iPhone upgrade

[Ra_bonano2156]

I got the iPhone 4S last November after gettin out of boot camp and was wondering how to find out if and when I'm due for a phone upgrade

[graphite07]

log on to your wireless account manager and you will see a link saying check for upgrade options.

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

I've read this is the first year ATT is NOT offering an Early Upgrade option for previous model iPhones?  Is that correct?

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graphite07 wrote:

log on to your wireless account manager and you will see a link saying check for upgrade options.

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[graphite07]

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spd2demun wrote:

I've read this is the first year ATT is NOT offering an Early Upgrade option for previous model iPhones?  Is that correct?

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graphite07 wrote:

log on to your wireless account manager and you will see a link saying check for upgrade options.

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ohh that sucks i got that offer lastyear.....i have not seen it as of yet. i hope they do it again this year.

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

I know the experts are on this forum, why I asked.   I'll have to go to my laptop and see if the article I found is still there.

[dwill05]

I thought they stopped doing early upgrades for the 4S. I got the 4 on launch day and wasn't eligible on 4S launch day.

In any case, I got the 4S in November of last year, but wasn't eligible for the full discount upgrade for the 5. My upgrade date was shown as 6/2013.

[Thatsmyname]

It shows I have an early iPhone upgrade on 2 lines, for an additional $200 on top of sale price. Is that what the early upgrade was previously?

[21stNow]

The early upgrade option is there for some people, which is the full discount price plus a $250 early upgrade fee. Some people in the past have gotten the full discount on the iPhone early. There is a ruckus now because people aren't getting that same option this year.

[CBPfromTN]

Not that it will definitely work BUT I have actually called the customer service number and talked to them and they let me upgrade a little early.  I'm not talking about the 20 months instead of 24 months but earlier than that.  It's been a while since I did that but hey, it wouldn't hurt to ask.  All they can say is "No" and then I'd call back again and ask someone else :-)  Good luck!

[Thatsmyname]

Oh is it 250$?  I don't know that I would do that, anyway.  If I wait til March (providing it doesnt change, and I don't get too impatient) I'll get the sale price then.  

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

I found the articles referenced in my earlier post.  Since these are pre-release, these policies no longer apply?  Speculation?

From the article, BEFORE iP5 was released:

...“We then further questioned de la Vega on whether the impending launch of the iPhone 5 would cause AT&T to offer a tiered early upgrade fee option for customers that were deeper into their contract to perhaps deliver an effective $350 price point into the market and de la Vega flatly said no,” Piecy wrote in his note. “The implication is that a large majority of AT&T iPhones will not be eligible for an upgrade subsidy at any level and AT&T’s expectation is that those customers will be unwilling to pay $600 for the new phone.”...

BGR, Zack Epstein, 6-15-2012

http://www.bgr.com/2012/06/15/apple-iphone-5-launch-sales-upgrades-subsidies/

And this one, also pre-release:

...If the iPhone 5 price starts at $199, many AT&T customers can buy the iPhone 5 on release date for the discounted prices below.

• iPhone 5 16GB – $449
• iPhone 5 32GB – $549
• iPhone 5 64GB – $649

That’s a discount of $200 of the regular off contract pricing that many iPhone upgraders on Verizon and Sprint will face. This may sound obscenely expensive to users who are used to paying $199 for a new iPhone, but it’s a deal compared to the $649 off contract price for a 16GB iPhone 4S

This deal is especially appealing because it is available to users who purchased the iPhone 4S last year, even with upgrade renewal dates in the middle of 2013.

The deal isn’t just limited to iPhone owners, so users who are thinking of switching from Android to the iPhone 5 should log into their AT&T account online to check for the deal.

The early iPhone discount requires a new two-year contract, while the full contract pricing will not extend any current contracts. Users who can’t borrow a family member’s upgrade should check on this option...

Gotta Be Mobile, 9-24-2012

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/09/04/att-iphone-5-early-upgrade-early-iphone-discount/

[21stNow]

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spd2demun wrote:

I found the articles referenced in my earlier post.  Since these are pre-release, these policies no longer apply?  Speculation?

From the article, BEFORE iP5 was released:

...“We then further questioned de la Vega on whether the impending launch of the iPhone 5 would cause AT&T to offer a tiered early upgrade fee option for customers that were deeper into their contract to perhaps deliver an effective $350 price point into the market and de la Vega flatly said no,” Piecy wrote in his note. “The implication is that a large majority of AT&T iPhones will not be eligible for an upgrade subsidy at any level and AT&T’s expectation is that those customers will be unwilling to pay $600 for the new phone.”...

BGR, Zack Epstein, 6-15-2012

http://www.bgr.com/2012/06/15/apple-iphone-5-launch-sales-upgrades-subsidies/

And this one, also pre-release:

...If the iPhone 5 price starts at $199, many AT&T customers can buy the iPhone 5 on release date for the discounted prices below.

• iPhone 5 16GB – $449
• iPhone 5 32GB – $549
• iPhone 5 64GB – $649

That’s a discount of $200 of the regular off contract pricing that many iPhone upgraders on Verizon and Sprint will face. This may sound obscenely expensive to users who are used to paying $199 for a new iPhone, but it’s a deal compared to the $649 off contract price for a 16GB iPhone 4S

This deal is especially appealing because it is available to users who purchased the iPhone 4S last year, even with upgrade renewal dates in the middle of 2013.

The deal isn’t just limited to iPhone owners, so users who are thinking of switching from Android to the iPhone 5 should log into their AT&T account online to check for the deal.

The early iPhone discount requires a new two-year contract, while the full contract pricing will not extend any current contracts. Users who can’t borrow a family member’s upgrade should check on this option...

Gotta Be Mobile, 9-24-2012

http://www.gottabemobile.com/2012/09/04/att-iphone-5-early-upgrade-early-iphone-discount/

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The information from the second article applies to many (but not all) people.

[tonester697]

FWIW--one of my lines that's still under contract can be upgraded to the iPhone 5 at the $449 price (16 GB) which I believe isn't the non-contract price...or I can wait until next month (October) which is when the upgrade tool says that I will qualify for the $199 subsidized price; it should be noted that October is 19 months into my 2-year contract (I used my upgrade on the line in question back on 3/2011), so it would appear that--assumed based on my account history--I can qualify for the $199 without having to wait the entire 24 months.

[cousintim]

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tonester697 wrote:

FWIW--one of my lines that's still under contract can be upgraded to the iPhone 5 at the $449 price (16 GB) which I believe isn't the non-contract price...or I can wait until next month (October) which is when the upgrade tool says that I will qualify for the $199 subsidized price; it should be noted that October is 19 months into my 2-year contract (I used my upgrade on the line in question back on 3/2011), so it would appear that--assumed based on my account history--I can qualify for the $199 without having to wait the entire 24 months.

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It is not uncommon for full (subsidized) Upgrade pricing to be available up to six (6) months early.

[spd2demun ACE - Expert]

@ 21stNow--thanks for the clarification!

[tonester697]

Here's the deal--Line 1 (iPhone 4) currently has the unlimited data plan associated with it, Line 2 (iPhone 3G) has the DataPro 2GB for iPhone data plan and is eligible for full upgrade pricing; I  plan to use Line 2's upgrade to get the iPhone 5 and then swap devices with Line 1, with Line 2 getting the iPhone 4.  I know that part will/should go without a hitch--however, I am wondering what will happen with the data plan currently associated with Line 1...will it remain unlimited (but perhaps change to DataPro Unlimited for iPhone on 4G LTE) or will it be forced to drop unlimited in favor of one of the tiered plans?  I assume the data plan on Line 2 should not change since I am simply upgrading from one iPhone to another and I am electing not to change data and/or voice plans, even though I am using Line 2 simply to "steal" its upgrade.  I would think that Line 1 should be allowed to keep its unlimited plan, given that if I had chosen to upgrade Line 1 to the iPhone 5, I would still be allowed to keep it (I did a dry run earlier on AT&T's website and it allowed me to keep unlimited data), and all I'm essentially doing with Line 1 is swapping smartphones (one iPhone for another).

[sandblaster]

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tonester697 wrote:

Here's the deal--Line 1 (iPhone 4) currently has the unlimited data plan associated with it, Line 2 (iPhone 3G) has the DataPro 2GB for iPhone data plan and is eligible for full upgrade pricing; I  plan to use Line 2's upgrade to get the iPhone 5 and then swap devices with Line 1, with Line 2 getting the iPhone 4.  I know that part will/should go without a hitch--however, I am wondering what will happen with the data plan currently associated with Line 1...will it remain unlimited (but perhaps change to DataPro Unlimited for iPhone on 4G LTE) or will it be forced to drop unlimited in favor of one of the tiered plans?  I assume the data plan on Line 2 should not change since I am simply upgrading from one iPhone to another and I am electing not to change data and/or voice plans, even though I am using Line 2 simply to "steal" its upgrade.  I would think that Line 1 should be allowed to keep its unlimited plan, given that if I had chosen to upgrade Line 1 to the iPhone 5, I would still be allowed to keep it (I did a dry run earlier on AT&T's website and it allowed me to keep unlimited data), and all I'm essentially doing with Line 1 is swapping smartphones (one iPhone for another).

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The data plan is tied to the line, not the device, so yes you will be able to keep unlimited data on line 1 and the 2GB plan on line 2 when you complete the iphone swap.