iPhone Upgrade Program [MERGED]

[vrillusions]

so i just chatted with a rep online and it seems they've been briefed...a bit. he said that doing the iPhone upgrade program WILL reserve a phone for you. he said you select the phone/storage/carrier etc and then a time slot and they will have that phone for you during your appointment. where things were fuzzier is on the whole unlocked/model# situation. he said they don't know what the checkout flow will be at this point, nor what model number the phone will be, but he believes we will need to pick carrier when pre-ordering, not in store. which to me causes concern. if i were to choose at&t i presume i'd get the at&t model "without" the CDMA radios. the ideal would be if they are using the same model no matter what carrier you choose, so that you can switch carriers at any time, but who knows if that is the case.

Here is my conversation with Apple today.
(...)

This answers my questions. I'm currently off contract and know what carrier I'll be using. So I'll be able to reserve it tonight. Also this confirms when I'll make the reservation. Wasn't sure if I'd make the reservation for the 12th to pay for it then have to come in again on the 25th to get it, which didn't seem right. Now alarms (yes plural) are set and I can get some sleep before 3:00 eastern

 

[ZipZap]

What you're missing is that with AT&T, to be eligible to trade in your phone, you have to make 12 payments on a 20-installment plan. So if you're upgrading every year regardless, you save money

Still don't see it. At some point you will pay out all payments.

 

[randian]

That chat says "this won't affect your calling plan at all". If that is so why is the word "activation" being used in reference to Apple Upgrade? My current phones aren't registered with my carrier, which "activation" appears to imply.

 

[ZipZap]

I called Apple and was told that I am not eligible for this program as I am currently under contract with Verizon. I asked if their upgrade program was tied to the carrier's upgrade systems, and the rep said that is the case. I don't think this is as independent of carriers as some people here would like to believe. I think it's simply moving the financing away from the carriers and onto the financial institution Apple is partnering with. In all other regards, it's going to be just like using your carrier upgrade.

At least that's my understanding. I guess we'll find out at 12:01 AM tonight.

It's just a payment plan for the device. It's not a promise to pay for service for a period of time. Everyone should be eligible to finance a phone. If you are already in a payment plan for a phone, keep paying or pay it off. Phone financing and service commitments are different things.

 

[ZipZap]

That chat says "this won't affect your calling plan at all". If that is so why is the word "activation" being used in reference to Apple Upgrade? My current phones aren't registered with my carrier, which "activation" appears to imply.

Because the carriers are going to charge you an activation upgrade fee. They have to switch your account to the new sim or ESn. Everyone gets a cut.

 

[Supermallet]

It's just a payment plan for the device. It's not a promise to pay for service for a period of time. Everyone should be eligible to finance a phone. If you are already in a payment plan for a phone, keep paying or pay it off. Phone financing and service commitments are different things.

The fine print on the website said it requires a 24-month commitment and line activation, which tells me that this isn't JUST a financing plan, and the carriers WILL count as a phone upgrade.

Again, we seem to be getting different answers from different reps, but I suspect this isn't going to be some golden ticket to decouple phone purchasing from the carriers. I think it will simply be moving the financier.

 

[randian]

Because the carriers are going to charge you an activation upgrade fee. They have to switch your account to the new sim or ESn.

No they don't. Neither my phone nor my sims are locked. I don't need to notify my carrier I changed phones.

 

[CrAkD]

The fine print on the website said it requires a 24-month commitment and line activation, which tells me that this isn't JUST a financing plan, and the carriers WILL count as a phone upgrade.

Again, we seem to be getting different answers from different reps, but I suspect this isn't going to be some golden ticket to decouple phone purchasing from the carriers. I think it will simply be moving the financier.

Question is the in store reservation open to let you pay for the phone in another manner? Like if the upgrade plan doesn't work out can you do a next upgrade or pay outright for the same phone?

 

[Supermallet]

Question is the in store reservation open to let you pay for the phone in another manner? Like if the upgrade plan doesn't work out can you do a next upgrade or pay outright for the same phone?

I'm guessing that's going to happen on a case by case basis.

Just FYI I spoke to another rep just now and they said the program IS independent of the carrier upgrade system, but because of the line activation, Verizon customers may not be able to keep their unlimited data using this program.

 

[JonnyBravo]

Hi everyone...for the iPhone Upgrade Program, does anyone know if we pay all the tax upfront like the carriers do? It doesn't seem to be part of the 24 monthly payments.

 

[iPhenom]

Hi everyone...for the iPhone Upgrade Program, does anyone know if we pay all the tax upfront like the carriers do? It doesn't seem to be part of the 24 monthly payments.

Tax needs to be paid up front

 

[JonnyBravo]

Tax needs to be paid up front

Thanks iPhenom! =)

 

[CrAkD]

Every year apple throws a curve ball on preorder day. All this stuff should be hashed out before hand

 

[Supermallet]

I spoke with Verizon, the rep said that the upgrade program isn't tied to their upgrade system, and that I do not have to switch to a current plan from my existing unlimited plan in order to use Apple's program. So I guess I'll try my luck tonight.

 

[ScottC7]

Sheesh; many people have sought to get answers to the same questions and there is still no clarity. I really wish this were all spelled out on a FAQ page on the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program website.

I guess I'll try my luck tonight, but inasmuch as I still have 3 months on a standard two-year contract with AT&T, I'm not that confident that I'll be able to actually reserve an iPhone tonight. Still, it's not the end of the world if I can't. The 5S rocks and 3 months will fly by.

That said, this whole discovery process has reaffirmed my desire to get out of provider contracts and to decouple my phone purchases from the access provider.

 

[AYNOM]

The fine print on the website said it requires a 24-month commitment and line activation, which tells me that this isn't JUST a financing plan, and the carriers WILL count as a phone upgrade.

Again, we seem to be getting different answers from different reps, but I suspect this isn't going to be some golden ticket to decouple phone purchasing from the carriers. I think it will simply be moving the financier.

But it is just a financing plan.

Your 24 month commitment is the term of the loan, that's the time you have to pay off the device in full.

The phone will need to be activated on your carrier. Unlocked != Sim Free;

 

[bronzi]

Sheesh; many people have sought to get answers to the same questions and there is still no clarity. I really wish this were all spelled out on a FAQ page on the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program website.

I guess I'll try my luck tonight, but inasmuch as I still have 3 months on a standard two-year contract with AT&T, I'm not that confident that I'll be able to actually reserve an iPhone tonight. Still, it's not the end of the world if I can't. The 5S rocks and 3 months will fly by.

That said, this whole discovery process has reaffirmed my desire to get out of provider contracts and to decouple my phone purchases from the access provider.

Great way to look at it. May do the same.

 

[0970373]

I agree and said as much to the Apple rep, but he reiterated that the iPhone Upgrade Program is, for reasons he didn't know, tied to phone activations.

This makes sense to me as the phones are being financed so I think this is a security step to make sure people aren't signing up for financing and then skipping town/the remaining payments. So they make sure they are actually activating a line. Also so that it isn't abused (people trying to finance multiple phones and then selling them, perhaps). That's what I think. Not sure if that's true.

 

[randian]

The phone will need to be activated on your carrier. Unlocked != Sim Free;

True only for Verizon and Sprint. "Activation" has no meaning on unlocked GSM if you already have an active sim. Pop out your sim and swap phones. That's all the "activation" you have to do. You do not register the phone with the carrier or need their approval to swap phones.

 

[Supermallet]

But it is just a financing plan.

Your 24 month commitment is the term of the loan, that's the time you have to pay off the device in full.

The phone will need to be activated on your carrier. Unlocked != Sim Free;

Yes, and as I said in a subsequent post, a different Apple rep said the program isn't tied to the carrier's upgrade system, and I also spoke with Verizon and they seemed to confirm this. So I'm going to reserve a spot tonight and see what happens.

 

[randian]

I wonder how they're going to handle cross-carrier reservations e.g. reserve a Verizon or AT&T model but your service is T-Mobile.

 

[nandopr]

I called Apple. I talk to a very nice lady. She was very knowledgable about the upgrade program.

1) At 12:01 PT you select the phone and it will be on "hold" for you.

2) There will be a choice to get the phone using Apple upgrade program.

3) You do the appointment. Go, to the store.

4) They will run your credit (soft pull). You will need a valid credit card and proper ID.

5) If approved, you just wait for the phone. If declined, they will give you the option to pay for the phone full price.

 

[Network33]

I called Apple. I talk to a very nice lady. She was very knowledgable about the upgrade program.

1) At 12:01 PT you select the phone and it will be on "hold" for you.

2) There will be a choice to get the phone using Apple upgrade program.

3) You do the appointment. Go, to the store.

4) They will run your credit (soft pull). You will need a valid credit card and proper ID.

5) If approved, you just wait for the phone. If declined, they will give you the option to pay for the phone full price.

Thanks, for the info.

Does it have to be a "credit card" or will a Debit card work as well?

 

[engelke2010]

Thanks, for the info.

Does it have to be a "credit card" or will a Debit card work as well?

I was also told that it had to be a credit card and not a debit card. Which is strange, considering I can use my debit card as a credit card in many places.

 

[pragmatous]

It's the same thing. They just want something to charge you the monthly rate.

Thanks, for the info.

Does it have to be a "credit card" or will a Debit card work as well?