iPhone 5 - Page 55

The provider subsidizes part of the phone cost and you pay it back over the 2 years of your contract. You still pay the full $649 for the phone you just only pay $199 up front and the rest is built in to your monthly bills.

Why are you switching? I was contemplating going to Sprint from AT&T because it's cheaper plus they offer a credit union member discount but after finding out how slow it is in my area I nixed that idea. No LTE for sprint in the DC area for a while.

is a non-contracted plan cheaper per month ? i thought contracts had different tiers

Hmm good question. I never put that much thought into it to be honest.

i spend a lot of weekends at my parents lake house and ATT is shit there. Verizon works like a charm. that's really the only reason. I know people find it relaxing to unplug from the outside world, but i'm not one of those people.

Understandable. I was in AT&T rage mode for quite some time where I live but the service has gotten much better to the point where I have only had one incident I can recall in the last year or so where I was raging because of AT&T.

agreed. there are pockets where i'll be right next to a person on verizon and their phone (doesn't matter the device) works perfect while i'm dead in the water. those areas are few and far between, but i've NEVER been in a situation where it is vice versa.

No. They aren't making money off you in the contract. They're making money off you having to stick around for 24 months. Non-contract plans are still bound by the same restrictions (data plans, minimum texting, etc. bullshit).

So no voice and data over 4G on either Verizon or Sprint. The antennas don't work the way that V & S would need them to to be able to accomplish that.

Also, seems that the unlocked phone won't be available until some time in near future. TBA'ed.

I think in the States you're pretty much expected to commit to a two year plan, with a stiff early termination fee if you decide to cancel? AT&T or Verizon are going to get their money whatever happens. People don't normally buy unsubsidised phones in the US? Whereas in the UK pre-paid, no commitment plans seem to be the norm. That's what I had, and everyone else I know in the UK uses. You can change carrier any time you like. You just buy the iPhone 5 and put whatever SIM you like in it?

BTW I can't wait to see the armed riot squads outside the Apple Store in Beijing, when Apple releases the iPhone 5 here. Probably around December time. Fortunately Apple seem to have relented on their mandatory two year contract requirements here, and the iPhone 4S is available pre-paid, no commitment on two different carriers.
Edited by MikeDT - 9/13/12 at 9:58pm

I have a galaxy nexus from Verizon that I got back in December and I want to get an iPhone 5.. I'd obviously have to break my 2-year contract -- does that mean I'm going to have to pay the $749 (or however much it costs for an unlocked 32 gig ip5)?

Or do I get another 2 year contract with the subsidized price alongside a penalty fee for upgrading so soon?

I know you can add a line but I am not sure if that would make financial sense.

Do you really need the 32 GB? I ask because when I fist bought the 4 I went all out and then realized I did not need all the storage space. I use spotify for music so I no longer transfer my entire music library. The apple cloud for music BLOWS.

yeah i definitely need the 32gig version.

How do you use up 32gig?

Also, I use Gmail a lot, Apple will be fine?

^Music and photos take up a lot of space.

Came across these pics, apparently from Chinese tech forums, pretty funny. Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

I have the gmail app, it works great. That's my primary email account.

Storing homemade porn vids

I keep family pictures on my phone and they don't take up that much space. Music, meh, spotify takes care of that. Plus I am on my computer most of the time.