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Is it worth opening up an extra line to be eligible to get the iPhone 5?

J

Jacoblee23

macrumors 65832
Original poster
Nov 10, 2011
1,504
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I was told I could buy a crappy phone off of eBay and start a new line and pay around ten bux a month and use the new line to get my iPhone 5 and then switch my current number to the new iPhone. I am not eligible to upgrade my 4s until June.

The problem is I don't need another line. I don't want to pay 649 retail though. Do a lot of people do this? Around how much would the ETF be when I shut the new line off?
 
It's about the same in the long run. It's $240 for two years of having that extra line. So $650 if you pay retail now or $440 if you do it that way.

It's your money - nobody can tell you if its worth it.
 
jester0723 said:
If you have a dumbphone and tell them you want to pay for your data as you go, it's just $10 for access.
Click to expand...

Correct, except in order to get the iPhone originally, you need to either create or add to a Share Everything plan, where dumbphones are $30 per month. Downgrading the line down to a dumbphone doesn't kill the Share Everything. The $240 loophole has been plugged. It's now $720.
 
you can get an individual plan for the iphone, you're not forced to get share everything. at least not when I ordered on Friday (on a new line)
 
Jacoblee23 said:
I was told I could buy a crappy phone off of eBay and start a new line and pay around ten bux a month and use the new line to get my iPhone 5 and then switch my current number to the new iPhone. I am not eligible to upgrade my 4s until June.

The problem is I don't need another line. I don't want to pay 649 retail though. Do a lot of people do this? Around how much would the ETF be when I shut the new line off?
Click to expand...

Sell 4S on eBay. You'll get more then half the cost of the 5 back. You'll end up paying out of pocket about as much for it as you would with a new line and you won't need to pay for an extra line.
 
I sold my 16g 4S for $360 on CS last Friday and added another line for $10 at AT&T.No 2nd data plan needed.I will also keep my upgrade for May '13,which is a big reason.
 
sangreal06 said:
you can get an individual plan for the iphone, you're not forced to get share everything. at least not when I ordered on Friday (on a new line)
Click to expand...
Yep, you can still add lines to your current family plan. The only instance in which you're forced to go with Share Everything is when you open an entirely new line, as far as I know.
 
I went this way and opened a new line...gonna call att on fri (before I activate the 5) and have them add it to my main line.

I will then ask them to use the new line and make it a dummy line (crappy nokia phone from 64 years agao) and drop the data and unlimited messaging.

Doing this, I will also be able to keep my current unlimited data

Hope this goes as easy as it sounds in my head :confused:
 
So if my math is correct...

$440 for 16GB iPhone 5 by adding a line ($10 per month x 24 months + $200)

or...

$550 for 16GB iPhone 5 by adding and cancelling a line ($350 ETF + $200)

or...

$650 for 16GB iPhone 5 by paying retail

It's a no-brainer.
 
the best part about this is that you will be able to upgrade yearly at the full subsidized price from now on by switching between the two lines.
 
I am on the Verizon share anything plan with my girlfriend. I bought her the iPhone 4 a few months ago, so she isn't eligible for an upgrade either.
 
I found out today that since I switched over to the share anything plan, that it will cost me $30 dollars a month to carry a dumb phone instead of 10. I literally just switched over to this plan like three day ago. Damnit. Well, are there any other work arounds?
 
Jacoblee23 said:
I found out today that since I switched over to the share anything plan, that it will cost me $30 dollars a month to carry a dumb phone instead of 10. I literally just switched over to this plan like three day ago. Damnit. Well, are there any other work arounds?
Click to expand...
If you want the $10 add-a-line which is really $9.99 then you will need to have a FamilyTalk plan from AT&T.

For most customers it will cost more then the net $10 that you are all expecting. Once you have a dumb phone on that add-a-line there is no requirement for a data plan. Yes, if you want one of the new Mobile Share plans then you pay $30 per device sharing data.

There is no free lunch, you can pay now lump sum or pay over time but you will pay almost the same amout in the end.

Dave
 
anybody have tried this way as of today,im planning of doing this also on att :D i have a family talk plan with 2 iphone lines.
 
dave006 said:
If you want the $10 add-a-line which is really $9.99 then you will need to have a FamilyTalk plan from AT&T.

For most customers it will cost more then the net $10 that you are all expecting. Once you have a dumb phone on that add-a-line there is no requirement for a data plan. Yes, if you want one of the new Mobile Share plans then you pay $30 per device sharing data.

There is no free lunch, you can pay now lump sum or pay over time but you will pay almost the same amout in the end.

Dave
Click to expand...

I'm with Verizon.
 
Heh. In a year you will regret this decision. You should just get an unlocked one, then sell it next year. You're contract will be ready to renew, and you'll have like $700 for the "5S"
 
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