T-Mobile will no longer subsidize handsets in 2013

By Adamsville - 12-06-2012, 08:15 PM - Boxden > BX Tech

We're hearing a ton of interesting information about T-Mobile's plans for the future today as part of Deutsche Telekom's analyst conference, and this may be the biggest yet. Starting in 2013, T-Mobile USA will no longer be subsidizing handsets with 2-year contracts, and will instead sell devices at full price or on installments. This means that devices and service will be completely separate going forward.

This is almost a carbon copy of its current "Value Plan" offerings, which give you cheaper monthly service prices (generally $20-$30 less) when you buy a phone full-priced or bring your own -- a model international users will be familiar with. T-Mobile said that 80-percent of its new line activations were on Value Plans in the last quarter, which means that this won't be too big of a shift from the way they're currently operating.

To the end user, the overall cost of smartphone ownership for the 2-year contract period will decrease, even when buying a device with monthly installments. Real savings can be had when holding onto a device for a longer period of time as well. The real roadblock here is going to be one of consumer education on the part of T-Mobile, which needs to explain to customers the benefits of this model. U.S. wireless customers are very comfortable with the idea of a subsidized handset that is bundled together with service.

T-Mobile going hard in 2013: $4.7 billion in spending cash, new 4G markets, LTE, and no more discounted devices

12-06-2012, 08:57 PM

yeaaaa, im stay with my classic plan though, with the way i am switching phone every 2 years, dont see how this would benefit me

12-06-2012, 10:01 PM

Gon be a lot of niccas with old phones on T-Mobile.

12-06-2012, 10:11 PM

Did this with the Note 2 since I can see myself with this phone for a good minute, considering I was happy with my previous phone for 2 years (Mytouch 4G).

I'll body the balance of my phone by the spring next year & enjoy the low rates later [pic]

12-07-2012, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Venom

yeaaaa, im stay with my classic plan though, with the way i am switching phone every 2 years, dont see how this would benefit me

This.

I was telling wifey the same thing. By the time you pay your 20 installments a new, better phone will be available so you never see those savings you WOULD GET with the lower plan.
This is just their way of recouping more of their device cost.

12-07-2012, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by datnolaboy

This.

I was telling wifey the same thing. By the time you pay your 20 installments a new, better phone will be available so you never see those savings you WOULD GET with the lower plan.
This is just their way of recouping more of their device cost.

i knew it was something fishy about those !!ers trying to get my gf to switch to that value plan. they were trying to word it all crazy and it confused me for a minute [pic]. yall t-mobile people better grandfather that !!.

12-07-2012, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by quintosis03

i knew it was something fishy about those !!ers trying to get my gf to switch to that value plan. they were trying to word it all crazy and it confused me for a minute [pic]. yall t-mobile people better grandfather that !!.

lol i went to the store and i was like wtf you talking about. you want me to put down @299.99 for a phone, pay you installments for 20 months and then sign a year contract. i was like are you !!ing serious?

12-07-2012, 09:43 PM

I have been dropping full price for my phones for a long while now. At least 3 or 4 years. The dusty broke niccas bout to have a fit though.

niccas better go hit up Boost Mobile or Cricket or some !! [pic]

12-07-2012, 10:17 PM

Originally Posted by Cipherr

I have been dropping full price for my phones for a long while now. At least 3 or 4 years. The dusty broke niccas bout to have a fit though.

niccas better go hit up Boost Mobile or Cricket or some !! [pic]

[pic]

12-08-2012, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Cipherr

I have been dropping full price for my phones for a long while now. At least 3 or 4 years. The dusty broke niccas bout to have a fit though.

niccas better go hit up Boost Mobile or Cricket or some !! [pic]

So does it make you cool or smart to pay full price for a phone you could have 20-40% cheaper. Which one, so I can give you props for it?

12-08-2012, 12:48 PM

if you have a decent phone there is really no need to change phones every two years now. Only if you just have to have the latest toys but phones are not that leaps and above others to warrant signing a new contract. I had a droid Razr Maxx and now I have the Iphone 5.

Honestly if I had too could have stayed with the Razr Maxx

12-08-2012, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by datnolaboy

So does it make you cool or smart to pay full price for a phone you could have 20-40% cheaper. Which one, so I can give you props for it?

[pic]

08:43 PM

I work for t-mobile, honestly you do save on value vs classic plans, its just the thought of paying full price weird ppl out. Cats be like by the time i pay off the phone another phone will drop. This is tru but on a classic 2 yr plan it would be the same thing you have to wait for your upgrade. In feb they will start a way to double up on payments to pay your phone off early also.

Example Galaxy Note 2 on Value $699.99 + 69.99 (unl talk, text , web) service x 24 months = $2379.75
Example Galaxy Note 2 Classic $419.99 + 89.99(unl talk, text , web) service x 24 months = $2579.75
Savings of $200 over the two years, so cats save money they just dont understand how

12-08-2012, 08:27 PM

also cats on att get a discount on the phone and get butt[..]d on the plan, tech heads who have to have the latest and greatest are the only ones upset

12-08-2012, 08:30 PM

How much would the down payment be on a NoteII, Jae_Mike? and would you be able to adjust the monthly payments so you can own the phone sooner than 2 years?

12-08-2012, 08:35 PM

I'm sticking to my "off contract" buying preferences [pic]

12-08-2012, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by Adamsville

How much would the down payment be on a NoteII, Jae_Mike? and would you be able to adjust the monthly payments so you can own the phone sooner than 2 years?

Note 2 down payment is 299.99 and you get $100 back on mail in rebate visa, the payments are $20 a month, but top of 2013 they gonna start a diff system for equipment payment so you can pay that off early. The unlimited rate plan is $69.99 after $20 equip installment are paid off

12-08-2012, 11:51 PM

What most people don't realize is that even if you stay on the old (classic plans) pricing and still discount for the phone, you're still paying 20 dollars more through out your two year contract and still have to wait 22 months for an UPGRADE vs the new Value plan.

Value plans are automatically 20 dollars cheaper than the Classic plans. So when you do a down payment to get the phone (which is cheaper than the upgrade pricing of the Classic plans plus no upgrade fee) the most you would pay is 20 dollars for 20 months (installments) out of 24. The savings are the 4 months you don't pay the additional 20 dollars.

Most of you niccas that are use to discounting prices on phones don't realize that you're still basically paying full price of your phone anyways on the bill for 2years.

12-09-2012, 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by Jae_Mike

I work for t-mobile, honestly you do save on value vs classic plans, its just the thought of paying full price weird ppl out. Cats be like by the time i pay off the phone another phone will drop. This is tru but on a classic 2 yr plan it would be the same thing you have to wait for your upgrade. In feb they will start a way to double up on payments to pay your phone off early also.

Example Galaxy Note 2 on Value $699.99 + 69.99 (unl talk, text , web) service x 24 months = $2379.75
Example Galaxy Note 2 Classic $419.99 + 89.99(unl talk, text , web) service x 24 months = $2579.75
Savings of $200 over the two years, so cats save money they just dont understand how

I get what you're saying so what's the best strategy for a person like me who upgrades phones almost every year. I've never had a phone for 2 years. Does that just mean I get the most savings if and only if I get a new phone after 20 months and not any sooner?

12-09-2012, 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by RAWshadTX

What most people don't realize is that even if you stay on the old (classic plans) pricing and still discount for the phone, you're still paying 20 dollars more through out your two year contract and still have to wait 22 months for an UPGRADE vs the new Value plan.

Value plans are automatically 20 dollars cheaper than the Classic plans. So when you do a down payment to get the phone (which is cheaper than the upgrade pricing of the Classic plans plus no upgrade fee) the most you would pay is 20 dollars for 20 months (installments) out of 24. The savings are the 4 months you don't pay the additional 20 dollars.

Most of you niccas that are use to discounting prices on phones don't realize that you're still basically paying full price of your phone anyways on the bill for 2years.

man these guys are idiots. they really think that big corporations are going to give them big discounts on phones out of love for the consumer. you would think that common sense tells you your paying the price of the phone throughout your contract (it just doesnt specify in the agreement), but common sense isnt so common.

for example, when i worked at t-mobile, i would tell customers what do you prefer, to pay 60 a month for the plan and 20 for the phone, or 90 a month for the plan and no monthly payments for the phone? guess what they would go with?

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Join us on Facebook. Check out the BX fan page and hit the Like button.	Follow BX on Twitter to get instant hot topic alerts.	Enter your email address below and receive a daily hot topic newsletter.
5,315 fans of BX \| none new today	4,295 following and 2 new today