Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Will anyone offer T-Mobile iPhone 5 cheaper?
- Thread starter CBillups1
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
well i dont have a "value plan" i have a normal plan
id be paying cash, no monthly BS. its just that with no LTE in my area especially its kinda ridiculous to pay $580+tax
You can't get the iPhone 5 any cheaper anywhere on any carrier so if you're that concerned about it being old then you should probably just wait.
T-Mobile is the cheapest at $580. It's $649 from Apple and the other carriers. Just because you only pay $199 for it up front from Verizon/AT&T/Sprint/etc. doesn't mean they don't get you to pay the rest. That's the point of the whole un-carrier thing. Lower monthly payments and no subsidies.
well i dont have a "value plan" i have a normal plan
id be paying cash, no monthly BS. its just that with no LTE in my area especially its kinda ridiculous to pay $580+tax
It is ridiculous. Just wait.
If you buy from att/verizon/sprint you are not paying more for the phone than $199. Your plan cost the same whether they give you a discount for a 2 year contract or not.
T-mobile will be the only major carrier who cut you a deal buying the phone out right.
For example, I bought my last iphone unlocked and contract free and my bill did not change with att.
I think it's foolish to wait for something that hasn't even been mentioned or doesn't even exist yet. It Could be October before anything comes out in the way of a new iPhone. Speculation is that Apple is starting manufacturing of a cheaper iPhone this quarter which means another flagship device is still months away at best.
Yeah, but you still paid $649 for the phone. And you paid a higher monthly bill, so they got you double. By paying the higher price for service you'll pay more than $649 for that $199 phone by the time your contract is up. Even more if you don't upgrade every time you're eligible. The cost of the phone is built into the monthly service. T-Mobile is going with the model used by the majority of the world's cellular providers, while the rest of America's providers will just continue to milk their cash cows at their customers' expense.
well i dont have a "value plan" i have a normal plan
id be paying cash, no monthly BS. its just that with no LTE in my area especially its kinda ridiculous to pay $580+tax
Is your current plan less than $70 through TMO? Thats the price of their new unlimited, no-contract plan.
----------
People are so hard-headed and can't see the forest through the trees. I had a 3GB plan with AT&T that about $100/ mo for. Sure I got an iPhone for $199 but I couldn't really use my iphone to the fullest because I had to always watch my data usage and that sucked.
With TMO I'm getting unlimted data/talk/text for $70/mo. I'd rather have unlimited data and have the option to pay off my iPhone at anytime and then still have the option to pick up the iPhone 5S or 6 when it's released rather than have to wait an entire 23 months with AT&T or Verizon before I get another discount.
You are not correct. If I bring an unlocked phone to att, no matter the phone....they will still charge me the same monthly bill if I want my current plan. While it may be over priced, they are not dispersing the cost of the phone into that plan in any way, shape, or form. They are simply ripping us off by overcharging for service. T-mobile actually adds $20 to your bill to pay for the price of the phone. That is totally different than overcharging for service.
I understand your logic and what you are saying, but they just rip us off either way.
I like the way t-mobile is going to be doing things and actually benefiting people who out right buy their phone. If you are an att customer and plan to stay one, it only makes sense to sign contracts to get the lower price. I get 25% off my monthly bill with att so I will stay for them. Whenever I can upgrade at $199 it only makes sense to do so since I am paying the same regardless.
You are incorrect in thinking that they are just ripping you off in general. They're doing that on top of recouping the cost of the subsidy they provide. You really think some bean-counters at the AT&T office said "We'll just rip people off on service and not worry about making that subsidy back." And you really get ripped off by buying your own phone at full price because not only did you not a subsidy, you're still paying back that subsidy you didn't get whether or not you think you are or aren't.
Tmobile is just being upfront and separating the cost of service from the cost of the device. The other carriers give you the iPhone for $199 and just hide the rest of the cost of the device into your rate plan by charging a higher amount. Big difference is that no matter what you always have to wait 20-24 months for a new phone on the other carriers and can get one whenever you want on Tmobile by trading in your phone or paying your remaining balance.
you pay the same amount for service on att/verizon/sprint whether you get the $199 upgrade or buy the phone outright. I cannot explain it any more clearly. Your monthly bill does NOT become cheaper after the 24 month contract on these carriers! It is not a true subsidized phone even though they advertise it as such. If you do not get that, then I do not know what to say. Just like any company, they make their prices competitive....it is the same reason cable companies can "rip" their customers off.
Explain to me what I am paying for if I buy my phone outright on att? I sure as hell am not paying for a contract phone. They just charge out the ass for their plans.
Att, Verizon, sprint should be reducing you bills by $20 when your contract is up, but they don't. If your contract is up and you don't upgrade you are essentially leaving money on the table for them to grab. In the UK the iphone 5 can be had on free on contract, in America, no way.
i should wait but im impatient because when the 5S comes out i can get it direct from apple for $600 most likely.
$649 for the 16GB model if past pricing holds true. And it is typical that the unlocked models are not available for some time after a release. It was just over two months between when the 5 and the unlocked version were released.
The unlocked version will be interesting with the next release. Since T-mobile doesn't force you on a contract, you could pay full price for a T-mobile phone and it will be unlocked with no contract obligation. So it almost makes sense for them to now make a "unlocked" version available from the get go.
LOL
not sure if serious, because i dont wanna pay $600 for a phone its not for me? um ok?
i mean ive had every iphone thats released its just that i dont like paying $600 for a phone... especially when it cant be utilized to its full potential in my area...
That isn't a terrible price. I mean if $20/month + cost of monthly service is lower than you would pay for AT&T assuming comparable coverage, it isn't bad.
Understandable. Have you considered a cheaper phone? I assume you need to buy one in the short term. Otherwise I would just say wait for LTE to show up in your area and buy whatever version is out at that time.