the upcharge for SIM Free?
I wonder if they're trying to use mind tricks with not charging the $30 for Pros. People will just see they save $30 without also noticing it is $100s more for the Pros
Yes VZW only gets locked for 60 days if you activate with a VZW SIM. AT&T only locks if you have an active installment plan. I don't believe the others ever lock.
So I wonder do they balance that with the SIM activation charge, or will they waive that this time? Seems dumb to give a discount and then charge you.Yeah, no difference in models - there's only one for each type.
iPhone
Designed for Apple Intelligence. Discover the iPhone 16e along with iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16, and iPhone 15.www.apple.com
But the $30 discount requires activation with Verizon so not sure that would work.
Is there such a thing as a 5G SIM? My understanding is that LTE is still required on 5G for certain things. I honestly don’t know ...
I think they'll charge the fee and explain that's why you got the discounted price - so it's a wash.
Meanwhile the whipsawed customers won't all realize they're paying $729/$829 after all.
I don't understand the subsidy talking point. Aren't ATT and Verizon customers simply going to make the carriers whole when they pay a $30 activation fee, whereas TMO has no such fee?
If only the T-mobile coverage was even barely adequate in my town, i'd be with you.
Yup! Signed up for T-Mobile because the price was about half of Verizon.... but my service reliability was about 1/4 of what I had with Verizon, so it was actually a super ****** deal.
AT&T doesn't have a 5G SIM, they just have to provision the account to use the "ATT Enhancedphone" APN.
I assume Verizon is similar.
The option to not buy a 2020 Mini exists, at least for me. Even though my original SE is dying, my wife says I could buy a 2020 SE/128GB now and pass it to her next year, buying myself a Mini when it has 120Hz ProMotion and maybe even Touch-ID in the power button. She's choosing to get an iPad Air/256GB this year, rather than a new phone and she likes the 2020 SE.
interesting, so you have to "activate" your 5G phone then?
been on VZ for 10 years or so and at least in the lat 5 years I got unlocked iPhones and jut swapped the SIM out myself, never "activated" it, hence never paid an activation fee but maybe this is over with 5G? or at least for your first 5G phone?
Again, I don't know how Verizon does it, but with AT&T, all you have to do is provision the account (have a 5G compatible plan), there is no activation required if you have a working SIM. Once you're on the 5G plan, just restart the phone and you're all set.
The T-Mobile perspective on Apple's pricing
We have good LTE coverage here and have been very happy with their "Over 55" plan.
EDIT TO ADD: Here's T-Mobile's announcement of upcoming available iPhone deals.
We have good LTE coverage here and have been very happy with their "Over 55" plan.
EDIT TO ADD: Here's T-Mobile's announcement of upcoming available iPhone deals.
Last edited: