After years with AT&T, I switched to Verizion when the 4S came out. They had better coverage in my area as far as I was concerned. With AT&T though, I was able to upgrade to the new iPhone at the subsidized pricing every year without any problem or concern. Now I'm realizing that I won't be able to do the same with Verizon? This is very disconcerting. Are there any work arounds or examples I can cite to avoid this? Otherwise I'm going to have to terminate my Verizon contract and go to another carrier, which will cost me some money as well since I am in mid contract.
Verizon - No discount upgrading to iPhone 5 from 4S?
- Thread starter lilvenom
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Been a Verizon customer since 2001, looking forward to upgrade to the new iPhone. I got my 4S on launch date and I'm checking my eligibility date its on 6/14/2013.. Also looking forward to find something around this to avoid paying full price. Have not called Verizon yet.
Exactly how I got my iphone 4 when I was in my aunts family plan in at&t. I got the 4S on my parents verizon family plan. I wonder if its the same with Verizon.
orangebluedevil
macrumors 6502
I'd also like to know the price structure for Verizon. I've been on ATT and it has three tiers:
- $199 for full subsidy
- $199 + $250 if eligible for discount pricing
- $199 + $250 + $200 if not eligible for anything
- $199 for full subsidy
- $199 + $250 if eligible for discount pricing
- $199 + $250 + $200 if not eligible for anything
willmtaylor
macrumors G4
A couple of things, OP:
First - In most instances, most people are better off sticking with whoever has better coverage in your area (but feel free to do as you please).
Second - You WERE able to upgrade every year b/c AT&T WAS giving subsidized pricing and waiving fees. If you look at the extensive posts on several threads as of late, you'll see that's not anywhere near the norm anymore.
Finally- I find your entitlement humorous in that you signed and agreed to a 24mo. contract in exchange for getting a HIGHLY subsidized piece of the newest technology, yet you're disconcerted because you think you should be rewarded for reneging on your end of the deal.
Good luck with that,
WMT
A couple of things, OP:
First - In most instances, most people are better off sticking with whoever has better coverage in your area (but feel free to do as you please).
Second - You WERE able to upgrade every year b/c AT&T WAS giving subsidized pricing and waiving fees. If you look at the extensive posts on several threads as of late, you'll see that's not anywhere near the norm anymore.
Finally- I find your entitlement humorous in that you signed and agreed to a 24mo. contract in exchange for getting a HIGHLY subsidized piece of the newest technology, yet you're disconcerted because you think you should be rewarded for reneging on your end of the deal.
Good luck with that,
WMT
Be careful not to crack your iPhone's screen falling off your high horse.
willmtaylor
macrumors G4
Because I don't try to weasel my way out of contracts, I don't have an iPhone, but thanks for the heads up; I'll keep that in mind.
Interstella5555
macrumors 603
You signed a 2 year contract, pay full price or an ETF.
He is not on a high horse. As others have said, you entered into a two-year contract. Now you are wanting to get a new phone a year in at a subsidized price.
LSUtigers03
macrumors 68020
Sell your 4s and use the money to by the new iPhone. You'll pay around the same as the upgrade price or less and you won't renew your contract.
Nautilus007
macrumors 68030
Upgrading
AT&T did that early upgrade as a courtesy to lure customers. Verizon is a 24 month contract with a 20 month period until upgrade eligibility. Buy your new iphone sell the old one.
AT&T did that early upgrade as a courtesy to lure customers. Verizon is a 24 month contract with a 20 month period until upgrade eligibility. Buy your new iphone sell the old one.
ATT did away with 12 month iPhone upgrades when the 4S launched, now it's 20 months like everyone else.
orangebluedevil
macrumors 6502
Nobody has answered the question. Yes, he signed a contract. Yes, ATT doesn't let you get a fully subsidized phone after only 1 year anymore.
But ATTdoes offer discounted pricing. I know this for an absolute fact, because I bought my iPhone 4S on Day 1 and I can get the 5 for "discounted" price of $199 + $250.
Like mentioned above, ATT has 3 tiers. What does Verizon have?
But ATTdoes offer discounted pricing. I know this for an absolute fact, because I bought my iPhone 4S on Day 1 and I can get the 5 for "discounted" price of $199 + $250.
Like mentioned above, ATT has 3 tiers. What does Verizon have?
But we did answer the question. Verizon has nothing. You get your upgrade once every 20 months, or you pay full-prce.
irDigital0l
Guest
Its a 2 year contract...either wait another year or pay the full price.
People signing 2 year contracts yet expecting to get discounts half way through it.
People signing 2 year contracts yet expecting to get discounts half way through it.
You feel entitled and you think others are on the high horse?
This is so ridiculous. Did you not realize you were agreeing to a ~400-600 subsidy in exchange for 24 months of service agreement (or a $375 early termination fee)? If you didn't, WTF? If you did, why would you expect another subsidy?
It was a nicety that AT&T would give you a partial subsidy with that middle tier of the subsidy scale, but Sprint and Verizon don't do that. Most carriers haven't had 1-year contracts in years, either.
Just put it on a low-interest credit card and pay it off over the course of 12 months until the iPhone 6 comes out.
It's just the same.
It was a nicety that AT&T would give you a partial subsidy with that middle tier of the subsidy scale, but Sprint and Verizon don't do that. Most carriers haven't had 1-year contracts in years, either.
Just put it on a low-interest credit card and pay it off over the course of 12 months until the iPhone 6 comes out.
It's just the same.
Applejuiced
macrumors Westmere
Or you can add a line this year to your plan and use it to get the iphone 5 subsidized.
Then next year use your own line to get the full upgrade on the next iphone and so on.
This way you always have an upgrade every year available.
I think it will cost you around $10 more to add a line to your family plan so $120 a year.
Then next year use your own line to get the full upgrade on the next iphone and so on.
This way you always have an upgrade every year available.
I think it will cost you around $10 more to add a line to your family plan so $120 a year.
Plus a per-line data plan, so at least $30 (for 2gb), so $40 total. When Verizon only subsidizes about $400-500 of the phone over 24mos (so about $20 a month), that no longer makes sense. It makes more sense to buy the phone outright and put it on a credit card and pay it off.
Applejuiced
macrumors Westmere
He will obviously take the iphone 5 away from that line and use it with his phone number so if there is no iphone used on that line he can remove the iphone data plan. He can activate a normal flip phone on that account just to sit there.
Many have been doing this for years on AT&T and verizon
So if you think about it it kinda makes more sense if you have room on your family plan instead of paying full price $649 plus tax for the base iphone model.
He will obviously take the iphone 5 away from that line and use it with his phone number so if there is no iphone used on that line he can remove the iphone data plan. He can activate a normal flip phone on that account just to sit there.
Many have been doing this for years on AT&T and verizon
That could work.
(1) Activate NewLine, (2) switch NewLine ESN to an old dumbphone, (3) switch OldLine ESN to the iPhone 5, and finally (4) remove the data plan on NewLine.
(Steps 3 and 4 would be interchangeable, I suppose.)
Question is, with some of the changes at retail level to specify certain phones require 24mo data commitment, will the system allow this? If a CSR notices what you've done, will they let you? Maybe - after all the data plan and data plan price are both a part of the commitment now - but just make sure you attempt these changes during the 15 day buyer's remorse period in case it doesn't work (or sooner, like before the 3 day period with Verizon before they will no longer refund you the $30 equipment upgrade fee should you return the phone).
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Applejuiced
macrumors Westmere
Happens all the time and has been for years. They activate it, sell it or switch it to a different line and a day later call and cancel the data plan on it.
And no, they dont require a 24 month data plan commitment to the line. Its just a 24 month wireless contract for that line.
Its your phone and you can use or sell it, burn it or do whatever you want.
If you're not using an iphone on that line any more you're not required to have an iphone data plan.
Has been for years, great. Things change though. Look at the major reinvention of revenue Verizon has created by moving from tiered minute/text plans to tiered data plans, grandfathering old plans, and restrictions on grandfathering that have *NEVER* happened before like the unlimited data feature loss debacle. Just because it has been a certain way is not really enough reason to believe things won't change.
That said, my evidence to believe that there would be an issue with the new-line-upgrade-and-dumbphone-switcheroo-downgrade system isn't the strongest, either:
In the last 6 months, in all sorts of retail levels, little tags and blurbs have appeared on pricing stating a requirement of a data plan at $XX, alongside normally standard requirement of a 24-month commitment, which would seem to more say that it's the data plan required for the commitment moreso than the data plan required for the phone.
But I could just be looking into it a bit too deeply. Maybe the switcheroo-downgrade will work without a hitch.
That said, even if it works through mostly-automated channels, all it would take would be one savvy and overly-concerned customer service agent or supervisor realizing what you've done and putting a visible note on your account to give you lots of problems with this approach.
Nonetheless, the switcheroo-downgrade is pretty smart.