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rkuo

macrumors 65816
Sep 25, 2010
1,278
883
I'm fine with that. They deserve to make a profit. That's how the world works. But I don't look at it from the carrier's perspective, only mine.

So if for the last 49 months my monthly bill has been at the same $ per month and for the next 36 months it will remain at the exact same amount, the upgrade to new hardware is costing me $0. I'm paying the same thing this December as I did last December yet I have two new iPhones. So they didn't cost me anything.
I don't think you're reading what the other poster is writing. You aren't getting a free lunch ... you're on an expensive plan where the cost of the phone subsidy is largely built into the pricing. Nothing wrong with that, and the extra perks of the plan may in fact be worth it to you, but it's disingenuous to act like it's not actually costing anything.
 

BadBuoy

Suspended
Oct 3, 2023
62
57
Probably a useless thread for many, but posting anyway in case anyone cares.

I have the pro max, but really wanted to look at everything in person - phones, cases, watch bands, etc. I know some people don’t have Apple stores nearby, so maybe

I’m happy with my pro max, but I have to say - the back glass on the non-pros is so unique, and feels amazing! I was really back and forth between the plus and pro max, and I don’t think I would’ve been disappointed if I’d have gone with the plus. I didn’t find the weight difference between it and the pro max to be very noticeable when holding them both, but possibly because I’ve gotten used to the weight of the max, so it no longer seems noticeably heavier. The regular 15 almost felt like a mini in my hand - it felt super light. I didn’t pick up the regular size pro to compare it to the 15, mainly because it wasn’t on my radar (the 15 wasn’t either, but I needed to see how light it was - lol). I don’t think there’s a bad choice with the phones this year.

I‘ve been reading a lot of negatives about the cases as well. IDK how they’d hold up, but I thought they looked and felt good. They had marks and scratches, but leather does that as well. I didn’t expect to have an opinion because I’m a pretty loyal Loopy case user, but I always envy the Apple case/wallet combo - just can’t give up the dang loop. I was pretty tempted to buy one though.

I like the material on the modern buckle watch bands as well. Not sure they’re worth the price (and the modern buckle isn’t my fave), but they feel almost like a soft suede. I think they would be really comfortable to wear, and they had a couple of great colors.

Overall I am glad there are choices, but wish there weren’t so many choices if that makes sense. LOL Definitely pros/cons to each device, and sometimes it’s difficult to decide exactly which things are the priority. A lightweight phone is nice for holding, but you have to give up certain extras to get it. For some the weight wins out, but for some they’d love the lighter weight, but really want the extra features. I love the variety, but also kinda miss those decisions being made for me. ;-p
There are a million choices. That's why I always just get the white iPhone with a clear case. I never have to be concerned with anything else and it always ends up having a nice appearance. There are a lot of nice looking options this year, though.
 

Surfsalot

macrumors 68000
Mar 18, 2023
1,697
1,736
There are a million choices. That's why I always just get the white iPhone with a clear case. I never have to be concerned with anything else and it always ends up having a nice appearance. There are a lot of nice looking options this year, though.
I am the opposite black phone and case
 

maverick786us

macrumors regular
May 30, 2012
244
75
Columbus, GA
I upgraded from 13 mini to 15 Pro, and as someone who uses the phones caseless, the 15 Pro feels a little better in hand due to the slightly curved edges. I’m enjoying the larger screen which makes the phone a bit more usable for me, and I’m not bothered by the weight like I was by the stainless steel models. I do miss the smaller size of the mini when the phone is in my pocket or in the tiny cubby under my car stereo, but overall the 15 Pro is a better experience than the mini in use.
For me weight was never a problem, unless there is something super heavy that a Gimbal magnetic mount cannot hold it. My wife owns a Galaxy S22 Ultra, whose weight is more or less the same as my iPhone 12 Pro Max. But she used some premium case for her Galaxy, that significantly increased its weight, and it was fine for her
 

StudioMacs

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2022
1,126
2,216
For me weight was never a problem, unless there is something super heavy that a Gimbal magnetic mount cannot hold it. My wife owns a Galaxy S22 Ultra, whose weight is more or less the same as my iPhone 12 Pro Max. But she used some premium case for her Galaxy, that significantly increased its weight, and it was fine for her
The weight of the stainless steel pros was mostly an issue when I was active and could feel it bouncing around in my front pocket. The mini would virtually disappear and be unnoticeable.
 

maverick786us

macrumors regular
May 30, 2012
244
75
Columbus, GA
The weight of the stainless steel pros was mostly an issue when I was active and could feel it bouncing around in my front pocket. The mini would virtually disappear and be unnoticeable.

Lol I always wear Jeans and keep my iPhone 12 Pro Max in the front pocket, so it never bounces around there. But I agree with you how it will feel inside a front pocket of a loose trouser.
 

boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,851
I don't think you're reading what the other poster is writing. You aren't getting a free lunch ... you're on an expensive plan where the cost of the phone subsidy is largely built into the pricing. Nothing wrong with that, and the extra perks of the plan may in fact be worth it to you, but it's disingenuous to act like it's not actually costing anything.

I pay $227/mo for 6 iPhones with ATT for unlimited everything including unlimited hotspot and 5G. I pay no charges for the hardware. Even the activation fees have been waived.

That’s $37.83 per person per month.

1. I have been paying around that amount for a decade, and for the majority of the time did not have hotspot or 5G at all.

2. In the last decade, inflation has risen 32%, meaning I should be paying 32% more today for the same service I had in 2013 which, again, didn’t include unlimited hotspot, 5G, or even LTE. And I’m not. I’m paying the same $37.83 per person.

3. In doing some cursory research, it looks like $37.83 is on par with what families with multiple lines would pay per person per month for an unlimited plan, and we are talking about across the entire country not just expensive locales like the one I live in.

You add it all up, I am paying a very fair average price per person per month in 2023, it is no higher than I was paying in 2013 despite 32% inflation, I have a plan that gives us perks like unlimited hotspot and 5G that weren’t there in 2013, I haven’t paid an activation fee since 2010, and we all have iPhones that are less than one year old. So, yes, the phones are free.
 

StudioMacs

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2022
1,126
2,216
I pay $227/mo for 6 iPhones with ATT for unlimited everything including unlimited hotspot and 5G. I pay no charges for the hardware. Even the activation fees have been waived.
On T-Mobile I pay $100 a month for 4 lines with unlimited everything (except hotspot is limited to 5GB), also have never paid an activation fee. It comes out to $25 per line per month.

To take advantage of a carrier trade-in offer, I would have to give up my current plan and move to a more expensive plan, and I could not revert to this plan in the future.

I’ve been on this plan since 2014, and it will take more than a “free“ iPhone every 3 years to get me to change it.
 
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ssledoux

macrumors 601
Original poster
Sep 16, 2006
4,313
4,180
Down south
On T-Mobile I pay $100 a month for 4 lines with unlimited everything (except hotspot is limited to 5GB), also have never paid an activation fee. It comes out to $25 per line per month.

To take advantage of a carrier trade-in offer, I would have to give up my current plan and move to a more expensive plan, and I could not revert to this plan in the future.

I’ve been on this plan since 2014, and it will take more than a “free“ iPhone every 3 years to get me to change it.

In my case it wouldn’t matter if T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, or whomever was $1/month per line - zero have service in my area. AT&T is it, so I’m gonna pay what I pay regardless; may as well take advantage of any perks they offer since I’m already paying for them.
 

rkuo

macrumors 65816
Sep 25, 2010
1,278
883
I pay $227/mo for 6 iPhones with ATT for unlimited everything including unlimited hotspot and 5G. I pay no charges for the hardware. Even the activation fees have been waived.

That’s $37.83 per person per month.

1. I have been paying around that amount for a decade, and for the majority of the time did not have hotspot or 5G at all.

2. In the last decade, inflation has risen 32%, meaning I should be paying 32% more today for the same service I had in 2013 which, again, didn’t include unlimited hotspot, 5G, or even LTE. And I’m not. I’m paying the same $37.83 per person.

3. In doing some cursory research, it looks like $37.83 is on par with what families with multiple lines would pay per person per month for an unlimited plan, and we are talking about across the entire country not just expensive locales like the one I live in.

You add it all up, I am paying a very fair average price per person per month in 2023, it is no higher than I was paying in 2013 despite 32% inflation, I have a plan that gives us perks like unlimited hotspot and 5G that weren’t there in 2013, I haven’t paid an activation fee since 2010, and we all have iPhones that are less than one year old. So, yes, the phones are free.
37.83 is not what most families need to pay per line for unlimited. You can get 15-25 / month prepaid plans. Now I don't know if you need specifically AT&T or some combo of unlimited hotspot or streaming packages or whatever ... nothing is completely apples to apples. But for most people it is possible to pay significantly less.

For a premium style post paid plan tho, you're probably paying a bit below average, if you have unlimited everything and there aren't other catches to your grandfathered plan.
 

Surfsalot

macrumors 68000
Mar 18, 2023
1,697
1,736
Lol I always wear Jeans and keep my iPhone 12 Pro Max in the front pocket, so it never bounces around there. But I agree with you how it will feel inside a front pocket of a loose trouser.
We wear shorts 9 months of the year here. AU.
 

headlessmike

macrumors 65816
May 16, 2017
1,296
2,596
You should see how much cars cost here in the USA, junk vehicles with 200K miles plus selling for 7K upwards comical.
I'm originally from SoCal, and people in the States would be shocked if they knew how expensive it is to own a car over here. Gasoline and Diesel have been around $10 per gallon at times and $7K for a used car sounds cheep to me now. :confused: But at least my household's three cellular lines only cost me a combined $30 per month.
 
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boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,851
37.83 is not what most families need to pay per line for unlimited. You can get 15-25 / month prepaid plans. Now I don't know if you need specifically AT&T or some combo of unlimited hotspot or streaming packages or whatever ... nothing is completely apples to apples. But for most people it is possible to pay significantly less.

For a premium style post paid plan tho, you're probably paying a bit below average, if you have unlimited everything and there aren't other catches to your grandfathered plan.
Yeah, we need to stay with AT&T due to our homes and our work/travel destinations, it's our only option.

The good news, as you point out, is that I'm not getting ripped off with our premium plan and the free phones are indeed free, or, at the very least, AT&T is protecting us from 32% inflation vs. when we first started the plan.
 

BadBuoy

Suspended
Oct 3, 2023
62
57
In my case it wouldn’t matter if T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, or whomever was $1/month per line - zero have service in my area. AT&T is it, so I’m gonna pay what I pay regardless; may as well take advantage of any perks they offer since I’m already paying for them.
AT&T is the exact opposite here. It's an utter dead zone where I live, whereas Verizon is okay and T-Mobile is the best. I agree that you just have to pay for what serves you best.
 

macher

macrumors 68040
Oct 13, 2012
3,337
1,718
In my case it wouldn’t matter if T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, or whomever was $1/month per line - zero have service in my area. AT&T is it, so I’m gonna pay what I pay regardless; may as well take advantage of any perks they offer since I’m already paying for them.

Yea we have been with AT&T for a long time. I would bet not to many people here who’ve been with them as long as us.

We recently got 2 iPhone 15’s and 2 iPhone 15 pros with the trade in incentive the cost is about $5 per line for 3 years. We all traded in iPhone 12 pros.

Plus we are an older plan, unlimited everything for $142 for 4 lines including taxes, fees etc.
 

macher

macrumors 68040
Oct 13, 2012
3,337
1,718
The weight of the stainless steel pros was mostly an issue when I was active and could feel it bouncing around in my front pocket. The mini would virtually disappear and be unnoticeable.

When the 12’s came out I got a pro. After a week I couldn’t stand the weight. Gave it my wife and got a 12 non pro and was great.

This time around I got a 15 pro. The weight doesn’t bother me this time around for some reason.
 
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StudioMacs

macrumors 65816
Apr 7, 2022
1,126
2,216
When the 12’s came out I got a pro. After a week I couldn’t stand the weight. Gave it my wife and got a 12 non pro and was great.

This time around I got a 15 pro. The weight doesn’t bother me this time around for some reason.
There were some stories about the titanium sides being lighter, so the center of gravity is more towards the middle of the phone. Even though there’s just a small difference in weight, the 15 Pro feels more maneuverable and less like a pendulum in hand.
 

klasma

macrumors 603
Jun 8, 2017
6,176
17,298
Again, I look at this only from the perspective of how much I need to pay out every month. I have been paying out the exact same thing since 2019 despite 6 family members upgrading their iPhones every 3 years. That’s 9 brand new phones since we committed to this particular plan and zero dollars out of pocket after trade-ins.
It still means you pay almost $9000 over those three years for six regular iPhones and two watches. Adding to that the resale value of the old devices (should be at around $3000 I would estimate), and that it doesn't let you upgrade whenever you want, it's not that great a deal IMO.
 
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boltjames

macrumors 601
May 2, 2010
4,876
2,851
It still means you pay almost $9000 over those three years for six regular iPhones and two watches. Adding to that the resale value of the old devices (should be at around $3000 I would estimate), and that it doesn't let you upgrade whenever you want, it's not that great a deal IMO.
$37 per month per phone all-in on AT&T unlimited everything including unlimited hotspot and 5G with free iPhones every three years sounds on par or better than what others are reporting. I’m good.

Each time I speak to AT&T they offer to lower my bill by around $4 per phone per month if I switch to a plan with no hotspot. Someday might take advantage of that, but need hotspot for my kids in college presently. If you saw how much hotspot data they use, you’d think my bill was a bargain.
 

macher

macrumors 68040
Oct 13, 2012
3,337
1,718
There were some stories about the titanium sides being lighter, so the center of gravity is more towards the middle of the phone. Even though there’s just a small difference in weight, the 15 Pro feels more maneuverable and less like a pendulum in hand.

Yea that’s exactly right didn’t think of that way.
 
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Ifti

macrumors 68040
Dec 14, 2010
3,971
2,486
UK
I went from 512GB 13PM to 512GB 15PM.
After a day or two of setting up it was just 'Meh, more of the same' really. Sure, the extra little features and the cameras are nice to have's, but they aren't essential and weren't really worth the 'upgrade'.
The 13PM was doing everything I needed to do, and more.

As a result, I kept the 15PM.
 

shr631

macrumors 6502a
Dec 13, 2013
844
934
I went from 512GB 13PM to 512GB 15PM.
After a day or two of setting up it was just 'Meh, more of the same' really. Sure, the extra little features and the cameras are nice to have's, but they aren't essential and weren't really worth the 'upgrade'.
The 13PM was doing everything I needed to do, and more.

As a result, I kept the 15PM.
Did not see that ending coming 🤣
 
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