Worth it to get rid of unlimited data for at&t next?

[Hopz_7]

Hello, I'm sorry I'm just a bit confused with all of the options available. Currently I have a single phone line with 450 minutes, unlimited text and unlimited data. I also have a basic iPhone 5. I checked on the AT&T website and I could save about $15 a month if I switched to the unlimited talk/text with 5 gig data plan. Currently, I average about 2.5 gigs a month. Is there really any reason to keep the unlimited data plan and sign up for another 2 year contract? Or should I reduce my bill with the 5 gig plan and get AT&T next so I can get a new phone every year?

And If I did want a new phone every year, do I select the 12 month program? I'm confused on how the 12/18/24 month programs work. If I select the 18 month program do I have to wait 18 months to upgrade or is there a penalty to upgrade after 1 year?

I am hoping to preorder the 64gig space gray iPhone 6S+ tonight.

I would appreciate any advice, thanks.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

Of course you're confused and you're not alone. AT&T throws up so much smoke and mirrors it's hard to really understand what it is you're getting and how much you're actually paying. That's why I'm leaving them after being with them since they were Cingular back in the late 90s and I'm headed to T-Mobile.

 

[nflea7]

Of course you're confused and you're not alone. AT&T throws up so much smoke and mirrors it's hard to really understand what it is you're getting and how much you're actually paying. That's why I'm leaving them after being with them since they were Cingular back in the late 90s and I'm headed to T-Mobile.

I agree its a lot of smoke and mirrors, It sounds like I have the same grandfathered unlimited 30 dollar a month plan. I was on Next but paid off my 6 and sold it ahead of tonights pre sale. At the ATT store they tried like hell to get me off my plan. Took out all sorts of papers wrote down all sorts of numbers and tried to show me how much I'd save by ditching my "old plan". When I asked why after all their fancy numbers and amazing pricing I'm still paying 3 dollars less a month after taxes than their lowest price before taxes. No answer to that one. I'd say if you're keeping ATT keep your plan. In my experience if someone is pushing you so hard its like a used car sale, walk away.

 

[bueller1]

Hello, I'm sorry I'm just a bit confused with all of the options available. Currently I have a single phone line with 450 minutes, unlimited text and unlimited data. I also have a basic iPhone 5. I checked on the AT&T website and I could save about $15 a month if I switched to the unlimited talk/text with 5 gig data plan. Currently, I average about 2.5 gigs a month. Is there really any reason to keep the unlimited data plan and sign up for another 2 year contract? Or should I reduce my bill with the 5 gig plan and get AT&T next so I can get a new phone every year?

And If I did want a new phone every year, do I select the 12 month program? I'm confused on how the 12/18/24 month programs work. If I select the 18 month program do I have to wait 18 months to upgrade or is there a penalty to upgrade after 1 year?

I am hoping to preorder the 64gig space gray iPhone 6S+ tonight.

I would appreciate any advice, thanks.

Do the 12 month next installments. So you can upgrade every year without needing to pay att anything more than those 12 payments of $37.50. At that point you can either trade in and continue paying new installments for the iPhone 7 or buy the remainder of the 6S ($300 for 64gb) Since you paid $450 already (12 months x $37.50). And get off unlimited. Anyone holding onto that is living in 2013

 

[bueller1]

.

 

[saintforlife]

Hello, I'm sorry I'm just a bit confused with all of the options available. Currently I have a single phone line with 450 minutes, unlimited text and unlimited data. I also have a basic iPhone 5. I checked on the AT&T website and I could save about $15 a month if I switched to the unlimited talk/text with 5 gig data plan. Currently, I average about 2.5 gigs a month. Is there really any reason to keep the unlimited data plan and sign up for another 2 year contract? Or should I reduce my bill with the 5 gig plan and get AT&T next so I can get a new phone every year?

And If I did want a new phone every year, do I select the 12 month program? I'm confused on how the 12/18/24 month programs work. If I select the 18 month program do I have to wait 18 months to upgrade or is there a penalty to upgrade after 1 year?

I am hoping to preorder the 64gig space gray iPhone 6S+ tonight.

I would appreciate any advice, thanks.

Get the Next plan. It is worth it. But do your own research first. Don't just take my word for it.

The 12/18/24 indicate when you will become eligible for an upgrade. 12 means you can upgrade after one year, 18 means you can upgrade after 18 months and so on.

 

[Rayfire]

Just remember on NEXT you are paying the full price on the phone (split into equal monthly payments on the term that you'd chose). I'd suggest running some numbers first. I have a single plan too with unlimited data and for me it's better to use the regular subsidy, while holding to the unlimited data plan.

 

[DC Hurricane]

Hello, I'm sorry I'm just a bit confused with all of the options available. Currently I have a single phone line with 450 minutes, unlimited text and unlimited data. I also have a basic iPhone 5. I checked on the AT&T website and I could save about $15 a month if I switched to the unlimited talk/text with 5 gig data plan. Currently, I average about 2.5 gigs a month. Is there really any reason to keep the unlimited data plan and sign up for another 2 year contract? Or should I reduce my bill with the 5 gig plan and get AT&T next so I can get a new phone every year?

And If I did want a new phone every year, do I select the 12 month program? I'm confused on how the 12/18/24 month programs work. If I select the 18 month program do I have to wait 18 months to upgrade or is there a penalty to upgrade after 1 year?

I am hoping to preorder the 64gig space gray iPhone 6S+ tonight.

I would appreciate any advice, thanks.

I have the ATT Next Plan with that exact same setup. You can have the ATT Next Plan with that or Mobile Value Share. It's confusing but they are separate things. Next is just the device payments.

 

[sdsvtdriver]

No. order via att.com and get your subsidy. you've already been paying it for 12 months without any benefit. Pay the subsidized upgrade of $199/299 etc and get your new phone. saving $15 is nothing once you start going over that data cap

 

[nflea7]

I did the next 24 plan last year (2014), I paid off 352 dollars two weeks ago for a space grey 16gb and sold it for 400. Now I'm buying a 6s on contract for 199 no monthly fee. How is that living in 2013? I'm saving 324 dollars a year by paying 239 (with upgrade fee) upfront. Next year when the 7 comes out I sell my 6s for another 400 and buy the 7 on the next plan with no money down. So I have a year of no payments, at the end of that year I saved a net of 85 dollars then I get a 400 dollar bonus for selling my old 6s. I'm so old lol

 

[flogician]

I'm on unlimited, and I'm going to stick with a 2-year contract because of the subsidy. As an unlimited customer, there's no service discount for being on Next, so really it's just a question of whether you want to pay subsidized price (contract), or subsidized price (Next).

 

[danilko1]

I have had AT&T since Cingular days. My total monthly cost is about $43, adjusting for subsidy. I am paying $17 for 5GB LTE, when you factor things. Not only that, I have a 15% discount from being on a FAN.

Actually $120 for two phones unlimited data, 600min, 400 txt, with subsidy. The value of the subsidy is $450/year. (2 phones). All after taxes.

If I go Next, I get no discount. If I change plans to get a discount, I pay more. So there you have it. Why change? I think us old timers are sitting pretty.

 

[Hopz_7]

Thanks for the replys everyone. Seems there isn't really an agreement here.

Right now I pay $89.99 (15% military discount on top of this)
$39.99 450 minutes
$20 unlimited text
$30 unlimited data

Going next, I would pay $75 (I assume I'd still get the 15% military discount)
unlimited talk/text
5 gigs data

My 3 month average for data is 3.2 gigs a month, I've never gone over 4 gigs in a month.

So over 2 years, changing the plan and getting rid of the unlimited data will save me $360 total. Can someone help me with the math here and help me understand what I'm missing? I like the unlimited data as I fear in the future I may wish I kept it, but for the money it just doesn't seem worth it. What am I missing?