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uberamd

macrumors 68030
May 26, 2009
2,785
2
Minnesota
I think that's not quite right. If you have a family plan at more than $100/month, they gave the early upgrade to one phone on the plan, but it didn't have to be the primary line. My husband is the primary on our account, but he had a 3G from 2 years ago so he was already eligible to upgrade. I am a secondary line, bought the 3GS at launch last year, and was originally eligible to upgrade in November, but I got bumped to now. My "individual line" doesn't cost $100, but it was the only one that wasn't already eligible. So I'm pretty sure it's one line per account that's over $100, no matter which line on the family plan it is.

Nah, the upgrade is applied directly to the primary line. It isn't a "any phone on the plan can upgrade" type of thing.
 

nikhsub1

macrumors 68030
Jun 19, 2007
2,593
2,570
mmmm... jessica.'s beer...
I have bought each iphone on launch day. Each time is was eligible for the full discounted upgrade, the iphone 4 is no exception. Both line on my family plan are iphones and we both can upgrade. I'm just waiting for the white phone for one of them.
 

mb2008

macrumors regular
Jun 15, 2008
203
16
You can have the main minutes attached to another phone other than the primary line...my primary line is DH's, but the minutes are attached to mine, so I get the upgrades. Not usual, but I had a crappy reseller and had to move the account directly to ATT ten years ago and to get away I had to make the primary phone a different number. It's been this way ever since.

I have upgraded at launch at the lowest price all three years, assuming my iPhone 4 actually arrives this time.
 

scorpio1973

macrumors 6502a
Aug 5, 2009
560
23
I have a 3GS that I bought in June '09 (just after the launch) and I am eligible. Also, I don't spent $100 + a month on my bill.
 

liquidsuns

macrumors 6502
Jun 23, 2009
341
24
My sister bought the 3GS in December '09 and has the cheapest monthly plan you can get, yet even she was eligible for a full upgrade to the iPhone 4. I calculated out how much she has payed AT&T and it came out to just over $500 total. So she has barely even paid them back for the cost of the phone, let alone them making any money on her or the cost of the bandwidth usage. Pretty good deal.
 

MacbookWoo

macrumors member
Aug 25, 2009
55
0
Tampa, Fl
This is an interesting topic, I used to be an ATT customer way back in the day for about 4 years, I purchased the original iPhone for full retail I ended up moving back in 2008 and I have ZERO service with ATT, after being with T-Mobile which obv sucked, I ended up switching back to ATT 12/09 and I have had it ever since, I have not had a bill under $100 and I only have the 1 line, I checked to see if I was eligible for an upgrade on the iphone 4 and to my surprise I was!!!!

Not that I am complaing but something tells me that because of my history in the past that has something to do with this? I have been under contract for 7 months and I am already eligible for an upgrade, anyone have any idea how this could be?:D
 

selianth

macrumors newbie
Jun 17, 2009
28
3
Nah, the upgrade is applied directly to the primary line. It isn't a "any phone on the plan can upgrade" type of thing.
Then how do you explain the fact that I am the secondary line on a family plan, and yet my eligibility got bumped up from November till now? I believe that IF the primary line was not eligible, that is the one they bumped, but if the primary line does not have an iPhone or was already eligible for a discounted upgrade, then they would bump up one of the other iPhone lines on the account.
 

koilvr

macrumors 6502
Jun 15, 2010
383
87
Knoxville, TN
I have had every Iphone since 2007 on launch day. First one cost me alot. but since 3g I was able to upgrade. My bill is $168 a month with 2 lines.
 

motty2307

macrumors regular
Feb 1, 2010
185
17
Indiana
I purchased my 3GS on 7/12/2009 and was able to preorder the iPhone 4 32 GB for $299. I was paying over $100/month though for the last year. I think I will be under the $100/month stipulation this time around so I'm expecting to have to wait until iPhone 6 for another full upgrade.
 

WHM

macrumors regular
Feb 5, 2008
194
1
South
Same here. As the primary line on a family plan, I am eligible every year for a new phone.

Same here... we have four iPhones on a family plan....always pay the bill the day it's received.. this will be my fourth upgrade..will be picking up from the Apple Store on the 24th.
 

i3igsmooth5769

macrumors 6502a
Dec 28, 2007
538
1
Los Angeles, CA
Its strange...i also reserved the 3gs last year and purchased on launch day...but i am eligible for full upgrade at $199 for the 16gb....my friend who's had his 3gs for 6months is also eligible for full upgrade and our monthly bill is never more than $85. So im not sure how they determine whos eligible.
 

Jkazmeyer

macrumors regular
May 2, 2010
115
0
Madison TN
Have you tried to pre order op? I'm sure you'll get the full discount if you bought your 3GS on launch.... I was... When I bought the 3GS, I was told I was was not eligible because I bought the 3G at launch, then 2 weeks later AT&T issued me a refund and an apology. I'm sure you'll get the subsidized price. Put an order in & see what price it gives you. If you don't get the full discount, give it a day or 2 and call them... I'm sure they will have it sorted out better in a day or 2....
 

mysticbluebmw

macrumors regular
Jun 11, 2009
249
32
My sister bought the 3GS in December '09 and has the cheapest monthly plan you can get, yet even she was eligible for a full upgrade to the iPhone 4. I calculated out how much she has payed AT&T and it came out to just over $500 total. So she has barely even paid them back for the cost of the phone, let alone them making any money on her or the cost of the bandwidth usage. Pretty good deal.

No way she is fully eligible, UNLESS she paid FULL price for the 3GS. She would only be eligible for partial discount, unless she got partial in December, and then would NOT be eligible for any discount.

I've noticed a fair amount of misinformation or BS lately. It boils down to if prior eligibility was in 2011, then you only get partial discount, unless you had the partial discount last year, then nothing.
 

LittleRedBird

macrumors member
Jun 10, 2009
94
2
I got my 3GS on launch day last year and am eligible for an upgrade (+$18 fee). Too bad I only found this info out last night! Doubt I'll be able to get my hands on an iPhone 4 on launch day since I don't have a pre-order or reservation!!
 

TaylorBoi

macrumors member
Jun 19, 2009
80
2
I got my 3GS on launch day last year and am eligible for an upgrade (+$18 fee). Too bad I only found this info out last night! Doubt I'll be able to get my hands on an iPhone 4 on launch day since I don't have a pre-order or reservation!!

Same here. Eligible upgrade + 18 buck fee
 

uberamd

macrumors 68030
May 26, 2009
2,785
2
Minnesota
Then how do you explain the fact that I am the secondary line on a family plan, and yet my eligibility got bumped up from November till now? I believe that IF the primary line was not eligible, that is the one they bumped, but if the primary line does not have an iPhone or was already eligible for a discounted upgrade, then they would bump up one of the other iPhone lines on the account.

Do you have an iPhone already? All iPhones who would get upgrades in 2010 were bumped up. I can tell you based on experience that the upgrade is not for any line on the account. Every line on the account has different upgrade eligibility times, and you can't transfer one lines upgrade eligibility to another. Why? Because eligibility is based on how long the individual line has been a customer, and not how long your account has existed.
 

nickspohn

macrumors 68040
Jun 9, 2007
3,592
0
I upgraded last year on launch day. I have to pay $600 for the iPhone 4, and my monthly bill is $170.

I wouldn't complain if I had to pay $400. Even though that is the price I paid last year for the 3GS to upgrade early!

Been with AT&T for over 10 years and I have been paying a $170 phone bill for 3 years now.

GO AT&T!
 

Anonymouslives

macrumors 6502
Apr 26, 2008
303
0
Yes, I am and I got the 3GS right after it came out. My AT&T bill is also nearly $300 per month, so maybe that has something to do with them making me eligible, i dunno.
 

aneftp

macrumors 601
Jul 28, 2007
4,363
549
You guys/gals: I posted a long post about how ATT determines eligibility upgrades. It's solid information how the process works.

1. First of all, it DOES NOT MATTER what your total bill is if you have a family talk plan. All it matters in a family talk plan is the primary line. All the secondary lines are not eligible for upgrades until usually month 20-21 unless one of those lines can generate more than $69.99 on its own (highly unlikely considering the second line usually only generates 9.99 plus $30 data). You could add misc stuff like ATT navigator and than maybe that secondary line will be eligible at month 18th (if that was the case you would have been eligible in dec 2010 and ATT would have moved your eligiblity date up 6 months. Again, it's HIGHLY unlikely the secondary line can generated $69.99 on it's own. You would be wasting a lot of money adding other features you really don't need.

So most people who purchased as secondary lines in June 2009, will be eligible for full upgrade subsidy on 02/2011.

To add further, regardless if you were the primary or secondary line (and if you had skipped the 3GS altogether). If the primary or secondary lines were eligible for full upgrades all the way up to Dec 2010, ATT would have moved your eligibility upgrade date to now eligible so you can order your iphone 4.

ATT does not count texting as part of it's calculations.

2. For individual lines, if you are on the cheapo 39.99 plan plus the $30 data plan, you won't be eligible for at least 18-21 months. This again excludes texting features.

If you are on a 59.99 plus $30 data plan, you will be eligible definitely at 18 months. So if you purchased in June 2009. You are next eligible on Dec 2010. However ATT was kind enough to move your eligibility up 6 months so you get to upgrade right now. But if you had waited till July 2009 to buy the iphone 3gS and had this 59.99 plus $30 data plan. Your eligbility date most likely was stuck at 01/2011.

I hope this info helps everyone still confused.
 

LittleRedBird

macrumors member
Jun 10, 2009
94
2
2. For individual lines, if you are on the cheapo 39.99 plan plus the $30 data plan, you won't be eligible for at least 18-21 months. This again excludes texting features.

I have the cheapo $39.99 voice + $30 data plan (+ $5 texting which doesn't matter), yet I'm still eligible. Purchased 3GS for the $199 price last June and have only been with AT&T for a year. I must have gotten lucky :)
 

selianth

macrumors newbie
Jun 17, 2009
28
3
1. First of all, it DOES NOT MATTER what your total bill is if you have a family talk plan. All it matters in a family talk plan is the primary line. All the secondary lines are not eligible for upgrades until usually month 20-21 unless one of those lines can generate more than $69.99 on its own (highly unlikely considering the second line usually only generates 9.99 plus $30 data). You could add misc stuff like ATT navigator and than maybe that secondary line will be eligible at month 18th (if that was the case you would have been eligible in dec 2010 and ATT would have moved your eligiblity date up 6 months. Again, it's HIGHLY unlikely the secondary line can generated $69.99 on it's own. You would be wasting a lot of money adding other features you really don't need.

So most people who purchased as secondary lines in June 2009, will be eligible for full upgrade subsidy on 02/2011.
Just to clarify what my own experience was. I owned a old dumb phone last year, which was eligible for upgrade. I bought a 3GS at launch, and prior to last week my upgrade date was November 2010, 17 months after upgrading. It was moved up to now, and I got the iPhone 4 with the full discount. My line is the secondary on our family plan. The primary line on our account is also an iPhone, but it was already eligible for an upgrade since it was a 3G purchased in August 2008. Our regular monthly bill is around $130ish including taxes/fees/etc. My line has only $40 of service on its own ($9.99 extra line + data plan.) So clearly, some secondary lines who had the 3GS got bumped up to early upgrade eligibility, because mine was one of them.
 

wr1020

macrumors regular
Jun 10, 2009
170
0
I got a 3gs at launch as well and i was eligible for an upgrade for the 199/299 pricing. I ordered a 32 gb, gonna sell my 3gs to a friend.
 

citron230

macrumors 6502a
Dec 17, 2007
867
1
San Diego, CA
i pre-ordered a 3GS and had it day one. I also had a 3G on day one and the iPhone 2G. I was eligible for full upgrade pricing of $299 for my 32GB iP4
 

makefunnyfaces

macrumors 6502a
Jun 12, 2010
939
1
West Virginia
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Gregintosh said:
Hmm.. any idea of why my account would not be? I have the standard minutes, plus unlimited data, and an extra text messaging plan. Maybe I didn't buy enough add ons? heh.

LoganT, how big is your monthly bill???

My bill is $160 a month, & I upgraded on launch day last year, but I am only eligible for the discounted price of $399 for the 16 GB. I think it's because I'm not the primary account holder. I just used my Mom's upgrade, so we're doing an upgrade swap.
 
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