AT&T Announces 'Next 24' Payment Plan, Allowing 30 Months to Pay Off Devices

The "next plan" is a joke. Anyone with elementary mathematics skill would find out after the 30-month period, it costs as much as if you purchase the phone directly off contract. Plus if you purchase the phone off contract, 1. you can get cash-back from major credit card companies so it is actually cheaper; 2. it is off contract which means you can switch to different wireless providers whenever you want, particularly useful if you travel a lot across continents.

As a teacher my comment is that you only get 50% credit when you don't show your work. However if you had shown your work you would have realized that your statement is 100% incorrect, so no credit for this.

The "next plan" is a joke. Anyone with elementary mathematics skill would find out it costs as much as if you purchase the phone directly off contrast. Plus if you purchase the phone off contrast, 1. you can get cash-back from major credit card companies so it is actually cheaper; 2. it is off contrast which means you can switch to different wireless providers whenever you want, particularly useful if you travel a lot across continents.

It's not 2012 anymore. The "Next is a joke" myth has been shot down hundreds of times on this board.

Obviously luring in those who cannot afford these phones. Only to trap them with an agreement that binds them for a longer period of time. And just in time for the Holidays.

Sounds pretty cool actually. Lowers the monthly payment on a 0% interest financing loan. Want to upgrade early? Pay off the balance early. Easy peasy.

And that $150 bill credit per line will be nice.

Hey AT&T, announce something about the unlimited data plans instead.


Thanks!

The "next plan" is a joke. Anyone with elementary mathematics skill would find out after the 30-month period, it costs as much as if you purchase the phone directly off contract. Plus if you purchase the phone off contract, 1. you can get cash-back from major credit card companies so it is actually cheaper; 2. it is off contract which means you can switch to different wireless providers whenever you want, particularly useful if you travel a lot across continents.

Nobody ever suggested the phone would be cheaper. The idea is that you're paying for the phone, instead of all at once.

People with less than stellar credit might not have a higher limit credit card that offers rewards and a low enough interest rate. So while your elementary mathematics skills did a find job determining that AT&T is splitting the cost of the phone over 30 months, anybody with intermediate mathematics skills could determine that they'd be paying the same amount over 30 months, rather than the same amount plus whatever interest they might pay on a credit card.

Anybody with basic empathy can realize how this plan might benefit somebody who isn't well off enough to just buy/charge a $650-$950 phone and think nothing of it.

BTW, people who actually have to use the Next plan to afford their new phone probably aren't going to be traveling "a lot across continents." But I suppose those dregs of society probably don't "deserve" an iPhone 6, do they?

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But I can get 10% cashback using my Discover card if I purchase the phone directly from Apple. If I get into the Next plan, I lose the 10% cashback. For a iPhone 6 64gb, it would be $75 in cashback.

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Discover currently has 10% cashback if you purchase iPhone directly from Apple OFF CONTRACT.

They aren't marketing Next directly and solely to you and you alone. Not everybody has a Discover card, or 10% cash back.