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kingofkings1990's profile

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Monday, April 6th, 2015 7:35 PM

AT&T next vs AT&T 2 year contract

Hi. I have a Samsung S4 on a 2 year contract and it ends by the end of this month April. I am planning to get HTC one M9 now. So which is better? To get a M9 for another 2 year contract or using AT&T Next? Which one would be more economically viable? I also do not want any of my current plan to change (Unlimited talk and text, 1 GB of data and I pay $29 per month all together)

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Official Solution

ACE - Expert

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13.1K Messages

9 years ago

The most economical for you would be the 2 year contract. It would be the subsidized price of the phone ($199.99) plus a $40 upgrade fee. You should be able to keep your plan as it is.

If you want to go with the NEXT program, you pay full retail price for the phone ($708.99) over the length of the NEXT agreement.

Teacher

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22 Messages

9 years ago

The only difference between the 2 (having found out over the weekend when I upgraded) is whether you pay for the phone up-front or over time. With the 2 year contract, you pay the discounted price of the phone ($199.99), plus the tax on the full retail price of the phone, and a $40 upgrade fee (which totals to be about $300), upon agreement. However, for the NEXT plan, you pay the tax on the full retail pri upon agreement. Then, there will be a monthly charge for the phone depending on how many months you agree to pay the phone off (which gets added to your monthly bill). Either way, it comes out totaling to be about the same price. Just got to decide on if you want to hurt all at once, or a little at a time.

ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

9 years ago


@CSULA21 wrote:

The only difference between the 2 (having found out over the weekend when I upgraded) is whether you pay for the phone up-front or over time. With the 2 year contract, you pay the discounted price of the phone ($199.99), plus the tax on the full retail price of the phone, and a $40 upgrade fee (which totals to be about $300), upon agreement. However, for the NEXT plan, you pay the tax on the full retail pri upon agreement. Then, there will be a monthly charge for the phone depending on how many months you agree to pay the phone off (which gets added to your monthly bill). Either way, it comes out totaling to be about the same price. Just got to decide on if you want to hurt all at once, or a little at a time.


With Next you will be paying full price for whatever phone you get, not the discounted price you pay on the 2 year contract. Full price on a smart phone runs anywhere from $600-$850.

 

For the OP, even though the 2 year contract price might still be the most economical, you might also have a raise in your monthly service cost. I'm not aware of any plan that provides unlimited talk, text and 1GB of data for just $29 so I'm not sure if that is an old plan or a mobile share plan with a great discount. If it is a mobile share plan and you get the 2 year contract phone, you will lost the $15 per month discount you get for being "out of contract". Any other discount you currently get you would keep.

Tutor

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6 Messages

9 years ago

no no, i was told that they do not subsize the phone. for 2 year contract: If iphone6 is $200, then I would have to $200 then 50$ per month for 2 years. They said they got rid of the "upgrade fee and activation fee". I was not too happy about that. 

 

ACE - Expert

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64.7K Messages

9 years ago


@NCSUsoccer wrote:

no no, i was told that they do not subsize the phone. for 2 year contract: If iphone6 is $200, then I would have to $200 then 50$ per month for 2 years. They said they got rid of the "upgrade fee and activation fee". I was not too happy about that. 

 


Somebody gave you bad information. They definitely will still subsidize your phone purchase, that is the 2 year contract price. Also, there is no purchase plan that would cost you $200 up front then $50/month for 2 years. They also did not get rid of the upgrade fee. If you upgrade at the 2 year contract price, there is a $40 upgrade fee. If you upgrade with Next, no upgrade fee.

Professor

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1.3K Messages

9 years ago

There is a price break point on the Next Plan vs 2-year contract.  If you get/have a data plan greater than 6gb the Next plan is a better deal. 

 

Let's assume that your new phone will be $200 on a 2-year contract or $650 not on contract.  Doing the Next 18 plan (since this is the contract that makes you pay for your phone for 24 months) the amount due on your phone each month is $27.09.

 

Now on a Next plan 6gb or less your phone service is $25/mo and $15/mo on 10gb or more. For being on a 2-year contract, your phone service bill is $40/mo.

 

I'm not soing to include the actual data fee since that cost won't matter.

 

So for a 2-year contract, in the long run you'll pay: $200 upfront + $40 activation fee + ($40 phone fee + $0 phone payment) * 24 months = $1200 for the 2-year plan 

 

For a data plan under 6gb you have: $0 upfront + $0 activation fee + ($25 phone fee + $27.09 phone payment) * 24 months = $1250.16 over 2 years

 

For a data plan under 6gb you have: $0 upfront + $0 activation fee + ($15 phone fee + $27.09 phone payment) * 24 months = $1010.16 over 2 years

 

So if you use under 6gb of data, go for a 2-year contract, if you use more get a Next plan.

Tutor

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3 Messages

8 years ago

Can you simply buy a used or referbished phone from ebay and bring it to the AT&T store for activation (SIM card) and avoid having to sign a new two year agreement?

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

8 years ago

Yelp you can.  I use BYOP all the time.

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

8 years ago

Me too.

 

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