[biker1]

Your experience with Verizon was not true with ATT. Once our 2-year contract expired, the monthly charges dropped by $15/month since I had finished paying off the iphone. Now, I did have to call them to make this happen. With ATT, you used to be able to get a minimal iphone for no money upfront. The larger capacity iphone carried an upfront cost to make up for the higher cost (the $15/month charge was fixed regardless of the flavour of iphone). I agree that I think buying the phone upfront makes more sense.

Originally Posted by DangeloInspections

This is an interesting thread. About 6 weeks ago I went to Verizon to get my wife a newer "Non-Smart" flip type phone, as this is what she was used to and wanted. She did not like to text or have internet access, (as like a smart phone) so a simple phone was what she wanted.

I would not have believed it but the girl there was able to upgrade her phone to a NEW iphone 6 for no cost. The phone was free. (yes, it is now a 2 year commitment, so like everyone else you are paying for it, but it was no additional money up front and it is NOT their EDGE plan...it was just the same as if I took their cheapest flip phone). My bill went down. I changed to a better plan than I had and now have a very good amount of shared data, unlimited text and minutes, etc. So now I have the iphone 6 plus and Apple watch, and she has the new iphone 6. I have since got my bill and all is just as I was promised. Crazy. I doubt I would be able to get the same deal if I walked into there again....I think it was a fluke.

My wife likes her new phone. She is now enjoying texting, facetime, etc. It ended up being cheaper than a cheap non smart flip phone.

Anyway, I seem to have a different opinion here about the phones. I have never liked the "subsidized" phone plans. It is like leasing a phone. For all these past years they were just taking the REAL cost of the phone, (around $600 for a smart phone), dividing it into your 2 year plan and you were paying for it anyway. THEN, if you kept your phone for over 2 years, you STILL kept paying for it.

I would much rather pay for a phone completely up front competitively and then just pay less for a no contract plan that suits my needs. It is more straight forward, easier and honest. No smoke and mirrors.

What people do not seem to understand is that these phones were never free...even the one I just got my wife. Usually you pay like $200 up front for an iphone, and the rest is in your bill, (about $400 divided into 24 payments). If you kept the phone longer, you kept paying that payment. With the phone I got my wife, I did not have to pay that $200. It was a good deal.

That being said, how much better would it be to just buy the phone up front and have NO phone payments....your cellphone plan would just be for the plan, with no contracts, hidden phone costs, etc.

If that is what they are heading towards I am all for it.

Respectfully, Frank