VIDEO: Would You Pay More Per Month to Upgrade Your Phone More Often?

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T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon are all about to offer new cell phone plans that will allow customers to pay a higher monthly rate in exchange for the opportunity to upgrade their smartphones more often. In this brief — yet lively — video discussion, our experts ponder whether or not this is a good thing.

What about you, readers? Would you pay a higher monthly bill if it meant you could upgrade your smartphone more often? Tell us in the comments section below.

Front page photo credit: Holiday Matinee

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10 comments
notasucka
Never trust Att or Verizon. Maybe they will just add a new 'administrative fee'.
August 5, 2013
izzie_real
All of these plans just make things so complicated to have a smartphone. You can pay extra for this plan, pay extra to upgrade sooner or later, early termination fees, it can get confusing, especially when each carrier have different conditions.

It's easier to buy an unlocked smartphone at retail price or on ebay, go with a no-contract plan, pay less for it and make it easier. If you want to latest and greatest phone, sell your current smartphone online and use that money to buy the new one.
July 18, 2013
JABrwoky13
I'm still on an unlimited data package with Verizon. If I upgrade through them, they'll force me to change into a plan that will cost me more with less data. I'm still happy with my HTC Droid Incredible. It's out of warranty anyway. Rather than upgrade the phone, I upgraded the operating system.
July 18, 2013
Phamtom
...Nexus...
July 18, 2013
mrmet15
I think its a stupid idea. It's another way for the cell phone providers to gouge the consumer.
July 18, 2013
grumpy
None of these guys know what they are even talking about!

T-mobile normally charges you the full price of the phone - payable as an up-front fee, and $20/mo.
If you buy the premium insurance($12/mo) + $10/mo, you can swap in 6mo & pay a new up-frot+finance. NO CONTRACT for service or this plan. It's Insurance + buyers remorse for $10 more.

So if you pay $150 down and keep it for six months, you have paid off around $250 on phone + insurance (about $72) + additional $60. Then you can just make a new down payment on an new phone & start over.

That works out to be around $63/ mo for an insured phone that you change out evey 6 months. An uninsured phone is about $27/mo, and a phone with just premium insurance is about $39 /mo. So if the option to upgrade is worth around $34 a month (in addition to insurance) for the first 6 months or so you own your phone, you might consider this... especially if you think that next Motorolla may blow the doors off th Huwaii you just bought :)
July 17, 2013
vwoom
Me, the last time I committed myself into a cell phone contract was..10yrs ago, and it was even on a 1 Yr Plan (Amazon Wireless, in it's "infancy" era). I always go for a GSM service (more flexibility when going overseas, swapping to new phones I'm fancy albeit of great value to your Buck) and it's ALWAYS UNLOCKED. Been with T-Mob for over 9yrs (same $29.99 300min/300 Text/Unlim Min Weekend plan for that period) until I switched to Straight Talk $45 Unlimited "All" (I can attain >10GB data/Mo, if I "behave" accordingly...).

I'd NEVER sign up for another contract...EVER. Everyone else gets "suckered" into signing-up for a new, "in-vogue" phone..(for the "Keeping-Up-With-The Joneses" crowd, am not one of 'em ). No offense... :-)
July 17, 2013
wb532
No way, I don't have a problem upgrading after my two year contract is up. This is just one more way for the phone companies to screw over uneducated consumers or those who just can't wait. Unfortunately there are a lot of the much younger generation who would fit that bill, just to get the newest gadget without realizing what they are actually getting into until it's too late.
July 17, 2013
nexus
I would consider it, but it depends on the details. Such as what is the total amount you pay vs actually buying the phone outright, how much does it cost to end your contract early, and so on.
July 17, 2013
nimer
It really depends on the phone and how well it retains its value. As a rule of thumb, an Android user will probably benefit from these plans, iPhone users not so much. Reason being is that Android phones tend to loose value much faster than iPhone does.

With iPhone you are better off actually selling your old phone unlocked and buying a new one. A used 4S was selling for $350 - $400 when the 5 was announced.
July 17, 2013