Explain new AT&T Phone plan please!!

[gingib]

So my 3 year old Iphone 5 went dead today

I know the new plans, but can't you just buy a used Iphone 5 or 6 each time you need a new phone and not have to join the new NEXT plan and pay $650-800 for a phone?

And what if any are the $$$ cost advantages to these new NEXT plans? Seems like they are just taking it to us

This is all new to me...sorry in advance!

[cap50948]

Just went through this. There is no upgrade with 2 yr plan to make cost of phone cheaper like old days. You pay off your phone like a **** vehicle. Put it on a payment install with bill until its paid off or you can pay all at once.

You may be able to by a used one and have it activated which may be cheaper. I've never done that.

We are getting bent over and well you know the rest.

[Luck_of_the_Draw]

I've got an iPhone 5 sitting in a box.

Make offer

[Graysonhogs]

I've got an iPhone 5 sitting in a box.

Make offer

There ya go.

[thegrouse]

I bought an iPhone 5s off of Ebay for 100 or so. I signed up with Cricket and it is 45$ a month total including taxes and fees. I think I get 8MB of data which is plenty for me. ATT is pretty complicated and I was able to keep number. Ill buy another phone and keep it on Cricket if this one breaks.

[stoic]

If you are ok moving to android you can buy a new phone (not flagship grade, and not this years model) for much less.

I don't need bells and whistles on my phone. I need a camera, email, internet, & phone. A $200 phone online from a reputable company (Sony, ASUS, Motorola, etc) will do fine for me.

Make sure your phone is compatible with AT&T. They will usually clearly mark this when you are looking at the phones online.

[Brazman]

So my 3 year old Iphone 5 went dead today

I know the new plans, but can't you just buy a used Iphone 5 or 6 each time you need a new phone and not have to join the new NEXT plan and pay $650-800 for a phone?

And what if any are the $$$ cost advantages to these new NEXT plans? Seems like they are just taking it to us

This is all new to me...sorry in advance!

YES, you can and should! I've had good luck buying a few clean, gently used phones on ebay for around $300 that would have cost $750-800 through the NEXT plan. = rip off.

[gingib]

Well I got my phone fixed for free at lunch... my next question is this.

Can I sign up for the new Next plan and just keep my old phone and just pay the basic Next plan price?

[BrianL]

Most high end phones are no longer free with contract. You can finance them "Next Plan" with a contract which ends up costing about $700, or pay cash up front and buy the phone for about $600. You can always buy used phones for about half, but you might not really save money that way either.

[stinkbelly]

Once you pay off your phone, it is cheaper. They are now making you pay full retail for a phone. There is nothing free, no discount for having this contract, even though they don't call it a contract. They are robbing us.

I have started buying used ones off of here and ebay. I actually bought one today.

If you want a cheap verson, go to Walmart and get a go phone. Put your card in it and go. That is it.

[35remington]

So my 3 year old Iphone 5 went dead today

I know the new plans, but can't you just buy a used Iphone 5 or 6 each time you need a new phone and not have to join the new NEXT plan and pay $650-800 for a phone?

And what if any are the $$$ cost advantages to these new NEXT plans? Seems like they are just taking it to us

This is all new to me...sorry in advance!

The phone price has not changed. How you pay for the phone has. Used to, they gave you the iPhone 5 for $200 up front and a 2-year commitment, but padded your bill $20/mo for the entire 24 mo contract (so you paid $680 for the phone).

You can buy a phone directly from Apple and keep your same AT&T plan if you want. $750 I think today.

ATT Next is cheaper than the old plans, not more expensive.

[slabnabbin]

You save on the line access fee with the new plan. No exactly sure how much it is with AT&T but Verizon is doing the same thing now but the line access fee went from $40/month per line to $20. I went to the new plan with an old phone and saved $40 per month and have more data.

It's actually cheaper than the old plan because you don't have the higher line access fee every month plus the $199 or whatever you had to pay for the discounted upgrade with a 2 year contract.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[txoutdoorsman24]

I upgraded last year and was only told i could do the NEXT plan. After some carefully executed explanations on it, I signed a new two year contract. I didn't deal with a salesman I went straight to a manager and told them what I thought. It's a matter of them making money. The next plan allows them in cases like my buddy had to make extra money. His phone was busted before his NEXT plan was up. So he had to roll the cost over to another NEXT plan and will end up paying 2 times the phones worth. Just have to be persistent with them.

[fullsizeaggie]

Gather all your worldly possessions and hand them over.

[Pkripper]

The phone price has not changed. How you pay for the phone has. Used to, they gave you the iPhone 5 for $200 up front and a 2-year commitment, but padded your bill $20/mo for the entire 24 mo contract (so you paid $680 for the phone).

You can buy a phone directly from Apple and keep your same AT&T plan if you want. $750 I think today.

ATT Next is cheaper than the old plans, not more expensive.

Agreed.