Now it's fiscally irresponsible to have a subsidized device over paying full price for an item and still having the same exact bill? The argument that you can cancel at any time is foolish if you have no intention of canceling. I was with AT&T for 5.25 years but you think it would have been more fiscally responsible if I had never had a subsidized phone?
Sometimes better deals are available on prepaid plans from the same carriers. I know Verizon and T-Mobile have cheaper prepaid rates when compared with their contract + subsidy rates. I do wish phones were completely interchangeable between carriers. An unlocked AT&T phone still won't work on Verizon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceweasel
Even if you are an AT&T customer it's cheaper to buy the iPad outright, add a month-to-month data plan than it is to use this subsidized model. You save $200+ over the same 2 year period using any plan. And you have the luxury of saving more. There maybe some months where you may not need to have LTE and can choose to shut it off.
If your on contract you don't have the luxury to shut off service.
Come on cattle - I mean people. Think.
Edited:
To clarify this is only for those who are not on the new "Shared Data Plans" that AT&T are offering. If you already are on a shared data plan, it is cheaper to take advantage of this subsidized pricing as you will only be paying an additional $10/month to access the same pool of data.
However if you are not, changing to the new shared data plan may result in an increase in your bill. I'm not going to go through the math - it's been prove on Macrumors, Gizmodo, and TUAW - just google it and you will see for yourself. After adding 3 or more devices savings can be appreciated. But initially, there is a price increase.
Regarding the bolded portion, there's no reason to resort to that just to make your point. An explanation is sufficient. You're suggesting that the full terms present a different picture than what is described in the article here. I wasn't interested in this offer either way, so it doesn't matter to me enough to look up the full terms of service. It sounded like this was available to anyone, including those without AT&T phone service, and it did not specify whether the device would be carrier locked. If it's just $240 over 2 years of service compared to $140, that is a different concept than what you're suggesting. If it interested me enough, I would've already looked up their full terms. On phone subsidies, it's only really cheaper to buy outright when month to month plans are available at lower costs over the same time period. That is becoming more frequent. It's a big point of growth here. I've been looking at it, as I don't upgrade phones frequently at all.
My girlfriend and I saved about $15 by putting our phones together on AT&T's Shared Plan account, and we even went from a previous total of 2.25GB of data to the 4GB plan. We can still move up to the 6GB plan for just $10 more (still cheaper than before). I had also been thinking about adding my iPad for the 10 bucks because tethering is a bit of a hassle. To do that, I'd have to sell my wi-if model to pick up the cellular iPad... so, for me, this just became much more feasible.
P.S. This thread is a disaster of misinformation. I usually expect better from the AI community...
AT&T is $100 off ANY tablet they sell with a 2 year plan.
It is unclear if the item above is the iPad 4th gen.
2. If you don't have the new "share plan" you will have to add it, at a cost of $15 / month
You mean you will have to add a stand alone data plan for $15, $30 or $50. You are not adding shared data plan.
If you do have a shared data plan, it is only $10/month for the iPad.
Also, you did write, "2. Assume that you have an AT&T's new "share plan" so that's what I did.
3. Price of the iPad 3 ($479) + Device Share $10/month + Data Plan $15/month = $360+$240+$479 = $1079 over the two year contract period. As I stated before.
??? Why would you purchase two data plans for the iPad?
You only need one or the other.
iPad = $479
Stand alone data plan = $15/month
iPad & 2 year stand alone data plan = $479 + $360 = $839
Or add to a shared data plan = $10/month
iPad purchase and shared data plan = $479 +$240 = $719
I hope most of you understand what "regressing in value" means. Your $479 iPad is no longer valued at $479 a year after you paid that much money. Usually, most iGadgets will lose between 25-35 % of their values after about one year, and to go further, they will lose more than 50% of their values in about 2 years. It's much worse than even buying a new car. As an example an Iphone 4S which had started at $600 which you bought either a year or so or less ago, it is now valued at less than $400.
It doesn't matter whether you bought them outright or had them financed, the value will regress. But, what added salt to the wound is the fact that you are continuing to "finance" the price of your iGadgets even after their values plunged even more. So, you LOSE MONEY ON THE TWO FRONTS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_CA
iPad = $479
Stand alone data plan = $15/month
iPad & 2 year stand alone data plan = $479 + $360 = $839
Or add to a shared data plan = $10/month
iPad purchase and shared data plan = $479 +$240 = $719
What if the promotion was- pay 14 months @ $10/month on your shared plan- and get 10 months for free.
You guys and your fuzzy math. If you aren't an att customer, then this isn't a good deal- duh. If you are an att customer under their shared plan and you were planning on adding a cellular iPad- it's a no brainer. $100 free.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceweasel
Even if you are an AT&T customer it's cheaper to buy the iPad outright, add a month-to-month data plan than it is to use this subsidized model. You save $200+ over the same 2 year period using any plan. And you have the luxury of saving more. There maybe some months where you may not need to have LTE and can choose to shut it off.
If your on contract you don't have the luxury to shut off service.
Come on people. Think.
Edited:
To clarify this is only for those who are not on the new "Shared Data Plans" that AT&T are offering. If you already are on a shared data plan, it is cheaper to take advantage of this subsidized pricing as you will only be paying an additional $10/month to access the same pool of data.
However if you are not, changing to the new shared data plan may result in an increase in your bill. I'm not going to go through the math - it's been prove on Macrumors, Gizmodo, and TUAW - just google it and you will see for yourself. After adding 3 or more devices savings can be appreciated. But initially, there is a price increase.
Edited:
Removed potentially offensive remark. Apologies.
So you quoted me- made a big post about how dumb everyone is and we're being cattle- then completely agreed with me. Why quote me to rant?
I hope most of you understand what "regressing in value" means. Your $479 iPad is no longer valued at $479 a year after you paid that much money. Usually, most iGadgets will lose between 25-35 % of their values after about one year, and to go further, they will lose more than 50% of their values in about 2 years.
and?
If you want an iPad, buy one.
If you want an investment, buy something else.
But, what added salt to the wound is the fact that you are continuing to "finance" the price of your iGadgets even after their values plunged even more. So, you LOSE MONEY ON THE TWO FRONTS.
How are you "financing" anything?
If you want an iPad and internet and don't sign up for the two year deal, it will cost $100 more.
And what is the other "front" you are losing money on?
Internet is $10/$15 regardless of signing up for a two year deal or not.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by SolipsismX
Now it's fiscally irresponsible to have a subsidized device over paying full price for an item and still having the same exact bill? The argument that you can cancel at any time is foolish if you have no intention of canceling. I was with AT&T for 5.25 years but you think it would have been more fiscally responsible if I had never had a subsidized phone?
Sometimes better deals are available on prepaid plans from the same carriers. I know Verizon and T-Mobile have cheaper prepaid rates when compared with their contract + subsidy rates. I do wish phones were completely interchangeable between carriers. An unlocked AT&T phone still won't work on Verizon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceweasel
Even if you are an AT&T customer it's cheaper to buy the iPad outright, add a month-to-month data plan than it is to use this subsidized model. You save $200+ over the same 2 year period using any plan. And you have the luxury of saving more. There maybe some months where you may not need to have LTE and can choose to shut it off.
If your on contract you don't have the luxury to shut off service.
Come on cattle - I mean people. Think.
Edited:
To clarify this is only for those who are not on the new "Shared Data Plans" that AT&T are offering. If you already are on a shared data plan, it is cheaper to take advantage of this subsidized pricing as you will only be paying an additional $10/month to access the same pool of data.
However if you are not, changing to the new shared data plan may result in an increase in your bill. I'm not going to go through the math - it's been prove on Macrumors, Gizmodo, and TUAW - just google it and you will see for yourself. After adding 3 or more devices savings can be appreciated. But initially, there is a price increase.
Regarding the bolded portion, there's no reason to resort to that just to make your point. An explanation is sufficient. You're suggesting that the full terms present a different picture than what is described in the article here. I wasn't interested in this offer either way, so it doesn't matter to me enough to look up the full terms of service. It sounded like this was available to anyone, including those without AT&T phone service, and it did not specify whether the device would be carrier locked. If it's just $240 over 2 years of service compared to $140, that is a different concept than what you're suggesting. If it interested me enough, I would've already looked up their full terms. On phone subsidies, it's only really cheaper to buy outright when month to month plans are available at lower costs over the same time period. That is becoming more frequent. It's a big point of growth here. I've been looking at it, as I don't upgrade phones frequently at all.
P.S. This thread is a disaster of misinformation. I usually expect better from the AI community...
What's with AT&T change of heart? First the FaceTime and now this. It looked like AT&T was dishing Apple and now this. Maybe, they might be hurting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceweasel
1. I don't believe it's the iPad 4.
AT&T is $100 off ANY tablet they sell with a 2 year plan.
It is unclear if the item above is the iPad 4th gen.
2. If you don't have the new "share plan" you will have to add it, at a cost of $15 / month
You mean you will have to add a stand alone data plan for $15, $30 or $50. You are not adding shared data plan.
If you do have a shared data plan, it is only $10/month for the iPad.
Also, you did write, "2. Assume that you have an AT&T's new "share plan" so that's what I did.
3. Price of the iPad 3 ($479) + Device Share $10/month + Data Plan $15/month = $360+$240+$479 = $1079 over the two year contract period. As I stated before.
??? Why would you purchase two data plans for the iPad?
You only need one or the other.
iPad = $479
Stand alone data plan = $15/month
iPad & 2 year stand alone data plan = $479 + $360 = $839
Or add to a shared data plan = $10/month
iPad purchase and shared data plan = $479 +$240 = $719
I hope most of you understand what "regressing in value" means. Your $479 iPad is no longer valued at $479 a year after you paid that much money. Usually, most iGadgets will lose between 25-35 % of their values after about one year, and to go further, they will lose more than 50% of their values in about 2 years. It's much worse than even buying a new car. As an example an Iphone 4S which had started at $600 which you bought either a year or so or less ago, it is now valued at less than $400.
It doesn't matter whether you bought them outright or had them financed, the value will regress. But, what added salt to the wound is the fact that you are continuing to "finance" the price of your iGadgets even after their values plunged even more. So, you LOSE MONEY ON THE TWO FRONTS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris_CA
iPad = $479
Stand alone data plan = $15/month
iPad & 2 year stand alone data plan = $479 + $360 = $839
Or add to a shared data plan = $10/month
iPad purchase and shared data plan = $479 +$240 = $719
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andysol
What if the promotion was- pay 14 months @ $10/month on your shared plan- and get 10 months for free.
You guys and your fuzzy math. If you aren't an att customer, then this isn't a good deal- duh. If you are an att customer under their shared plan and you were planning on adding a cellular iPad- it's a no brainer. $100 free.
Quote:
Originally Posted by iceweasel
Even if you are an AT&T customer it's cheaper to buy the iPad outright, add a month-to-month data plan than it is to use this subsidized model. You save $200+ over the same 2 year period using any plan. And you have the luxury of saving more. There maybe some months where you may not need to have LTE and can choose to shut it off.
If your on contract you don't have the luxury to shut off service.
Come on people. Think.
Edited:
To clarify this is only for those who are not on the new "Shared Data Plans" that AT&T are offering. If you already are on a shared data plan, it is cheaper to take advantage of this subsidized pricing as you will only be paying an additional $10/month to access the same pool of data.
However if you are not, changing to the new shared data plan may result in an increase in your bill. I'm not going to go through the math - it's been prove on Macrumors, Gizmodo, and TUAW - just google it and you will see for yourself. After adding 3 or more devices savings can be appreciated. But initially, there is a price increase.
Edited:
Removed potentially offensive remark. Apologies.
So you quoted me- made a big post about how dumb everyone is and we're being cattle- then completely agreed with me. Why quote me to rant?
Quote:
Originally Posted by fireside
I hope most of you understand what "regressing in value" means. Your $479 iPad is no longer valued at $479 a year after you paid that much money. Usually, most iGadgets will lose between 25-35 % of their values after about one year, and to go further, they will lose more than 50% of their values in about 2 years.
and?
If you want an iPad, buy one.
If you want an investment, buy something else.
But, what added salt to the wound is the fact that you are continuing to "finance" the price of your iGadgets even after their values plunged even more. So, you LOSE MONEY ON THE TWO FRONTS.
How are you "financing" anything?
If you want an iPad and internet and don't sign up for the two year deal, it will cost $100 more.
And what is the other "front" you are losing money on?
Internet is $10/$15 regardless of signing up for a two year deal or not.