AT&T Next up

[got berry]

I am new to AT&T but I am in need of a new phone. I have heard that the new iPhone 11 line isn't going to be that big of an upgrade from the iPhone x line. I am thinking of picking up the iPhone XR when the new line comes out to get the better price, but then using the AT&T Next up plan to get the iPhone 12 next year. My question is, is the Next up plan really that simple? Are there any catches that I need to be aware of? TIA

 

[pkcable]

T-Mobile here, plus I generally buy outright, so I have reached out to my contacts to get help here. Standby!

 

[Annie_M]

I'm on AT&T, but I don't know a thing about the AT&T Next up plan. Hopefully, someone will come along that does!

 

[Annie_M]

I have done some sleuthing and I found this site that seems to do a good job of explaining AT&T's Next Up plan. It's succinct and they list pros and cons as well.

 

[Steven Sabo]

I have been an AT&T subscriber for about 10 years (Cingular before that). I can say that AT&T silently switched their yearly upgrade plan. The Next every year plan used to be that you paid half of your phone off (24 monthly installments). After it was half paid off, you could trade it in. For a new one the next year. The new program AT&T Next Up basically tacks on a $5 a month fee to be able to upgrade every year. The $5 fee does not go towards the paying off of you phone. I also wasn't able to find a way to switch to 24 monthly payments from the 30. So needless to say, this is not the program it used to be and if you want to basically pay an extra $60 a year on top of the 50% you would need to pay towards your phone to be able to upgrade, go ahead. But that is $60 that people never had to pay under the old program.

 

[phlamethrowre]

I do the 24 month plan every year and upgrade after 12 months. I look at it like renting the phone.