Because my contract is so old (since 3GS days) that even with the subsidized monthly pricing, it is still a better plan for the price than what is offered today. 450 minutes, unlimited data, unlimited text for $80 ($40+$30+$10). I never plan on changing the current plan or price, so to me I get the added bonus of getting $450 off the price.
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Why are people still doing contract upgrades with AT&T?
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The difference between Next and a 2 year contract was only $50.
This way, I can upgrade AND keep my device if I choose.
This way, I can upgrade AND keep my device if I choose.
Yet you still can't seem to understand it.
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This is what I'm paying except I have 17% FAN discount.
And as I mentioned, that's more psychological rather than financial. You do save a little bit of money over a 2-year period with Next. However, I can definitely understand the psychology of not wanting the higher monthly bill.
Well yeah over a 2 year period, it may save me money, but I dont live on 2 year periods, I live paycheck to paycheck. So having more to spend per paycheck is a benefit for me. I have no problem paying one time upfront costs, even for a $1000 phone. If that drops my monthly bill to below $20, Im going to take it!
That's exactly my plan, except I lowered it to 1000 text, since so many of my friends have iPhones. I actually wish I could lower my talk minutes. I use less than half that amount. I hate talking on the phone.
I've had this plan since I got the 3G in 2008.
And I get the newest phone pretty much every year, so I'm never out of contract, and the fact that the price doesn't lower after the subsidy is paid off is irrelevant.
Because I'm on the unlimited plan and only have one line to contend with.
I do have a cellular iPad and have contemplated the 10GB MSVP, but am still hesitant to relinquish the unlimited plan.
ATT and the other carriers are basically stopping the whole subsidized phone thing all together...in short intervals.
It's a case by case basis, no two people will be the same. Some have older plans and some have newer plans. It may be good for one person and not the next. Plus I was at an AT&T store last night and I was baffled by how many people do not know the real cost of the phone and therefore do not understand the NEXT monthly installments.
That's exactly my plan, except I lowered it to 1000 text, since so many of my friends have iPhones. I actually wish I could lower my talk minutes. I use less than half that amount. I hate talking on the phone.
I've had this plan since I got the 3G in 2008.
And I get the newest phone pretty much every year, so I'm never out of contract, and the fact that the price doesn't lower after the subsidy is paid off is irrelevant.
I had an unlimited text plan for $20 and called AT&T and asked if there was anything they could do to lower my bill since I was a longtime customer. They gave me unlimited texting for $10 a month. You should try that route.
For what it's worth, I also had that 1000 text $10 plan but converted to unlimited when a lot of my friends went Android. Now I have unlimited for the same price.
I don't want to pay full price for the phone
I am okay with a contract, because I am happy with my service, so I'm not going anywhere
An upgrade every two years is okay with me.
Oh yeah, I usually call AT&T and have them waive the upgrade fee for me
Must be special that they waive it. Funny how people pout over stuff that everyone else pays as well to continue to grow the network capacity for your service needs.
Also you do not pay full price for the phone. In some cases you pay less than the upgrade price
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I have both carriers so I will chime in
On VZW on a 10 gig plan assuming you have maybe 4 phones at 2.5 gigs each (fair assumption)
iPhone 6 in 16 gigs is $32/month
$25 of which is paid per month from Vzw. Leaving $7 per month to pay
$7 x 12 = 84 (another 8 months is $56 assuming you keep it 20 months)
That's $140 over 20 months.
That means the carrier pays $500 and you pay $140. I prefer a phone every year
Btw ATT next is nearly identical
You can call it pouting if you want, but I'm not going to pay AT&T $40 for an upgrade. They can kiss my ass. I pay them monthly for my service. Upgrade fees are strictly a tactic to gouge customers for more money.
I wish more customers stood up for themselves and got their upgrade fee waived. They're unnecessary
FamilyTalk 550:
$50 Line 1
$10 Line 2
$30 each line for 3Gb
$5 each line for 200 TXTs (we're not huge TXTers)
$600 + tax (2 iPhone 6's) = $650/24 (this has to be factored in, after all)
No upgrade fee (we call in and get it waived each time)
$157
Next+MobileShare
$25 each line
$80 for 6Gb shared
$1500 / 24 (2 iPhone 6's)
$192.50
192.50-157 = 35.5 * 24 = $852 over the course of two years.
That's why we're still doing contract upgrades. In effect, we're getting our iPhone 6's for the upfront cost. $400 off an iPhone 6 FTW!
What'll really bend your mind is when I say we don't buy insurance and just put that money in the bank each time for possible repairs. $800 balance now.
PS We have 3000 rollover minutes and never come close to using our 550 minutes each month (free nights & weekends and all that). We don't even pay attention to it anymore, so the argument for unlimited talk isn't really a valid one in our case.
$50 Line 1
$10 Line 2
$30 each line for 3Gb
$5 each line for 200 TXTs (we're not huge TXTers)
$600 + tax (2 iPhone 6's) = $650/24 (this has to be factored in, after all)
No upgrade fee (we call in and get it waived each time)
$157
Next+MobileShare
$25 each line
$80 for 6Gb shared
$1500 / 24 (2 iPhone 6's)
$192.50
192.50-157 = 35.5 * 24 = $852 over the course of two years.
That's why we're still doing contract upgrades. In effect, we're getting our iPhone 6's for the upfront cost. $400 off an iPhone 6 FTW!
What'll really bend your mind is when I say we don't buy insurance and just put that money in the bank each time for possible repairs. $800 balance now.
PS We have 3000 rollover minutes and never come close to using our 550 minutes each month (free nights & weekends and all that). We don't even pay attention to it anymore, so the argument for unlimited talk isn't really a valid one in our case.
Unnecessary? So that free overnight shipping to your house, that 365 tech support, going into the stores to have information transferred or trouble shooting when your device doesn't work how you want it? The person spending time to process all the information and get your stuff ready for use... All of those services are covering that.
When your service sucks be sure to call and complain about that too. Maybe then you will understand where majority of the upgrade fee goes. Your the reason everyone gets what they want by crying to big competing companies they know if they stomp their feet and threaten to leave a little louder they will get what they want. All carriers charge it. The ones that don't have a customer base the size of a middle school anyways.
The value of a $450.00 subsidy is around $490.00 after NYC sales tax, which equates to around $20.50 per month over 24 months.
So let's take a look at what I pay:
550 Minutes with rollover (28% employer discount) $36
2nd line - $10
3GB data - $30
200MB data - $15
200 SMS x2 - $10
$101 pre-tax - $41 subsidy value for 2 iPhones = $60.00 per month for 2 lines.
Just the access charges for two smartphones would exceed that on Next not including any data. The plan is damn near perfect for us (I average 1.2 GB per month, wife uses around 80MB per month, and we average 30-40 SMS per month each between Google Voice and iMessage), and we are sitting at 3600 rollover minutes.
I'd factor in the activation fees, but in my six years at AT&T they have never declined to waive them for me.
So let's take a look at what I pay:
550 Minutes with rollover (28% employer discount) $36
2nd line - $10
3GB data - $30
200MB data - $15
200 SMS x2 - $10
$101 pre-tax - $41 subsidy value for 2 iPhones = $60.00 per month for 2 lines.
Just the access charges for two smartphones would exceed that on Next not including any data. The plan is damn near perfect for us (I average 1.2 GB per month, wife uses around 80MB per month, and we average 30-40 SMS per month each between Google Voice and iMessage), and we are sitting at 3600 rollover minutes.
I'd factor in the activation fees, but in my six years at AT&T they have never declined to waive them for me.
If you think you're not reimbursing AT&T or Verizon for that $500, then you're living in dreamland.
The fact that there's no upgrade fee for Next/Edge just goes to show how much of a BS charge it is. On 10+GB plans, 2-year contract subscribers are already paying $150 more per phone versus those on Next/Edge. Factor in the upgrade fee and those on 2-year contract are paying $190 more than those on Next/Edge. Do you mean to tell me carriers need the $35-40/line upgrade fee for network upgrades and services but they're okay with letting the $150/line in service fees go?
If you think you're not reimbursing AT&T or Verizon for that $500, then you're living in dreamland.
The fact that there's no upgrade fee for Next/Edge just goes to show how much of a BS charge it is. On 10+GB plans, 2-year contract subscribers are already paying $150 more per phone versus those on Next/Edge. Factor in the upgrade fee and those on 2-year contract are paying $190 more than those on Next/Edge. Do you mean to tell me carriers need the $35-40/line upgrade fee for network upgrades and services but they're okay with letting the $150/line in service fees go?
LoL of course you are. Just like auto insurance claims and home owners insurance claims you make a claim and increases in policy over the next couple years cover your money awarded.. At the end of the day if you are going to pay for the service take advantage of the discount wherever you find it.
You might want to dust off your economic books. Not everyone gets the $25 discount. By providing them the chance people will choose the higher data plan regardless if they use the data or not. (If people are paying for 10 gigs to get a $25 discount off the device , which public know knows apple has $200 invested in a 16 gig iPhone six) the subsidies are pushed to the consumer and your paying it back through data charges.... It's all about the data. Vzw and ATT do not pay a penny for text messages it's similar to voice. That's why all those features are unlimited. The data is the money pit
Yeah, I'm aware. Data's their new cash cow. Still, I crunched my numbers and MSVP 10GB + Next saves us money on our 4-line account versus old plans with never ending subsidy payments. At $40/line, it's not far off from prepaid services, either. AT&T seems to have increased pricing for 1-2 line plans across the board, though.
I usually call AT&T and have them waive the upgrade fee for me
Petey, trust me, there's no need to feel sorry for the big giant AT&T corporation. Their pockets are deep and full. The $40 "activation fee" or "upgrade fee" has literally nothing to do with "activating" a phone. They give you a little discount on the phone for signing a contract, then that fee is just a not-so-hidden way for them to take back part of the discount so you are almost paying full price again. If anything you should be a little peeved that signing a 2 year contract doesn't net you more savings than it does.
On Mobile Share plans less than 10GB, your monthly bill is $15 more on a 2 Year Contract compared to BYOD prices.
$15 x 24 months = $360
So add $360 to the "contract upgrade" prices of phones.
iPhone 6 (16GB) is $199
Plus $360 = $559
You're saving $90 on the phone in exchange for singing a 2 year contract.
But wait! We forgot to mention the $40 "activation fee". We'll take $40 of that back for no reason at all (we waive this fee if you buy the phone at full price from us or through NEXT).
Yes, you can. At least you could when they started it. I have Next plan and unlimited data that I'd had for years. I started Next last year and kept my plan.
Last week when 6 came out I just went down traded in my 5S for the 6 and paid $45 in tax and that's it.
Kept unlimited data and everything else. No change in my monthly payment.
Maybe they changed it if you sign up now but last year that's how it worked and this year the upgrade to the 6 was easy.
Since AT&T stores currently have no new iPhones in stock they need to be ordered, which means you pay the $199 or $299 now, then the iPhone will be shipped to you. Is the $40 upgrade fee paid at that time, when you order the phone? Or are you charged for that at a later date?
Okay, thanks. Anyone know if the FAN discount still waives this $40 fee? It did in the past but I'm not sure anymore.