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Last year, I ordered 2 iPhone 6 models (64GBs). I opted for AT&T's NEXT 12 (20 monthly payments). I've made 12 payments thus far @ $37.45/piece.

Over the course of 12 months, I've paid $449.40 ($37.45 x 12 months) per phone. After 12 payments, I owed $299.60 per phone.

I just sold both phones on nextworth.com for $390 a piece (promo code GETNEWIPHONE). So, I owed $299.60 but sold them for $390. So instead of giving my phones back to AT&T after 12 months to upgrade, I just paid them off and sold them to Nextworth and pocketed the $180 ($90 per phone).

Another way to look at it. I paid $449.40 over the course of 1 year to use each phone. I got $390 back for each phone. So I basically spent $59.40 to use each phone for 1 year!

That last paragraph doesn't work without the $299.60 you still owed.
 
Last year, I ordered 2 iPhone 6 models (64GBs). I opted for AT&T's NEXT 12 (20 monthly payments). I've made 12 payments thus far @ $37.45/piece.

Over the course of 12 months, I've paid $449.40 ($37.45 x 12 months) per phone. After 12 payments, I owed $299.60 per phone.

I just sold both phones on nextworth.com for $390 a piece (promo code GETNEWIPHONE). So, I owed $299.60 but sold them for $390. So instead of giving my phones back to AT&T after 12 months to upgrade, I just paid them off and sold them to Nextworth and pocketed the $180 ($90 per phone).

Another way to look at it. I paid $449.40 over the course of 1 year to use each phone. I got $390 back for each phone. So I basically spent $59.40 to use each phone for 1 year!

Your logic/math is off.

You paid $449.40 and still owed $299.60 = $790. Minus the $390 = $359. Unless I am missing something you didn't just spend $59.40 for each phone.
 
Last year, I ordered 2 iPhone 6 models (64GBs). I opted for AT&T's NEXT 12 (20 monthly payments). I've made 12 payments thus far @ $37.45/piece.

Over the course of 12 months, I've paid $449.40 ($37.45 x 12 months) per phone. After 12 payments, I owed $299.60 per phone.

I just sold both phones on nextworth.com for $390 a piece (promo code GETNEWIPHONE). So, I owed $299.60 but sold them for $390. So instead of giving my phones back to AT&T after 12 months to upgrade, I just paid them off and sold them to Nextworth and pocketed the $180 ($90 per phone).

Another way to look at it. I paid $449.40 over the course of 1 year to use each phone. I got $390 back for each phone. So I basically spent $59.40 to use each phone for 1 year!

And you have to pay them both off @$299.60 for each one, so you paid that plus the $59.40 to use them for a year, or $359 each.

edit: AbSoluTc beat me to it.
 
The bad part about the Apple plan is having to do it in store only. Pre-order and then you still have to wait through the mess of people at the Apple Store on launch day.
 
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The bad part about the Apple plan is having to do it in store only. Pre-order and then you still have to wait through the mess of people at the Apple Store on launch day.


Or people like me who don't have an Apple store near by
 
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technically the Next plan is still cheaper because you're forgetting about the $15 discount they apply to your AT&T monthly bill when you go with the next plan.
BIG WRONG!

You get this no matter where you got the phone. (street corner, , Apple, friend, etc). Called "bring your own phone".
 
To those that have a next plan... you can not just STOP paying it. You signed up for a plan for 20,24 months, etc. You owe all those payments. They will let you trade your phone for a new one, and then do another 20,24 months, etc. How stupid do you think ATT is?
 
Going to stick with NEXT. I have no plans on switching carriers or need to worry about an unlocked phone. I also don't want to deal with going to a store, signing up for credit approval and having to deal with two billing charges from two different sources. All to save very little money. Not worth it to me.

Order online - done.

Starting to feel the same way, especially after finding that I can still preorder through Apple and then just ship the old phones back to AT&T after. I just checked Apple's order page and confirmed this. The biggest concern that prompted my original post was thinking that I had to preorder through AT&T, which I did not want to have to do. Heard too many nightmare stories.

Saving a couple bucks a month but ending up with two bills to pay is not worth it. However by not switching to Apple's plan, I'm missing out on Apple Care +. Though I only keep my phone for a year, so it's covered for defects either way. I think I'll just live without the Apple Care and keep everything consolidated. I also really don't want to have to deal with eBay'ing my old phones anymore.
 
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QUESTION:

Does anyone know if after fulfilling the payment obligations for NEXT 12 (12 months of payments) I can return the phone to AT&T and NOT upgrade through them, but instead switch to Apple's Upgrade Plan?

I am fulfilled and show Qualified for Upgrade in AT&T and Apple's systems, but in comparing the two options (another AT&T Next purchase for 6s Plus; or Apple Upgrade Program) and considering how much I hate AT&T, upgrading through Apple's plan seems better (AppleCare +, Unlocked Phone, Easier upgrade next year since APPLE knows the timing of release and that you'll want the NEW iPhone 7 whereas AT&T are idiots)...

I presume as long as I return the phone within 14 days of getting the new one (through Apple) I've fulfilled the obligation and should be able to order through Apple's program.

Thanks!
 
  1. How do I easily transition from AT&T Next to Apple? Can I just preorder the new iPhones through Apple's Upgrade Program, then go to an AT&T store and hand in my existing phones and be removed from the Next program? I will have completed 12 of 20 monthly installments, and I'm eligible for a phone swap now, but I just want to instead hand in the old phones and end the Next program, so that I can switch to Apple. I will preorder through Apple first, then return my old phones to AT&T after I have the new iPhone in hand.

You won't be able to give it back to them and walk away. They let you give it back in order to trade it in for a new phone to continue the cycle of constantly paying. If you try to swap it in and Next they will tell you that you have to pay the remaining balance of the phone. Unfortunately these are your options.

  1. Swap your phone for the new iPhone 6S with AT&T
  2. Pay off your remaining balance and then go with Apple's upgrade program.
  3. Wait it out to the 20 month mark.
I just started JOD with T-Mobile. Honestly, had I known about this I probably would have done Apple. I am going to wait out my 18 months, pay off my phone and then potentially move to Apple's program. That way I can switch between carriers at will and get the new phone right away every year.
 
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QUESTION:

Does anyone know if after fulfilling the payment obligations for NEXT 12 (12 months of payments) I can return the phone to AT&T and NOT upgrade through them, but instead switch to Apple's Upgrade Plan?

I am fulfilled and show Qualified for Upgrade in AT&T and Apple's systems, but in comparing the two options (another AT&T Next purchase for 6s Plus; or Apple Upgrade Program) and considering how much I hate AT&T, upgrading through Apple's plan seems better (AppleCare +, Unlocked Phone, Easier upgrade next year since APPLE knows the timing of release and that you'll want the NEW iPhone 7 whereas AT&T are idiots)...

I presume as long as I return the phone within 14 days of getting the new one (through Apple) I've fulfilled the obligation and should be able to order through Apple's program.

Thanks!

You can't just give the phone back to AT&T if you're not trading it for a new phone. You would need to pay off the balance and sell it yourself. Which really isn't a bad deal, as you can get more for it than the payoff amount will be.
 
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To those mentioning the plan discount with next: you get a $15 or $25 discount for owning the phone. As long as you don't sign a 2yr commitment you get that discount.

To those mentioning corporate discounts: I believe most if not all don't provide hardware discounts on Apple and you don't get discounts on next only your base plan. So that makes no difference to your pocketbook if you go next vs Apple.

This is correct regarding corporate discounts. That doesn't apply to hardware - just your base monthly plan with at&t.
 
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And you have to pay them both off @$299.60 for each one, so you paid that plus the $59.40 to use them for a year, or $359 each.

edit: AbSoluTc beat me to it.
True. The last paragraph was merely to show a different way of looking at it.

As I said, I'm in NEXT 12. So I have 2 choices if I want to upgrade to the new phone. 1. Give phones to AT&T for free, or sell them for $390 and pay off the $299 balance and STILL get a new phone. Either way, I'm getting new phones. It's just by selling them I'm pocketing $180 versus giving them back to AT&T
 
I have always voted against the Next program. Basically we have 5 lines and stagger the upgrades. It ends up being cheaper because we sell our current phones and recoup the money and sometimes even more (with the iPhones).

The only thing I wonder is.....I am super careful with my phone and it's always in perfect shape. Therefore my phones are easy to sell. My husband on the other hand is a little more "rough" with it. So selling the phones is always a thought, being we need to make sure they are flawless (to get most money out of them)

Being on the Next program basically we would turn them in and get our upgrades.... we also wouldn't have to deal with the hassle with selling them. With the Next, what kind of shape do they expect them to be in? Like could you rock it with no case and it would have normal wear and tear? Or do they expect a phone in super condition that was like kept in a case it's whole life??
 
I have always voted against the Next program. Basically we have 5 lines and stagger the upgrades. It ends up being cheaper because we sell our current phones and recoup the money and sometimes even more (with the iPhones).

The only thing I wonder is.....I am super careful with my phone and it's always in perfect shape. Therefore my phones are easy to sell. My husband on the other hand is a little more "rough" with it. So selling the phones is always a thought, being we need to make sure they are flawless (to get most money out of them)

Being on the Next program basically we would turn them in and get our upgrades.... we also wouldn't have to deal with the hassle with selling them. With the Next, what kind of shape do they expect them to be in? Like could you rock it with no case and it would have normal wear and tear? Or do they expect a phone in super condition that was like kept in a case it's whole life??
You can check AT&T's website, but basically, the screen cannot be cracked, chipped or damaged. It has to be fully functional with activation lock disabled.
 
Does anyone here have an AT&T Premier account? I was thinking of doing the Apple Upgrade program for the unlocked aspect alone, even though AT&T Next seems to be the better value -- however, I've never (!!) been able to order my phones through Apple, either in store or online, due to having an AT&T Premier account. It's incredibly annoying.

If I didn't have to input my carrier credentials, it wouldn't be a problem, but it looks like in order to sign up for the program, it pings the carrier, which then returns (for me) a message that says I can't 'upgrade' through Apple using my plan.
 
Last year, I ordered 2 iPhone 6 models (64GBs). I opted for AT&T's NEXT 12 (20 monthly payments). I've made 12 payments thus far @ $37.45/piece.

Over the course of 12 months, I've paid $449.40 ($37.45 x 12 months) per phone. After 12 payments, I owed $299.60 per phone.

I just sold both phones on nextworth.com for $390 a piece (promo code GETNEWIPHONE). So, I owed $299.60 but sold them for $390. So instead of giving my phones back to AT&T after 12 months to upgrade, I just paid them off and sold them to Nextworth and pocketed the $180 ($90 per phone).

Another way to look at it. I paid $449.40 over the course of 1 year to use each phone. I got $390 back for each phone. So I basically spent $59.40 to use each phone for 1 year!
No you spent $359 to use each phone for 1 year. You forgot to add in the $299.60 you paid to complete the purchase of the phone.
 
Just finished reading about Apple's new iPhone Upgrade Program, and it appears to be a better deal all around, in comparison to AT&T Next. Comparison:

I'm now paying $42.45/mo for a 64GB iPhone 6+ without Apple Care. I can swap every 12 months. The phone is locked to AT&T until it's paid off (which is never, since I would upgrade each year).

With Apple, I'd pay $40.75/mo for the same phone. I would get Apple Care + bundled in the price. The phone is unlocked, which is great if I travel. Also, if I want to preorder, I don't have to deal with AT&T, which invariably has much longer preorder queues when a new iPhone is released.

Two questions:
  1. Am I missing anything here that would affect this comparison?
  2. How do I easily transition from AT&T Next to Apple? Can I just preorder the new iPhones through Apple's Upgrade Program, then go to an AT&T store and hand in my existing phones and be removed from the Next program? I will have completed 12 of 20 monthly installments, and I'm eligible for a phone swap now, but I just want to instead hand in the old phones and end the Next program, so that I can switch to Apple. I will preorder through Apple first, then return my old phones to AT&T after I have the new iPhone in hand.

I spoke with an AT&T rep yesterday, who had no idea what the Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program was. After explaining everything I was told I can either pay the $299 and change to get out of next or turn the phone into AT&T without any fees since the 12 months are up. The only issue I see now is I don't want to turn my phone in now and be without a phone until the new one arrives to preorder through Apple, since I'm currently in the system as having the AT&T Next program. Another thing to consider with this is when you go through AT&T Next they waive the phone activation fees, which I believe is normally $36/line if you bring your own device.
 
I spoke with my AT&T people who were very nice and seemed knowledgeable.

I'll be preordering through them and using Next.
 
QUESTION:

Does anyone know if after fulfilling the payment obligations for NEXT 12 (12 months of payments) I can return the phone to AT&T and NOT upgrade through them, but instead switch to Apple's Upgrade Plan?

I am fulfilled and show Qualified for Upgrade in AT&T and Apple's systems, but in comparing the two options (another AT&T Next purchase for 6s Plus; or Apple Upgrade Program) and considering how much I hate AT&T, upgrading through Apple's plan seems better (AppleCare +, Unlocked Phone, Easier upgrade next year since APPLE knows the timing of release and that you'll want the NEW iPhone 7 whereas AT&T are idiots)...

I presume as long as I return the phone within 14 days of getting the new one (through Apple) I've fulfilled the obligation and should be able to order through Apple's program.

Thanks!

I spoke with ATT and they said you can turn it in without fees and further obligations. Which makes business sense, since they can turn around and sell it for more than your payoff amount.
 
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QUESTION:

Does anyone know if after fulfilling the payment obligations for NEXT 12 (12 months of payments) I can return the phone to AT&T and NOT upgrade through them, but instead switch to Apple's Upgrade Plan?

I am fulfilled and show Qualified for Upgrade in AT&T and Apple's systems, but in comparing the two options (another AT&T Next purchase for 6s Plus; or Apple Upgrade Program) and considering how much I hate AT&T, upgrading through Apple's plan seems better (AppleCare +, Unlocked Phone, Easier upgrade next year since APPLE knows the timing of release and that you'll want the NEW iPhone 7 whereas AT&T are idiots)...

I presume as long as I return the phone within 14 days of getting the new one (through Apple) I've fulfilled the obligation and should be able to order through Apple's program.

Thanks!

just pay off the balance and sell it on swappa.com. Unless you are way upside down in it compared to prices on swappa...

https://swappa.com/buy/apple-iphone-6-plus-att
 
I think the only downside of going with Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program is that they will most likely do a credit check, resulting in a hard inquiry on your credit report. In comparison, if you're already an established AT&T customer, they shouldn't do another credit check.
 
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