Unlimited Data Upgrade Options?

[Crash Davis]

I have two 5s iPhones on a 2 year contract with AT&T that expires this month. I have unlimited data grandfathered and since about two months ago I also have unlimited talk and text.

My monthly service charge for the two 5s phones with unlimited everything is about $140.

Could anyone tell me what my best upgrade option would be? AT&T Next? Another contract? I like to keep my phones for 24 months and upgrade when a new "S" model comes out.

Thanks.

 

[barkomatic]

Since you have unlimited data that you want to keep, the contract is the best option. However, you can only order an iPhone with a contract via the AT&T website. Some report that random AT&T stores have sold them iPhones on contract but that is not officially an option.

 

[Boyd01]

I just upgraded from a 5s to a 6s Plus using AT&T Next, I had two months left on the 5s 2 year contract. I could have kept my grandfathered data plan, but decided to let it go. There was a front page story here a week or two back stating that AT&T would be increasing the monthly charge for unlimited data from $30 to $35 in February (IIRC).

I retired a few years ago and my data use is really low now, so I switched to the base level Mobile Share Value 2gb with rollover data plan. I was paying about $80/mo total on my old unlimited plan. When you include the new 128gb 6s plus on the Next24 plan, my monthly bill should only go up by about $10 because the mobileshare plan is about $25 cheaper than the old unlimited plan. And Best Buy was threw in a $100 gift card so I was happy.

They have other mobile share plans with higher limits if you need them. If the price increase rumor for the unlimited plan is correct then I'd look into these, unless you really need unlimited data.

Best Buy also gave me a $200 gift card for my old iPhone 5s. Maybe I could have sold it privately for less, but that seemed reasonable and was very convenient. So I got a total of $300 in gift cards and wi AppleCare and an Otterbox, and I still have something like $50 left.

 

[cnotes2019]

I just upgraded from a 5s to a 6s Plus using AT&T Next, I had two months left on the 5s 2 year contract. I could have kept my grandfathered data plan, but decided to let it go. There was a front page story here a week or two back stating that AT&T would be increasing the monthly charge for unlimited data from $30 to $35 in February (IIRC).

I retired a few years ago and my data use is really low now, so I switched to the base level Mobile Share Value 2gb with rollover data plan. I was paying about $80/mo total on my old unlimited plan. When you include the new 128gb 6s plus on the Next24 plan, my monthly bill should only go up by about $10 because the mobileshare plan is about $25 cheaper than the old unlimited plan. And Best Buy was threw in a $100 gift card so I was happy.

They have other mobile share plans with higher limits if you need them. If the price increase rumor for the unlimited plan is correct then I'd look into these, unless you really need unlimited data.

Best Buy also gave me a $200 gift card for my old iPhone 5s. Maybe I could have sold it privately for less, but that seemed reasonable and was very convenient. So I got a total of $300 in gift cards and wi AppleCare and an Otterbox, and I still have something like $50 left.

$5 increase did all that to you?

 

[Boyd01]

Well the new mobileshare plan is $55 and the Next24 monthly payment for the 128gb 6s+ is around $30, then there are the usual taxes, etc. Won't know the exact numbers until I get the first bill, but it should be under $100. My old bill with unlimited data and 2 year plan was in the $80 to $85 range. Of course there will be a one time $15 AT&T upgrade charge.

I was surprised, didn't expect to walk out with a $1000 phone, no cost up front and a gift card. When I upgraded from my out-of-contract iPhone 4 to a 32gb 5s about two years ago I think I had to pony up $300 for the new phone.

 

[AmyK]

I have upgraded two phone via the contract option at two different corporate stores in November so you can do it at the corporate stores. That is the way I would go if I was you. I plan to upgrade a third one this month.

 

[Boyd01]

$5 increase did all that to you?

No, it's just that for me, paying $30 for unlimited data and only using a couple hundred MB was not a good deal. It would be an even worse deal at $35. If you really need unlimited data, then I guess you will just have to pay the going rate. FWIW, I could have switched to the Next24 plan and kept my unlimited data when I upgraded at Best Buy.

 

[bpeeps]

No, it's just that for me, paying $30 for unlimited data and only using a couple hundred MB was not a good deal. It would be an even worse deal at $35. If you really need unlimited data, then I guess you will just have to pay the going rate. FWIW, I could have switched to the Next24 plan and kept my unlimited data when I upgraded at Best Buy.

The base level plan is 300MB for $20 just to correct you from earlier. 2GB mobile share plan is $30. So you save 5 bucks when February rolls around and UDP increases. 5 extra dollars really isn't that worse of a deal, but I guess you can buy yourself a really nice steak dinner in a year's time.

 

[Crash Davis]

I don't really use unlimited data, but it seems like Next18+Mobileshare 15gb is MORE than Contract+Unlimited, so I'm not sure why I would change plans.

Are these numbers right? Maybe I'm missing something. Is there a discount on Next18+Mobileshare that I don't know about?

iPhone 6s 64gb

Next18 + Mobileshare 15gb

• Next18 ($31.25 x 24 months) x 2 phones = $1,500.00
• Mobileshare 15gb $130.00 x 24 months = $3,120.00

Total = $4,620
​

Contract + Unlimited

• 2 year contract $299.99 x 2 phones = $599.98
• Unlimited Data $140.00 x 24 months = $3,360.00

Total = $3,959.98

​

 

[imlynxy]

I don't really use unlimited data, but it seems like Next18+Mobileshare 15gb is MORE than Contract+Unlimited, so I'm not sure why I would change plans.

Are these numbers right? Maybe I'm missing something.

iPhone 6s 64gb

Next18 + Mobileshare 15gb

• Next18 ($31.25 x 24 months) x 2 phones = $1,500.00
• Mobileshare 15gb $130.00 x 24 months = $3,120.00

Total = $4,620
​

Contract + Unlimited

• 2 year contract $299.99 x 2 phones = $599.98
• Unlimited Data $140.00 x 24 months = $3,360.00

Total = $3,959.98​

+1 upgrade with 2-year contract. Next is just 0 percent loan for a full price. UDPs are in great value now. They sell them 700+ on eBay

And don't be fooled by the stores that they no longer offer 2-years contracts. They do, you can always make it online.

 

[Boyd01]

The base level plan is 300MB for $20 just to correct you from earlier. 2GB mobile share plan is $30. So you save 5 bucks when February rolls around and UDP increases.

I asked about the 300MB plan. It actually would cost more than the 2gb mobilshare plan because the phone and text would be "unbundled" like my current bill (according to the Best Buy guy).

Honestly, I have never "shopped" for a cell plan before. I switched from to AT&T in 2008 since Verizon didn't have the iPhone at that point, and I have kept pretty much the same plan since then. I didn't analyze all the possible plans, just discussed them with the guy at Best Buy. Here's what I was paying before the upgrade. My new plan is $55/month which is $20 cheaper. If unlimited data increases to $35, then my plan will be $25/mo cheaper. That should buy a pretty nice steak dinner.

 

[bpeeps]

I asked about the 300MB plan. It actually would cost more than the 2gb mobilshare plan because the phone and text would be "unbundled" like my current bill (according to the Best Buy guy).

Honestly, I have never "shopped" for a cell plan before. I switched from to AT&T in 2008 since Verizon didn't have the iPhone at that point, and I have kept pretty much the same plan since then. I didn't analyze all the possible plans, just discussed them with the guy at Best Buy. Here's what I was paying before the upgrade. My new plan is $55/month which is $20 cheaper. If unlimited data increases to $35, then my plan will be $25/mo cheaper. That should buy a pretty nice steak dinner.


View attachment 604822

It appears cheaper because you are no longer paying for the subsidy price of the phone with your AT&T bill. The price of the phone will be either a full price purchase upwards of $650 or leased through NEXT. When you add in the $20 - $30 a month for Next (depending on phone variation), your plan total will be around the same as the UDP or more. People on family plans definitely benefit from mobile share plans, individuals on UDP plans not so much.

 

[Boyd01]

I really didn't analyze this before, but l'll take a shot at it. Maybe I am missing something?

OLD PLAN

$ 300 - Down payment for 32gb iPhone 5s
$1800 - $75 unlimited data, voice and text plans for 24 months
_____
$2100 - total cost for phone and service for 24 months


NEW PLAN

$ 0 - No down payment for phone
$1320 - $55 2gb Mobile Share plan for 24 months
$ 768 - $32 installment payment for 128gb iPhone 6s Plus for 24 months
______
$2088 - total cost for phone and service for 24 months

Basically it looks like a wash, but gets a little more complicated. The Next32 plan lets you upgrade after 24 months but you have to turn the phone back in since it would not be completely paid off for 32 months.

I got $200 for my old iPhone 5s through a Best Buy promotion, so you might say that lowers the old plan overall total to $1900. But I got a $100 Best Buy gift card that lowered the overall cost of the new phone to $1988. If the unlimited plan goes up by $5 in February, that would be another $110 to consider for an "old plan" scenario.

Of course the big difference is that I no longer have unlimited data. But that was wasted on me, I never used more than a few hundred MB per month over the past year.

Seems like I did ok since I went from from a 32gb 5s to a 128gb 6s+. IIRC, if I had stayed with the 24 month contract I would have paid $600 down for the 128gb 6s+. Maybe there are better deals, but this seemed reasonable.