T-Mobile Adds Apple Music to Music Freedom, Offers Free 'iPhone 6s' Upgrade With iPhone 6 Trade-In

[Allthings-I]

The more I read about American carriers, the more I hate what Canada has to offer for phone plans. I'd be paying big bucks to get out of my contract that fast AND we don't have anything close to a whitelist for LTE, let alone decent plans. Pretty sure apple music would suck up my entire data plan in a day.

My friend get the Koodo MB/SK $48 ($54.24 After Tax) /Month Plan while you can....Unlimited Canada-Wide + 5GB LTE Data...the loop hole will be closed soon or at least made difficult to get the plan. Many people have been using it and its paying for it self.

I do wish T-Mobile would buy WIND and call it and offer the CAN-US-MEX plans like they are in USA.

 

[superflush]

Apple Music has never counted against my data. This is more for PR than anything else.

That's what I had figured, since I'm nearly positive that iTunes Radio had always been included in the free music streaming program.

 

[macduke]

This would be great if you traveled a lot and wanted to listen to Apple Music streaming—oh wait no it wouldn't because T-Mobile's coverage is pretty crappy outside of major cities.

 

[hlfway2anywhere]

No, because my original plan was to switch after I got my NEXT installment down to $100-$200, pay it off then switch. I only made the decision to switch a week ago because T-Mobile said they would pay off your installment. If I wanted to drop $500 cash on my phone now, I would have paid the $850 to buy it outright in the first place back in November/December.

So here's what you need to do. Find a used smartphone that powers on, has no cosmetic or liquid damage and is not locked by iCloud. Buy a $50 used Verizon iPhone 4 if you need to.

Trade that in to T-Mobile and start a new account with the $15 iPhone 6 promo. Sell your AT&T phone and pay off the installment plan.

 

[ThaMattHatter]

I was enticed by the announcement of Jump on demand along with all of the other offers, like data stash and unlimited music streaming. I jumped ship with 2 lines from Verizon.. worst decision ever. It only took 2 days of normal trips (grocery store, work, movies, etc.) to notice how bad T Mobile's building penetration is. When I contacted T Mobile they of course asked me things like "Did you get service in the Mall on Verizon?" and "Every wifi network is a T Mobile tower". You might be thinking why do you need to use your phone in places like the mall or a grocery store? We shop at Safeway and use their app for coupons, same with mall retailers. Paying extra $$ and knowing you have the best coverage and not having to worry about finding wifi is so much better. We immediately got on the phone with Verizon's "Winback" department and were given generous incentives to re open our account and couldn't be more relieved.

 

[DustinLH00]

Maybe the store reps told me differently, but with the standard JUMP! financing, you had to pay additional up front if you wanted a larger capacity or the 6 Plus and keep the monthly the same, and with the JUMP! on Demand leasing you did not have to pay anything additional up front, and the monthly would be higher.

To your second paragraph at leasing might not be the best program, consider this:

A 24-month EIP of a 16GB iPhone 6 is $27.08 per month for 24 months, with $0 down and tax due at signing, on approved credit (OAC). Total would be $649.92 (excluding tax) after all payments satisfied [source].

However, the same iPhone with JUMP! on Demand is $15 per month for 18 months, with $0 down and no tax due at signing, on approved credit (OAC). Final payment of $164 required to keep the device [source]. Total would be $434 (excluding tax) after all payments satisfied. That's much less than financing.

I don't know where the math is wrong, but I got the iPhone 6+ 64GB which costs $849 today from Apple.

I paid $100 down for the larger capacity and my monthly payments are $29.85 with a total of payments of $703.15. If I want to purchase the phone at the end of the lease, it will cost me an additional $212.70. This is $915.85 total, which is well over the true cost of the phone today and even worse when you consider the time value of money. This is coming directly off of my lease agreement with T-Mobile on 7/3/15. So your sources are missing part of the equation.

Now, I did get credit for my iPhone 5, so my monthly payments are only $17.85 in reality.

 

[TWSS37]

The SIM kit is only $15.

At the time it was $35. And actually right now, it's $0.

I was just pointing out that we're kind of splitting hairs when T-Mobile says "no activation fee!" but then charges for something that other carriers give you for free (as part of the activation fee).

 

[DustinLH00]

At the time it was $35. And actually right now, it's $0.

I was just pointing out that we're kind of splitting hairs when T-Mobile says "no activation fee!" but then charges for something that other carriers give you for free (as part of the activation fee).

I still disagree, because you only need 1 SIM card. So, if I upgrade my phone 3 times this year, I only paid once. With AT&T Next, you need to pay the fee each time you upgrade.

 

[GeoffreySYD]

What some people don't realize is that if you choose JUMP! on Demand and go with the $15/month promotion, for example with the 16GB iPhone 6, the remaining balance due at the end of the lease is $164 plus tax. $15 x 18 months = $270 is what you've paid over the course of the lease, and adding the remaining $164 totals only $434, a big discount over paying $649 from Apple. Granted, the value of the iPhone drops over the course of the 18 months, and the device itself is almost a year old (10.25 months to be more exact). The promotion is basically saying, "grab an iPhone now for at least $15/month, and restart your lease with a prioritized upgrade to an iPhone 6s in about two months' time." That's pretty awesome.

I still don't understand: If I upgrade every year, am I better off buying outright and selling on Craigslist, or is JUMP! On Demand a cheaper option in the long run? Assuming a 6 64GB costs $815 including CA sales tax, so let's take that basis every year.

 

[CPx]

Yes, it totally does raise net neutrality questions. However, there are a few differences:
(1) T-Mobile whitelists lots of competing service, and isn't picking just one or a few. Indeed, it has been adding new services as they gain popularity.
(2) T-Mobile doesn't receive compensation from the music services it whitelists.
(3) At the beginning, T-Mobile allowed users to vote for what music streaming services they wanted whitelisted, in a psudo-democratic fashion.

All of these taken together, I think, do mitigate the net-neutrality concerns. Not completely though. However, if someone asked me to come up with a way of doing whitelisted data services that doesn't run afoul of net neutrality, I would probably look to T-Mobile as the model to begin with.

Yeah agreed. There is theoretically room for abuse, but it hasn't happened yet and I see no indication that they are headed in a bad way. According to T-Mobile, they are covering 95% of streamed music. That doesn't sound like they are playing favorites. Look at the list of eligible services--it's huge. And the music services do not pay for the privilege--the big players can't quash the competition with their bank accounts. That said, it's a good thing to keep an eye on to see how it develops over time.

 

[Keebler]

I'm in Canada so I don't know much about this company or any other US competitors, but I LOL'D at "those greedy bastards!"

Then I thought of my beloved Canada with our already high prices lol

 

[DustinLH00]

I still don't understand: If I upgrade every year, am I better off buying outright and selling on Craigslist, or is JUMP! On Demand a better option in the long run? Assuming a 6 64GB costs $815 including CA sales tax, so let's take that basis every year.

An iPhone 6 64GB will most likely be $15/month for 12 months and $100 down for the larger capacity. So you pay $280 out of pocket. Then you give that back and get the next iPhone and pay another $100 down and $15/month for the next year. So your iPhone costs are $280 per year.

If you buy an iPhone 6 outright for $815 and use it for a year and resell on CL, what can you get for it? Can you make more than $535 on the sale? If so, then you would come out ahead. But, you should also consider the cost of your time preparing the device for sale, managing the CL listing, responding to inquiries, and meeting people to make the deal. Plus, the risk of theft or injury when meeting them.

 

[macosxuser01]

This thing is so confusing. I would like to switch over from AT&T to T-Mobile however like most of you I'm uncertain of the T-Mobile 4G LTE coverage compare to AT&T.
Right now I'm on AT&T Next Plan and still owe about roughly 12 more payments of $31.21 or $436.90 total for my iPhone 6. If I switch to T-Mobile and they were to payoff my iPhone 6 and I STILL got to keep my same iPhone 6 I would totally do it. Because right now I pay $65.00 a month for 3GB of DATA and Unlimited Text & Calls. However, paying the additional $31.21 for the phone sucks because I end up paying $100 with taxes and fees included a month to AT&T

 

[nutmac]

I actually tried T-mobile about 1-2 years ago but back then they didn't have wifi calling on the iPhone; I think having that now would probably solve most coverage issues for me.

Wi-Fi Calling is great if you are in a dead spot. But if your Wi-Fi coverage isn't rock solid, you will experience choppy calls and/or dropped calls still. While T-Mobile's free Wi-Fi router rental did improve coverage in my home, call quality was still too inconsistent and I ended up turning Wi-Fi Calling feature off.

 

[AcesHigh87]

My friend get the Koodo MB/SK $48 ($54.24 After Tax) /Month Plan while you can....Unlimited Canada-Wide + 5GB LTE Data...the loop hole will be closed soon or at least made difficult to get the plan. Many people have been using it and its paying for it self.

I do wish T-Mobile would buy WIND and call it and offer the CAN-US-MEX plans like they are in USA.

How much would a 6S be on that plan though? Assuming it's even still available by the time the phone comes out. Dropping $20 from my bill and getting 4.5gb more data sounds amazing but I can't afford to pay full price for the phone which I feel like I would on a deal like that.

 

[BeSweeet]

Chicago is a great example. A lot of good coverage, but also a lot of dead spots/holes. The street-level coverage reports are fairly accurate as to where the holes are, too.

Spots with no service at all, including outdoors? Probably won't see any help until they get some low-band spectrum to use there.

This would be great if you traveled a lot and wanted to listen to Apple Music streaming—oh wait no it wouldn't because T-Mobile's coverage is pretty crappy outside of major cities.

You'd be surprised by how rapid their 2G to 4G LTE expansion project is coming along.

 

[TechZeke]

You are not paying $850 again. You are leasing the iPhone for $15 or $19 per month and can upgrade 3 times per year. You never end up paying $850 unless you buy the phone at the end. If you are looking to buy the phone at the end, then leasing (just like with cars) is not the best option for you. I don't think it is fair to call this a catch.

I switched from AT&T at the beginning of this month. I traded in an old iPhone 5, got the iPhone 6+ 64GB, am paying $19 a month or so for it. They paid my ETF. I could have traded in my existing iPhone 6+, but decided to sell that on CL instead for more money. I am going to upgrade to the 6s+ in a couple months, at which point I will trade in this iPhone (only 2-3 months old) and start over. They are doing you favors.

Wrong. I wouldn't be leasing. It'd be a regular installment plan just like ATT NEXT. I'd still be paying $42/month just like I would AT&T. My bill would be exactly the same as it is now. (Though I'd get unlimited data). So they'd paying the remaining the remaining balance of my current 6 Plus for me to switch, but I'd have to trade in my current one and re-buy the exact same phone for the exact same price under T-Mobile. They draw you in thinking they are going to pay off your phone for you to switch, but they are really just locking you into another installment for full price again.

 

[BeyondtheTech]

I don't know where the math is wrong, but I got the iPhone 6+ 64GB which costs $849 today from Apple.

I paid $100 down for the larger capacity and my monthly payments are $29.85 with a total of payments of $703.15. If I want to purchase the phone at the end of the lease, it will cost me an additional $212.70. This is $915.85 total, which is well over the true cost of the phone today and even worse when you consider the time value of money. This is coming directly off of my lease agreement with T-Mobile on 7/3/15. So your sources are missing part of the equation.

Now, I did get credit for my iPhone 5, so my monthly payments are only $17.85 in reality.

Are you sure you're on JUMP! on Demand? I'm doing the math with your numbers:

$29.85 x 18 payments = $537.30.
Add the original $100 down...
Plus $212.70 end-of-lease purchase...
And all that equals $850, same as financing.

 

[GeoffreySYD]

If you buy an iPhone 6 outright for $815 and use it for a year and resell on CL, what can you get for it? Can you make more than $535 on the sale?

iPhones are dirt cheap on CL, so I doubt I can make more than $535 on the sale. Alright, thanks for the reply, you got me convinced
I'll get a Simple Choice plan before September, so I can sell my 6 on CL, and trade in a dumb phone when the 6s is out.

Thanks!

 

[ladycsr]

I am on T-Mobile but I have to say.. T-mobile are the new undisputed kings of BS when it comes to making you think you are getting a phone for free.

Yes, someone has to pay for the phone but why twist terms and words to make the young and the gullible think they are getting a "free" phone?

That said, i love my $30 plan!

 

[cmwade77]

I friggin love T-Mobile, they just gotta improve coverage though, that's the one thing they are lacking. Even in cities where they claim they have excellent coverage it's just not as good as AT&T.

I'm guessing you haven't tried their network in the last 6 months or so. I have AT&T and my wife as T-Mobile and her coverage blows mine away, especially in rural areas now. Seriously, they even have 4G LTE in small little Utah towns now, which hasn't been the case until the past few weeks.

 

[DustinLH00]

Wrong. I wouldn't be leasing. It'd be a regular installment plan just like ATT NEXT. I'd still be paying $42/month just like I would AT&T. My bill would be exactly the same as it is now. (Though I'd get unlimited data). So they'd paying the remaining the remaining balance of my current 6 Plus for me to switch, but I'd have to trade in my current one and re-buy the exact same phone for the exact same price under T-Mobile. They draw you in thinking they are going to pay off your phone for you to switch, but they are really just locking you into another installment for full price again.

I cannot stand people that start out a reply with "Wrong." Could you be any more rude? The Jump On-Demand program is a LEASE program with an option to purchase the phone at the end. It is designed for customers to upgrade their phones at least once a year (up to 3 times a year). If you intend on keeping the phone and not upgrading annually, then don't do this program. Buy the phone outright or choose another financing option. And you want them to pay off your phone, but then let you keep it? Come on.

 

[cmwade77]

This is what I want to know as well. I'm already a T-Mobile customer but I don't have the Jump on Demand feature on my plan. I'm tempted to go in trade in my 128gb iPhone 6, get a 64GB iPhone 6 with Jump on Demand and then just swap it out for the 6S once it comes out in September.

I'm curious about the installment plans, i.e. if every time I swap phones, the installment plans resets and I have to start paying it again. My experience with the store associates is that they are not very informed, so I don't really trust asking them.

So, here is how it works:
You pay a down payment (sometimes $0)
If you are using the traditional installment plan, you also have to pay sales tax upfront, based on the full cost of the phone.

If you opt for this new Jump plan, you don't pay the tax, as you are essentially renting the phone for a set number of months. NOTE: The phone is not yours to keep after the number of months on this plan, unless you pay an additional amount.

Now let's say in 6 months or about a year for the traditional installment Jump plan you go in to jump to the newest phone, here is what happens:

1. You give your working phone to T-Mobile as a trade-in
2. T-Mobile pays off the remainder of your installments (Really this is just an accounting thing, as it doesn't involved any physical money changing hands)
3. You agree to a new set of installments on the new phone with terms similar to above for x number of months
4. They activate your new phone
5. You walk out with your new phone

 

[chiefsilverback]

Maybe the store reps told me differently, but with the standard JUMP! financing, you had to pay additional up front if you wanted a larger capacity or the 6 Plus and keep the monthly the same, and with the JUMP! on Demand leasing you did not have to pay anything additional up front, and the monthly would be higher.

To your second paragraph at leasing might not be the best program, consider this:

A 24-month EIP of a 16GB iPhone 6 is $27.08 per month for 24 months, with $0 down and tax due at signing, on approved credit (OAC). Total would be $649.92 (excluding tax) after all payments satisfied [source].

However, the same iPhone with JUMP! on Demand is $15 per month for 18 months, with $0 down and no tax due at signing, on approved credit (OAC). Final payment of $164 required to keep the device [source]. Total would be $434 (excluding tax) after all payments satisfied. That's much less than financing.

I was just looking at the T-Mobile site and it looks like participation in Jump costs $10/month, so you need to add another $180 to that figure...

 

[BeyondtheTech]

I was just looking at the T-Mobile site and it looks like participation in Jump costs $10/month, so you need to add another $180 to that figure...

The JUMP! on Demand leasing plan does not have a monthly service charge. It's included in the lease.

The original JUMP! financing plans have the $10 charge, which includes insurance.