Att wireless new phone policy. No more discounted phone w a contract.

[colorider]

Went into the local ATT store to upgrade my iPhone 5. Obviously I have had this thing for years. I was expecting the usual we get you a new iPhone, or a generation old for $100-200 and sign a new 2 yr contract. NOPE. New policy. No more discounted phones. Phones are now a monthly fee if you get it from them. iPhone 6 is $25 a month for 30 months. Yea, no way in hell I'm paying that for a phone regardless of the fact it's a monthly fee. However, after the 30 months you own the phone. Or you can restart your payments and get the latest phone. So in 3 yrs you have paid $750 for a phone. Rediculous. The gal was trying to convince me what a deal it was. I kept trying to explain to her that the bottom line fact is that the phone is still costing me $750. I walked out pissed and ready to change my service to Verison, but it looks like they are pulling the same scam. Only one that isn't is Sprint. Well, sprint is not an acceptable provider for my needs. Looks like im sticking with what I have till things change or I get a deal somewhere on a phone. very frustrating and it's absurd people are paying these monthly fees for phones. Gotta see what savings they have with their new plans to see if it offsets the phone payments. Very frustrating

[Gman]

That's pretty standard from all of the carriers these days. Smartphones are expensive pieces of tech. We've been spoiled by the subsidized pricing. You can either buy the phone outright, or you can pay in installments over the term of the contract.

Apple iPhone 6 Plus 128GB Factory Unlocked GSM 4G LTE Cell Phone - Space Gray

List Price: $1.169.75
Price: $810.00
You save: $359.75

Wheee!

[cfortune]

I was able to get my phone for like 350 with a Verizon contract. That was almost a year ago though. The loan thing does suck

[Irving]

It's always been that way. If you pay a phone in full up front, you get a cheaper plan.

[mtnrider]

Yep, pretty standard with everyone now. AT&T has been that way for at least a year or 2. I just buy my phones off contract now. No way I am paying them. I just get a phone off Amazon or something like that if I need to upgrade.

[MrPrena]

I personally do not have to have latest phone.
I am with pre-paid carrier and it is working out to be great.

[Rooskibar03]

T Mobile started that nonsense and the other have followed suit. The upside is they lower your cost of monthly service but raised the price of the phone. End of the day it was a push for what I'd been paying.

Now Apple won't be able to hide the cost of an iPhone, which I think is why for the first time ever they said they won't hit sales expectations.

[mtnrider]

The upside is they lower your cost of monthly service but raised the price of the phone.

That's not what I saw with AT&T. Price stayed the same on the monthly service and they raised the price of the phones. At this point (with AT&T) it makes no financial sense to get a phone through them.

.

[Irving]

That's not what I saw with AT&T. Price stayed the same on the monthly service and they raised the price of the phones. At this point (with AT&T) it makes no financial sense to get a phone through them.

.

Phones have always been subsidized, but I think you're right about it no longer making sense.

[Honey Badger282.8]

When I upgraded to my iPhone 6 with ATT I did the old fashioned 2 year plan and discounted price. At that time ATT you either paid $35 per month for the phone or paid an extra $35 per month for the plan.

Fun fact: Thw iPhone is no more expensive than other halo phones like the Samsung Galaxy S6.