New wireless plans.... trying to break down the math

#1

Freak

VolNation's Grand Poobah
Staff member
Joined
Oct 22, 2003
Messages
95,241
Likes
102,673
#1
I currently have a family plan with four smartphones through AT&T. It seems every carrier is not trying to stop subsidizing phone prices as part of the plan cost.

I could save about $100 per month with the new plans, but it seems you will no longer be able to get phone upgrades as part of your plan with a new two year agreement. This AT&T NEXT plan instead allows you to bring your own phone or pay for it by increasing your bill each month.

For example, the new S5 adds $32.50 to your bill each month. After 12 months you can trade it in and get a new phone or pay on it for 20 months and you own it.

Do these plans roughly work out the same? Any thoughts?
 
#2
#2
I currently have a family plan with four smartphones through AT&T. It seems every carrier is not trying to stop subsidizing phone prices as part of the plan cost.

I could save about $100 per month with the new plans, but it seems you will no longer be able to get phone upgrades as part of your plan with a new two year agreement. This AT&T NEXT plan instead allows you to bring your own phone or pay for it by increasing your bill each month.

For example, the new S5 adds $32.50 to your bill each month. After 12 months you can trade it in and get a new phone or pay on it for 20 months and you own it.

Do these plans roughly work out the same? Any thoughts?

I just switched my Sprint plan to a similar one. It actually lowered my bill by $5.
 
#3
#3
Verizon is the only one basically not doing that. They give you the discount, but only when you're making installments on the edge plan. If you bring your own steak to the barbeque, you pay the same as somebody who gets a discounted phone on a two year contract. T mobile has the best deal for non contract plans, but the coverage can be notoriously poor especially if you're not in a major market.

Sprint does the same deal, but they've got bad coverage in most areas, poor customer service, and having CDMA phones definitely limits you for unlocked phone options.

Att has pretty bad customer service, and the non contract pricing could have been better, but it's a gsm network so unlocked options are there. Coverage is mostly solid too.

I'd say doing that four line deal and shelling full price for new phones would be the best in your scenario.
 
#4
#4
As far as I know Verizon is still subsidizing.

I just called and got my bill lowered about $40 by going on the loyalty plan. Actually upgraded my minutes from 700 to unlimted (not that I actually needed it, the wife and I rarely break 300 min/month combined).
 
#5
#5
I currently have a family plan with four smartphones through AT&T. It seems every carrier is not trying to stop subsidizing phone prices as part of the plan cost.

I could save about $100 per month with the new plans, but it seems you will no longer be able to get phone upgrades as part of your plan with a new two year agreement. This AT&T NEXT plan instead allows you to bring your own phone or pay for it by increasing your bill each month.

For example, the new S5 adds $32.50 to your bill each month. After 12 months you can trade it in and get a new phone or pay on it for 20 months and you own it.

Do these plans roughly work out the same? Any thoughts?

I don't do this plan, which through Verizon is called "The Edge" but I think it's almost a wash, money wise, or maybe even saves you a small amount. It depends on the phone you get. Verizon gives you a $20 credit on your bill each month, so if your phone costs $15 a month, then you're saving $5. If your phone costs $25 a month, then you're paying $5 more. If you are someone that likes to get a new phone ASAP, then this is the plan for you. Through Verizon, once you've paid off 50% of the phone's full purchase price, you can trade it in for a new phone, no questions asked. This also renews your contract, however.
 
#6
#6
I don't do this plan, which through Verizon is called "The Edge" but I think it's almost a wash, money wise, or maybe even saves you a small amount. It depends on the phone you get. Verizon gives you a $20 credit on your bill each month, so if your phone costs $15 a month, then you're saving $5. If your phone costs $25 a month, then you're paying $5 more. If you are someone that likes to get a new phone ASAP, then this is the plan for you. Through Verizon, once you've paid off 50% of the phone's full purchase price, you can trade it in for a new phone, no questions asked. This also renews your contract, however.

So you have to this now? If thats the case I may not upgrade until my iphone 4S just quits or stops getting updates.
 
#7
#7
I just switched my Sprint plan to a similar one. It actually lowered my bill by $5.

Yeah, the framily plan is great. My bill is far lower than before. And I'm the only person in my framily.
 
#8
#8
Verizon gives you a $10 credit for plans 10GB and under, and $25 for 10GB and up.

So basically it's a wash if you're getting the latest and greatest, but you have to remember that the credit only applies WHILE you're making installments. So when you're done paying the phone off, the bill does not drop like it would with att. IMO Verizon is only worth it if fee everybody is always getting new phones from Verizon less than every two years, or if you have absolutely no other choice for coverage
 
#10
#10
So you have to this now? If thats the case I may not upgrade until my iphone 4S just quits or stops getting updates.

No. You can play out your contract and then pay whatever the new 2yr agreement price is for your new phone. Or you can pay the full phone price and not renew your contract. Or you can "Edge" up and pay for your phone in monthly installments.
 
#11
#11
Verizon gives you a $10 credit for plans 10GB and under, and $25 for 10GB and up.

So basically it's a wash if you're getting the latest and greatest, but you have to remember that the credit only applies WHILE you're making installments. So when you're done paying the phone off, the bill does not drop like it would with att. IMO Verizon is only worth it if fee everybody is always getting new phones from Verizon less than every two years, or if you have absolutely no other choice for coverage

That's my thought as well. If you aren't going to trade in every year and get a new phone then why do it?
 
#12
#12
No. You can play out your contract and then pay whatever the new 2yr agreement price is for your new phone. Or you can pay the full phone price and not renew your contract. Or you can "Edge" up and pay for your phone in monthly installments.

Considering the monthly price already includes a subsidy for the phone, you're basically throwing money into the wind if you're not upgrading every two years.
 
#13
#13
No. You can play out your contract and then pay whatever the new 2yr agreement price is for your new phone. Or you can pay the full phone price and not renew your contract. Or you can "Edge" up and pay for your phone in monthly installments.

Sounds like doing the edge thing would be silly in my case.
 
#14
#14
That's my thought as well. If you aren't going to trade in every year and get a new phone then why do it?

At the 10GB level, it's roughly break even, so you may as well give yourself the discount. If you're at less data than that, then you're definitely just paying extra for early upgrades. For some people, it's worth it.
 
#16
#16
Yeah, the framily plan is great. My bill is far lower than before. And I'm the only person in my framily.

Why not join one that's pretty much full and save more money? I've seen at least a few places with people trading Framily codes.
 
#17
#17
Why not join one that's pretty much full? I've seen at least a few places with people trading Framily codes.

I was already a sprint customer. I may look into there cancelation policy though, and then join a new framily.

Where have you seen this? Craigslist?
 
#18
#18
reddit, sprintusers.com, forum type places.

All the bills are separate so no harm in joining some random plan. Unfortunately, I have no idea if you can change your Framily plan now or if you'd have to restart.

Quickly peeking into the Framily it look like existing customers can't just change over to an already existing Framily plan (you can but it's not separate bills). So, you might not have been able to from the start.

Now, if you have someone else would be new (wife, mom, etc), you could get them started and added onto an existing framily plan. Depending on monthly cost, may or may not be beneficial for you to cancel and sign up as new (new SS# from someone).
 
Last edited:
#19
#19
reddit, sprintusers.com, forum type places.

All the bills are separate so no harm in joining some random plan. Unfortunately, I have no idea if you can change your Framily plan now or if you'd have to restart.

My understanding was I couldn't join another plan. I'll try to get others on my plan, and if not I'll go a few months without a phone so they count me as a new customer and let me join someone else's plan.
 
#20
#20
Yeah, I edited above after I checked into it.

So, let's go for the reverse....you need to get your Framily code out there so you can lower bill. Post to above sites. ;)
 
#22
#22
I think I may go ahead and switch to the AT&T NEXT plan. By my math I'm getting $450-$500 phone subsidies twice a year. That's $900-$1000 annually. Switching plans would save me $1200 a year and I can either buy my own phone or finance it in my bill.

My only hesitation is I'm still grandfathered in on the unlimited data plan for iphone. However anything over 5GB is throttled down to ridiculously slow speeds anyway, so it's kind of pointless.
 
#23
#23
Since I average a new phone about every 4 years, and have credit cards I can use to subsidize them monthly if the need should arise, I have no problem with the shift to unsubsidized plans.
 
#24
#24
Since I average a new phone about every 4 years, and have credit cards I can use to subsidize them monthly if the need should arise, I have no problem with the shift to unsubsidized plans.

If you only upgrade once every four years, the unsubsidized plans should save you a bunch of money.
 
#25
#25
Went to Virgin Mobile a few months ago. $35/month with 300 minutes, unlimited texts, 2.5GB of data. They use Sprints network which sucks but I couldn't justify $65/month, even on a family plan.
 

VN Store



Back
Top