- Can anyone confirm this? If so, I will be ordering the phone I want in the full price option for pickup in store and then tell them I want to use my upgrade program. Last year I was left without a reservation because they didnt let T-Mobile users reserve at midnight. Thankfully because the experience was so bad they called me and many Upgrade Program users to get us one on launch day.
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iPhone Upgrade Program Customers Able to Trade In Old Devices by Mail for iPhone X Launch
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Holy crap I didn't even know this was a thing! I probably wouldn't have switched to T-Mobile as I like getting the device right away on the upgrade program. So you really can't preorder at all?
I find a third credit check in three years ridiculous so I will most likely stop doing it anyways. If all payments are received on time prior to the upgrade this should really be waived for returning customers.
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You can upgrade but just not via the mail in kit-- has to be in-store. (Pain, I know.) We'll have to wait and see if they do something different this year to accommodate T-Mobile customers or if it just turns out iUP was a terrible idea for anyone on T-Mobile that's not near an apple store. (I'm actually not sure these are unlocked if they're on a payment plan.)
Unless you pay for the Verizon phone up front (not on an installment plan like iUP), you have to have a Verizon account to activate the phone on. I know because I tried to pull this stunt last year
They had to follow up with iUP customers directly to find and allocate stock for them to get phones, and I told them I wanted a Verizon device (because it had more bands / was more universal than the GSM model... I don't understand why Apple does this, they ought to have one model if it can accommodate all the carriers like the Verizon one did).In any case, yeah-- I had to activate it on a line there in the store, that was the only way I was walking out of there with a Verizon phone without paying full price for it up front. Someone else can speak to this, but if ordering online through iUP, I believe it will still require verifying your Verizon acct information as part of that order process.
So you can preorder? Seems like someone else was saying otherwise. I'm new to T-Mobile and have had Verizon since 2012 and AT&T/Cingular since 2004. If I make a Verizon account can I just shut it down immediately without paying a penalty? Did you make your account on preorder night (during checkout?) or in advance to save time? I don't care about hard credit hits because my credit scores are all over 800.
I don't even understand why Apple needs to talk to the carriers at all. These devices should be unlocked because we're paying full price!
Sorry - I misspoke. I actually pre-ordered a Verizon one last year not one from T-Mobile. You can create a new line for sure, but like I said, you'll be hit with a hard credit check, and you'll also be responsible for the first month's payment and any activation fees. The Apple staff helping you will also create an account for you while you're there - just expect to be there for an extra 20-30 minutes.
For the 7 I got an ATT version since they didn't have any Tmobile, then I cancelled the ATT service and put in my Tmobile SIM. I'd rather avoid doing this this year for the X. It's odd that it's any different for Tmobile customers when we're upgrading through Apple, not Tmobile. I have an S8+ through my Tmobile plan. Will this make any difference?
I emailed Legere
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Let me know if this is true. I’ll do the same.
I don't get why the carrier has to be involved at all on a unlocked phone.
Can TMobile iup customers preorder online at midnight and get phone for instore pick up and exchange?You can upgrade but just not via the mail in kit-- has to be in-store. (Pain, I know.) We'll have to wait and see if they do something different this year to accommodate T-Mobile customers or if it just turns out iUP was a terrible idea for anyone on T-Mobile that's not near an apple store. (I'm actually not sure these are unlocked if they're on a payment plan.)
Unless you pay for the Verizon phone up front (not on an installment plan like iUP), you have to have a Verizon account to activate the phone on. I know because I tried to pull this stunt last year
In any case, yeah-- I had to activate it on a line there in the store, that was the only way I was walking out of there with a Verizon phone without paying full price for it up front. Someone else can speak to this, but if ordering online through iUP, I believe it will still require verifying your Verizon acct information as part of that order process.
Yep-- the activation fee + first month's service is the premium you have to pay to get a Verizon phone on the upgrade program if you're not a regular Verizon customer. That and all the hassle that goes with it (and the hard check if that matters to you).
It cuts down on scalpers and black market resellers getting all the launch day phones and screwing the rest of the customers.
By forcing service with a phone, even unlocked, it tracks the sale and deters people from buying phones outright to resell. Best Buy has the same policy.
I hope so-- you couldn't last year (nobody could-- it was limited to whatever the store's had listed as available inventory for that day), and they had to scramble to help iUP customers out. Seems like that would be the best solution though-- order online and just require T-Mobile iUP orders to be shipped to the Apple store in order to complete the upgrade process.
No thanks. Ordering to the store sucks. Means showing up early on launch day and waiting for hours as they take customers in, one by one, and get them all setup on their new phones. Ordered the 4 and waited 3 hours before they opened and then 4 hours after in a line just to get a phone I'd already purchased.
Instead, ordering for mail delivery it shows up the morning of launch at the house with no need to go anywhere. Get it much faster and get up and running quicker.
The only reason I do the program is so I don't have to mess with selling it every year. This makes it a pain.
For instance I got the 128GB 7S. I've paid half of it with Apple Care. $439. If I bought outright with AC it's $878. If I sell on Gazelle I'd get $315 right now, so I'd pay $563/yr instead of the $439. I'm starting to think it's not worth it on T-Mobile. Maybe I should just switch back. They still haven't improved my coverage here even though they said it would be upgraded to 700MHz this summer. Inside big buildings is awful, and if I ever venture a few miles from the highway into the country for a drive it drops out so fast.
Same way they do in the store. It's no different. If you are already a IUP member, they already have all your credit information.
When I did the upgrade last year, it wasn't a new inquiry. I still only have my original from 2015 and a soft pull (no credit effect) from last year. They take into account your payment history and the FICO info they gain on you quarterly.
I hope this is correct. Can anyone verify when they find out please. I’m asking because the article said TMobile cilustomers couldn’t upgrade online. So I’m not sure if that means phone trade in process or preorder or both. Thanks
There is no word of this, you unfortunately won't know until Apple launches the site tomorrow. Since they made changes for the mail in program they may have changed to the pickup option as well.
But can you preorder online and go into the store or do you have to go into the store and hope they have one available? That's what I'm trying to figure out. When I bought my 7 last year they didn't even have the mail in kit yet. I've driven two hours to and two hours back from the Apple Store for the 7 and 6s. I just want to make sure I can get it preordered or if they won't let T-Mobile customers because of what everyone is saying about the billing system. I'll be in town visiting family anyway so it's not a big deal to go I just want to secure an iPhone X when I wake up at 2am.
I would wake up at the launch time, and try to get in and see. Last year they didn't allow for T-Mo reservations, because they have no way to verify for your account. Since they can't, you could go in and reserve a bunch of T-Mo phones with no intent to hook them to service and try to scalp them - thus taking away tons of phones from other customers at launch. AT&T, Verizon and Sprint all tie into common upgrade and billing checks, so they can be verified prior to sale. I don't think you'll be able to upgrade online just yet :-/