Buy 950 from ATT or wait for Unlocked?

[ShannyMan]

I'm currently on Verizon so I know I'm going to have to switch carriers. Any benefit to waiting for Microsoft's unlocked variant next week for $550 versus buying from ATT on contract for $150? I've got the itch to switch.... Sounds like all the crapware can be uninstalled easily enough which was my biggest concern. As long as there aren't any background apps I can't uninstall, like Verizon's Backup Assistant crap.

 

[gke565]

I just went through purchasing two 950s from ATT - you are going to pay for the phone one way or another. I went in for the $149 upgrade plan - but wait there's more! There is a $50 change fee, and you bill will go up $15 on the 'new' two-year contract. Run the numbers - $559 (149+50+(15*24)+ add'l fees and taxes on 'new' rate plan - which drops the $15 after two years). I went with the NEXT24 - $25/month/phone for 24 months - $600, but you can upgrade at 18 months and not pay the remaining 6 payments. Just know regardless ATT is going to get the full price of the phone. Get an unlocked phone and pay the same. ATT's crapware can be removed - I did it will sitting in the store.

 

[vara4111]

My advice? If you're interested in saving some money, wait until Nov 26, buy the phone outright from Microsoft ($50 cheaper) and then activate the device on CRICKET. Cricket was bought out by AT&T and uses their same exact network. No contracts, and FAR cheaper per month. I've used it for well over a year now and have had zero problems. If you can't wait, you can even buy the AT&T model outright and activate it immediately on Cricket.

The only caveat I'd warn you about is to see if there's additional features (like bundling tablet service, etc.) that are important to you which Cricket doesn't offer. None mattered to me so my family has happily used Cricket since.

And remember that buying the unlocked version allows you much more international flexibility right out of the box...... Not to mention the fact that your software updates won't be held hostage by AT&T if you go unlocked.

 

[jtzako]

I got mine from AT&T. There was no change fee but I am also well past due on an upgrade. I just picked how I wanted to pay for the phone and off I went.

 

[ninjaap]

The only thing I hate about buying from ATT is that they wont unlock your phone for international use, until either you're done with the 2 yr contract or you pay off your Next Plan. Even buying full price from ATT, they will force you to wait 6 months of active use before they give you the unlock code.

 

[ninjaap]

I just went through purchasing two 950s from ATT - you are going to pay for the phone one way or another. I went in for the $149 upgrade plan - but wait there's more! There is a $50 change fee, and you bill will go up $15 on the 'new' two-year contract. Run the numbers - $559 (149+50+(15*24)+ add'l fees and taxes on 'new' rate plan - which drops the $15 after two years). I went with the NEXT24 - $25/month/phone for 24 months - $600, but you can upgrade at 18 months and not pay the remaining 6 payments. Just know regardless ATT is going to get the full price of the phone. Get an unlocked phone and pay the same. ATT's crapware can be removed - I did it will sitting in the store.

What is a change fee? I have never seen or heard of that before.

 

[TLRtheory]

First off, I think the 950 and 950 XL are stupidly overpriced. It's like Microsoft looked at the ever popular race Google, Motorola, Huawei and OnePlus are in to take the high price out of a high end and - in their typical Microsoft-y fashion - started going *** backwards against the direction of the market. I think they should have both been announced at $100 less than they were.

But I digress... because despite all that, I have nothing but excitement for the Lumia 950. It is my dream phone. Not too big like the 1520 was, not gonna make me sacrifice external storage or LTE like the 930 did. Not too weak to smoothly play the graphically intensive games like the 640/830... the 950 seems absolutely perfect considering the things that bothered me about everything else... perfect enough to blow $550 on something that really should've been $450.

I was about to make the stupid decision to buy the at&t version... I'd spent all last night psyching myself up and I was ready to do it... but too much stacks against it.

- More restrictive, yet costs $50 more than the unlocked 950
- Can't use education discount, whereas I can on the unlocked 950
- Carrier locked (obviously)
- Tendency for carrier to cause delayed updates

I wanted to make a stupid, hasty decision so I could finally have my dream phone - but I couldn't consciously pay ~$600 for a locked down limited 950 when discounts would bring the unlocked 950 to ~$498. Guess it'll give me time to decide on a case and sell off my Lumia 635, 640, 820, 1020 and 1520.

 

[MiloTheOne]

I was about to make the stupid decision to buy the at&t version... I'd spent all last night psyching myself up and I was ready to do it... but too much stacks against it.

- More restrictive, yet costs $50 more than the unlocked 950
- Can't use education discount, whereas I can on the unlocked 950
- Carrier locked (obviously)
- Tendency for carrier to cause delayed updates

I wanted to make a stupid, hasty decision so I could finally have my dream phone - but I couldn't consciously pay ~$600 for a locked down limited 950 when discounts would bring the unlocked 950 to ~$498. Guess it'll give me time to decide on a case and sell off my Lumia 635, 640, 820, 1020 and 1520.

So a 950 at MSFT costs $548 with taxes? That's odd, before taxes on the next 12 (what I got) is $550 with taxes. After taxes $598 and I don't have to spew out $600 in one shot.

 

[TLRtheory]

So a 950 at MSFT costs $548 with taxes? That's odd, before taxes on the next 12 (what I got) is $550 with taxes. After taxes $598 and I don't have to spew out $600 in one shot.

MSFT Store Unlocked 950: $549.99 - $54.90 (Student Discount) = $495.09+tax = $526.03
MSFT Store Lumia 950 (AT&T): $598.99+tax = $636.43

It's different on AT&T? Unless I'm mis-reading, it's showing me $598 before tax :\

But yeah... I ultimately couldn't bring myself to spend $110 more and actually get less out of it.

 

[Charles Hinkle]

AT&T version supports HD Voice vs unlocked. You also get both Qi and PMA wireless charging while vs. only Qi on the unlocked. I have no regrets getting the AT&T version.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The only thing I hate about buying from ATT is that they wont unlock your phone for international use, until either you're done with the 2 yr contract or you pay off your Next Plan.

Explain the logic of letting someone buy on Next and pay off before leaving the store and immediately unlocking the phone vs buying it NOT on Edge and putting a 6 month delay on unlocking? I didn't think MS could do something so illogical.

If true, heads up people who aren't cash poor: buy your 950 on Next and pay it off at the same time rather than buying it outright. Better yet, buy an unlocked one in the first place!