Is this true? If I buy an unlocked phone at full retail from, say, the Apple store and put my AT&T SIM in there, AT&T will actually charge an "activation fee" for that?
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Carrier New ATT Plans Feb 2, 2014
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Just what you see here. I stream a lot of music and radio while at work and am not allowed access to the company wifi. I usually go through 4-6 GB a month.
Is this true? If I buy an unlocked phone at full retail from, say, the Apple store and put my AT&T SIM in there, AT&T will actually charge an "activation fee" for that?
No, that's incorrect. From AT&T:
If you pay full price and you are not adding a line of service, you will not be charged an additional fee.
That's a good question I'd be curious about also. I would think the payment would be the same but the duration would be shortened, but I have no idea.
Assuming you're buying a $750 phone, ($750 - $300 divided by 26 + $15 = cost for that line.
That's the real question, if my bill isn't going to drop I will probably just go the subsidized route paying a flat $40. I have another question I didnt see answered here. I'm currently on a subsidized iPhone 5 and the contract isn't up till August. I am eligible for an upgrade through Next right now. Now I know the fees would be waived if I went that route and I'd get out of the contract but would they make me turn in my phone? If I can keep it would they unlock it for me (like I said the subsidized contract isnt up till August)?
If it is yes to both of those last questions then Next really is a no brainer over subsidized. You get out of your contract early at AT&T's expense, can unlock your phone and sell it, then put the money toward your current phone lowering your monthly bill as you please along the way? It sounds too good to be true
I can't find anything that says the monthly payments would drop did a rep tell you this or you're just assuming that by the small print that says you can pay it off early?
You are financing at either 20 or 26 months at 0% interest. Since the monthly term doesn't change, the monthly payment will.
AT&T wants the 20 or 26 month terms because it means you'll be more likely than not to trade your phone in with them at 12 or 18 months and stay an AT&T customer.
You pay tax on each line's voice charge. On my old Mobile Share plan this was on the $30 charge per line. Moving to Mobile Share Value + Next will actually cost less in taxes (about $3.75/line/month here) than the old plan.
I see yeah I would hope so it doesn't say the monthly terms would change in fine print and I know this is how things usually work the payment would drop but you just never know, really they could still charge the same and just decrease your monthly term since we are under there leash financing through them. I'm curious to see some first hand experience and what people bills look like, probably won't know till a month or so. Is anybody going through Next but plans on paying off a good chunk of the phone upfront?
Keep in mind that if you go the subsidized route, for a 16GB iPhone 5s, you'll end up paying $200 up front plus $25 each month for the next 24 months. You'll end up paying $800 for a $650 iPhone.
With Next you can just pay it off early and you own the phone. And since it's financed at 0%, you only pay $650 for it.
The gimmick to NEXT is financing at 20 months (for NEXT 12) & 26 months (for NEXT 18). AT&T is betting you'll upgrade at 12 months w/8 months of payments remaining if you're on NEXT 12, or upgrade at 18 months w/8 months of payments remaining if you're on NEXT 18.
AT&T could care less how low your payments are each month as long as you agree to finance at 20 or 26 months. THEY WILL NOT SHORTEN YOUR PAYMENT TERMS!!! This is how AT&T hopes to keep you as an AT&T customer.
However, because it's a true financing plan, they cannot deny your right to pay it off early.
Again, your line payment WILL BE: [Cost of phone] - [down payment] divided by [20 or 26] + $15
Not totally true. If you have a lower data plan, say 2 Gb, the difference winds up being only $15/mo. So that $650 iPhone winds up being $560.
I guess that is true, but those lower cost plans really only make sense if you have a single phone(and even then, they're overpriced IMO). I mean, for two phones, the 4GB plan would run you $120 a month.For $10 a month more, you get 6GB more data. If you're on the 6 or 8GB plans, it makes even less sense.
I guess I just don't have a problem paying full price for my phones, so long as my monthly bill is lower. I can choose to save a lot of money by simply not upgrading.
If I went through Next I'd be paying $25 for the under 2 GB value plan on top of whatever the monthly fees for the phone are around $25. This is if I put NOTHING down though. If I went the sub route it's just a flat $40 every month for 2-years.
Yeah that makes sense Cosmo like I said if it does indeed work this way then Next is a no brainer for sure. I like bill predictability and am used to paying around $40, now if we're talking less it's fine by me
. So once my contracts up in a few months I'll sell my phone then put whatever I get towards a new phone on Next. If I put around $400 down I'll be looking at even less than the $40 I'd pay going subsidized. I'll be paying $25 under the 2 GB value plan and around $14 a month if I got the 32 GB that sound about right (for 26 month installments)? If the tax is paid in full beforehand which I believe it is I might be looking at slightly less.
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I went through most of the pages and couldn't find a conclusion - is this new shared plan considered good value?
I have 4 lines (3 with smartphones) and right now I am paying ~$160 a month (with 20% FAN) for 700 minutes 3GB + 300MB + 300MB. No text plan. According to the ATT page I will be paying $160 (before FAN discount) for more data, minutes and text. Is ATT Next the only catch here?
I don't mind paying full price upfront or buying unlocked phones. So ATT Next shouldn't be a concern?
I have 4 lines (3 with smartphones) and right now I am paying ~$160 a month (with 20% FAN) for 700 minutes 3GB + 300MB + 300MB. No text plan. According to the ATT page I will be paying $160 (before FAN discount) for more data, minutes and text. Is ATT Next the only catch here?
I don't mind paying full price upfront or buying unlocked phones. So ATT Next shouldn't be a concern?
Whether it's a good value is based on the individual's situation. But for you it is. Triple the data and unlimited messaging for the same price and Next not necessary. It's interesting that the fourth line is also $15 even thought it's not a smartphone. I'd pick up a used one.
I'm confused on why you don't have unlimited messaging now but that's not important for your question.
Something tell me the next step to make it look like the prices are "lowered" more would be to spread the device payments to 36 months.
What a joke Americans are sometimes. In Europ aren't most financing for cars less than 2 years with 50% down? In American they stretch 5 years easily and sometimes 6 years. Everything is financed in the USA.
What a joke Americans are sometimes. In Europ aren't most financing for cars less than 2 years with 50% down? In American they stretch 5 years easily and sometimes 6 years. Everything is financed in the USA.
No anger issues. Marketing tricks can fool the typical American customer easy.
Help
So, here is how I broke down my situation...please tell me if I've done the math right.
Currently-
2 iPhones (1 w/ Unlimited Data, 1 with 2 GB)
1400 Minutes w/ rollover
Family Unlimited Text
Monthly Cost- $145.29 + taxes/fees (22% FAN discount)
Cost of purchasing 2 32GB iPhones every 24 months- $600
Total for 24 months- 4086.96
NEW 10GB plan $78 ($100-22% FAN)
$30 for 2 iPhones
Monthly total- $108
Cost of purchasing Unsubsidized 32GB iPhones every 24 months- $1500
NEW total for 24 months- $4092
SO...essentially it's the same cost EXCEPT I would get 10GB of data and NO contracts from now on, right???
So, here is how I broke down my situation...please tell me if I've done the math right.
Currently-
2 iPhones (1 w/ Unlimited Data, 1 with 2 GB)
1400 Minutes w/ rollover
Family Unlimited Text
Monthly Cost- $145.29 + taxes/fees (22% FAN discount)
Cost of purchasing 2 32GB iPhones every 24 months- $600
Total for 24 months- 4086.96
NEW 10GB plan $78 ($100-22% FAN)
$30 for 2 iPhones
Monthly total- $108
Cost of purchasing Unsubsidized 32GB iPhones every 24 months- $1500
NEW total for 24 months- $4092
SO...essentially it's the same cost EXCEPT I would get 10GB of data and NO contracts from now on, right???
Yes. Same cost. No contracts for same price.
Only minor quirk in your equation is how taxes are applied to phones. You will be taxed the full taxes on the no contract mobile share 10gb plans.
But with $299 subsidy iPhones. You may only need to pay sales taxes on the $299 instead of the $750 (unless you live in a socialist state like California which charges you the full sales taxes on the $750 regardless if it's subsidized $299 or $750).
Minor issue in overall scheme. So it may be worth it for you to switch.