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rockitdog

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Thinking about moving my 5 lines from Verizon to T-Mobile via Costco... thinking about upgrading my 17 Pro to a 17 Pro Max.... Anyone switched to the bigger device and regretted it? T-Mobile is offering me the chance to keep my current device and get. the 17Pro Max for dirt cheap. Am I dumb to lock into the 17 Pro Max for 24 months right now? Given what we know about the 18 Pro/Max I think I would be fine... thoughts?
 
Thinking about moving my 5 lines from Verizon to T-Mobile via Costco... thinking about upgrading my 17 Pro to a 17 Pro Max.... Anyone switched to the bigger device and regretted it? T-Mobile is offering me the chance to keep my current device and get. the 17Pro Max for dirt cheap. Am I dumb to lock into the 17 Pro Max for 24 months right now? Given what we know about the 18 Pro/Max I think I would be fine... thoughts?
I know you're asking about phones, but as a T-Mobile customer, there are a few things you may want to know.

First, Costco is really the best place. They have promos and offers that you can't really get at the normal stores. Second, you can ask for an insider code. You may or may not get it, but if you do, it will provide a 20% discount to your bill. It's for life or until you change your plan.

Right now, there is a large upheaval. Customers on legacy plans are being force-migrated to newer plans. Fortunately, I have not been affected yet. But, keep in mind that whatever price lock T-Mob may offer you, their track record at keeping it is not good.

And lastly, T-Mobile does everything in the T-Life app. The idea here is to have the customer do for themselves 99% of things, while AI chat or offshore customer service handles that last 1%. It's allowing corporate to eliminate overhead (i.e., lay off lots of employees and close stores).

Familiarize yourself with T-Force. T-Force is a higher level of service rep that has greater authority to get things done. Don't bother calling in or chatting if you have issues. If you walk in store, they are going to make you go through the T-Life app.

You can use the website as an alternative to the app, but I'm not sure if it handles everything.

And of course, always protect yourself. Trust what they tell you, but follow up and verify. They have a history of lying to your face (just like Sprint did).
 
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I switched 12 Pro to 15 Pro Max for the better zoom level. The screen size difference is minor, but the taller phone doesn't fit into some pockets as well as the normal Pro. If I were to go to a 17 Pro (where the cameras between Pro/Pro Max are identical) I'd certainly drop back down to the regular Pro.

But that's just me. You might love it!
 
I was all Steve Jobs when it came to device size. I had this idea you needed to be able to use a phone one-handed or it would be unusable.

During 2012 to 2014 that changed. The first step was when I realized I really needed to replace my Motorola Droid in the summer of 2012. Verizon by this point had the iPhone, but it only had 3G, and the only way I could lock unlimited data on a device subsidy on Verizon at that point was to go 4G LTE, which meant the Galaxy S3. This was a good phone, good enough I knew I'd not want to downsize from it again. And in late 2014, when the only path I had to having both a device subsidy and serious data at all was to switch to a Note 4, I reluctantly did -- and found to my surprise I loved the larger size. I've been using Max-sized phones ever since, on Verizon until 2018, AT&T since.

I'm having the same agonizing effect as the OP with T-Mobile, albeit with what would be a switch from AT&T, not Verizon. The issue is, AT&T's exceptional rural coverage for my purposes, versus T-Mobile generally being better set up in the city. Unfortunately the satellite support on the 17 series is pretty limited. Texts, EMS messages, a handful of web sites and the like, and finickiness about switching between cell and satellite. There's speculation about the 18 having enough satellite support to be a more meaningful safety net for T-Mobile's deficiencies in the rural areas I regularly visit, but also speculation that Apple may not be able to put their own satellite capable modem in for the US market due to mmWave frequencies it still omits to support, affecting all major cities for Verizon, most larger major cities for AT&T, and select major cities in the South even for T-Mobile. And the Qualcomm option doesn't have the expanded satellite support. So a wait for the 18 might not really do much good, and if you're mainly in the city I don't see what the case for paying hundreds extra for an 18 really is.
 
When I changed from an iPhone 6 to a 7+, I hated it.

Went from a 12 Pro to a 16PM, and not so bad this time. I finally decided to stop keeping my phone in my shirt pocket after breaking the screen in the 16PM, so if not in that pocket, I can live with the larger size.

But I don't see the benefit of going from a 17 Pro to a 17 PM. If you are going to upgrade, at least wait for the 18PM even if a little more expensive. Not get what is nearly the previous year's model.
 
When I changed from an iPhone 6 to a 7+, I hated it.

Went from a 12 Pro to a 16PM, and not so bad this time. I finally decided to stop keeping my phone in my shirt pocket after breaking the screen in the 16PM, so if not in that pocket, I can live with the larger size.

But I don't see the benefit of going from a 17 Pro to a 17 PM. If you are going to upgrade, at least wait for the 18PM even if a little more expensive. Not get what is nearly the previous year's model.
Yeah I decided to hang onto my 17 Pro.
 
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