AT&T Next Plan or 2 Year Contract??

[JWG2011]

So I am trying to figure out which plan to go with. I'm looking at the At&T website but I'm not sure I see all the costs that go with each plan to make the correct choice. Would like to hear your thoughts as to which one is cheaper and why you chose the plan you did.

Also if you say the next plan is it better to go with the Next 12 or Next 18? Only difference I can see is how soon you want to be able to trade in your phone. If I did the math correctly it seems like if you keep your phone for 26 months the cost would be the same.

Thanks

 

[sweetypie31]

I did the next plan because I only paid $ 56 instead of $200 up front. I also did the 18 months so I can pay the extra $25 instead of $35. All in all I did the next plan because I'm cheap. Lol

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[bassplayrguy]

My plan for all 3 lines dropped almost 90 a month so I decided to go with the next plan so it just adds 30 of that back. I get a new phone every year without the high cost all at once plus I still pay less than I was monthly. Win Win.YMMV.

 

[Chief G-Hawk]

Since I was in a old family plan 700, had 4 lines and monthly cost came nearly 300 bucks. With the new 10 GB mobile share plan I have it saved me 100+ bucks. So now my monthly bill dropped to 180 bucks + tax, but I only pay 2/4 of that since i'm not the primary account holder and I went with the AT&T Next 12 month plan so I can get a new device every year. I just had to pay the sales tax up front and I pay about $32.50 a month.

Also I would like to add that with the AT&T Next program, you are no longer on a contract so no more ETF, but of course in order to terminate you would have to pay the remaining cost of the device. I think both have pro's and con's to them to a certain extent.

 

[ahutchga1972]

Hubby and I are on next plan. We love it!

Posted via Android Central App

 

[bassplayrguy]

No contract with Next? I didn't realize that. We have 3 lines but only my GS5 is on the next plan. The rep told us that the upgrade eligibility for the other 2 lines was unchanged so they should get full rebates in Dec. Wouldn't that require a contract?

 

[Chief G-Hawk]

If you have 3 lines, and only used one of the line for the AT&T Next, only that line is not in contract, the other two would be in contract.

Around February, I went to AT&T to take my friend, I asked them that even though I upgraded last year September (2013), why I was eligible for the AT&T Next. As well as my other lines. The rep told me that because of introduction of the AT&T Next, they decided to give everyone the option to have eligible to use the AT&T Next.

 

[nonie]

The next plan cost for 12 months is $35.00 + your monthly pkg plan? With the next plan, your just paying extra a month for the cost of phone?
just trying to understand.

 

[Chief G-Hawk]

Yes for the Next plan, the S5 is $32.50 if you go with the 12 month, you pay 32.50 plus your monthly plan. The $32.50 monthly is pretty much you are paying for the device, it is like leasing a car.

 

[troshs]

I was skeptical about the next plan at first, but then AT&T told us about the 10 GB share plan that would make our lines cheaper. I went with it and subsequently, roughly 8 months after I got the S4, I was eligible for an upgrade since I didnt have the next before. That's how I got my S5.

 

[Raptor007]

Technically you are on contract with NEXT until the phone is paid for, so you can either trade in the phone 12 or 18 months later depending on Next 12 or 18 or keep the phone until its paid off. If you do Next 12 then you are on contract for 20 months or you can pay the full balance of the phone off at any time.

 

[Angel Rodriguez5]

Basically, the way it breaks down with mobile share is you pay 3 costs. The shared internet cost, in the case of 10 gigs thats $100, the line fee, again for 10 gigs under contract thats 40 for the line, out of contract it's 15 for the line, and finally the cost of the device. If you choose the 2 year upgrade you pay the $200 subsidized cost and an upgrade or activation fee of $36. On the next plan, you're making payments on the phone per month, so about 25 a month if you plan to upgrade after 18 months, or 32.50 if you plan to upgrade after 12. With next you pay the tax up front, dont get charged an upgrade fee, and you pay that 15 for the line instead of 40. My lines that have the next plans i went with the 18 month so the bill would be the same as if I did a regular 2 year upgrade, but I dont have to shell out 200 bucks per phone up front. just the 39ish in tax.

 

[Brandon Barnes1]

I'm currently on the NEXT plan but from what I've read online the NEXT plan kinda isn't too good. When you get a phone with a 2 year contract you pay a certain price for your plan that allows you to receive the $600+ phone for such a cheap price(over the 2 years you end up paying for the phone). With the NEXT plan you pay the same price for your plans as if you got the phone for a subsidized price but in fact are still full price of the phone. Seems confusing at first.

 

[Raptor007]

Actually that isn't correct. With the Next plan you get a discount on the $40 monthly access fee, in the case of a 10GB plan they give you $25 off or nearly the monthly payment of the phone on a Next 12 plan (which is the better of the two Next options).


Monthly Next 12 Option is $147.50 w/ No Activation Fee
10GB Data $100
Monthly Access $40
Next 12 Payment $32.50
Discount on Monthly Access -$25

Monthly 2 Year Contract $140
$236 Out of pocket up front plus your local sales tax on phone.
Phone $200
Monthly Access $40
10GB Data $100
Activation $36

With Next you are paying nearly the same monthly if you get the 10GB plan. If you don't need that much data then its not really worth it. Fortunately for me I get a good corporate discount so I save even more.

 

[Greg C]

I did the AT&T Next Plan because I didn't want to cough up $200 and I plan on updating to a newer phone in 18 months. If you keep your phone for a longer period of time than it's probably best to pay up front and get locked into a contract.

 

[fanaticalism]

I'll make it simple. If you need 10GB of data and you pick the 18 month upgrade plan, your monthly payment is the same as a 2 year agreement and you save whatever the up front cost of the device is.

If you pick a plan that is less than 10GB and 18 month upgrade plan, your bill is $10 more a month for every line on the account compared to a two year agreement, but you save whatever the up front cost of the device would be.

That's it.

 

[fanaticalism]

I did the AT&T Next Plan because I didn't want to cough up $200 and I plan on updating to a newer phone in 18 months. If you keep your phone for a longer period of time than it's probably best to pay up front and get locked into a contract.

Not necessarily. See my post above.

 

[fanaticalism]

Actually that isn't correct. With the Next plan you get a discount on the $40 monthly access fee, in the case of a 10GB plan they give you $25 off or nearly the monthly payment of the phone on a Next 12 plan (which is the better of the two Next options).


Monthly Next 12 Option is $147.50 w/ No Activation Fee
10GB Data $100
Monthly Access $40
Next 12 Payment $32.50
Discount on Monthly Access -$25

Monthly 2 Year Contract $140
$236 Out of pocket up front plus your local sales tax on phone.
Phone $200
Monthly Access $40
10GB Data $100
Activation $36

With Next you are paying nearly the same monthly if you get the 10GB plan. If you don't need that much data then its not really worth it. Fortunately for me I get a good corporate discount so I save even more.

Spot on.

 

[21stNow]

There are too many variables for anyone to advise you on which is better for you without knowing your current situation. Are you a new customer to AT&T? Are you an existing customer on a grandfathered plan or have you already switched to the Mobile Share Value plan?

I'm one of the few people who won't benefit from switching to the Mobile Share Value plan and/or Next because I am on a grandfathered plan and don't pay for carrier text messaging on AT&T.

 

[chnzshyguy]

If I sign up for a discounted phone, say LG G3 at $50 up front on a 2yr contract, then it's more worth it to go with the 2yr contract right? If I go with the Next plan, I'd have to make payments on the full price of the phone.