3 ms·

I've never quite understood this statement. Aren't you still going to pay the monthly installments regardless of whether you were in a contract or not? On ATT,

by f0under 13y ago

I've never quite understood this statement. Aren't you still going to pay the monthly installments regardless of whether you were in a contract or not? On ATT, Verizon, etc, the non-contract prices aren't cheaper than the ones on contract. So, at the end of two years, you'll be paying the same amount for your phone bill and have a subsidized device.

untog 13y ago
You're right. However, some telcos do offer cheaper monthly rates. T-Mobile is leading the charge on that in the US.
sliverstorm 13y ago
non-contract prices aren't cheaper than the ones on contract. That's just because of how ubiquitous the subsidized phone model already is.
abruzzi 13y ago
Yes if you stay with ATT/Verizon/Sprint. If you instead choose a MVNO like StraightTalk or Virgin Mobile, you'll pay less. I pay $45/mo on StraightTalk, and when I buy a new phone in the next year or so, I'll jump to $30/mo with Virgin Mobile since I don't need unlimited voice (or text...).
- cube13 13y ago
  If you're paying for yourself and either buying used or slightly outdated hardware(or getting a new Nexus 4), this is probably completely true. If you're bundling several smartphones and regular phones, the contract price can win out. You still need to shop around to see what the best price is if you're going with iOS or the more expensive Android devices. For example, since I'm sharing a plan with my family, the ATT contract comes out to around 20% cheaper than a similar contractless byo device Virgin Mobile service for iPhones, upgrading only after the contract is up.
bad_user 13y ago
In Romania I pay 15€ monthly for a PrePay plan with 1 GB of data, 3000 minutes in the same network and 150 national/international minutes. It's a PrePay, no contract, and I've seen similar deals in other European countries. Trust me, you're being ripped off.

by f0under 13y ago

untog 13y ago

You're right. However, some telcos do offer cheaper monthly rates. T-Mobile is leading the charge on that in the US.

sliverstorm 13y ago

non-contract prices aren't cheaper than the ones on contract. That's just because of how ubiquitous the subsidized phone model already is.

abruzzi 13y ago

Yes if you stay with ATT/Verizon/Sprint. If you instead choose a MVNO like StraightTalk or Virgin Mobile, you'll pay less. I pay $45/mo on StraightTalk, and when I buy a new phone in the next year or so, I'll jump to $30/mo with Virgin Mobile since I don't need unlimited voice (or text...).

cube13 13y ago
If you're paying for yourself and either buying used or slightly outdated hardware(or getting a new Nexus 4), this is probably completely true. If you're bundling several smartphones and regular phones, the contract price can win out. You still need to shop around to see what the best price is if you're going with iOS or the more expensive Android devices. For example, since I'm sharing a plan with my family, the ATT contract comes out to around 20% cheaper than a similar contractless byo device Virgin Mobile service for iPhones, upgrading only after the contract is up.

bad_user 13y ago

In Romania I pay 15€ monthly for a PrePay plan with 1 GB of data, 3000 minutes in the same network and 150 national/international minutes. It's a PrePay, no contract, and I've seen similar deals in other European countries. Trust me, you're being ripped off.