G+_Demian Dellinger Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Huge change in how AT&T is listing phone prices. Perception matters. Andy Ihnatko Leo Laporte Jason Howell Ron Richards Tom Merritt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Michael Armogan (Tutsum Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Can you explain the difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ernest W Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Can't wait till they start listing cost per day. Sigh. I'm on old old no-contract used smartphone so I never understood the $600 piece of metal/silicone and glass that is massively attracted to concrete/stone floors and toilets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Demian Dellinger Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 edit: some of this American carrier contract stuff may not make any sense to non-Americans. Our system is weird. ? Michael Armogan they used to list the upfront subsidized price on contract (e.g. $200 for an iPhone 5S, $100 for a Moto X, etc.). That method really highlighted which phones were high end/pricey and clearly had a financial barrier to some consumers. This new way, makes the differences between phones, even high and lower end phones) only a few dollars per month. Also there used to be phones you could get for "free" (read no money out of pocket) on contract and it looks like that is out of the window. I haven't really delved in to the details and if you can still pay a chunk unsubsidized amount ($200 for example) upfront or what other changes this means for contract plans but the change in listing the expense to consumers a very different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Michael Armogan (Tutsum Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 The better thing to have done was add for how many months. As a person working in the telecom industry I'm not approving of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Demian Dellinger Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 Michael Armogan it's listed in the very fine print at the bottom of the website, 20 or 26 month contracts. I imagine the monthly payment is smaller for the 26 month vs 20 month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Demian Dellinger Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 Looking in more detail, what they have done is make their "Next" plan the default view for pricing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Bryan Douglass Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 This is not the price of the phone... this is the price to LEASE the phone. #perspective Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Demian Dellinger Posted June 6, 2014 Author Share Posted June 6, 2014 Bryan Douglass even more true and accurate because I don't think with their Next plan you ever get to actually own the phone. At least with the normal subsidized contract plan you do at the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Michael Armogan (Tutsum Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 So what happens if you lose or someone steals your phone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Lee Stoneman Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 It doesn't say how many minutes those tarrifs include? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Bryan Douglass Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Michael Armogan You pay it off... and still never own the phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Hodgson Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Lee Stoneman The plans for the minutes are a whole separate thing. The screen that is shown is only for the AT&T Next which allows you to pay monthly for the phone itself instead of paying the cost all at once and you get to upgrade after a year instead of two years. The catch is that you have to return the phone unless you pay the remainder of the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Lee Stoneman Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 Wow. Just wow. You Americans sure do love being gouged by your telecom providers! I thought they were pretty reasonable prices until you said that. That's about what we pay over here including tariff and owning the phone outright. Most of the time there's little to no upfront cost as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Ben Hodgson Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 I tolerate it but I certainly don't love it. LOL. I personally like Next but that's because I like getting new devices when they come out and can't afford paying hundreds of dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Peter Phillips Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Still way too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Pat Woodiwiss Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Demian Dellinger actually with the next plan you do own phone when you pay it off, But you don't have to sign a contract and after 12 or 18 months, depending on which next plan you go with you can trade in your phone without paying it off and get a new phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Pat Woodiwiss Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Bryan Douglass no the phone is yours when you pay it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Demian Dellinger Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Pat Woodiwiss thanks. I knew about the upgrade but wasn't sure about owning it if you ever managed to get to the end with the same phone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Bryan Douglass Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Pat Woodiwiss Demian Dellinger You are correct, I was misinformed and perpetuating it forward. Get through 2 years w/on-time payments and you have a phone... death to subsidized devices via a more expensive (and fine-print laced) journey. Go to upgrade at any time before 2 years and you turn it in. THAT is renting, but you can still own a phone. The iPhone 5s (16GB) is $35/month or so... you pay $840. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Pat Woodiwiss Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 Also if you are on a shared data plan you pay the off contract price so it can actually save you a little money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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