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Carrier Has ATT Changed Their Trade-In Promos?
- Thread starter Timenprayer
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- att iphone 14 pro max trade in
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I didn’t want to start a new thread so I’m posting here because my situation is somewhat similar. We have 2 lines (wife and mine). I alternate upgrades on each line every year and I take the newest iPhone while trading in my wife’s older phone and giving her mine. Last year I had to add the Next Up fee of $5.00 in order to upgrade and have been paying it since then. I currently have the 13 Pro and wife has 12 Pro. My 13 Pro has 12 of 36 credits applied and the 12 Pro has 23 of 30 credits applied. Unfortunately the Next up fee I’ve been paying is gone if I choose to switch to Apple IUP. My question is, at what point would it be best to switch to Apple? I’m not sure how the upgrade would work with going to Apple from my 13 Pro and still owing money to AT&T for the 13 Pro and still having credits. Does Apple just bill me separately and I keep paying AT&T and if so what does my trade in apply toward? Also, if I choose to upgrade my wife to Apple as well, what does that look like as far as trading her phone in, payments and credits left? I want to at the very least be able to upgrade each year while my wife doesn’t really need a new phone each year. I appreciate the guidance in advance. Up until this year, I always upgraded with AT&T with no doubts but I’m curious if it’s better in the long run to go with Apple.
Just posting here as ATT is again offering up to $1000 for an eligible trade in device.
Does the new iPhone 14 have to be activated on the line that is upgrade eligible? Or can I put it on the line where my iPhone 13 is currently (that still has installments). If so, how does that work with eSIM?
Does the new iPhone 14 have to be activated on the line that is upgrade eligible? Or can I put it on the line where my iPhone 13 is currently (that still has installments). If so, how does that work with eSIM?
Getting credits for the ip13? They will stop if you activate another device on that line.
Interesting. I thought as long as the line remained in service, the credits would continue.
Nope. You have to pay it off to get the iP 14 and then you'll get new credits.
You definitely need to pay off any remaining balance to do a carrier upgrade and get the new $1k credit (over 36 months, guh).
I'm curious about upgrading directly with Apple as I am moving from a 12pro with around $250 left on the payment plan. If I take the $430 in Apple trade in and buy outright/unlocked, from what I understand, I used to be able to swap sims with the old phone and continue to receive the remaining $250 in credits from ATT since it's tied to the line, not the device. I'm unsure if that holds true in an eSim world? Apple certainly isn't going to care if I'm upgrading via trade in for an unlocked phone?
I typically keep phones for two years so I would only get roughly $650 of the ATT upgrade benefit, minus the $250 I would need to pay to upgrade. It seems like taking the trade in from Apple and hoping I can continue to get the credits from ATT for the remainder of my contract is the better approach? Plus it's unlocked which helps with international roaming, etc...
I'm curious about upgrading directly with Apple as I am moving from a 12pro with around $250 left on the payment plan. If I take the $430 in Apple trade in and buy outright/unlocked, from what I understand, I used to be able to swap sims with the old phone and continue to receive the remaining $250 in credits from ATT since it's tied to the line, not the device. I'm unsure if that holds true in an eSim world? Apple certainly isn't going to care if I'm upgrading via trade in for an unlocked phone?
I typically keep phones for two years so I would only get roughly $650 of the ATT upgrade benefit, minus the $250 I would need to pay to upgrade. It seems like taking the trade in from Apple and hoping I can continue to get the credits from ATT for the remainder of my contract is the better approach? Plus it's unlocked which helps with international roaming, etc...
Ya. That’s how carriers save money knowing most don’t want to wait 36 months. Would be respectable if were 24 months like in past. Just getting greedy.
I don’t think this is right, but maybe I’m wrong.
My scenario:
Line A - upgrade ready, no installments, old iPhone SE
Line B - iPhone 12 Pro ($250 of installments left with bill credits for 8 more months)
Line C - iPhone 13 Pro Max ($700 of installments with bill credits for 25 more months)
If I upgrade line A to a new iPhone 14, then switch eSIM/SIMs from lines to get the iPhone 14 on line A and the iPhone 13 Pro Max on line B, leaving the old SE on line A. Why won’t that work so I get all bill credits on all three lines?
I have a paid-off iPhone 13 Pro (256 GB) and I'm on an AT&T postpaid plan. Apple says AT&T will give me $1,000 toward an iPhone 14 Pro (256 GB), with the $100 balance financed at 0% over 36 months.
Does this mean that if I want to upgrade again in a year or two, I'll only need to pay off the remainder of the $100 financed?
That seems to be the case, but it seems too good to be true. Am I missing something here? Thanks.
(I've been with AT&T since the week the original iPhone was launched in 2007. No plans to change, especially with their new international plans.)
Does this mean that if I want to upgrade again in a year or two, I'll only need to pay off the remainder of the $100 financed?
That seems to be the case, but it seems too good to be true. Am I missing something here? Thanks.
(I've been with AT&T since the week the original iPhone was launched in 2007. No plans to change, especially with their new international plans.)
If you were to upgrade in a year, you would be required to pay the remaining balance on the phone. The $1000 credit is dealt in monthly installment credits over a 36 month period.
The $100 remaining balance or the $1,000 or something in between? Surely I couldn't owe $1,000 after giving them an iPhone 13 Pro as my trade-in, right?
You said your iPhone 13 Pro is paid off. I don’t know whether or not you’re receiving monthly credits for that phone. If you were to take advantage of the trade in through AT&T for the iPhone 14 Pro, you will forfeit the remaining credits on your 13 Pro.
If you don’t have credits remaining on the 13 Pro and you upgraded to the 14 Pro, you will receive monthly credits totaling $1000 over 36 months for the 14 Pro. You ask if you were to upgrade again in a year or two (presumably for the 15 or 16) would you only be on the hook for the $100 financed. The answer is no. You’re technically financing $1100 with $1000 being given back in monthly credits over 36 months. If you were to upgrade the 14 Pro to a future phone, you will forfeit the remaining credits.
Thanks for the reply, but it still doesn't make sense to me.
I bought the iPhone 13 Pro from Apple. No AT&T credits involved.
Thus, AT&T's $1,000 trade-in offer is something like ~$650 trade-in for the 13 Pro + ~$350 in promo credit.
How could I be "financing" the full $1,100 over 36 months after giving AT&T an iPhone 13 Pro worth ~$650?
I’m not sure where you’re getting the $650 trade in + $350 credit, never seen that.
AT&T has the deal structured in such a way that you are financing the entirety of the phone on an installment plan for 36 months (all $1100). That means you are paying $30.55/month for the phone. However, because you give them the 13 Pro, they credit you $27.77/month. Your net cost is $2.78/month ($100 after 36 months).
If at anytime you upgrade the line in those 36 months, you forfeit the remaining credits and you are required to pay the remaining balance on the financed phone.
That's how Verizon does it. The credit is broken down into "instant credit" and "bill credit." It makes sense that "bill credits" would be lost or need to be repaid if upgrading early, but it makes no sense that as soon as I give AT&T a paid-off iPhone 13 Pro worth ~$650, I now somehow owe AT&T $1,100.
If a person trades in a paid-off iPhone 13 Pro worth ~$650 on Monday and then dies on Tuesday, does the family get a bill for $1,100 when canceling the person's service? That would be crazy.
I don’t know why you’re bringing up Verizon when we are talking about AT&T.
I know it’s a crazy and novel idea, but you do owe AT&T $1100 for the brand new iPhone 14 Pro you purchase. Luckily they’re giving you $1000 in credits for a phone you’re saying is worth only $650. Seems pretty good to me.
I do not know how they handle bills when it comes to deaths, and is mostly irrelevant in this discussion.
What if I use a new device that I buy from Apple to the line under the installment? Can I still pay the remaining installment and still have the monthly credit?
I brought up VZW because you asked a question about the breakdown I posted.
Huh? How do I owe $1,100 after giving AT&T a paid-off iPhone 13 Pro worth ~$650?
It's not at all irrelevant. It's the same exact scenario — early termination.
You brought up Verizon earlier for no apparent reason without even mentioning it was how Verizon structures their promos. Lol.
I already explained why you owe $1100. You’re financing a brand new iPhone 14 Pro 256. AT&T does not remove the value of the phone you’re trading in from how much you owe for that 14. Some would argue it’s not financially wise to enter a deal like this with an iPhone 13 Pro. An iPhone 11 Pro gets you the same deal.