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Think AT&T will push up upgrade eligibility?

C

Captainobvvious

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 15, 2010
366
2
I bought my iPhone 4 and extended my contract by two years the day pre-orders began.

My AT&T upgrade eligibility says I can get an upgrade in February of 2012...

I have a four line family plan, three top tier data plans, unlimited family texting... I can't believe that I am not eligible to upgrade...

What blows my mind is that I have had the iPhone 4 for as long as its been available and I can't upgrade to the 5...

With how good a seller the iPhone 4 was and since apparently nobody is eligible for an upgrade how can ANYONE upgrade to the new model?

Do you think AT&T will push up eligibility dates as I know they have done sometimes in the past?

I imagine they would have to as there is a lot of new competition.
 
You'll be surprised at how many who ordered at the same time you did last year and they're eligible to upgrade. AT&T is in a position where they don't have to offer early upgrade, but we've gotten so use to it that we think they should because they do it every year. My guess is that they bump everyone within 3-6 months up, but if not I'll be waiting till my upgrade in December.
 
typically if you bought your iPhone around launch you can upgrade early at the next iPhone launch.
 
Captainobvvious said:
I bought my iPhone 4 and extended my contract by two years the day pre-orders began.

My AT&T upgrade eligibility says I can get an upgrade in February of 2012...

I have a four line family plan, three top tier data plans, unlimited family texting... I can't believe that I am not eligible to upgrade...

What blows my mind is that I have had the iPhone 4 for as long as its been available and I can't upgrade to the 5...

With how good a seller the iPhone 4 was and since apparently nobody is eligible for an upgrade how can ANYONE upgrade to the new model?

Do you think AT&T will push up eligibility dates as I know they have done sometimes in the past?

I imagine they would have to as there is a lot of new competition.
Click to expand...

I also wonder, because I bought it in July 2010 and mine says I can upgrade on 3/21/2012. Hopefully they move up eligibility.
 
I bought two iPhone 4's on the first day, both of my lines are eligible for upgrade:

AT&T Upgrade Status:
Yes - You are eligible for an upgrade at a discounted price.

When I go to the store, everything has discounted prices including iPhone 4.
 
I got my iPhone 4 launchday and I'm eligible Nov. 16th (I pay $75/month). I could wait a month but it'd be a nice surprise if they bumped me up.
 
I just hope they move up the date... I don't understand why many are eligible and some aren't.

I am a better customer than many, very expensive mobile bill and have been a customer for 7+ years.

If I am excluded I imagine the majority of people are... Would hurt their opening sales.
 
I got mine on launch day, and have been eligible for an upgrade for a couple months. I do have unlimited everything though, and have a corporate discount.
 
jdugan4859 said:
I got mine on launch day, and have been eligible for an upgrade for a couple months. I do have unlimited everything though, and have a corporate discount.
Click to expand...

I have their lowest tier voice plan... But I do have unlimited family texting and three top tier data plans... I also have a corporate discount.

Its different for everyone I understand and we never know why someone is eligible while someone else isn't.. I just hope they push up eligibility... I think they did for the iPhone 4.
 
I have unlimited everything and a 3g iPad on my account and as of now I'm still not eligible until 11/18. I bought my iPhone 4 on day one last year.
 
You signed a two year contract! What do you expect?

Of course you can upgrade. You just have to pay the early upgrade price.
 
I imagine they will... They are facing a lot more competition that has the iPhone than they used to and even back then they pushed up eligibility.

Plus my early termination fee is $175... If I buy the iPhone 4 (assuming its the same price as the 5) right now they will charge me $450...

That means it cheaper for me to pay the ETF and go to Verizon than it is for me to upgrade and stay with AT&T...

That would apply to basically everyone who isn't upgrade eligible for the iPhone 5 and I am sure they know that.

Its cheaper to go to the competition that has generally better service isn't a great formula for AT&T.
 
The last time they did this, they were facing the end of their exclusive contract with apple. What incentive is there for them to do so this time? I'm a little more cynical in thinking they'll be that altruistic this time.
 
maflynn said:
The last time they did this, they were facing the end of their exclusive contract with apple. What incentive is there for them to do so this time? I'm a little more cynical in thinking they'll be that altruistic this time.
Click to expand...

Altruism has nothing to do with it.

It would be cheaper to pay the early termination fee at this point than it would be to buy the phone with the smaller early upgrade discount.

They want $450 for an iPhone 4 from me... Assuming the iPhone 5 is the same price I would save money ending the contract and paying $175 over paying $450.

They will lose a lot of customers that way if they don't want to wait.

Like I said before... Its cheaper to get an iPhone 5 by ditching AT&T for a carrier that generally has better coverage and service... That doesn't sound good for AT&T.
 
maflynn said:
The last time they did this, they were facing the end of their exclusive contract with apple. What incentive is there for them to do so this time?
Click to expand...

By bumping eligibility forward, they give their customers the choice of an iPhone 5 on AT&T now - or an iPhone 5 at the end of the contract on any carrier they want. I think that is a significant incentive.
 
Captainobvvious said:
That means it cheaper for me to pay the ETF and go to Verizon than it is for me to upgrade and stay with AT&T...
Click to expand...

Not cheaper, the same. What's to prevent you from paying the ETF and then buying it subsidized from AT&T?

As I mention above, I think they will move up eligibility though.
 
Last edited:
seanfranklin said:
By bumping eligibility forward, they give their customers the choice of an iPhone 5 on AT&T now - or an iPhone 5 at the end of the contract on any carrier they want. I think that is a significant incentive.
Click to expand...

True, but they lose money by doing this every year. It makes little business sense for them to keep doing it. They did this last time specifically because verizon was on the horizon. They have little to lose at this point by telling their customers to honor the contract.

----------
Captainobvvious said:
It would be cheaper to pay the early termination fee at this point than it would be to buy the phone with the smaller early upgrade discount.
Click to expand...
Not many people will be willing to do this since you'll lose your phone number and you'll have to go to a new carrier.
 
seanfranklin said:
Not cheaper, the same. What's to prevent you from paying the EFT and then buying it subsidized from AT&T?

As I mention above, I think they will move up eligibility though.
Click to expand...

Well if I pay $175 to cancel the contract and pay $199 at Verizon it will cost me $374... If I buy it with an early upgrade discount at AT&T it will cost me $450. So it is cheaper to leave.

The thing is if I pay the ETF I can certainly stay with AT&T but that puts me (and many others, I don't pretend that MY action means anything) in the position where I have my choice of almost any carrier.

Since AT&T is generally viewed the least favorably I could see them losing a lot of customers.
 
I've gotten every iphone since the 3g on the release date. If i do the *639# before the announcement im never eligible and like clockwork after the announcement usually a couple days i have been eligible.
 
I dont know how AT&T goes about determining this, but I bought my iPhone 4around July 25th when online orders were available again and I have been eligible for an upgrade since August 10th, 2011..... I have a family plan with 3 lines two of them are iphone plans and one is a blackberry with a $15 250mb plan.
 
maflynn said:
Not many people will be willing to do this since you'll lose your phone number and you'll have to go to a new carrier.
Click to expand...

Not really... If I am on AT&T and want to move to say Verizon... I can go to Verizon, even if I am under contract with AT&T, set up a new account... Port my number over then it will cancel my AT&T service. So I pay an ETF and keep my number.

AT&T must know that it is cheaper to quit them and move somewhere else... They don't want to lose a ton of business to Verizon and Sprint.
 
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