iPhone 7: How To Get One Without Getting Ripped Off

Published: 13 September 2016Updated: 14 September 2016
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Want to buy an iPhone 7 but without getting ripped off? Then read on

In the old days, you could get yourself a cheap smartphone pretty easily. And when the time came to upgrade to a newer model of that smartphone, such as an iPhone 7, you could do that without breaking the bank.

All you had to do to get a brand new Apple iPhone was just renew the contract with your carrier and that was it. A win-win situation for everyone since your carrier got a customer for the long term and you got yourself a new iPhone without paying through the roof.

Those days are slowly but surely going away. Most carriers are now moving away from contracts. Some have already started to phase out consumer contracts for financial reasons.

Regardless of the method you choose, the new iPhone 7 from Apple will probably cost you a lot of money.

Of course, we’re going to show you how you can get yourself a new iPhone 7 without accumulating a mountain of debt.

The first thing you should know, in order to get a new iPhone 7, is that you must do your research in advance before going out to buy another iPhone or any other smartphone (but hopefully the iPhone 7) device.

That is the key to getting the best deal available in any smartphone market. If you don’t know a thing about current rates and models of any particular smartphone, let alone an iPhone, sooner or later,you are going to get robbed.

But that’s not always the case.

You could qualify for an upgraded device through grandfathered-in programs and if not, then there are always those trade-in programs which you should definitely check out.

If you know your way around these markets, you can get a pretty sweet deal without paying a ton of money.

With that said, Apple itself has a pretty decent iPhone Upgrade Program but most people don’t opt for it since it requires monthly payments for a long period of time.

And as they say, different strokes for different folks. Some people are just built to find to right deals at the right prices. Some just have to go through life getting ripped off left and right.

We’ll show you how not to be one of these people.

By now, it should be clear to you that different people will see different results from the same methods so let’s rank the best methods in order of reliability and ease.

This guide will show you how to get a new iPhone 7. Not only that, we’ll also help you find the best deal possible.

Of course, a lot of this depends on the kind of paperwork you submitted to your current carrier in the past. That could have happened a few months ago or many years ago. Everybody’s situation is different in this regard.

So, in order to understand and comprehend what your device upgrade options are with your current carrier, you must talk to your carrier either on the phone or through email.

You’ll also need to log into your account and see what your options are from there as well.

Remember, even if your options make you eligible for a particular upgrade, that doesn’t mean that you have to take the deal that’s on offer.

In order to kick start your efforts for getting a new iPhone 7, first call your carrier and ask them very specific questions about various upgrade offers.

Don’t forget to ask about different payment plans and any hidden fees.

 Ask them about any attached fees as well.

Because if you don’t and just buy the one that “looks” good on paper then there is a decent chance that you might end up paying more for the same smartphone through your carrier’s scheme.

In other words, keep in mind the retail value of the new iPhone because sometimes, that route will be your best deal.

So let’s dig into it.

1- Buy The New iPhone From Apple. That is, 800.MY.APPLE

apple-iphone-7

The iPhone 7 does have its flaws but it is the coolest looking smartphone in the market.

There is no doubt that you’ll have to pay a small amount of fee to be eligible for Apple’s program but just hear us out.

Bluntly put: the upgrade offer from Apple’s iPhone Upgrade program is more than what you could ever want from an upgrade program.

In most cases, Apple’s Upgrade Program is going to be the deal you’re ever going to get.

Of course, Apple’s program is nowhere near the cheapest of them well.

If you sign up for the program, you’ll have to pay monthly payments that start at $32.41.

But there is the deal.
Apple’s official plan, in reality, guarantees that when you sign up for the program, you get your new iPhone. Eventually.

The program will offer you an unlocked iPhone model, every year without any hiccups.

Not only that, but the program also offers AppleCare+ protection.

Which, according to Gizmodo, is a pretty cool deal.

What’s more, the Upgrade Program from Apple is compatible with other carriers such as Verizon, Sprint along with AT&T and T-Mobile.

Also, don’t forget to consider the fact that all other major carriers charge their customers almost the same price as Apple when it comes to payment plans for an upgraded smartphone (iPhone 7) device.

You’ll have to work very hard in order to find a carrier that is willing to offer you a payment plan that starts below $27 month.

It we assume that you’re carriers charged $27 a month for a new upgraded smartphone (iPhone 7) device then the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program will, eventually, cost you about $220 more.

But before you dismiss Apple has your option for an Upgrade Program, know that Apple’s program offers something that no other carrier can provide.

That is the AppleCare+ protection for free. The program costs $130 if you try to sign up for it through the normal route.

In other words, no matter which program you decide to sign up for, they will all cost you more or less the same.

In fact, some programs might even break even after sufficient time has passed. So in order to get a new iPhone device every year, you will have to shell out quite a bit of money.

You should also know that all of the major carriers, and probably the smaller ones too, charge upgrade fees that can reach up to $20 to $50 over a period of two years.

So if you thought that Apple was way more expensive than the rest of the fellows, then you thought wrong. At least not right anyway.

Apple is in no way more expensive when it comes to upgrade programs.

And for what it’s worth, Apple’s exemplary customer service is something that cannot be ignored at any cost. For most, it more than makes up for the amount Apple charges for its Upgrade Program.

Just stop or a minute and think about the number of times the customer service for your carrier put you on hold for minutes at a time and didn’t even come close to resolving your problem.

Frustrating right?

Go for Apple’s program then.

2- Go For Verizon

iphone-7

You can have a new iPhone 7 through easy installments. But you’ll need to do your homework first.

To do that, just dial *611 from your smartphone device. You can also try out the 800.922.0204.

As mentioned before, carriers are moving away from upgrade programs. Verizon is one of those major carriers.

The company recently made several announcements that sounded more like simple payment plans rather than upgrade program.

And Verizon has not revealed any details about the company’s offer for iPhone 7 yet. So there is a lot that we don’t know about at the moment.

But what we do know is that Verizon offered iPhone 6S, back in the day, to potential customers for $27.08 per month for 24 whole months. The deal also came with 0 percent APR.

That’s a pretty acceptable payment plan by any stretch of the imagination.

Now, we also know that the iPhone 7 will cost consumers the same price as iPhone 6S. So it shouldn’t be too hard to estimate the amount Verizon will want for a new iPhone 7.

In fact, there is a good chance that all carriers may follow Verizon’s lead in terms of their payment plans for iPhone 7.

Verizon will also allow smartphone users to trade their old smartphones when they sign up for Verizon’s iPhone 7 payment plan.

A recent advertisement from the company stated that Verizon would offer $300 in the form of gift cards to smartphone users who would sign up for one of the packages.

Of course, the final worth of the gift cards would be dependent on the smartphone’s condition and the actual model.

Not to sound too elitist, but Verizon will limit its exchange offer to smartphones such as Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge/edge+, HTC M9, iPhone 6, LG G4 and last but certainly not the least (the smartphone has a rating of 8.8 on AndroidAuthority), LG V10.

But you might ask, “What if I have an iPhone 5S?”

Well, your best friend would be eBay that case.

Of course, Verizon’s packages don’t come with additional fees. In other words, you’re going to have to pay a $20 as an activation fee but you might not have to pay that if your standing with the company is good.

If that wasn’t enough then there is another fee, the upgrade fee, which is around $20. The upgrade fee will be charged to those customers who will add a new device to their existing accounts.

However, if you sign up for a two-year payment plan then the fee goes even higher to about $40.

iphone-7-camera

There is no doubt that iPhone 7’s camera quality is likely to blow your mind away.

3- AT&T Isn’t Bad Either

You can either dial 611 from your smartphone device or try 800.331.0500 in order to get yourself in contact with AT&T.

But before we go any further, we want you to know that AT&T’s payment plans are a bit confusing. To put it another way: pay attention.

AT&T started to shift customers from traditional contracts to other more profitable programs such as AT&T Next and AT&T Next Every Year, about two years ago.

Understandably, there were some customers who weren’t exactly pleased with the new packages.

The reason was quite simple: the new packages essentially eliminated contracts altogether.

It might not be obvious from their names but the two new packages are, what you call, payment plans.

And that’s not all. The new contracts aren’t for everyone.

AT&T will take a look at the last time you signed a contract with the company and then it will decide if you’re eligible for the new packages (in other words, payment plans).

Additionally, the new packages (such as the AT&T NEXT program)  may or may not demand a 30 percent down payment up front.

If you weren’t blown away by that then know that you will still have to pay the 30 monthly installments afterward to pay off the rest of the iPhone 7’s retail price.

Of course, the company will allow you to trade in your smartphone device for an upgrade to iPhone 7. But that will only be possible once you have paid off 80 percent of it.

If we can just turn our attentions to AT&T Next Every Year special program then the first thing we notice is that there are only 24 monthly payments.

Apart from that, this program will allow you to upgrade your device once you’re finished with 50 percent of iPhone 7’s retail price.

Moreover, both packages come with 0 percent APR.

In other words, the amount of money you end up paying AT&T will vary according to the payment plan you subscribe to. It will also vary with the price of your new iPhone 7.

Oh yeah, before we forget, you’ll also have to shell out another $20 as an activation fee.

Conclusion

If all this sounds pathetic to you then you’re not alone. Your best bet is still to go for Apple’s Upgrade Program.

T-Mobile and Sprint aren’t bad options either. But do yourself a big favor and throw out the option of using your high-interest credit card to buy the iPhone 7 “interest-free.”

The simplest option for anyone is to simply buy the unlocked iPhone 7 at retail price. That way you can change carriers whenever you want.

 

Zohair

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