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T-Mobile plan question

What's the name of that plan that you can get unlimited everything but have to put down a deposit & pay a little extra each month? I was going to get this plan when I buy my SG3 later on this year.

Skip-Breezy said:
What's the name of that plan that you can get unlimited everything but have to put down a deposit & pay a little extra each month? I was going to get this plan when I buy my SG3 later on this year.
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The regular plans allow you to "finance" the cost of the phone over a certain # of months. Maybe clarify what you are looking for?

Value Plan

jdpdata said:
Value Plan
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This.
Realize you pay the full cost of the phone too, over time though. I just bought mine outright.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

I did the math 8 ways from Sunday and value plan costs way less in the long run than classic plan. T-mo will still put the phone on a payment plan for you that has no interest financing. So essentially you end up paying $20 a month until the phone is paid off, which is usually 20 months, as opposed to paying $20 more per month forever. Plus, if you bring your own phone, or find a good deal on an S3 (going for about $400 in these forums), you pay even less. That is if you can float your own initial costs.
It's such an under-rated plan. I have friends on the other 3 carriers who are eligible for upgrades, but aren't using them, because they are waiting for better phones, or don't want to renew contracts, etc. But the thing is, AT&T, VZW and Sprint all build the cost of subsidizing your phone into that plan. T-mo finally said, listen, if we don't have to pay for your phone, you can pay less every month. I wish all carriers would move to this as their standard. T-mo could ditch the classic plans in my opinion.

bradleyw801 said:
I did the math 8 ways from Sunday and value plan costs way less in the long run than classic plan. T-mo will still put the phone on a payment plan for you that has no interest financing. So essentially you end up paying $20 a month until the phone is paid off, which is usually 20 months, as opposed to paying $20 more per month forever. Plus, if you bring your own phone, or find a good deal on an S3 (going for about $400 in these forums), you pay even less. That is if you can float your own initial costs.
It's such an under-rated plan. I have friends on the other 3 carriers who are eligible for upgrades, but aren't using them, because they are waiting for better phones, or don't want to renew contracts, etc. But the thing is, AT&T, VZW and Sprint all build the cost of subsidizing your phone into that plan. T-mo finally said, listen, if we don't have to pay for your phone, you can pay less every month. I wish all carriers would move to this as their standard. T-mo could ditch the classic plans in my opinion.
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I like the classic plans. They can keep them.
Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

bradleyw801 said:
I did the math 8 ways from Sunday and value plan costs way less in the long run than classic plan. T-mo will still put the phone on a payment plan for you that has no interest financing. So essentially you end up paying $20 a month until the phone is paid off, which is usually 20 months, as opposed to paying $20 more per month forever. Plus, if you bring your own phone, or find a good deal on an S3 (going for about $400 in these forums), you pay even less. That is if you can float your own initial costs.
It's such an under-rated plan. I have friends on the other 3 carriers who are eligible for upgrades, but aren't using them, because they are waiting for better phones, or don't want to renew contracts, etc. But the thing is, AT&T, VZW and Sprint all build the cost of subsidizing your phone into that plan. T-mo finally said, listen, if we don't have to pay for your phone, you can pay less every month. I wish all carriers would move to this as their standard. T-mo could ditch the classic plans in my opinion.
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i just got this plan

bradleyw801 said:
I did the math 8 ways from Sunday and value plan costs way less in the long run than classic plan. T-mo will still put the phone on a payment plan for you that has no interest financing. So essentially you end up paying $20 a month until the phone is paid off, which is usually 20 months, as opposed to paying $20 more per month forever. Plus, if you bring your own phone, or find a good deal on an S3 (going for about $400 in these forums), you pay even less. That is if you can float your own initial costs.
It's such an under-rated plan. I have friends on the other 3 carriers who are eligible for upgrades, but aren't using them, because they are waiting for better phones, or don't want to renew contracts, etc. But the thing is, AT&T, VZW and Sprint all build the cost of subsidizing your phone into that plan. T-mo finally said, listen, if we don't have to pay for your phone, you can pay less every month. I wish all carriers would move to this as their standard. T-mo could ditch the classic plans in my opinion.
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I thought it was the value plan, thanks! My mom did the same thing when she got her G2 a while back & I'm do the same when I get my Galaxy.

bradleyw801 said:
I did the math 8 ways from Sunday and value plan costs way less in the long run than classic plan. T-mo will still put the phone on a payment plan for you that has no interest financing. So essentially you end up paying $20 a month until the phone is paid off, which is usually 20 months, as opposed to paying $20 more per month forever. Plus, if you bring your own phone, or find a good deal on an S3 (going for about $400 in these forums), you pay even less. That is if you can float your own initial costs.
It's such an under-rated plan. I have friends on the other 3 carriers who are eligible for upgrades, but aren't using them, because they are waiting for better phones, or don't want to renew contracts, etc. But the thing is, AT&T, VZW and Sprint all build the cost of subsidizing your phone into that plan. T-mo finally said, listen, if we don't have to pay for your phone, you can pay less every month. I wish all carriers would move to this as their standard. T-mo could ditch the classic plans in my opinion.
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+1 this
I, like you, also did in-depth analysis of cost savings of value vs classic plans. Value is always cheaper. And since TMO is essentially financing the phone for 0%, why not take the deal.

Getting note 2 from tmobile on cheap

I am on galaxy s 3 and want to get this phone but dont want to upgrade my any line ( one of my line is upgradeable) and they offer me $100 credit towards it but I dont want data on that line.
I am reading about 200 down payment and 20 dollar per month to some month. Do we need upgrade for that?
I also heard samsung phones are on sell from this black friday. So how much its going to cost?
Any idea will be appreciated.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

The 200 and $20 per month is for the value plan, which is contract. Some sites have said the note 2 will be on sale for black Friday but the lowest I've seen so far is $50 off for renewing a contract or new line, so it's still not "cheap" anywhere, unless you get a good deal on Craigslist or ebay
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

j_shelton1988 said:
The 200 and $20 per month is for the value plan, which is contract. Some sites have said the note 2 will be on sale for black Friday but the lowest I've seen so far is $50 off for renewing a contract or new line, so it's still not "cheap" anywhere, unless you get a good deal on Craigslist or ebay
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium
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Actually, the sale on the Samsung phones is now over, I don't know if another round will be coming soon (I would not be surprised)...but on Nov. 16-17th, I purchased several Samsung Note 2 devices for my multi-line account at a price of $199.99 after mail in rebate (almost all other Samsung devices were free though, after mail in rebate). That is very cheap for a Note 2. I'm sure if you wait till after the new year, they will be giving them away for free in one of their sales events. T-mobile has been doing this for a couple of years now, and the sales are great! If you want to wait.....and yeah I know how hard it is to wait......you should be able to get it for free in a few months.
good luck!
oh yeah the price I paid is for the classic plan not the value plan.....it's simple, if you are on the classic plan you pay about $20 more per month and the device is highly subsided by T-mobile. If you go with the value plan the rate plan is $20 cheap per month, but no discount on the phones...you pay full price....but T-mobile will finance the purchase for you for free over 20 months. In the end if you want a flagship device and have multiple lines, it is cheaper to go with the classic plan (especially if you can swing the 15% corporate discount...I end up paying appox. $56/month for each line with unlimited everything no slowing down of my internet either).
Gool Luck on getting a great price on your purchase!

Explain me please whats difference between classic and value plan .
I have 4 lines on family plan with 59.99 for 1000 mins and different adds on (data , text) on each line ( differ as per line) ).
Its not prepaid .
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

bikrame said:
Explain me please whats difference between classic and value plan .
I have 4 lines on family plan with 59.99 for 1000 mins and different adds on (data , text) on each line ( differ as per line) ).
Its not prepaid .
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium
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Okay, think of it this way.....Classic plan is where T-mobile will subsides the price of the phone for you. So, if you sign a two year contract, they will give you a certain amount of money off the price of the phone. You get the device for free or you pay a small amount for it at the time you purchase the device. But in return for that they charge you $20 more each month for the classic plan.
The same plan specs but in a value plan range, will be $20 less per month...but they will not subsides the device for you at all. You pay 100% of the cost of the device. Now they will help you afford the device by taking a down payment from you and then charging your $20/month for 20 months on the device with no interest.
So in the end they are very similar in cost. Unless you have multi-line account and purchase flagship devices (especially when they have their free phone sales)...you can really clean up with the saving at those times. I just did an early upgrade (I called in and asked nicely and they allowed me to upgrade all 5 lines after only 8 months on our contract). So I purchased 2 Galaxy S3 devices for free and 3 galaxy Note2 devices for 199.99 after mail in rebate.
Also, with the classic plans they offer upto 15% corporate discount....no discount is offered for value plans. On top of it, if you call in and again ask nicely, you can get them to reduce the cost of your plan. I pay approx $56/month for unlimited everything on each line. That includes getting reduced rates, 15% discount, and being on a classic plan with the devices being highly subsides. I sell my older devices (S2 and S3 devices) and I end up making money on the devices rather than costing me anything. And $56/month is very cheap for everything included (no throttled internet either!! that is a big deal!!).
but if you want a cheaper device and want to keep it for as long as possible then the value plan may be a better deal. I can see situations where that would make sense for someone...but for me, I like a new device about once a year and I always get the flagship devices...with so many devices on my account...this is the best value for me.
I hope that makes sense...good luck

jfarhat said:
Okay, think of it this way.....Classic plan is where T-mobile will subsides the price of the phone for you. So, if you sign a two year contract, they will give you a certain amount of money off the price of the phone. You get the device for free or you pay a small amount for it at the time you purchase the device. But in return for that they charge you $20 more each month for the classic plan.
The same plan specs but in a value plan range, will be $20 less per month...but they will not subsides the device for you at all. You pay 100% of the cost of the device. Now they will help you afford the device by taking a down payment from you and then charging your $20/month for 20 months on the device with no interest.
So in the end they are very similar in cost. Unless you have multi-line account and purchase flagship devices (especially when they have their free phone sales)...you can really clean up with the saving at those times. I just did an early upgrade (I called in and asked nicely and they allowed me to upgrade all 5 lines after only 8 months on our contract). So I purchased 2 Galaxy S3 devices for free and 3 galaxy Note2 devices for 199.99 after mail in rebate.
Also, with the classic plans they offer upto 15% corporate discount....no discount is offered for value plans. On top of it, if you call in and again ask nicely, you can get them to reduce the cost of your plan. I pay approx $56/month for unlimited everything on each line. That includes getting reduced rates, 15% discount, and being on a classic plan with the devices being highly subsides. I sell my older devices (S2 and S3 devices) and I end up making money on the devices rather than costing me anything. And $56/month is very cheap for everything included (no throttled internet either!! that is a big deal!!).
but if you want a cheaper device and want to keep it for as long as possible then the value plan may be a better deal. I can see situations where that would make sense for someone...but for me, I like a new device about once a year and I always get the flagship devices...with so many devices on my account...this is the best value for me.
I hope that makes sense...good luck
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Good explanation.
I see the plans being the same in the end, but for me the value plan is better.
Value plan you pay full price on the phone but plan is $20. Cheaper. Classic you get a discount on the phone but your plan is always $20 more than value. Im trying to save money ea mo so I paid off the phone to save the 20/mo.
Ill try your advice on getting a lower price on unlimited plan though. Thanks

This is the perfect use of the value plan...you pay off the price of the phone and then bank the $20 per month, each and every month you don't update your device. That makes perfect sense!
For me, since we always are updating our devices to the latest, greatest....it would not make any sense.
as of getting the lower price...call and ask to speak to account retention dept. They will put you on a $20 unlimited data plan (only retention dept has access to the account codes for this grandfathered plan) and they basically give you deeply discounted plan rates and still get discounts on the devices if you are willing to sign a two year contract. I believe I am paying very similar to a value plan pricing, but with a classic plan benefits with regards to the device discounts. I never accept the price quoted by sales rep. Always call account retention. I do that will all services I purchase from cell service to cable with TimeWarner Cable....you can save a ton of money by just asking nicely to have your rates reduced...it is amazing. Hell, I even get my credit card interest rates reduced that way also....just get the right person and ask nicely...if the rep doesn't want to do it for you...just hang up and call back...sometimes it is just that easy.
Good Luck with whatever plan you choose!

jfarhat said:
This is the perfect use of the value plan...you pay off the price of the phone and then bank the $20 per month, each and every month you don't update your device. That makes perfect sense!
For me, since we always are updating our devices to the latest, greatest....it would not make any sense.
as of getting the lower price...call and ask to speak to account retention dept. They will put you on a $20 unlimited data plan (only retention dept has access to the account codes for this grandfathered plan) and they basically give you deeply discounted plan rates and still get discounts on the devices if you are willing to sign a two year contract. I believe I am paying very similar to a value plan pricing, but with a classic plan benefits with regards to the device discounts. I never accept the price quoted by sales rep. Always call account retention. I do that will all services I purchase from cell service to cable with TimeWarner Cable....you can save a ton of money by just asking nicely to have your rates reduced...it is amazing. Hell, I even get my credit card interest rates reduced that way also....just get the right person and ask nicely...if the rep doesn't want to do it for you...just hang up and call back...sometimes it is just that easy.
Good Luck with whatever plan you choose!
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Just to clarify... if I am a longstanding customer on a classic family plan and I call account retention to ask about upgrading one line to a Note 2 at the new contract price ($199) without disrupting any other services or changes that would affect the other 3 lines, they would be apt to do so as long as I extend that line's contract (or the contract in general) another two years? I just added all kinds of services recently but each line pays their own way so to speak, so I wouldn't want to have to switch to a value plan that might make everyone have to potentially pay more overall per month. I hope this is clear.
Thanks!

vettic said:
Just to clarify... if I am a longstanding customer on a classic family plan and I call account retention to ask about upgrading one line to a Note 2 at the new contract price ($199) without disrupting any other services or changes that would affect the other 3 lines, they would be apt to do so as long as I extend that line's contract (or the contract in general) another two years? I just added all kinds of services recently but each line pays their own way so to speak, so I wouldn't want to have to switch to a value plan that might make everyone have to potentially pay more overall per month. I hope this is clear.
Thanks!
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yes that's exactly correct, you don't even need to contact account retention to upgrade your line. You can upgrade 1 line or you can upgrade all of them individually as you see fit. I will tell you, that I don't believe the 199 dollar sale is still going on. I believe right now the best price you can get it from T Mobile is 369 dollars, that might be where account retentions maybe able to help you out by reducing the cost of the phone for you. Also you want to see if they can reduce the cost of your data plan, put you like on an Android gandfathered plan that will cost you about 20 dollars, that's what I'm on.

Corporate discount applies to value plans too

robl45 said:
Corporate discount applies to value plans too
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Oh really, I was not aware of that? When I switched to Tmobile about 3 years ago, I was told otherwise by the store clerk. I guess I wss told incorrectly. Thanks for correcting that information.

jfarhat said:
yes that's exactly correct, you don't even need to contact account retention to upgrade your line. You can upgrade 1 line or you can upgrade all of them individually as you see fit. I will tell you, that I don't believe the 199 dollar sale is still going on. I believe right now the best price you can get it from T Mobile is 369 dollars, that might be where account retentions maybe able to help you out by reducing the cost of the phone for you. Also you want to see if they can reduce the cost of your data plan, put you like on an Android gandfathered plan that will cost you about 20 dollars, that's what I'm on.
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Funny you said that because as recently as yesterday, I checked and the new customer sale price was $199. The price today is in fact the regular $369, although they advertised til 12/20 on their site! Sneaky, sneaky...

vettic said:
Funny you said that because as recently as yesterday, I checked and the new customer sale price was $199. The price today is in fact the regular $369, although they advertised til 12/20 on their site! Sneaky, sneaky...
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Yeah, that charge so much for this device as compared to the other carriers. I really don't understand it. I can only assume that their rate plans are so cheap, that they can not afford to subsides the device as much as the other carriers...but you know what, it doesn't bother me that much since I save so much overall being with T-Mobile.
I think they are a great company to be with, as long as they have coverage in your particular area....they can't be beat on price, and their customer service is exceptional (at least from my experiences with them - unlike AT&T, they SUCK!). Sprint always has billing errors, you have to call them each and every month to correct the charges, and Verizon...well they are just way to expensive to even bother with.
Stepping down from my soap box now.....

Value vs Classic will be different for everybody since there is many variables.
Value is best for me. When I was on classic on a family plan with 5 lines, 1 with 2gb data, one with 200mb data, and 3 without data, all with unlimited texting, 2 with unlimited minutes and 3 with 500 minutes I used to pay $225 per month including taxes. Now on value I pay $115 per month including taxes but I now have true unlimited data without throttling on the line I previously only had 2gb plus I added data to one of the lines that didn't have it previously. Everything else stayed the same. My end result is a savings of $110 a month.
I get new devices constantly but only on my line and not the others and I'm happy to pay full price since my savings clearly outweigh my new device addiction expenses.
Either way, you should go to your local store to find out what would be the best deal for you......just as long as you get a smart rep you should be ok.
Sent from my SGH-T889 using xda premium

T-Mobile ending subsidized phones.

T-Mobile announced that in the coming months they will end discounted phones with a contract and go the European way and make you pay retail for any phone yet your monthly bill will go down a lot in price. How do you guys feel about this.?
Sent from my SGH-T999

Some people will love it, some will hate it. Here in the states, we are spoiled, do the majority will hate it. If it goes too bad, then they'll go back to subsidies. To keep it during hatred, the other companies will do the same. I don't mind as I buy my own phones even when I was in a contract to try the latest phones. Hey, you win some, you lose some
Sent from my Rooted Gameboy

If they're doing it the way they generally have offered as of late, they may not do a carrier subsidy the way Big Red/Yellow/Blue do, but they'll allow you to do a "handset mortgage", where you can pay a "down payment" when you get the phone and then the loan will be a separate line item until you pay it off, which can be at any point.
I actually prefer this model because it allows you to pay more or less to decrease the amount still owed for your phone and potentially decrease your bill substantially once you're done paying the phone off. It will also allow for quicker upgrades because you won't have to wait two years until your contract rolls around again.
I'm not opposed to this model at all.
Joey

voyager529 said:
If they're doing it the way they generally have offered as of late, they may not do a carrier subsidy the way Big Red/Yellow/Blue do, but they'll allow you to do a "handset mortgage", where you can pay a "down payment" when you get the phone and then the loan will be a separate line item until you pay it off, which can be at any point.
I actually prefer this model because it allows you to pay more or less to decrease the amount still owed for your phone and potentially decrease your bill substantially once you're done paying the phone off. It will also allow for quicker upgrades because you won't have to wait two years until your contract rolls around again.
I'm not opposed to this model at all.
Joey
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If they offer that. Then I'll be okay with that. But I'm not OK with paying 5-600 dollars for a phone...I got more important things to pay for lol. But then again on the bright side the bill per month is gonna drop sooo much
Sent from my SGH-T999

I'm in Charlotte, and the store I went to has already gone through this transition. The plan price went down approximately $30. The down-payment was similar to the advertised price for the subsidized phones, and the monthly payments were $20, for twenty months. Overall, I'll pay $550 for phone retailed to cost $599, with a slight savings on the rate plan.
The big savings come after twenty months, when the phone is paid off. I'm not one to upgrade immediately, so I may save money on the rate plan for 6-12 months before buying a new phone. Where before, even if I didn't buy a phone, I was paying the monthly rate that included the subsidy.

zeekx4 said:
I'm in Charlotte, and the store I went to has already gone through this transition. The plan price went down approximately $30. The down-payment was similar to the advertised price for the subsidized phones, and the monthly payments were $20, for twenty months. Overall, I'll pay $550 for phone retailed to cost $599, with a slight savings on the rate plan.
The big savings come after twenty months, when the phone is paid off. I'm not one to upgrade immediately, so I may save money on the rate plan for 6-12 months before buying a new phone. Where before, even if I didn't buy a phone, I was paying the monthly rate that included the subsidy.
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So u can still get a new phone without paying retail?
Sent from my SGH-T999

ddizzy81 said:
So u can still get a new phone without paying retail?
Sent from my SGH-T999
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Yes and No. ** I do not work for T-Mobile, but this is how I understand things **
EIP has existed for a very long time now and will continue to exist. T-Mobile is simply being upfront with customers instead of building in a subsidy into a rate plan. In almost every case, the customer wins.
Here's one way to look at it. Value Plan + EIP = Classic plan Either way, the upfront costs are similar. In one case, you call it a downpayment, in another you call it a price w/ 2 year contact extension. EIP is typically 20 months, which is better than the 24 months a full blown 2 year extension will be. Again, as far as the initial cost of the phone, the downpayment is essentially equivalent to the previously advertised price of the phone with contract.
This model does a few things from the perspective of a customer. It gives you the option of purchasing phones outright, or opting to get what essentially is a 20 month interest free loan from t-mobile on up to $400 towards the purchase price of a phone. When that loan is paid off, you are left with a nice and small bill for just the services you use, the voice, data, and text services provided by T-Mobile. This opens the door wide open for people to bring unlocked devices over to T-Mobile, and enjoy a low price monthly rate plan. Previously, the best way to do this was to buy an unlocked phone, buy a carrier phone with a 2-year extension, and sell the carrier phone and put that towards the price of the unlocked phone.
This really is a win for pretty much all consumers. People who want a low initial cost can opt for the EIP, people who bring their own devices can choose to do so and enjoy a low monthly rate, and finally people who keep their devices for a long time will enjoy a low rate after they complete their EIP payments.
The only time this is NOT advantageous is if you decide to break the contract prior to the end of the EIP term + value plan contract. For example, if I buy a new phone, start a EIP plan for 20 months, and sign up for a 2 year value plan, I would have to pay a $200 penalty to break the value plan, and also $400 to close out the EIP. Of course, the way to get around this is to sell the phone to repay the EIP.

ddizzy81 said:
T-Mobile announced that in the coming months they will end discounted phones with a contract and go the European way and make you pay retail for any phone yet your monthly bill will go down a lot in price. How do you guys feel about this.?
Sent from my SGH-T999
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as far as i know, t-mobile has already offer $50 contract free service in NYC. that includes 4g network, unlimit calling, texing, web, etc.
I am current simple mobile user, $40 each month, and it is great!
I am sure if ATT, Verizon, don't take any action, most of their customers will walk way.

My contract ends in may...its gonna be a big decision whether I'm gonna leave T-Mobile or not
Sent from my SGH-T999

About a month ago a tmo rep told me they are doing this soon.
O well doesn't bother me lol
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda premium

Yeah its not all that new . Tmobile has been allowing people to break up their payments since they announced their even more plus plans. I think its a great option in present times for those that can't afford to fork out 500$ in one transaction.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

They already have offered this its called the "Value Plans", as apposed to the "Classic Plans" the value plans are only offered at t-mobile stores and since sept they have offered a truly unlimited data option on the value plan. thats the plan i have been on since i joined t-mobile in sept. the gs3 for me was 149.99 down with $20 for 20 months. (549.99) and my rate plan is 69.99 for unlimited everything. The one thing i dont like about the value plan is that even though you are paying full price for your phone in the end you are still on a 2 year contract with $200 early termination fee. and if you dont use all the minutes and want to lower your bill thats a whole new 2 year contract. T-mobile really shouldnt due that to its customers.

Chuckatron said:
They already have offered this its called the "Value Plans", as apposed to the "Classic Plans" the value plans are only offered at t-mobile stores and since sept they have offered a truly unlimited data option on the value plan. thats the plan i have been on since i joined t-mobile in sept. the gs3 for me was 149.99 down with $20 for 20 months. (549.99) and my rate plan is 69.99 for unlimited everything. The one thing i dont like about the value plan is that even though you are paying full price for your phone in the end you are still on a 2 year contract with $200 early termination fee. and if you dont use all the minutes and want to lower your bill thats a whole new 2 year contract. T-mobile really shouldnt due that to its customers.
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Well to be honest they kinda have to keep that early termination fee, because basically if they don't what's to keep you from leaving after you only payed 149.99 for a 800 phone. Even if you still decide to leave you only end up paying about 350. 200 fee plus the 150 you put down. This is coming from a guy who really dislike tmobile I'm just with them because I almost don't pay anything on a 5 line account. Really there's not much difference between classic and value when it comes to buying a phone both tie you to a 2 year contract and early fee.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Isn't this pretty much the same thing as their Value Plan they've had for some time now? I've been on that plan for a bit over a year now. For me, the plus side is that over the course of a two year period, I'll end up saving roughly $1200 for two lines compared to my previous plan with everything unlimited.
The downside is of course the unsubsidized pricing of all the phones...completely ineligible for any special promotions, as well. If T-Mobile keeps that same plan model, people may find themselves paying for multiple devices at a time if they run into mishaps (theft, damage, etc.). Even with insurance, you'll pay a pretty penny for a replacement but will still be responsible for paying off the original. This would be a big adjustment for a lot of people in many ways, not just financially.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Edit: Chuck beat me to it LoL. I'm so not used to typing novel-length msgs on a mobile xD
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So how the phone insurance will work, will tmobile offer this option I doubt. I'm not referring manufacturer 1 year but long term one.
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dito33 said:
So how the phone insurance will work, will tmobile offer this option I doubt. I'm not referring manufacturer 1 year but long term one.
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Good question
Sent from my SGH-T999

ddizzy81 said:
If they offer that. Then I'll be okay with that. But I'm not OK with paying 5-600 dollars for a phone...I got more important things to pay for lol. But then again on the bright side the bill per month is gonna drop sooo much
Sent from my SGH-T999
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL...pay now, pay later. do the math. if youre on a classic plan, you still pay full price for the phone, you just pay for it a little a time added onto your monthly bill. so, you are okay with paying 5-600 dollars for a phone...

dito33 said:
So how the phone insurance will work, will tmobile offer this option I doubt. I'm not referring manufacturer 1 year but long term one.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't see why they would stop offering the extended insurance. If you're going to be paying for you're phone for 2 years you might as well have insurance that also extends the warranty for that long.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

LiquidGlow said:
The downside is of course the unsubsidized pricing of all the phones...completely ineligible for any special promotions, as well. If T-Mobile keeps that same plan model, people may find themselves paying for multiple devices at a time if they run into mishaps (theft, damage, etc.). Even with insurance, you'll pay a pretty penny for a replacement but will still be responsible for paying off the original. This would be a big adjustment for a lot of people in many ways, not just financially.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually the promos DO apply. The last sale was a zero down sale, so you get your down payment back as a rebate. So instead of a $600 phone it's only $400. It's no different than a free phone with a higher monthly payment.

I haven't had a plan for years. If you look you can find a deal on craigslist sometimes ebay

AT&T Grandfathered Unlimited Data vs. T-Mobile Unlimited 4G LTE?

Hi Guys,
I'm a current AT&T customer. I have a grandfathered LTE unlimited data plan. And about 400 phone minutes + unlimited texting. I pay about $75 out the door including taxes & etc.
AT&T is irking me right now, so I'm considering moving over to T-Mobile and looking for advice on a few questions.
Just FYI, T-Mobile is getting LTE in my area this month (Austin, TX). And I'm interested in their top of the line, $70/month "Unlimited Nationwide 4G" data plan.
1) My AT&T throttles me pretty hard after 5GB of use. Does T-Mobile do this?
2) Will the $70/month plan T-Mobile offers apply to LTE or just the faux 4G (3G)?
3) Should I just stay where I am on AT&T since I'm grandfathered?
4) Is there a chance T-Mobile will revoke my "Unlimited" next year like Verizon has done in the past?
Thanks for any advice.

1) My AT&T throttles me pretty hard after 5GB of use. Does T-Mobile do this?
No. If you have Unlimited Nationwide 4G you will never be throttled.
2) Will the $70/month plan T-Mobile offers apply to LTE or just the faux 4G (3G)?
Both.
3) Should I just stay where I am on AT&T since I'm grandfathered?
That's up to you.
4) Is there a chance T-Mobile will revoke my "Unlimited" next year like Verizon has done in the past?
Not a chance, this is their main selling point.

CZ Eddie said:
Hi Guys,
I'm a current AT&T customer. I have a grandfathered LTE unlimited data plan. And about 400 phone minutes + unlimited texting. I pay about $75 out the door including taxes & etc.
AT&T is irking me right now, so I'm considering moving over to T-Mobile and looking for advice on a few questions.
Just FYI, T-Mobile is getting LTE in my area this month (Austin, TX). And I'm interested in their top of the line, $70/month "Unlimited Nationwide 4G" data plan.
1) My AT&T throttles me pretty hard after 5GB of use. Does T-Mobile do this?
2) Will the $70/month plan T-Mobile offers apply to LTE or just the faux 4G (3G)?
3) Should I just stay where I am on AT&T since I'm grandfathered?
4) Is there a chance T-Mobile will revoke my "Unlimited" next year like Verizon has done in the past?
Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) With the unlimited nationwide 4g data plan, there is no throttling and its unlimited 4G data.
2) Yes it does apply to LTE but you need a LTE enabled device.
3)If you think that the 5 dollar difference is worth it. But in all reality its unlimited everything with no data caps when you get the 70 dollar plan, plus LTE is coming to your area soon so i'd go for it.
4)I highly doubt they would do something like that as they are trying to get ahead of Sprint, At&t, Verizon with the simple choice uncarrier plans.
lol someone answered while i was typing...oops.

Aww crud.
It looks like TMO does things a little differently.
Sure, the phone is only $149 up front. But then you have to pay $20/month for the next 24 months. Which effectively raises the $70/month plan to $90/month. Or a bunch more than what my AT&T plan would be if I get the $199 phone up front and stay with my current $70/month plan.

CZ Eddie said:
Aww crud.
It looks like TMO does things a little differently.
Sure, the phone is only $149 up front. But then you have to pay $20/month for the next 24 months. Which effectively raises the $70/month plan to $90/month. Or a bunch more than what my AT&T plan would be if I get the $199 phone up front and stay with my current $70/month plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Keep in mind - with AT&T you gotta contract for that $199 phone. Whereas with TMobile, you don't have a contract..

CZ Eddie said:
Hi Guys,
I'm a current AT&T customer. I have a grandfathered LTE unlimited data plan. And about 400 phone minutes + unlimited texting. I pay about $75 out the door including taxes & etc.
AT&T is irking me right now, so I'm considering moving over to T-Mobile and looking for advice on a few questions.
Just FYI, T-Mobile is getting LTE in my area this month (Austin, TX). And I'm interested in their top of the line, $70/month "Unlimited Nationwide 4G" data plan.
1) My AT&T throttles me pretty hard after 5GB of use. Does T-Mobile do this?
2) Will the $70/month plan T-Mobile offers apply to LTE or just the faux 4G (3G)?
3) Should I just stay where I am on AT&T since I'm grandfathered?
4) Is there a chance T-Mobile will revoke my "Unlimited" next year like Verizon has done in the past?
Thanks for any advice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) hell no
2) full LTE
3) hell no
4) hell no

coyttl said:
Keep in mind - with AT&T you gotta contract for that $199 phone. Whereas with TMobile, you don't have a contract..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh, so I do have to pay $20/month for the phone for 24 months and that part is a "contract".
But the $70/month data plan is NOT a contract and I can quit that at any time.
Sounds nice I guess.
I wish T-Mobile website had a "chat" capability so I can talk to a salesperson. But they removed that feature.

CZ Eddie said:
Aww crud.
It looks like TMO does things a little differently.
Sure, the phone is only $149 up front. But then you have to pay $20/month for the next 24 months. Which effectively raises the $70/month plan to $90/month. Or a bunch more than what my AT&T plan would be if I get the $199 phone up front and stay with my current $70/month plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you dont have to pay $20 a month for 24 months if you pay the $149, and then make a $300 payment after you account is created. you'll only pay $20 a month for 9 months after.
this is what i did.
f*** ATT bro.
f*** em'
make the jump.
i was with ATT mobile for ~15 years and couldn't be happier ive left those f**ks
f*****g bit*es

CZ Eddie said:
Ahhh, so I do have to pay $20/month for the phone for 24 months and that part is a "contract".
But the $70/month data plan is NOT a contract and I can quit that at any time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think (however, I'm not sure, maybe someone else can tell me if I understand right or not..) If you terminate your plan with TMobil, you'll owe TMobile the rest of the price of the phone.
And if you don't have a contract with ATT, and don't owe them the rest of the money, then buy the phone for $199, cancel your plan the next month and sell the phone for $600. You'll make $400. DO it over and over, and you'll be rich.
The biggest selling point for me was the lack of contract. I plan on giving them an extra $100/month for a few months to get the phone paid off.

Regarding 2) Faux 4G/LTE:
I know quite a lot of ppl have issue with this as a matter of topic. But to be honest the "faux" 4G / LTE is pretty darn fast. It's HSPDA+ which at its worst runs at 4meg down and 1 meg up. I know plenty of ppl in Nyc that don't get that on their cable modems reliably. Also it's pretty challenging to really push the need for more unless you are downloading a rom.
I think it's a lot of media hype that ppl "need" 20 meg down and 10 meg up... It's like advertising a car that can do a 200+ mph top speed. Is it nice to have? Sure it is... Do you often have the opportunity to show it off I real life or day to day use? Not really... 100mph is plenty fast lol
Sent from my SCH-T889 using Tapatalk 2

coyttl said:
I think (however, I'm not sure, maybe someone else can tell me if I understand right or not..) If you terminate your plan with TMobil, you'll owe TMobile the rest of the price of the phone.
And if you don't have a contract with ATT, and don't owe them the rest of the money, then buy the phone for $199, cancel your plan the next month and sell the phone for $600. You'll make $400. DO it over and over, and you'll be rich.
The biggest selling point for me was the lack of contract. I plan on giving them an extra $100/month for a few months to get the phone paid off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome idea except that when you get a subsidized priced phone from att you are committing to 2 more years under contract with them...
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

CZ Eddie said:
Ahhh, so I do have to pay $20/month for the phone for 24 months and that part is a "contract".
But the $70/month data plan is NOT a contract and I can quit that at any time.
Sounds nice I guess.
I wish T-Mobile website had a "chat" capability so I can talk to a salesperson. But they removed that feature.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, the phone is not a contract. It's just T-Mobile financing the phone to you. Just like buying a car, you put so much down and you pay it off when you pay it off, but your MINIMUM monthly payment is 20 bucks.
If you put the down payment, then 200 down the first month, and another 200 down the next month, and another 80 or so down the third month then cancel your service you now own the phone completely and T-Mobile will give you an unlock code and be like "Alright bro, thanks for the business, hope you come back yo." No early termination fees, no nothing.
However, if you cancel your service while you still owe money on the phone, you still owe money on the phone. You either pay it off at a rate of at minimum 20 per month OR you don't and they sell the finance to a collection agency.
It's just simple financing rather than being put into actual contracts like the big guys.
coyttl said:
I think (however, I'm not sure, maybe someone else can tell me if I understand right or not..) If you terminate your plan with TMobil, you'll owe TMobile the rest of the price of the phone.
And if you don't have a contract with ATT, and don't owe them the rest of the money, then buy the phone for $199, cancel your plan the next month and sell the phone for $600. You'll make $400. DO it over and over, and you'll be rich.
The biggest selling point for me was the lack of contract. I plan on giving them an extra $100/month for a few months to get the phone paid off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...except the ETF for ATT is 325 dollars... plus tax... plus tax when you buy the phone for 199... So you're looking at 525 plus tax for a phone you can MAYBE sell for 600. Not to mention whatever the rediculous cost of the first month plus activation fees, plus hidden charges, plus whatever the **** ATT feels like adding to your first (only in this case) bill.
Plus I'm sure ATT has somewhere in fine print you will have to pay more if you try some stupid **** like this.
Great idea, you should try it and end up paying probably around 150 bucks for the lesson.

TeknoGodz said:
You either pay it off completely you don't and they sell the finance to a collection agency.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FTFY. If you end service before the end of the phone payment term, you owe the balance of the phone there. If it's $20, you pay $20, if it's $200, you pay $200.

k0nane said:
FTFY. If you end service before the end of the phone payment term, you owe the balance of the phone there. If it's $20, you pay $20, if it's $200, you pay $200.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh really, I thought you could still pay it monthly... Well that kinda sucks.

TeknoGodz said:
Oh really, I thought you could still pay it monthly... Well that kinda sucks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No I'm pretty sure you can still pay it off monthly even after you cancel the service according to one of the corporate T-Mobile agents I spoke to.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

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xXchrizhurtyXx said:
No I'm pretty sure you can still pay it off monthly even after you cancel the service according to one of the corporate T-Mobile agents I spoke to.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Then again I would NOT trust a word that comes out of their mouth. They no nothing. I asked 3 different people and they told me I could not use the 100 dollar cards that you can buy at walmart or target for my simple choice plan. They told me there was no way and there are no prepaid cards that allow you to do this. The next day I was at target and saw the card.... It clearly states "For use with prepaid or monthly plans". Bought it and used it no issues.
Haven't believed a word from their mouth since.

TeknoGodz said:
Then again I would NOT trust a word that comes out of their mouth. They no nothing. I asked 3 different people and they told me I could not use the 100 dollar cards that you can buy at walmart or target for my simple choice plan. They told me there was no way and there are no prepaid cards that allow you to do this. The next day I was at target and saw the card.... It clearly states "For use with prepaid or monthly plans". Bought it and used it no issues.
Haven't believed a word from their mouth since.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's bad luck lol. Usually the people I talk to are usually right but I do customer service over chat.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using xda app-developers app

Yeah, it's really clever marketing by T-Mobile, this whole "un-carrier" thing. You end up paying $20/month for the privilege of not having a contract. I don't know about most of you, but I don't switch carriers THAT often. And even so, if your termination fee is pro-rated, then why not let the carrier eat the subsidy for as long as you were a customer? You're going to have service for a period of time anyway, you might as well get device subsidy credit for it. With T-Mobile you get nada. Assuming you're a T-Mobile customer for 2 years, you just paid full price for the phone AND $70/month for service. It's really genius and AT&T has to be pissed they didn't think of it first those livered lilly money grubers!
I have the AT&T Unlimited Data plan, but at 5gb and then throttled, they can s!#k it.

kevroc said:
Yeah, it's really clever marketing by T-Mobile, this whole "un-carrier" thing. You end up paying $20/month for the privilege of not having a contract. I don't know about most of you, but I don't switch carriers THAT often. And even so, if your termination fee is pro-rated, then why not let the carrier eat the subsidy for as long as you were a customer? You're going to have service for a period of time anyway, you might as well get device subsidy credit for it. With T-Mobile you get nada. Assuming you're a T-Mobile customer for 2 years, you just paid full price for the phone AND $70/month for service. It's really genius and AT&T has to be pissed they didn't think of it first those livered lilly money grubers!
I have the AT&T Unlimited Data plan, but at 5gb and then throttled, they can s!#k it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From each carrier's website, new contract, two lines, assuming purchase of two S4s:
Sprint: $249.99 per phone ($149.99 if transferring your number), $149.99 per month for 1500 shared minutes and unlimited text/data ($209 per month for unlimited everything)
AT&T: $199.99 per phone, $149.99 per month for 550 shared minutes, unlimited text, 3 GB data per phone (more per month for more minutes, 209.99 if you want unlimited; $20 extra per phone to upgrade to 5 GB, their max allowed)
Verizon: $199.99 per phone, $149.99 per month for unlimited talk/text and 4 GB of shared data ($160 for 6 GB, up to $190 for 12 GB)
T-Mobile: $149.99 per phone up front, $140 (includes phone payment) for unlimited talk/text and 2.5 GB of data per phone, $160 for unlimited data instead
*That* is the point of T-Mobile's plans, the no-contract thing is merely a nice convenience. Even including the phone cost it's $10/month cheaper than the other carriers for their cheapest useful plans (assuming you want more than a few hundred megs of data each month) and just $10 more per month than the fairly limited plans Verizon and AT&T offer at that price level gets you full unlimited.

Call AT&T Retentions for Note 4 deal!!!

After giving my T-Mobile Note 4 to my brother for his birthday, I tried to see if I could get a deal from Ma Bell themselves. I was successfully. They price matched the T-Mobile variant at $749.46. I did AT&T next at 12 month of $41.30, and received a credit on my bill for $77. Its not the greatest deal, but hey its better than nothing, right? Not too mention I plan on trading the device in after 12 months, so I will only have paid $418.
Just thought I'd share. Give it a shot, you have nothing to loose.

MattMJB0188 said:
After giving my T-Mobile Note 4 to my brother for his birthday, I tried to see if I could get a deal from Ma Bell themselves. I was successfully. They price matched the T-Mobile variant at $749.46. I did AT&T next at 12 month of $41.30, and received a credit on my bill for $77. Its not the greatest deal, but hey its better than nothing, right? Not too mention I plan on trading the device in after 12 months, so I will only have paid $418.
Just thought I'd share. Give it a shot, you have nothing to loose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yep, I've gotten 3 free phones ($600), 4 contracts given an early upgrade by up to 6 months, and probably $1000 in bill discounts by calling them over the last 7 years being polite, nice, and just asking them if they can help with stuff. Not happy with the whole locked bootloader garbage but they've always hooked me up on that end. Just call and tell them what's up and ask them if they think this is possible because you like AT&T and at least want to give them a chance to keep a customer, unless you owe them money or have burned them in the past most of the time they'll do their best to give you what you want. Just be polite, funny, and nice is they key. I called once and talked to a lady from an Atlanta AT&T call center and we ended up talking about how amazing her fried chicken recipe was and how her kids/grand kids loved it and I got a free phone ($200 waved) and 5 months early on my upgrade. It's crazy but it works lol. Good luck

Clienterror said:
Yep, I've gotten 3 free phones ($600), 4 contracts given an early upgrade by up to 6 months, and probably $1000 in bill discounts by calling them over the last 7 years being polite, nice, and just asking them if they can help with stuff. Not happy with the whole locked bootloader garbage but they've always hooked me up on that end. Just call and tell them what's up and ask them if they think this is possible because you like AT&T and at least want to give them a chance to keep a customer, unless you owe them money or have burned them in the past most of the time they'll do their best to give you what you want. Just be polite, funny, and nice is they key. I called once and talked to a lady from an Atlanta AT&T call center and we ended up talking about how amazing her fried chicken recipe was and how her kids/grand kids loved it and I got a free phone ($200 waved) and 5 months early on my upgrade. It's crazy but it works lol. Good luck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly. I was very polite and thanked him. I mentioned how my bill has never been late and is always paid in full. I was actually quite lucky because they didn't have to do that.
While I'm all down for unlocked bootloaders and root, the truth is, I tinker with my phone too much then. Its gets tiring having to switch roms every week. So I think I'm just gonna do my own thing and call it a day. While I fully support those going to the T-Mobile route, I just found that too much of a hassle. That and very rude T-Mobile staff.

Not only have I had retention credit me to help out a bit. I had them upgrade my wifes line a year early and next day her a new 32gb white s4 before our honey moon last year for free.

I see Sprint has the Edge for $840 as opposed to ATT's whopping $945! Going to call Retentions later and see if they will price match. Thanks for the heads up OP.

Let us know if you were able to get one out of contract for less than full price! I tried 3 times already on phone and chat; retention was ready to let me cancel rather than give me anything to stay. I have always been extremely nice on the phone and usually get deals... but am not getting anything to lower the price of this phone.

bleuiko said:
Let us know if you were able to get one out of contract for less than full price! I tried 3 times already on phone and chat; retention was ready to let me cancel rather than give me anything to stay. I have always been extremely nice on the phone and usually get deals... but am not getting anything to lower the price of this phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically this one out of contract as it was on AT&T Next's program. Instead of paying $825.99, they gave it to me for $749.46 (T-Mobile's note 4 price).

MattMJB0188 said:
After giving my T-Mobile Note 4 to my brother for his birthday, I tried to see if I could get a deal from Ma Bell themselves. I was successfully. They price matched the T-Mobile variant at $749.46. I did AT&T next at 12 month of $41.30, and received a credit on my bill for $77. Its not the greatest deal, but hey its better than nothing, right? Not too mention I plan on trading the device in after 12 months, so I will only have paid $418.
Just thought I'd share. Give it a shot, you have nothing to loose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just called ATT and they gave me a $100 credit. Which is cool since the difference between the Sprint Note Edge and the ATT one is $105.00. So I guess that's the way they price match since they can't actually change the price of the phone?

Ghetto Geeksta said:
Just called ATT and they gave me a $100 credit. Which is cool since the difference between the Sprint Note Edge and the ATT one is $105.00. So I guess that's the way they price match since they can't actually change the price of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you also on the Next plan? I have found that CSR shut down as soon as I tell them I want to buy it outright and not on Next.

Ghetto Geeksta said:
Just called ATT and they gave me a $100 credit. Which is cool since the difference between the Sprint Note Edge and the ATT one is $105.00. So I guess that's the way they price match since they can't actually change the price of the phone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably, either way you made out good with what you wanted one way or another ?

bleuiko said:
Are you also on the Next plan? I have found that CSR shut down as soon as I tell them I want to buy it outright and not on Next.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes im on the Next plan, if you're buying it outright you should be able to find a good deal online. You may want to try back after you buy your phone.

Ghetto Geeksta said:
Yes im on the Next plan, if you're buying it outright you should be able to find a good deal online. You may want to try back after you buy your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you all know if you on Next plan and you payed off your phone and you want to get new device you have to trade phone you just payed off. Loose , loose on your end. Better is to buy phone some where else for lower price because on Next plan you will end up paying full price on phone and do not get phone. Info: http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/next.html#fbid=CUe4oUP4J4k

norbarb said:
Do you all know if you on Next plan and you payed off your phone and you want to get new device you have to trade phone you just payed off. Loose , loose on your end. Better is to buy phone some where else for lower price because on Next plan you will end up paying full price on phone and do not get phone. Info: http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/next.html#fbid=CUe4oUP4J4k
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You only trade in your phone if you want a new phone at 12 months. If you keep it 20 (making payments) the phone is yours to do whatever with. Also with my $25 a line discount it only ends up being $19 a month for my note 4 so I end up paying $380 over 20 months to own it free and clear vs $750 buying it outright.

Clienterror said:
You only trade in your phone if you want a new phone at 12 months. If you keep it 20 (making payments) the phone is yours to do whatever with. Also with my $25 a line discount it only ends up being $19 a month for my note 4 so I end up paying $380 over 20 months to own it free and clear vs $750 buying it outright.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How did you ends up paying $19 a month ? if you choose 18 months Next plan payment you ends up paying $34.42 x 18 = $619 plus you need to trade your phone. $25 line discount is for access not for a phone. If you agree to 2-years contract you pay $15+$25(discount) =$40. I and my wife (accountant) calculate all options and best way is to get phone on some other side then on Next plan. You will ends up paying full price on phone whatever plan and phone you choose from At&t..

norbarb said:
How did you ends up paying $19 a month ? if you choose 18 months Next plan payment you ends up paying $34.42 x 18 = $619 plus you need to trade your phone. $25 line discount is for access not for a phone. If you agree to 2-years contract you pay $15+$25(discount) =$40. I and my wife (accountant) calculate all options and best way is to get phone on some other side then on Next plan. You will ends up paying full price on phone whatever plan and phone you choose from At&t..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree with you. Next is AT&T's way of charging you the same but making you feel better OR to get you to change phones all the time and give them the old phone back which they can sell for more. The best way is to get the phone out of contract and pay $15 a month under the "bring your own device" discount. My goal is to get the phone out of contract for less than the crazy $825.99 that AT&T is asking for.
Sample Calculation For All Options:
Note 4 out of contract ($825.99) + 2-yr of service with bring your own device discount ($15 x 24 mo) = $1185.99
Note 4 with Next 12 ($41.30 x 20 mo) + 2-yr of service with Next discount ($15 x 24 mo) = $1185.99
Note 4 with 2-yr contract ($299.99) + 2-yr of service with no discount ($40 x 24 mo) = $1259.99
Sample Calculation for Next 12 to make yourself feel better but not really:
Note 4 with Next 12 and service discount ($16.30 x 20 mo) + 2-yr of service with Next discount ($40 x 24 mo) = $1185.99
Let's also consider that you turn in your phone at 12 months like AT&T wants you to; you end up paying $495.60 out of pocket and end up with nothing. AT&T, on the other hand, has to pay for the rest of the bill for the device, which is $330.39. If they could sell the Note 4 in a year for more than $330.39, which of course they could, then they are making even more money of you. You may wish to argue that under the "make yourself feel better" option, you're only paying $16.30 a month so after one year you pay much less than $495.60; great deal, right? No, you just paid the rest under the service plan. AT&T will gladly take your money.

Not sure where your calculations came from but why are you adding the discount to the bill instead of subtracting. I pay 41.30 for next 12 on my note 4 but with my 25off discount i pay 16 a month for my phone. 16x12=192. After 12 months i would only need to pay 192 and then i can turn my phone in and get a new one with no penalties and if i keepy my phone i end up paying 320. The access discount is only appied when you are on the next plan or buy outright so it needs to be considered in your calculations because if you sign a contract your bill jumps +25. For 2 note 4s on next 12 plus 15gb family share with unlimited calling and text i only pay 180 a month. Just playing with the at&t cart i added 2 smartphones to the cart with 10gb share and on contract and the price is 180. I pay exactly what new customers pay but with the option to upgrade early.

Spawn026 said:
Not sure where your calculations came from but why are you adding the discount to the bill instead of subtracting. I pay 41.30 for next 12 on my note 4 but with my 25off discount i pay 16 a month for my phone. 16x12=192. After 12 months i would only need to pay 192 and then i can turn my phone in and get a new one with no penalties and if i keepy my phone i end up paying 320. The access discount is only appied when you are on the next plan or buy outright so it needs to be considered in your calculations because if you sign a contract your bill jumps +25. For 2 note 4s on next 12 plus 15gb family share with unlimited calling and text i only pay 180 a month. Just playing with the at&t cart i added 2 smartphones to the cart with 10gb share and on contract and the price is 180. I pay exactly what new customers pay but with the option to upgrade early.
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Next plan is created for people like you.

Clienterror said:
You only trade in your phone if you want a new phone at 12 months. If you keep it 20 (making payments) the phone is yours to do whatever with. Also with my $25 a line discount it only ends up being $19 a month for my note 4 so I end up paying $380 over 20 months to own it free and clear vs $750 buying it outright.
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Exactly. I plan on doing this.
Anyone else get a deal through retentions?

I did this, I was pissed the ATT version was more expensive than the Tmobile version. Called retentions and complained, they have me a $180 credit. I since sold the ATT version and got a Tmobile one anyway.

Spawn026 said:
Not sure where your calculations came from but why are you adding the discount to the bill instead of subtracting. I pay 41.30 for next 12 on my note 4 but with my 25off discount i pay 16 a month for my phone. 16x12=192. After 12 months i would only need to pay 192 and then i can turn my phone in and get a new one with no penalties and if i keepy my phone i end up paying 320. The access discount is only appied when you are on the next plan or buy outright so it needs to be considered in your calculations because if you sign a contract your bill jumps +25. For 2 note 4s on next 12 plus 15gb family share with unlimited calling and text i only pay 180 a month. Just playing with the at&t cart i added 2 smartphones to the cart with 10gb share and on contract and the price is 180. I pay exactly what new customers pay but with the option to upgrade early.
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Let me clear your mind. The $25 discount is for your line which they normally charge you $40. With the discount you pay $15 instead of $40. Your $41.30 payment stay the same no change what so ever.