Actually, you pay $579 which is cheaper than retail. But upfront you pay $99 and then $20 for the next 24 months. That is unless you want to pay full price up front. Then you don't make monthly payments on the phone and only have to pay for whatever plan you choose (which are cheaper than any other major carrier in the US). Basically, T-Mobile split up the cost of the phone and the plans. So the plans don't include subsidies.
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T-Mobile Buying Experiences and Unboxings?
- Thread starter BruiserB
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Actually, you pay $579 which is cheaper than retail. But upfront you pay $99 and then $20 for the next 24 months. That is unless you want to pay full price up front. Then you don't make monthly payments on the phone and only have to pay for whatever plan you choose (which are cheaper than any other major carrier in the US). Basically, T-Mobile split up the cost of the phone and the plans. So the plans don't include subsidies.
Good luck finding any provider with phones for "alot cheaper" that will allow you to have a plan for $50/month. You can actually go as low as $30/month with T-mobile. The minimum plans for ATT/VZ usually come out in the $80-110 range because the subsidy of your "cheaper" priced phone is embedded in there. So a savings of around $50 a month with T-mobile quickly makes up for the more expensive upfront cost of the phone.
The problem is going to be they will want an activation code that comes with the sim kits. You might have to jump through some hoops on the phone to get someone to activate it without the code. But it seems like a waste for them to make you buy a 99 cents sim kit to activate the plan and then switch the SIM to the nano-sim on your account.
Get a full size SIM from T-mobile and buy a nano SIM cutter from eBay and cut it down. T-mobile makes it hard to get the nano SIMs and from what I could figure out last December was this was the easiest way. Then go to:
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans
and click "activate" on the upper right of the page. Make sure you select the correct $30 plan as there are two, but the other one has almost no data. Tethering will be a $15 add on for this plan if you want it....unless you got a phone that doesn't already have the most recent T-mobile carrier profile....then you can use hotspot for free.
It needs to be a SIM kit (which includes the activation code). My local T-Mobile store will happily exchange any SIM with a nano-SIM provided you have an account. You can do this if you don't want to deal with cutting it down. I've heard of places trying to charge $20 though.
I walked into an Apple store this morning and asked why the price difference between the Apple-sold iP5/16GB for TMo (649.99) and the TMo-sold iP5/16GB for TMo (579.99) and was told it was to police buyers from buying the phone and not keeping the service.
OK, I'm totally confused here. Apple is policing TMo customers, but TMo isn't? No wonder no one in the Apple store was looking to buy an iP5 phone for TMo even though there were TMo shirt employees in the Apple store. I left empty handed.
I walked down the other side of the mall and into a TMo store. Four employees all handling different customers trying to ring out. Their POS (Point Of Sale) system was down, so they were able to entertain any questions I hand.
I explained I am a TMo off-contract customer looking to buy two iP5/16GB phones in full and get new service on them. They informed me of their system being down and asked that I wait nearby.
Fourty minutes pass, many more customers pop in to wait, and I then gave up and walked out empty handed. Its nice how both the Apple store and TMo store had inventory to sell, but for reasons of absurdity (Apple) or bad luck (TMo) no one was getting them.
I continue to use a GSM flip-phone.
OK, I'm totally confused here. Apple is policing TMo customers, but TMo isn't? No wonder no one in the Apple store was looking to buy an iP5 phone for TMo even though there were TMo shirt employees in the Apple store. I left empty handed.
I walked down the other side of the mall and into a TMo store. Four employees all handling different customers trying to ring out. Their POS (Point Of Sale) system was down, so they were able to entertain any questions I hand.
I explained I am a TMo off-contract customer looking to buy two iP5/16GB phones in full and get new service on them. They informed me of their system being down and asked that I wait nearby.
Fourty minutes pass, many more customers pop in to wait, and I then gave up and walked out empty handed. Its nice how both the Apple store and TMo store had inventory to sell, but for reasons of absurdity (Apple) or bad luck (TMo) no one was getting them.
I continue to use a GSM flip-phone.
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Interesting....so to do that would you take the full size SIM and go through the activation process with an old phone that uses full size SIMs and then take the SIM into T-mobile and just ask them to move your account over to a nano SIM?
I have had my iphone 5 on tmobile since november and have never had a dropped call.
No need to start rumors.
Or just use the IMEI of the iPhone you have when activating online. But yeah, you should be able to do it this way.
i just got a VM after turning it on and downloading the carrier update...it prompted me to push something to contact tmobile. i chose prepaid from the prompts and was given opportunity to choose a representative....he quickly changed it in the system to a prepaid option. i then got a text with my new number and a number to call to charge my plan with $.
works perfectly now.
works perfectly now.
I've had service with TMO since 2005. I have only experienced dropped calls with the Motorola RAZR. Ever since then, I have gotten no dropped calls whatsoever.
I have had no connection problems with my iPhone 5 that I owned since December of last year.
To those that claim to have not had any dropped calls with T-Mobile, count your blessings and stay away from Atlanta!
Here in Atlanta, T-mobile is the worst service I ever had, and that includes metro POS.
I have more dropped calls than a little bit and I'm essentially the laughingstock of my job because they have Verizon and get good service, meanwhile data drops out, calls drop, sometimes I dial a number, hit send, then wait up to 2 minutes before it connects and rings.
People have said "you got a bad phone" so I've swapped the phone out, same problem.
Their coverage map says I'm covered, but if I walk more than 5 feet away from a Window dropped call.
Funniest part about it is I got perfect coverage for the first 14 days.
I wish I never left sprint, i had much better service with them. I'm paying my ETF and going to Verizon when the s4 drops.
I'm happy you all are getting service and good service.
T-mobile is a great value if you can get service with them.
Here in Atlanta, T-mobile is the worst service I ever had, and that includes metro POS.
I have more dropped calls than a little bit and I'm essentially the laughingstock of my job because they have Verizon and get good service, meanwhile data drops out, calls drop, sometimes I dial a number, hit send, then wait up to 2 minutes before it connects and rings.
People have said "you got a bad phone" so I've swapped the phone out, same problem.
Their coverage map says I'm covered, but if I walk more than 5 feet away from a Window dropped call.
Funniest part about it is I got perfect coverage for the first 14 days.
I wish I never left sprint, i had much better service with them. I'm paying my ETF and going to Verizon when the s4 drops.
I'm happy you all are getting service and good service.
T-mobile is a great value if you can get service with them.
can anyone confirm you can use the iphone with an android preferred plan?
i want to purchase at full price, but don't want to give up my 5gb(pseudo unlimited) plan.
what would be worse is coming home and sticking in my sim and then getting a data upsell message
i want to purchase at full price, but don't want to give up my 5gb(pseudo unlimited) plan.
what would be worse is coming home and sticking in my sim and then getting a data upsell message
What prices are you guys paying to buy out the phone? I called the nearest t-mobile store and they said the buyout price is $650. From reading the posts here, it seems like people are getting them from t-mobile for $580 without the payment plan?
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
You have to sign up for a value plan for at least one month to get the $580 price (whether you pay in full or not). Otherwise you have to pay full price.
I think you mean postpaid.
And is it possible to get the new iPhone while on a prepaid plan? I already have a nano sim with the $30 5gb data plan prepaid, while all the serial numbers and stuff for it (bought an iPhone 5 like 4 months ago for the plan, sold it for the new one with AWS support). Will I be able to just tell them I am already on a plan?
Had a wonderful experience today with Tmobile. I had my name on 'the list', had been told I was in the right credit tier for the eip, but I was still worried that something would happen.
So I go into work, get off at noon and head over to the Tmobile store, not sure what to expect.
My Tmobile rep was there and after being put on another list, it was soon my turn.
He told me that 'the list' was no more. Apple put the kibosh on that. He said that he was trying to call people, but he couldn't reach me.
Then he pulled out my new iPhone. He took a look at my galaxy s 4g and said I could trade it in. The phone was ancient so $50. We got all set up, I signed some paperwork, paid for the phone, and a body glove case with a screensaver and now I'm home.
The store was steady, but not overly crowded. The mood seemed relaxed. Tmobile guy said that were was a bit of ugly throughout the day, because people don't get this whole pay full price for phone thing. And the whole value plan thing.
The actual unboxing was rather anticlimactic. I did make tmobile guy laugh when I lovingly caressed the phone and cooed at it and called it pretty.
I ended up backing it from my iPod. No worries there. With all the music I had plus my apps, I'm using a whopping 4.1 GB on my 16 GB. My home seems to be a cellular graveyard, so I'm using wifi at the moment. I was getting 4g outside though and they're in the process of LTE-izing San Antonio.
So over all, I'm pleased. I was able to get my contacts synced over and I've been texting and making calls, no problem. I'm so happy to finally have a smart phone that's...well...SMART! I know how to use it. I've tailored some settings for me and it works.
I've not gotten onto iTunes. My desktop is showing it's butt right now. Thank goodness for iCloud.
So I go into work, get off at noon and head over to the Tmobile store, not sure what to expect.
My Tmobile rep was there and after being put on another list, it was soon my turn.
He told me that 'the list' was no more. Apple put the kibosh on that. He said that he was trying to call people, but he couldn't reach me.
Then he pulled out my new iPhone. He took a look at my galaxy s 4g and said I could trade it in. The phone was ancient so $50. We got all set up, I signed some paperwork, paid for the phone, and a body glove case with a screensaver and now I'm home.
The store was steady, but not overly crowded. The mood seemed relaxed. Tmobile guy said that were was a bit of ugly throughout the day, because people don't get this whole pay full price for phone thing. And the whole value plan thing.
The actual unboxing was rather anticlimactic. I did make tmobile guy laugh when I lovingly caressed the phone and cooed at it and called it pretty.
I ended up backing it from my iPod. No worries there. With all the music I had plus my apps, I'm using a whopping 4.1 GB on my 16 GB. My home seems to be a cellular graveyard, so I'm using wifi at the moment. I was getting 4g outside though and they're in the process of LTE-izing San Antonio.
So over all, I'm pleased. I was able to get my contacts synced over and I've been texting and making calls, no problem. I'm so happy to finally have a smart phone that's...well...SMART! I know how to use it. I've tailored some settings for me and it works.
I've not gotten onto iTunes. My desktop is showing it's butt right now. Thank goodness for iCloud.
If i were to walk into a Tmobile store today and buy an iphone for $99 down and $20 a month for 24 months, will the phone be unlocked to use an overseas sim card? If not, how long would i have to wait for tmobile to unlock it for me, or can i use unlock_fusion on ebay for the tmobile version?