Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Carrier Moving from ATT to T-Mobile, IUP concerns.

B

Blueswoosh248

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 14, 2018
3
0
Hey everyone,

Almost ready to switch over to T-Mobile from AT&T, but had a question:

I like to get my devices through Apple's IUP (have done this since it was an option) and usually shoot for launch day since I don't like having my device tied to any carrier in particular. My current device (iPhone X) was obtained under the IUP with AT&T as the carrier and I was able to get pre-approved for launch day without much hassle. I have no intention of leaving Apple's IUP program.

I've heard accounts of, and even seen firsthand around launch time that T-Mobile systems have not played well with Apple's IUP process in the past, resulting in T-Mobile customers having to come into the Apple Store and not being able to take part in upgrading online. That can really affect the possibility of getting the device without a crazy delay.

Has that been remedied? Or is it still not possible to go through the pre-approval/credit check process and reserve your phone online prior to launch on the IUP if you have T-Mobile? This would sort of be a dealbreaker for me.


Thanks
 
Blueswoosh248 said:
Hey everyone,

Almost ready to switch over to T-Mobile from AT&T, but had a question:

I like to get my devices through Apple's IUP (have done this since it was an option) and usually shoot for launch day since I don't like having my device tied to any carrier in particular. My current device (iPhone X) was obtained under the IUP with AT&T as the carrier and I was able to get pre-approved for launch day without much hassle. I have no intention of leaving Apple's IUP program.

I've heard accounts of, and even seen firsthand around launch time that T-Mobile systems have not played well with Apple's IUP process in the past, resulting in T-Mobile customers having to come into the Apple Store and not being able to take part in upgrading online. That can really affect the possibility of getting the device without a crazy delay.

Has that been remedied? Or is it still not possible to go through the pre-approval/credit check process and reserve your phone online prior to launch on the IUP if you have T-Mobile? This would sort of be a dealbreaker for me.


Thanks
Click to expand...

i am also in the same boat. i am thinking of switching to T-Mobile but i am delaying it later this year so that i can get the new iPhone as soon as it released and then i will make the switch. I havent been able to find the exact answer to this. I assume you have to go to the Apple Store as soon as the pre orders go live and then do the process but it will for sure delay the phone getting it on the launch day!
[doublepost=1526487754][/doublepost]
BasicGreatGuy said:
I believe you still have to go to the T-Mobile store.
Click to expand...

you clearly didnt understand what he is trying to ask! thanks for the input though :)
 
Unfortunately this has not been remedied yet. You still have to go to your local Apple Store to enroll in the IUP program if you're a T-Mobile customer.

As for how this impacts pre-orders, I'm not exactly sure. I pre-ordered my X through T-Mobile's website, but since the OP has no intention of leaving the IUP program, they may have to wait until pre-orders are live the next day to visit their Apple Store.
 
nburwell said:
Unfortunately this has not been remedied yet. You still have to go to your local Apple Store to enroll in the IUP program if you're a T-Mobile customer.

As for how this impacts pre-orders, I'm not exactly sure. I pre-ordered my X through T-Mobile's website, but since the OP has no intention of leaving the IUP program, they may have to wait until pre-orders are live the next day to visit their Apple Store.
Click to expand...

i think the best bet is to ask the Apple store employee. May be they can explain better!
 
  • Like
Reactions: nburwell
MuGeN PoWeR said:
i think the best bet is to ask the Apple store employee. May be they can explain better!
Click to expand...

It certainly would be nice if Apple spelled out the steps that would need to be taken on the website. But then again, it is T-Mobile's system that isn't playing nice with IUP.
 
nburwell said:
It certainly would be nice if Apple spelled out the steps that would need to be taken on the website. But then again, it is T-Mobile's system that isn't playing nice with IUP.
Click to expand...

yeah true. looks like T-Mobile wants the customers to get the phone through them and not through IUP.
 
MuGeN PoWeR said:
yeah true. looks like T-Mobile wants the customers to get the phone through them and not through IUP.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Especially since they came up with the "T-Mobile iPhone Upgrade Program." I guess they'd rather us go through them than Apple, so I doubt they'll fix their system issue with IUP.
 
nburwell said:
Agreed. Especially since they came up with the "T-Mobile iPhone Upgrade Program." I guess they'd rather us go through them than Apple, so I doubt they'll fix their system issue with IUP.
Click to expand...

exactly but i will still prefer Apple as its unlocked
 
The t-mobile process at Apple requires one additional step over Verizon and att.
The specialist uses an activation iPad to let t mobile know you, the account holder, is replacing the current device with this new device. This is wehere the on line transaction for iup gets hung up.

That is all t-mobile sees, IMEI/ICCD.

Once t-mobile says, aye, the new phone will be activate once powered on. From here the payment/loan process begins, IUP, and is completely invisible to t mobile.

From the point you fill out the loan application and off you go.

However, since the loan application is post t mobile upgrade notification, if your application doesn’t go through you may need to contact or visit t mobile to reactivate your old phone.
 
MuGeN PoWeR said:
i am also in the same boat. i am thinking of switching to T-Mobile but i am delaying it later this year so that i can get the new iPhone as soon as it released and then i will make the switch. I havent been able to find the exact answer to this. I assume you have to go to the Apple Store as soon as the pre orders go live and then do the process but it will for sure delay the phone getting it on the launch day!
[doublepost=1526487754][/doublepost]

you clearly didnt understand what he is trying to ask! thanks for the input though :)
Click to expand...
Is your current iPhone paid for? And what is your carrier. If its AT&T you can just get the unlock code from them and switch to T-Mobile now. That away it gives you 6 months to make sure you like t-mo service.
 
Brandonjr36 said:
Is your current iPhone paid for? And what is your carrier. If its AT&T you can just get the unlock code from them and switch to T-Mobile now. That away it gives you 6 months to make sure you like t-mo service.
Click to expand...

I am with IUP and my iPhone is unlocked. I am more concerned about how will i be getting new Iphone which is going to be released later this year if i switch to T-Mobile as T-Mobile users can’t get pre-approved like other carriers.
 
Hello everybody! My wife went thru a very similar situation: She signed up for the iPhone Upgrade Program when the 7 pre-order went live. At that time, we were AT&T customers. About five or six months later, we ported our numbers over to T-Mobile. Having read about some of the T-Mobile iUP problems people were experiencing, we figured it would be a pain to upgrade the AT&T 7 to a T-Mobile 8 or X thru the iUP, but it wasn’t.

Apparently, since she was already enrolled from the previous year (despite having AT&T as the carrier), all she had to do was log in to the Apple Store app, pick T-Mobile as the carrier, configure her phone, select AiUP as the payment option, choose “I’m already part of the program”, & pick the iPhone 7 she was upgrading/replacing. There may have been a couple of other details we’ve forgotten, but it was a surprisingly smooth process. UPS delivered her T-Mobile iPhone on launch day, she transferred her SIM card to the new phone, & returned the old AT&T iPhone using the trade-in kit that Apple mailed to her. I hope this helps!

(Edited to clarify details.)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: enrincon89, Blueswoosh248 and dazzlingirl
Just buy the Verizon one outright when it comes out and put a SIM in it. Not sure why people need stuff on launch day, but if that's your thing, there's a way....
 
BiggAW said:
Just buy the Verizon one outright when it comes out and put a SIM in it. Not sure why people need stuff on launch day, but if that's your thing, there's a way....
Click to expand...

i hope you read the title, it is talking about IUP not buying outright.
[doublepost=1526926925][/doublepost]
a reader said:
Hello everybody! My wife went thru a very similar situation: She signed up for the iPhone Upgrade Program when the 7 pre-order went live. At that time, we were AT&T customers. About five or six months later, we ported our numbers over to T-Mobile. Having read about some of the T-Mobile iUP problems people were experiencing, we figured it would be a pain to upgrade the AT&T 7 to a T-Mobile 8 or X thru the iUP, but it wasn’t.

Apparently, since she was already enrolled from the previous year (despite having AT&T as the carrier), all she had to do was log in to the Apple Store app, pick T-Mobile as the carrier, configure her phone, select AiUP as the payment option, choose “I’m already part of the program”, & pick the iPhone 7 she was upgrading/replacing. There may have been a couple of other details we’ve forgotten, but it was a surprisingly smooth process. UPS delivered her T-Mobile iPhone on launch day, she transferred her SIM card to the new phone, & returned the old AT&T iPhone using the trade-in kit that Apple mailed to her. I hope this helps!

(Edited to clarify details.)
Click to expand...


thanks for the detailed process. Looks like its the same process as other carriers if you are already a part of IUP. if you are not then i think you have to go to the store and do the formalities there.
 
MuGeN PoWeR said:
thanks for the detailed process. Looks like its the same process as other carriers if you are already a part of IUP. if you are not then i think you have to go to the store and do the formalities there.
Click to expand...

No problem! Yes, it looks like joining the Upgrade Program for the first time with T-Mobile as the carrier is where the extra hoop-jumping comes into play. I’m glad my wife was already enrolled since the nearest store is hours away.
[doublepost=1526936644][/doublepost]
BiggAW said:
Yes, I read the title. IUP is stupid when you can just buy the phone outright, totally unlocked.
Click to expand...
I’m not a customer, so I don’t know the specifics, but isn’t Verizon phasing out unlocked phone sales?
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/12/verizon-no-more-unlocked-iphones/

I understand your point, but personally, I love the Upgrade Program simply because I don’t have to sell my wife’s previous phone if she gets a new one. That’s a very big perk for me since I’ve had issues with flaky buyers in the past.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MuGeN PoWeR
a reader said:
I’m not a customer, so I don’t know the specifics, but isn’t Verizon phasing out unlocked phone sales?
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/02/12/verizon-no-more-unlocked-iphones/
Click to expand...

True. People will have to wait for the actual SIM-free Unlocked version to come out.

I understand your point, but personally, I love the Upgrade Program simply because I don’t have to sell my wife’s previous phone if she gets a new one. That’s a very big perk for me since I’ve had issues with flaky buyers in the past.
Click to expand...

It costs an absolute fortune. The rate race to upgrade right now is unfortunate, since Apple is 2.5 years behind on radio technology due to their feud with Qualcomm. I want an iPhone that will last me several years, unlike the current models that are already obsolete.

I've had 3 Samsung phones, and I pretty much hate them with a passion, but if Apple doesn't offer an Unlocked Qualcomm model with the X20 radio, 4x4 MIMO and B14, then I'll be forced to buy another Samsung. :(

Other than the radio technology, the iPhones will last several years based on their own technology. It somewhat depends on the carrier too. If you're on Verizon, they're pretty stagnant with their banding, with only B66 coming on recently. Meanwhile, T-Mobile has B71 and AT&T has B14. All the carriers have 4x4 MIMO.

EDIT: That was a tortured way to say that Verizon hasn't bought a lot of spectrum recently and has focused on densification and small sites instead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back