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iPhone Upgrade Program/What We Know

superstrikertwo

superstrikertwo

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 9, 2008
1,097
100
California
So far we don't know much about how the program will work this year.

What we do know is:
  • Hand over old iPhone (unless paid off)
  • Sign new Citizen Loan contract
  • AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint can be done online
  • T-Mobile via Apple Store only
Wondering what the process will be like online for trading (if possible at all).
 
superstrikertwo said:
So far we don't know much about how the program will work this year.

What we do know is:
  • Hand over old iPhone (unless paid off)
  • Sign new Citizen Loan contract
  • AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint can be done online
  • T-Mobile via Apple Store only
Wondering what the process will be like online for trading (if possible at all).
Click to expand...
I know when I check Apple it says I owe one more payment and to come to the store with my iPhone and 36.xx and I can trade it in


Well nvm I just checked today and it says this. Ive only made 11 payments though

iPhone Upgrade Program
Good news. You're eligible for a new iPhone today.*
You'll be upgrading from:


Just bring your current iPhone to the Apple Store and check in with a Specialist to enroll in a new iPhone Upgrade Program.
 
AndrewR23 said:
I know when I check Apple it says I owe one more payment and to come to the store with my iPhone and 36.xx and I can trade it in


Well nvm I just checked today and it says this. Ive only made 11 payments though

iPhone Upgrade Program
Good news. You're eligible for a new iPhone today.*
You'll be upgrading from:


Just bring your current iPhone to the Apple Store and check in with a Specialist to enroll in a new iPhone Upgrade Program.
Click to expand...

how do you check that information?
 
superstrikertwo said:
Wondering what the process will be like online for trading (if possible at all).
Click to expand...

This, a hundred time this. THat's what I'm curious about. I've been getting a new phone each year with a staggered plan with the wife, got in one last time last year (might still be a loophole on AT&T website, that's how i did it then) but looking at trading in/selling both 6s and 6 and doing two upgrade programs. Don't live anywhere an Apple Store, so i wonder about the trade-up next year (shipping new phones this year is easy as it's the start of a contract).

I wonder if they can do like when a defective phone is sent in....new phone sent immediately, if old phone doesn't arrive after XX number of days, you will be billed.
 
AndrewR23 said:
I know when I check Apple it says I owe one more payment and to come to the store with my iPhone and 36.xx and I can trade it in


Well nvm I just checked today and it says this. Ive only made 11 payments though

iPhone Upgrade Program
Good news. You're eligible for a new iPhone today.*
You'll be upgrading from:


Just bring your current iPhone to the Apple Store and check in with a Specialist to enroll in a new iPhone Upgrade Program.
Click to expand...

Didn't even know that page existed. Thanks!

Says I'm eligible as well.

OneTraveler said:
I wonder if they can do like when a defective phone is sent in....new phone sent immediately, if old phone doesn't arrive after XX number of days, you will be billed.
Click to expand...

Hopefully that's the case. I don't mind going to a store but would prefer the comfort of my own home and opening it there instead of at a store since I won't have a phone once I trade.
 
OneTraveler said:
This, a hundred time this. THat's what I'm curious about. I've been getting a new phone each year with a staggered plan with the wife, got in one last time last year (might still be a loophole on AT&T website, that's how i did it then) but looking at trading in/selling both 6s and 6 and doing two upgrade programs. Don't live anywhere an Apple Store, so i wonder about the trade-up next year (shipping new phones this year is easy as it's the start of a contract).

I wonder if they can do like when a defective phone is sent in....new phone sent immediately, if old phone doesn't arrive after XX number of days, you will be billed.
Click to expand...
From reading Apple's terms and conditions they state that old phone must be turned in within 14 days. So one would assume this means 14 days from either receiving iPhone 7, or day you pre-order. I would also assume Apple will send you a brown box to ship the phone to them for free. I would also assume... that if the phone is damaged you will be notified and charged after Apple received your old phone.
 
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spoa94 said:
From reading Apple's terms and conditions they state that old phone must be turned in within 14 days. So one would assume this means 14 days from either receiving iPhone 7, or day you pre-order. I would also assume Apple will send you a brown box to ship the phone to them for free. I would also assume... that if the phone is damaged you will be notified and charged after Apple received your old phone.
Click to expand...
Fair assumptions. And this is how the carrriers do it.
 
spoa94 said:
Yeah I really doubt Apple will make the upgrade customers jump through hoops to pre-order. These are the most loyal customers after all. I wouldn't doubt Tim Cook gives a little explanation about how current 6s owners can upgrade during the keynote Wednesday.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping the allow for dropping the Apple care price. If they do that I'd more heavily consider getting on one of these plans. As is the case for me, that's $50 additional I pay a year for something I don't want. Otherwise I think it's a solid offering.
 
lordofthereef said:
I'm hoping the allow for dropping the Apple care price. If they do that I'd more heavily consider getting on one of these plans. As is the case for me, that's $50 additional I pay a year for something I don't want. Otherwise I think it's a solid offering.
Click to expand...
You can return your unused Apple Care. According to terms and conditions for IUP:

Termination of your Installment Loan and Cancellation of AppleCare+. You understand that you have purchased AppleCare+ with funds borrowed from the Bank under an Installment Loan. If the Installment Loan is terminated, you must cancel AppleCare+ by contacting AppleCare at: (800) 275-2273. If you do not cancel AppleCare+ on your own, you agree that the Bank is permitted to cancel AppleCare+ on your behalf. In any such event, any refund due on your AppleCare+ will be remitted to the Bank as a payment toward any amount owed by you to the Bank. If the AppleCare+ refunded amount is greater than the amount owed on the Installment Loan, Bank will issue you a refund in the amount of the difference to the credit card you used to enroll in the iPhone Upgrade Program.

Return of AppleCare+. If you return AppleCare+ associated with your iPhone Upgrade Program, any refund due on your AppleCare+ will be remitted to the Bank as a payment toward any amount owed by you to the Bank. If the AppleCare+ refunded amount is greater than the amount owed on the Installment Loan, Bank will issue you a refund in the amount of the difference to the credit card you used to enroll in the iPhone Upgrade Program.
 
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spoa94 said:
You can return your unused Apple Care. According to terms and conditions for IUP:

Termination of your Installment Loan and Cancellation of AppleCare+. You understand that you have purchased AppleCare+ with funds borrowed from the Bank under an Installment Loan. If the Installment Loan is terminated, you must cancel AppleCare+ by contacting AppleCare at: (800) 275-2273. If you do not cancel AppleCare+ on your own, you agree that the Bank is permitted to cancel AppleCare+ on your behalf. In any such event, any refund due on your AppleCare+ will be remitted to the Bank as a payment toward any amount owed by you to the Bank. If the AppleCare+ refunded amount is greater than the amount owed on the Installment Loan, Bank will issue you a refund in the amount of the difference to the credit card you used to enroll in the iPhone Upgrade Program.

Return of AppleCare+. If you return AppleCare+ associated with your iPhone Upgrade Program, any refund due on your AppleCare+ will be remitted to the Bank as a payment toward any amount owed by you to the Bank. If the AppleCare+ refunded amount is greater than the amount owed on the Installment Loan, Bank will issue you a refund in the amount of the difference to the credit card you used to enroll in the iPhone Upgrade Program.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm aware, but that $50 I was referring to is the used part. And I don't care for Apple care. I've saved enough not getting Apple care on my families decides to buy a couple phones outright over the years. Cell phone insurance, for us, is just a waste of money.

I don't imagine you can immediately return the Apple care day one, can you?
 
lordofthereef said:
Yeah, I'm aware, but that $50 I was referring to is the used part. And I don't care for Apple care. I've saved enough not getting Apple care on my families decides to buy a couple phones outright over the years. Cell phone insurance, for us, is just a waste of money.
Click to expand...
Oh I see your point. You may want to consider just getting on the 0% APR financing plan. You still pay for the phone over 24 months but no Apple Care is included. No upgrading either though... It's a trade off. Personally I LOVE AppleCare so its a match made in heaven. But if you consider the $50 a waste in money consider this:
  1. you never need to worry about breaking your phone
  2. you never need to worry about selling phone every year in order to purchase next years model
  3. you are guaranteed to "sell" your year old phone for half price every year
 
spoa94 said:
Oh I see your point. You may want to consider just getting on the 0% APR financing plan. You still pay for the phone over 24 months but no Apple Care is included. No upgrading either though... It's a trade off. Personally I LOVE AppleCare so its a match made in heaven. But if you consider the $50 a waste in money consider this:
  1. you never need to worry about breaking your phone
  2. you never need to worry about selling phone every year in order to purchase next years model
  3. you are guaranteed to "sell" your year old phone for half price every year
Click to expand...
At that point I'd just pay it off. Financing isn't really the issue. It's the ease of just turning the phone in and getting a new one.

I've done the numbers on iPhones and I'd need to crack the screen twice to see a return on the Apple care investment due to the deductible. I use a case on all of our phones and the only real risk, barring some incredible catastrophe, is a cracked screen. Even that is greatly mitigated with a case.

If I. Crack a screen I'm out $150 for the first break. That's the same with Apple care since in paying $50 for the year and $100 deductible. If I completely annihilate the phone it's still only $329 to replace so I'm out another $229. In the nearly ten years I've had an iPhone I've had to do that zero times. Same goes for the rest of my family.

I like to save insurance for things that would put us under severe/crippling financial stress to replace. Apple care doesn't even really alleviate much of the stress of a repair, and neither number is all that crippling anyway (again, for us). I see it as money sent to Apple with a chance to save a few bucks IF I end up breaking the device.

Anyway, didn't really want to get into the nitty gritty of Apple care lol. I'm sure some people enjoy the service. If it gives you peace of mind that's great. I'd just rather throw that $50 in a rainy day fund.
 
lordofthereef said:
At that point I'd just pay it off. Financing isn't really the issue. It's the ease of just turning the phone in and getting a new one.

I've done the numbers on iPhones and I'd need to crack the screen twice to see a return on the Apple care investment due to the deductible. I use a case on all of our phones and the only real risk, barring some incredible catastrophe, is a cracked screen. Even that is greatly mitigated with a case.

If I. Crack a screen I'm out $150 for the first break. That's the same with Apple care since in paying $50 for the year and $100 deductible. If I completely annihikate the phone it's still only $350 to replace so I'm out another $250. In the gen years I've had an iPhone I've had to do that zero times. Same goes for the rest of my family.

I like to save insurance for things that would put us under severe/crippling financial stress to replace. Apple care doesn't even really alleviate much of the stress of a repair, and neither number is all that crippling anyway (again, for us). I see it as money sent to Apple with a chance to save a few bucks IF I end up breaking the device.
Click to expand...
Yeah like I said it all depends on your needs. So for you it sounds like AppleCare is a waste of money. So go back to my other points, by being in the upgrade program you have a convenient way of getting the newest iPhone every year. And assuming AppleCare doesn't take a price hike this year you will continue paying the same monthly fee for the phone. I will be signing up for the program this year. Looking forward to being on a "iPhone every year" plan. I can justify paying around $450 a year to have the latest phone. I'm going for the 7+ 32GB
 
spoa94 said:
Yeah like I said it all depends on your needs. So for you it sounds like AppleCare is a waste of money. So go back to my other points, by being in the upgrade program you have a convenient way of getting the newest iPhone every year. And assuming AppleCare doesn't take a price hike this year you will continue paying the same monthly fee for the phone. I will be signing up for the program this year. Looking forward to being on a "iPhone every year" plan. I can justify paying around $450 a year to have the latest phone. I'm going for the 7+ 32GB
Click to expand...
The only thing that will get me to move to the upgrade program is if Apple drops the Apple care requirement. I can already get the equivalent of what Apple offers from T-Mobile (but without Apple care). Last year they had a stellar promo for people switching and we saved over $200 per device via bill credits, so that was also a draw. Everything else being equal though, none of the carriers force insurance or Apple care (afaik), so from a pure cost perspective, Apple's offering is the worst on the market, unfortunately. Every year in paying $50 I don't need to be.
 
lordofthereef said:
The only thing that will get me to move to the upgrade program is if Apple drops the Apple care requirement. I can already get the equivalent of what Apple offers from T-Mobile (but without Apple care). Last year they had a stellar promo for people switching and we saved over $200 per device via bill credits, so that was also a draw. Everything else being equal though, none of the carriers force insurance or Apple care (afaik), so from a pure cost perspective, Apple's offering is the worst on the market, unfortunately. Every year in paying $50 I don't need to be.
Click to expand...

you can already get on that plan. They do offer without Apple Care and i am thinking of going though that. My wife is on iPhone upgrade program. i was at apple store today and asked the rep about apple care+ and he said iPhone upgrade program needs the apple care+. I was hoping somehow i just drop the apple care+ and only keep on paying for the iPhone!
 
MuGeN PoWeR said:
you can already get on that plan. They do offer without Apple Care and i am thinking of going though that. My wife is on iPhone upgrade program. i was at apple store today and asked the rep about apple care+ and he said iPhone upgrade program needs the apple care+. I was hoping somehow i just drop the apple care+ and only keep on paying for the iPhone!
Click to expand...
How do you plan on dropping the Apple care? My understanding is they won't allow it.
 
MuGeN PoWeR said:
yeah. you are right. You cant. that is why i am gonna go with the trade in + monthly payment plan. it excludes the apple care+!
Click to expand...
Ah I see. At that rate in happy to just go with T-Mobile, honestly. Apple may give you more for your trade though. So if you ARE trading something that's a benefit, potentially.
 
lordofthereef said:
Ah I see. At that rate in happy to just go with T-Mobile, honestly. Apple may give you more for your trade though. So if you ARE trading something that's a benefit, potentially.
Click to expand...

i tried checking the worth for 6s plus but brightstar doesnt have 6s plus as an option. and i will only upgrade if there is some major change in the upcoming iPhone. but for my wife i am surely gonna upgrade as if i have to pay 40.75/month then why not pay for the new phone.
 
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