So this is the first I'm realizing this but does AT&T no longer offer subsidies even for us? Like do i have to now buy my phone outright AND pay over $100 a month for my service to keep my unlimited data plan?
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Carrier AT&T unlimited grandfathered plans
- Thread starter Rychiar
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I called AT&T about this yesterday...in the past, you could continue to purchase iPhones at contract pricing ..usually $199,$299 etc, but they said this year they are only doing AT&T installment plans with the phones. She explained to me that I would have to buy the phone on an installment plan, whether it be from apple or AT&T, and still keep my same plan with unlimited data. Basically, only Verizon customers with upgrades are able to get the 2-yr contract pricing on their phones. She informed me that if I bought the phone from either place, my plan wouldn't change. I'm keeping it safe and just ordering the phone with Apple's yearly upgrade program...then i'm not messing around with my plan and AT&T can't try and trick me to force me to get rid of the unlimited data.
Dropping ours this year since they are no longer subsidizing the phones. Have two lines that still have the unlimited but neither of us go over 4gb so can easily find a shared plan for a lot less money than spending on the old plan. Only reason we kept the expensive old plan was due to the subsidized upgrades and since they're gone so is that plan!
Someone on Howard Forums claimed that if you call AT&T Retentions, they will still give you a subsidy on a two year contract. In response to that, one person tried and said they indeed got a subsidy and contract, while another said they were only offered a discount on accessories.
Its been over a year that AT&T stopped giving us subsidies with signing a 2 year contract you get an iPhone for $199. Those days are over.
As soon as they announced that I left AT&T.
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That's not what he asked.
All next does is spreads the $649 over a certain amount of months. His monthly phone plan stays the same but he loses $450 in subsidy every 2 years that he now has to pay for himself by either buying a device for full price or doing a next payment plan.
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This.
And furthermore, not only were iPhone's subsidized heavily, but you could sell your unlocked phone at the end of the contract for more than your initial out of pocket on the hardware. Used to be with ATT I could purchase the newest iPhone with the biggest drive for $199 and then sell the phone 2 years later for $250 because half the people in the US don't have the credit needed for a subsidized contract, they'd salivate at the new release because they could finally get their hands on the old model for reasonable cash and no credit check.
Today, the monthly payment plans not only cost early adopters more but they allow a cheap monthly payment and easy financing for those who typically could not dream of owning a new phone. So it's a double-whammy to customers- we pay 2x for the unsubsidized hardware and we get back 50% of what our initial outlay was.
Thank God the iPhone 7 is a blah product. I'm more than happy to sit on my iPhone 6 for a few more years, maximize the ROI as long as possible.
BJ
Tell me about it, those were the good years back then.
Most of the times on AT&T my line would qualify for full upgrades every year so selling last years model and buying the new one for $199 I end up with the newest iPhone and extra money left in my pocket.
And other times when some other lines on my family plan were eligible for an update and they didn't want to update yet I'd get the device for $199 and sell it for $600 making a quick and easy profit.
Or I'd add a line for $10 more per month to my family plan and get the latest iPhone for $199.
Too bad that's over and all that AT&T and Verizon is doing now is nickel and diming their customers, removing subsidies, coming up with newer and better fees and service charges, raising prices and locking customers in 2 year next/edge payments. But instead of them giving you a $650 device for $199 for staying with them for 2 years they are just passing the full amount of the device to your monthly phone bill spread out over 2 years and they're giving you an interest free loan.
Thanks a lot
