iPhone Upgrade Program

[mjwebb]

To each there own opinion, but I was wanting to ask if anyone had used the iPhone Upgrade Program for the iPhone 6s/6s Plus and was/is wanting to upgrade to the new iPhone.

Please share your experience with the program as I am currently ending my 2-year contract with an iPhone 6 on Verizon, to hopefully unlock my iPhone whenever the chance arises that I may have to switch carriers.

Thanks all in advanced!

 

[Mlrollin91]

Used it for the 6s and going to use it for the 7+.

Easy, simple and convenient. If you upgrade yearly its actually cheaper than AT&T Next plus you get AppleCare+. Now if you were to keep it for the full 24 months, then it is more expensive because of AppleCare.

iPhone 6s 64GB
AT&T = $37.45 X 20 Months
IUP = $36.48 X 24 Months (Includes AppleCare+)

So after 12 months:

AT&T = $449.40 + $129 for AppleCare+
IUP = $437.76 (Includes AppleCare+)

So only do the plan if you plan on upgrading early and want AppleCare+. Otherwise carrier financing might be better. There is a credit check which is a downfall, but thats up to you if its worth it or not.

 

[mjwebb]

Used it for the 6s and going to use it for the 7+.

Easy, simple and convenient. If you upgrade yearly its actually cheaper than AT&T Next plus you get AppleCare+. Now if you were to keep it for the full 24 months, then it is more expensive because of AppleCare.

iPhone 6s 64GB
AT&T = $37.45 X 20 Months
IUP = $36.48 X 24 Months (Includes AppleCare+)

So after 12 months:

AT&T = $449.40 + $129 for AppleCare+
IUP = $437.76 (Includes AppleCare+)

So only do the plan if you plan on upgrading early and want AppleCare+. Otherwise carrier financing might be better. There is a credit check which is a downfall, but thats up to you if its worth it or not.

Thank you so much for the response. Wow, that's not bad considering I'll be savings another $20 a month because the device will be unlocked on Verizon instead of the 24 monthly line fees of $40 each month.

Was it easy for you to apply for it (I know we can do online or in-store) and I also heard about the dreaded denying of credit that happened early on in the program as well. My credit is decent (700+) so not sure where I would lay in that realm of being approved or not. Thanks again!

 

[Mlrollin91]

Thank you so much for the response. Wow, that's not bad considering I'll be savings another $20 a month because the device will be unlocked on Verizon instead of the 24 monthly line fees of $40 each month.

Was it easy for you to apply for it (I know we can do online or in-store) and I also heard about the dreaded denying of credit that happened early on in the program as well. My credit is decent (700+) so not sure where I would lay in that realm of being approved or not. Thanks again!

If you have a credit card you are pretty much good to go, as thats the main requirement. It takes a 690 to get a moderately decent car loan interest rate, so with a 700+ and applying for a phone loan, you should in good hands. I made my reservation on pre-order night for the 6s. Went into the store at 8AM launch day (my appointment time) and I was done by 8:15. It was extremely easy to set up.

 

[mjwebb]

If you have a credit card you are pretty much good to go, as thats the main requirement. It takes a 690 to get a moderately decent car loan interest rate, so with a 700+ and applying for a phone loan, you should in good hands. I made my reservation on pre-order night for the 6s. Went into the store at 8AM launch day (my appointment time) and I was done by 8:15. It was extremely easy to set up.

Wow, even more tempting. Thank you again for the help! Might just have to wait until midnight and pre-order this round.

 

[DMVillain]

Used it for a 128gb 6s Plus, plan on upgrading to a 64gb 7 or 7 plus (still undecided)

 

[urkel]

Its just about this time of year that I start hating the fact that I can't be happy with "last years" phone because all the good deals are happening.

Best Buy has Geek Squad Refurbished unlocked Verizon phones for pretty cheap (And if you call Apple they will reset the warranty). 6S+ is $509. 6S is $449. SE is $339. Plus things like Apple Watch are $199. Not to mention the frequent Ebay deals on warranties devices.

But unfortunately, I irrationally want the newest phone and so I get suckered into contracts and am currently on the iPhone For Life plan with Sprint.

So far my 22month Lease Agreement looks like this:

IPhone 6S+ 64GB ($850 Retail)

Total Lease Agreement Amount
$518.00
Lease Charge (11 of 22)
$23.77
Remaining Lease Commitment
$256.53
Purchase Option Price
$191.00
Payments Remaining
11

I have some big discounts because last year they really pushed to promote the concept of leases. They gave me $7/mo off until I choose to upgrade. And $200 back to trade in my old phone (I used a $10 qualifying Net10 prepaid).


So. I have the option of either continuing to pay my $23/mo and at the end of my payments I can actually OWN the phone I've been paying for. OR I can trade it in for an iPhone 7 but I lose the $7/mo discount, reset the payment counter (which is now 24mo) and have to trade in the perfectly great iPhone 6S+.

Personally, I wish contracts still existed because I don't change carriers so I have no problem being tied to only one and getting a huge discount. Leases may be the new way to hide the cost but to be honest I think the real solution is for Apple to stop gouging customers and exploiting our ridiculous loyalty. Its 2016 and Smart Phones simply should not cost nearly $1000 for a "one-year product".

 

[mjwebb]

Its just about this time of year that I start hating the fact that I can't be happy with "last years" phone because all the good deals are happening.

Best Buy has Geek Squad Refurbished unlocked Verizon phones for pretty cheap (And if you call Apple they will reset the warranty). 6S+ is $509. 6S is $449. SE is $339. Plus things like Apple Watch are $199. Not to mention the frequent Ebay deals on warranties devices.

But unfortunately, I irrationally want the newest phone and so I get suckered into contracts and am currently on the iPhone For Life plan with Sprint.

So far my 22month Lease Agreement looks like this:

IPhone 6S+ 64GB ($850 Retail)

Total Lease Agreement Amount
$518.00
Lease Charge (11 of 22)
$23.77
Remaining Lease Commitment
$256.53
Purchase Option Price
$191.00
Payments Remaining
11

I have some big discounts because last year they really pushed to promote the concept of leases. They gave me $7/mo off until I choose to upgrade. And $200 back to trade in my old phone (I used a $10 qualifying Net10 prepaid).


So. I have the option of either continuing to pay my $23/mo and at the end of my payments I can actually OWN the phone I've been paying for. OR I can trade it in for an iPhone 7 but I lose the $7/mo discount, reset the payment counter (which is now 24mo) and have to trade in the perfectly great iPhone 6S+.

Personally, I wish contracts still existed because I don't change carriers so I have no problem being tied to only one and getting a huge discount. Leases may be the new way to hide the cost but to be honest I think the real solution is for Apple to stop gouging customers and exploiting our ridiculous loyalty. Its 2016 and Smart Phones simply should not cost nearly $1000 for a "one-year product".

I totally agree on the $1000 a year thing...but either way I feel I'm shelling out the same amount of money, whether through Apple, Verizon, etc. But wouldn't you think that after 10 years of iPhones we'd still be paying massive amounts of cash just to use our little iDevices?

 

[frozencarbonite]

I'm going to jump in here and see if anyone knows the answer to my question who has had experience with Apple's Upgrade program.

I want to do Apple's iPhone Upgrade plan. My wife and I are currently still using iPhone 5s on AT&T. I'm grandfathered into unlimited data with AT&T and have a FAN discount. I plan to upgrade to a 7 Plus and my wife a regular 7. I do not want to go through AT&T because they will hassle me about changing plans. We are very happy with the amount we pay monthly for phone service. I'd rather deal with Apple regarding the hardware.

We have good credit. We currently do not have any credit card debt. With the whole credit requirement, would we both have to apply for the iPhone Upgrade program or can be just one person? I want to take care of getting the new phones so my wife doesn't have to worry about it. Do any of you know the answer to this?

 

[imlynxy]

Used it for the 6s and going to use it for the 7+.

Easy, simple and convenient. If you upgrade yearly its actually cheaper than AT&T Next plus you get AppleCare+. Now if you were to keep it for the full 24 months, then it is more expensive because of AppleCare.

iPhone 6s 64GB
AT&T = $37.45 X 20 Months
IUP = $36.48 X 24 Months (Includes AppleCare+)

So after 12 months:

AT&T = $449.40 + $129 for AppleCare+
IUP = $437.76 (Includes AppleCare+)

So only do the plan if you plan on upgrading early and want AppleCare+. Otherwise carrier financing might be better. There is a credit check which is a downfall, but thats up to you if its worth it or not.

You math is not 100 percent accurate. With Att option yo can call Apple and they pay you back prorated amount of Apple Care


I go with Apple Upgrade this year:
1. I need an unlocked phone with Apple Care
2. I hate Att delays and the way they packed iPhones last year I don't want to go with their delivery
[doublepost=1472565528][/doublepost]

I'm going to jump in here and see if anyone knows the answer to my question who has had experience with Apple's Upgrade program.

I want to do Apple's iPhone Upgrade plan. My wife and I are currently still using iPhone 5s on AT&T. I'm grandfathered into unlimited data with AT&T and have a FAN discount. I plan to upgrade to a 7 Plus and my wife a regular 7. I do not want to go through AT&T because they will hassle me about changing plans. We are very happy with the amount we pay monthly for phone service. I'd rather deal with Apple regarding the hardware.

We have good credit. We currently do not have any credit card debt. With the whole credit requirement, would we both have to apply for the iPhone Upgrade program or can be just one person? I want to take care of getting the new phones so my wife doesn't have to worry about it. Do any of you know the answer to this?

You don't need to change your plan when you go with Att Next.
I strongly agree with you about CC debt. I also use them only for cashback bonuses

Why not to get 5 percent at Costco gas station?

I go with Apple Upgrade: 1. You get a kind of SIM free phone, unlocked, ready for all 4 carriers. 2. Att CS is a "hit or miss" 3. Last year Att didn't charge Apple Ugrade lines with 45 dollars "upgrade" fee. (may be a mistake on thier side, but I didn't call to ask)
I hope at 3am EST on the 1st day I can order a pick up in my local store. I wish Apple mail upgraded phones to my place.

 

[Mlrollin91]

You math is not 100 percent accurate. With Att option yo can call Apple and they pay you back prorated amount of Apple Care


I go with Apple Upgrade this year:
1. I need an unlocked phone with Apple Care
2. I hate Att delays and the way they packed iPhones last year I don't want to go with their delivery

And thats not entirely true. If you use one of the 2 accidental damage repairs, you can't get anything pro-rated. Additionally, they charge a 15% fee to prorate the refund. So yes, my math is still 100% accurate.

iPhone 6s 64GB
AT&T = $37.45 X 20 Months
IUP = $36.48 X 24 Months (Includes AppleCare+)

These numbers are facts, there is no way to dispute that.

So after 12 months:
AT&T = $449.40 + $129 for AppleCare+
IUP = $437.76 (Includes AppleCare+)

These numbers are also facts. Even if you were to get a 50% refund of AppleCare+, which you won't because of the 15% fee. You would be paying $513.90 on AT&T Next for 12 months, vs. $437.76 from Apple IUP. If you for certain plan on upgrading after 12 months, Apple IUP is without a doubt a cheaper route.

 

[melman101]

I'm going to jump in here and see if anyone knows the answer to my question who has had experience with Apple's Upgrade program.

I want to do Apple's iPhone Upgrade plan. My wife and I are currently still using iPhone 5s on AT&T. I'm grandfathered into unlimited data with AT&T and have a FAN discount. I plan to upgrade to a 7 Plus and my wife a regular 7. I do not want to go through AT&T because they will hassle me about changing plans. We are very happy with the amount we pay monthly for phone service. I'd rather deal with Apple regarding the hardware.

We have good credit. We currently do not have any credit card debt. With the whole credit requirement, would we both have to apply for the iPhone Upgrade program or can be just one person? I want to take care of getting the new phones so my wife doesn't have to worry about it. Do any of you know the answer to this?

Yes. I was able to do both my wife and my iPhone on my credit card. You need a credit card to give them. So, to recap, my wife is the primary AT&T bill holder. I am an authorized user.

We both had iPhone 5S's, grandfathered unlimited.

I went to the Apple Store when the iPhone 6S came out. I was able to do the Apple Upgrade Program using my credit/credit card for both my wife's iPhone 6S+ and my iPhone 6S+.

 

[frozencarbonite]

Yes. I was able to do both my wife and my iPhone on my credit card. You need a credit card to give them. So, to recap, my wife is the primary AT&T bill holder. I am an authorized user.

We both had iPhone 5S's, grandfathered unlimited.

I went to the Apple Store when the iPhone 6S came out. I was able to do the Apple Upgrade Program using my credit/credit card for both my wife's iPhone 6S+ and my iPhone 6S+.

I guess the hardest thing will be getting the actual phones, since they do not really do preorders. Isn't it all just reservations now, which doesn't guarantee you that you can get one? It's been 4 years since I've done the whole iPhone launch thing (and I went through AT&T then. Never again.) So I'm a little out of practice. Haha.

 

[Orion1]

So, I'm on the Apple Upgrade program since January. Obviously I will not have reached 12 months by the time the new iPhone is out.
This is the wording from the Apple Upgrade program website: "Yes. You can upgrade at an Apple Store anytime after six months, as long as you’ve made the equivalent of at least 12 payments."

Silly question: How do I do extra payments to make up for the "missing months"?

 

[mjwebb]

I guess the hardest thing will be getting the actual phones, since they do not really do preorders. Isn't it all just reservations now, which doesn't guarantee you that you can get one? It's been 4 years since I've done the whole iPhone launch thing (and I went through AT&T then. Never again.) So I'm a little out of practice. Haha.

Actually I remember getting the iPhone 6 on launch date through reservations, and when you do that you get through the line MUCH quicker and are pretty much guaranteed a phone because you do "reserve" it when you make the preorder appointment. Now maybe that has changed since, but I don't think it would've.

 

[frozencarbonite]

Actually I remember getting the iPhone 6 on launch date through reservations, and when you do that you get through the line MUCH quicker and are pretty much guaranteed a phone because you do "reserve" it when you make the preorder appointment. Now maybe that has changed since, but I don't think it would've.

That's good to know. We will see if they keep it the same way. I just don't want to wait in any line. I've done it before but I don't have the extra time like I used to. I'd love to get two iPhones (one for my wife and I) at launch, but if not, it won't kill me. I can wait a little.

 

[Mlrollin91]

So, I'm on the Apple Upgrade program since January. Obviously I will not have reached 12 months by the time the new iPhone is out.
This is the wording from the Apple Upgrade program website: "Yes. You can upgrade at an Apple Store anytime after six months, as long as you’ve made the equivalent of at least 12 payments."

Silly question: How do I do extra payments to make up for the "missing months"?

Call CitizensOne. You can make payments over the phone.

 

[mjwebb]

That's good to know. We will see if they keep it the same way. I just don't want to wait in any line. I've done it before but I don't have the extra time like I used to. I'd love to get two iPhones (one for my wife and I) at launch, but if not, it won't kill me. I can wait a little.

Alright just talked asked a friend who did preorder the iPhone 6s Plus, and he specifically said that when you make a reservation (limit 2 iPhones per reservation) you have them set aside for you for a certain period of time. Now granted that can always change for the next iPhone, but I wouldn't think it would...

I think I will be preordering instead of having it shipped to me this year. Might make my morning a little more fun, plus the Apple store is only 10 minutes down the road!

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

So it seems like t Mobile customers can't do the upgrade program online? We have to go wait in line? Sad face.

 

[Mlrollin91]

So it seems like t Mobile customers can't do the upgrade program online? We have to go wait in line? Sad face.

You don't wait in line. You make an appointment.

 

[mjwebb]

So, I'm on the Apple Upgrade program since January. Obviously I will not have reached 12 months by the time the new iPhone is out.
This is the wording from the Apple Upgrade program website: "Yes. You can upgrade at an Apple Store anytime after six months, as long as you’ve made the equivalent of at least 12 payments."

Silly question: How do I do extra payments to make up for the "missing months"?

I'm pretty sure that the extra payments are made through CitizensOne (never used the trade-in program, just an assumption) so I would believe theres something equivalent to paying your credit card off, just meant for the trade-in program.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

You don't wait in line. You make an appointment.

Ok thanks. And I can do that right when pre orders open up? I won't be able to choose the apple upgrade program at checkout time so what would I choose? Full price?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Ok thanks. And I can do that right when pre orders open up? I won't be able to choose the apple upgrade program at checkout time so what would I choose? Full price?

Last year there was a separate page to checkout for those doing IUP. You selected you want to do that, select your phone and then it took you to a screen to make an appointment. You put in your zip and it populated stores with available times. Just like making a genius bar appointment.

 

[THE JUICEMAN]

Last year there was a separate page to checkout for those doing IUP. You selected you want to do that, select your phone and then it took you to a screen to make an appointment. You put in your zip and it populated stores with available times. Just like making a genius bar appointment.

Awesome! Thanks a lot.

 

[gabo864]

I have no idea how the Apple upgrade program works. Why do I need to have a Credit card? do they run a credit check?