iPhone 5

[hua052011]

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[blairh]



Straight Talk is Tracfone. In case you've ever had to deal with their customer service, you'll know why I'm bringing it up.

No experience with Tracfone. I'm assuming they are pretty ******?

If I keep my iPhone 4 and use StraightTalk I'd be paying a touch over $1080 over a 24 month period. With AT&T under the same time frame and the new iPhone I'd be paying $2,393. Enormous savings. I lose visual voicemail, I'm not entirely sure if I can access MMS, and no LTE of course. Also have to consider how an iPhone 4 will hold up software-wise with iOS updates in the upcoming 2 years.

 

[MikeDT]



SimpleMobile doesn't support iPhone's and H2O has crap plans IMO.
I've ruled out Virgin Mobile for a few reasons. Don't want to pay a fortune for a soon to be old phone (4S). Don't think it will be easy to sell down the road. Don't trust the slower Sprint speeds. A shame because $30 a month is the best deal for American consumers using an iPhone.

Is that because Apple wants to keep the pricing high on the iPhone in the US, rather like they do here? To preserve the iPhone exclusivity and prestige?

 

[gomestar]

I'm on my inlaws family plan

when I got married, they were going to kick my wife off of their plan, but when we priced things out it was clear that she was far better off to just stay on ... and after some more research it was clearly far cheaper for me to join their plan. So much for their efforts.

they have thousands and thousands of rollover minutes available, so I just pay for data for my iPhone. Ends up being $32 a month, cheap enough for me to cut one check and pay off the whole year. Previously, I was paying about $70 a month on t-mobile for a blackberry with NO data, talk and text only.

 

[Jr Mouse]

Yes, family plans are the way to go. The savings are huge. Even if you are not married, see if you can get on one with your immediate family. I have done this for a while and just mail them a check for my share. Non of us even get close to going over our minutes.

 

[dah328]



Yes, family plans are the way to go. The savings are huge. Even if you are not married, see if you can get on one with your immediate family. I have done this for a while and just mail them a check for my share. Non of us even get close to going over our minutes.

Family plans were good until the whole concept of "shared data" came out. It's basically a way for the carriers to push up the prices for smartphones on family plans. At least AT&T will honor grandfathered data plans. Verizon is pushing all their customers into their new data plans.

 

[Jr Mouse]



Family plans were good until the whole concept of "shared data" came out. It's basically a way for the carriers to push up the prices for smartphones on family plans. At least AT&T will honor grandfathered data plans. Verizon is pushing all their customers into their new data plans.

I knew about the shared data plans, but thought they were optional? Are you saying that they are the default plans for new customers now?

 

[blairh]



Is that because Apple wants to keep the pricing high on the iPhone in the US, rather like they do here? To preserve the iPhone exclusivity and prestige?

I think it's the carriers here in the States, not Apple. I don't think Apple gives a **** how much you pay a month to the carriers for using their phone. They made their money already when you purchased the phone.

Yes, family plans are the way to go. The savings are huge. Even if you are not married, see if you can get on one with your immediate family. I have done this for a while and just mail them a check for my share. Non of us even get close to going over our minutes.

I called Verizon a few days ago to see if I could switch to them and save some money by joining up with my parents current plan. (They are on Verizon but use feature/dumb phones.) No dice. Breaking it down it was essentially identical in price to what I'm paying with AT&T.

 

[MikeDT]



I think it's the carriers here in the States, not Apple. I don't think Apple gives a **** how much you pay a month to the carriers for using their phone. They made their money already when you purchased the phone.

Now I thought the carriers have some revenue sharing agreement with Apple, for Apple allowing them to have the iPhone.? $18 per subscriber a month for AT&T, isn't it?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9803657-37.html
"Over the life of a two-year contract, AT&T is paying Apple more per iPhone than it now costs to actually buy one, according to a financial analyst."

 

[dah328]

Family plans were good until the whole concept of "shared data" came out. It's basically a way for the carriers to push up the prices for smartphones on family plans. At least AT&T will honor grandfathered data plans. Verizon is pushing all their customers into their new data plans.

I knew about the shared data plans, but thought they were optional? Are you saying that they are the default plans for new customers now?

At least on Verizon, they are the default and any subsidized phone upgrade requires that you move to either a tiered or shared data plan.

 

[blairh]



Now I thought the carriers have some revenue sharing agreement with Apple, for Apple allowing them to have the iPhone.? $18 per subscriber a month for AT&T, isn't it?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9803657-37.html
"Over the life of a two-year contract, AT&T is paying Apple more per iPhone than it now costs to actually buy one, according to a financial analyst."

I honestly have no idea. Not really something I've given much thought to previously. My guess is that carriers sign contracts with Apple and in said contracts it states what the current plans will be for the iPhone on their service and that if they make any changes moving forward it must first be approved by Apple.

 

[Jr Mouse]



I called Verizon a few days ago to see if I could switch to them and save some money by joining up with my parents current plan. (They are on Verizon but use feature/dumb phones.) No dice. Breaking it down it was essentially identical in price to what I'm paying with AT&T.

Weird. I had my own plan for a couple years with ATT then called them up to request to be added to my parent's family plan. They just needed to verify that they were OK with it which was easy to do since I was visiting them at the time. Didn't break or extend my contract. Even let me keep my grandfathered in "unlimited" data plan. I save an average of $30+ per month this way. Just have to remember to cut them a monthly check.

 

[blairh]



Weird. I had my own plan for a couple years with ATT then called them up to request to be added to my parent's family plan. They just needed to verify that they were OK with it which was easy to do since I was visiting them at the time. Didn't break or extend my contract. Even let me keep my grandfathered in "unlimited" data plan. I save an average of $30+ per month this way. Just have to remember to cut them a monthly check.

Oh JM, you are going to make me break it down aren't you. :foo:

In order for me to join my parents plan and make sure we'll have enough minutes per month, I'd need to join their 700 minute plan. That plan is just minutes and having three active lines (they dont' text and hence have no text plan).

I need to add my data and text plan in addition to that. When you factor that in (2 GB a month and 1000 texts) it's roughly $140 a month between the 3 or us, taxes and extras included. Without my iPhone in the mix, my parents pay roughly $70-$75 a month, again with all charges included. When you figure my monthly iPhone bill right now is $82, I'm barely saving anything by joining up with ma and pa.

 

[Jr Mouse]

My bad, I actually misread your post. Thought you meant they wouldn't let you. Not that it was not cost effective. Makes sense now.

 

[Rambo]

Sold off the phone to a lucky SF'er. Now to wait till the 21st, or until something better comes along. I'll tell you this - I am definitely getting an unlocked model. NEVER dealing with the hassles of contracts and provider bullshit again. I don't like you? Fine, **** you, I'll find someone else next month.