Absolutely nobody does this math, which is why carriers get away with what are effectively 36 month contracts. We buy all our iPhones outright. I pass mine old ones down to my parents. I manage to negotiate our Verizon postpaid rates down every year as they know they have no leverage to keep us. Financial literacy saves us a lot of money.
Threaten to end ur service becuase it’s getting too expensive and they’ll conjure up a special promotion out of thin air😂 at least that’s what my mom does for Verizon WiFi
@@RunForPeace-hk1cu I keep my phones for 2 to 3 years so by the time their phone is replaced it may be 5 or more years old. Apple tends to support phones for about 5 years. They do care if the battery no longer lasts or the phone is sluggish.
I buy last year’s model every year and sell the two year old model. It has averaged about $100 difference. Just bought a 15 Pro Max for $750 and sold the 14 Pro Max for $650. Bought the 14 Pro Max for $700 and sold the 13 Pro Max for $650 the previous year. I pay about $100 per year to upgrade instead of $400 by buying the latest and selling on Swappa the next year. Also just switched from Mint to Visible+ and that unlimited Ultra Wideband is sweeeeet.
Just to add that with US Mobile you can also opt for an annual plan and save even more. Plus, you can switch your host network between the three big carriers anytime you like.
2:16 wanted to add in a a quick correction. With unlimited ultimate and your device is in good condition, you can get something called upgrade early. However, if you miss the window they give you, you do have to pay off the remaining balance.
I can’t even be sure anymore whether I get my paycheck next week. Such is the situation. The cheapest way to do anything nowadays is NOT to do anything and keep chugging along. Keep your current phone that is. Next best is to buy used in back market or similar and swallow my pride. Which I did for two years already. Will do again if my phone dies. Thanks for the great video. I will do option 4 once I have enough money. I haven’t decided whether it’s still worth it. Apple is greedy like any other company. I am not expecting them to get anything free. So I won’t blame them. It’s just it’s not for me this time. Wish me luck to continue to work and get my paycheck ❤ think people don’t drown yourself
Haven’t watched the video but the cheapest way is to get last years pro model used use it for two years and then sell it for 300 less than you bought it. (150/ year, $12.50 a month). For example, buy iPhone 15 pro for $700 and in two years you sell it for $400 (what iPhone 13 Pro is currently going for). In two years the 18 pro comes out and you buy the 17 pro, etc. This way you also are consuming in a healthier for the environment way.
Oh and for your phone plan just get a prepaid service, I use US mobile, it’s $25 a month for unlimited, so in total you pay $37.50 a month and you always have a relatively new and nice phone :).
If you're phone doesn't die. I've had 2 defective iPhones that because I didn't pay for apple care would have cost 50-80% of the phone new. Both times happened within months of my 2 years of apple care expiring and me not renewing it monthly due to my hate of subscriptions. Hopefully team Android doesn't give me the same experience. (Also worth noting that I'm a little hard on my phones with extreme heat and cold but that's no excuse for the antenna and camera to just break with no physical damage)
@@TenForceFalls so the phone's you purchased weren't defective, your use case was clearly the problem. Second you get a one year warranty just for purchasing the phone.
I paid $1030 for my 1tb s24 ultra (got a free 2tb samsung t7 shield external ssd from my store credit as I couldn't buy anything else at the time). I'm keeping this phone until it dies
Don't know why Verizon is still sticking with 3-year contract. Verizon does have an early upgrade program; you can upgrade after 18 payments and don't need to pay the remainder (but it will forfeit any trade-in deal in the future).
I love your breakdowns of pricing and I know you mostly do it on Samsung an apple what have you ever thought of doing one that has the same features in camera setup like the one plus 13 and what would be the best plan for that let's see how it compares to an Apple phone and a Samsung phone I would believe it would be even cheaper thank you for your videos
I don’t know if it’s just me but when the Coverage Map app updated their signal strength map, the good AT&T signal was gone even though there’s a AT&T cell tower in the area. Same Problem for Verizon’s signal strength map.
Very informative video. For me the cheapest way is to just keep using my previous phone😂. Have an Xr. Got its battery swapped last year. Except the battery(still) I honestly have no complaints with this phone. I got accustomed carrying a small power bank everywhere with it so that is also in check. I will honestly switch when apple releases a new design or android side has a geniune 2 day battery life.
I'm watching on a 3 year old midrange phone unlocked and on the cheapest unlimited data as my phone is also my TV. I even went for a time without fiber internet, just hotspotting. I say buy what you can reasonably afford. It does whatever I need at a good quality. It's not the best but far from bad. That's tons of money kept in my pocket. I don't care what other people think as long as it suits my needs.
• Free Google Sheet with pricing breakdown: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FkhnjxD8XylBRuII8_KNH8zgyEe73LwSxN2oFBfKr90/edit?usp=sharing • Try US Mobile Free for 30 days: usmobileinc.pxf.io/9gb0KQ • US Mobile Unlimited Starter: usmobileinc.pxf.io/rann93 • Coverage Map App: coveragemap.com/app
@StetsonDoggett - excellent update video. Great work. I presume if we add in military or first responder pricing then prices just get better for overall comparisons. This information helps out a great deal for upgrading. Thank you.
You should do a video for android users too. Despite 5 to 7 years of support, I'd imagine upgrading every 2 or 3 years is the sweet spot for android users.
Great information Stetson. If I sell my iPhones on Swappa, would I be required to provide them with my SSN? If I sell multiple phones on Swappa, would they charge fees for each device sold?
Hey TJ, nope, no SSN required. All payments are handled through PayPal, so PayPal would send you the appropriate tax forms for the income from your sales. And yes, Swappa charges a listing fee for each individual listing. I estimate all fees + shipping costs are about 10%-13% of the list prices you see on Swappa.
Hey, I really like the spreadsheet! It'd be really awesome if one could customize the cost of the phone - I'd really like to see how much it'd cost for me to upgrade to the latest Pixel A-series/Samsung Galaxy Z Fold/[insert phone series here] every two years.
I love this idea! I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, you can go to File > Make a Copy and start playing around with your own version of the spreadsheet!
Since the carrier financing is based on 36 months, I'd be interested in the math for upgrading every 3 years as well. Awesome vid, thank you!! Edit: Just found your vid on exactly that!! WOW!
The Walmart and BestBuy iPhones are called Universal iPhones. Out of the box, they will work on any carrier. BUT, they will adhere to the locking policy of the first SIM card that is inserted to them. So if you activate a Universal iPhone on AT&T, my understanding is it will become locked to AT&T and you will have to follow AT&T’s unlocking policy to get the device unlocked.
@@callmeNenoAlso, no file system access on iOS, and no extension support on browsers other than Safari. It's a big deal for me since I use Firefox on my phone and desktop and sync everything using my Mozilla account, and I use the uBlock Origin extension on Firefox to block ads, tracking, and cookie pop-ups.
Yes! I include all estimated taxes and fees for the cell phone plans in my calculations 🙂. The only taxes and fees that are missing are the taxes on the new iPhone. But those taxes would be the same for all options (you pay tax on the iPhone even on the $1,000 off promos) so the relative price differences between the plans is still accurate!
Absolutely nobody does this math, which is why carriers get away with what are effectively 36 month contracts. We buy all our iPhones outright. I pass mine old ones down to my parents. I manage to negotiate our Verizon postpaid rates down every year as they know they have no leverage to keep us. Financial literacy saves us a lot of money.
Threaten to end ur service becuase it’s getting too expensive and they’ll conjure up a special promotion out of thin air😂 at least that’s what my mom does for Verizon WiFi
What's post paid rates?
@@musicviolamusician4392 Pretty much. This was something we had to do with cable companies back in the day. Now it's come to cell carriers.
you're assuming your parents care about getting a new phone every 2 years. LOL
@@RunForPeace-hk1cu I keep my phones for 2 to 3 years so by the time their phone is replaced it may be 5 or more years old. Apple tends to support phones for about 5 years.
They do care if the battery no longer lasts or the phone is sluggish.
I buy last year’s model every year and sell the two year old model. It has averaged about $100 difference. Just bought a 15 Pro Max for $750 and sold the 14 Pro Max for $650. Bought the 14 Pro Max for $700 and sold the 13 Pro Max for $650 the previous year. I pay about $100 per year to upgrade instead of $400 by buying the latest and selling on Swappa the next year. Also just switched from Mint to Visible+ and that unlimited Ultra Wideband is sweeeeet.
Can you do a video for Galaxy Phones? Like the S24 Ultra or even the S25 Ultra?
For what? Ain’t no one trying to buy those things 😂
Tf is a galaxy phone?
@@dclar6615 Samsung's phones
Make Samsung video
Just to add that with US Mobile you can also opt for an annual plan and save even more. Plus, you can switch your host network between the three big carriers anytime you like.
Thanks, because of your videos I very recently switched to USMobile with the 16 Plus. I use very little data so I paid $96 for the year.
Glad you were able to find a great option and save some money!
2:16 wanted to add in a a quick correction. With unlimited ultimate and your device is in good condition, you can get something called upgrade early. However, if you miss the window they give you, you do have to pay off the remaining balance.
The amount of detail and communicated in such an easy to understand format- THANK YOU!
Also note: Visible has a yearly plan so like a $45 plan BUT really $32/month.
That plan is still around? I thought that was a limited offer
I can’t even be sure anymore whether I get my paycheck next week. Such is the situation. The cheapest way to do anything nowadays is NOT to do anything and keep chugging along. Keep your current phone that is. Next best is to buy used in back market or similar and swallow my pride. Which I did for two years already. Will do again if my phone dies.
Thanks for the great video. I will do option 4 once I have enough money. I haven’t decided whether it’s still worth it. Apple is greedy like any other company. I am not expecting them to get anything free. So I won’t blame them. It’s just it’s not for me this time. Wish me luck to continue to work and get my paycheck ❤ think people don’t drown yourself
Great video, I went through this exact analysis the last time I upgraded on a spreadsheet.. you summarized it super nicely!
Haven’t watched the video but the cheapest way is to get last years pro model used use it for two years and then sell it for 300 less than you bought it. (150/ year, $12.50 a month). For example, buy iPhone 15 pro for $700 and in two years you sell it for $400 (what iPhone 13 Pro is currently going for). In two years the 18 pro comes out and you buy the 17 pro, etc. This way you also are consuming in a healthier for the environment way.
Oh and for your phone plan just get a prepaid service, I use US mobile, it’s $25 a month for unlimited, so in total you pay $37.50 a month and you always have a relatively new and nice phone :).
very informative, love this
The best plan is to save your money and buy the phone outright from Apple and be free to go anywhere. Keep your phone 4 to 5 years.
Correct
This is the way to go. I purchased my 14 Pro Max outright since launch day and I plan to keep my phone for 2-3 more years.
If you're phone doesn't die. I've had 2 defective iPhones that because I didn't pay for apple care would have cost 50-80% of the phone new. Both times happened within months of my 2 years of apple care expiring and me not renewing it monthly due to my hate of subscriptions. Hopefully team Android doesn't give me the same experience. (Also worth noting that I'm a little hard on my phones with extreme heat and cold but that's no excuse for the antenna and camera to just break with no physical damage)
@@jire9831 replacing your battery is also a solution
@@TenForceFalls so the phone's you purchased weren't defective, your use case was clearly the problem. Second you get a one year warranty just for purchasing the phone.
AT&T has some banging deals for Samsung phones, especially the S24FE right now.
I’m set I got $1000 off the 16 pro max 1TB I’m keeping for years!
I paid $1030 for my 1tb s24 ultra (got a free 2tb samsung t7 shield external ssd from my store credit as I couldn't buy anything else at the time). I'm keeping this phone until it dies
I mean it's not really getting $1,000 off if you're getting reimbursed in bill credits for a postmate carrier that charges $100 a month or more.
Don't know why Verizon is still sticking with 3-year contract. Verizon does have an early upgrade program; you can upgrade after 18 payments and don't need to pay the remainder (but it will forfeit any trade-in deal in the future).
Its a trap. Means if you leave before 3 years, your going to pay. Don't fall for it. It will cost you.
we need someone like you in the uk to get the best data prices and signal as its also really confusing here
Stetson, would you please do this video for samsung phones?
I love your breakdowns of pricing and I know you mostly do it on Samsung an apple what have you ever thought of doing one that has the same features in camera setup like the one plus 13 and what would be the best plan for that let's see how it compares to an Apple phone and a Samsung phone I would believe it would be even cheaper thank you for your videos
I don’t know if it’s just me but when the Coverage Map app updated their signal strength map, the good AT&T signal was gone even though there’s a AT&T cell tower in the area. Same Problem for Verizon’s signal strength map.
Very informative video. For me the cheapest way is to just keep using my previous phone😂. Have an Xr. Got its battery swapped last year. Except the battery(still) I honestly have no complaints with this phone. I got accustomed carrying a small power bank everywhere with it so that is also in check.
I will honestly switch when apple releases a new design or android side has a geniune 2 day battery life.
I'm watching on a 3 year old midrange phone unlocked and on the cheapest unlimited data as my phone is also my TV. I even went for a time without fiber internet, just hotspotting. I say buy what you can reasonably afford. It does whatever I need at a good quality. It's not the best but far from bad. That's tons of money kept in my pocket. I don't care what other people think as long as it suits my needs.
• Free Google Sheet with pricing breakdown: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FkhnjxD8XylBRuII8_KNH8zgyEe73LwSxN2oFBfKr90/edit?usp=sharing
• Try US Mobile Free for 30 days: usmobileinc.pxf.io/9gb0KQ
• US Mobile Unlimited Starter: usmobileinc.pxf.io/rann93
• Coverage Map App: coveragemap.com/app
@StetsonDoggett - excellent update video. Great work. I presume if we add in military or first responder pricing then prices just get better for overall comparisons. This information helps out a great deal for upgrading. Thank you.
Thanks for the information and I liked your videos . I really appreciate.
Know any Black Friday deals?
Can you do these videos again for the regular base model iPhone?
The free Google Sheets in the video descriptions have the full pricing breakdown for the regular base iPhone, too!
Hey Stetson can you add Puerto Rico to the coverage maps?
i love watching these videos every time they come out and still coming to the same conclusion that tmobile is still a great value pick for 3+ lines
Stetson you are the real MVP, another amazing detailed video! I was actually waiting on this one to come out. Thank you!
Thank you! Keep up the great work! I love your videos! 👍❤️🎥
I'll get the iphone 17 Pro Max next year on AT&T.
You should do a video for android users too. Despite 5 to 7 years of support, I'd imagine upgrading every 2 or 3 years is the sweet spot for android users.
Great information Stetson.
If I sell my iPhones on Swappa, would I be required to provide them with my SSN?
If I sell multiple phones on Swappa, would they charge fees for each device sold?
Hey TJ, nope, no SSN required. All payments are handled through PayPal, so PayPal would send you the appropriate tax forms for the income from your sales.
And yes, Swappa charges a listing fee for each individual listing. I estimate all fees + shipping costs are about 10%-13% of the list prices you see on Swappa.
He also didnt mention when upgrading you can also buy a used iphone instead of new and save even more money.
Hey, I really like the spreadsheet! It'd be really awesome if one could customize the cost of the phone - I'd really like to see how much it'd cost for me to upgrade to the latest Pixel A-series/Samsung Galaxy Z Fold/[insert phone series here] every two years.
I love this idea! I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, you can go to File > Make a Copy and start playing around with your own version of the spreadsheet!
Stetson is legit. Earned a sub
What about Tello?
The cheapest way is upgrading every 3-4 years not 2 and getting it outright from Apple.
Last week I traded in my iPhone 12 and got $800 trade in value . I knew something was up…
Why would you do it every 2 yrs with boost if you can do it annually.
Since the carrier financing is based on 36 months, I'd be interested in the math for upgrading every 3 years as well. Awesome vid, thank you!!
Edit: Just found your vid on exactly that!! WOW!
I got you covered! 🙂
T-Mobile is expensive with there 5G plus
Or trade in your iPhone that’s two years old to Apple and then buy it out right
Hi Steson,
I work for T-Mobile. There’s no more $1,000 off plan
Yes it is there go 5G plus plan right
Yeah, I don't see that anywhere. Max is $830
Trade in Value $830 for both Go5GNext and Plus plans
@ correct. The $1,000 is coming back but it’s not there right now
I am paying the Verizon iPhone 36 month plan for My iPhone 13 Pro with 256 memory. I am paying taxes on the phone payments every month
You are amazing
Thanks but I feel confused.
What happens if I walk into Walmart and buy an unlocked iPhone? Can I go anywhere?
The Walmart and BestBuy iPhones are called Universal iPhones. Out of the box, they will work on any carrier. BUT, they will adhere to the locking policy of the first SIM card that is inserted to them. So if you activate a Universal iPhone on AT&T, my understanding is it will become locked to AT&T and you will have to follow AT&T’s unlocking policy to get the device unlocked.
@ I see & understand that. Thank you for getting back with an answer. I appreciate that.
The best way to save money is to buy a 1-2 year old phone and let someone else take the depreciation of the first year of ownership
I see you only do videos on Apple. Why no love for Samsung or Google?
Because, Apple is the best!!
@@callmeNenoWrong. No sideloading, launchers, split-screen, or ability to clear cache or see the memory that is being used on iOS.
@@callmeNenoAlso, no file system access on iOS, and no extension support on browsers other than Safari. It's a big deal for me since I use Firefox on my phone and desktop and sync everything using my Mozilla account, and I use the uBlock Origin extension on Firefox to block ads, tracking, and cookie pop-ups.
@@darknightmike10yearsagothere’s ways to clear cache files on iOS if you know what you are doing. It is as easy as android. But idiot proof.
Don't forget about taxes and fees!!!
Yes! I include all estimated taxes and fees for the cell phone plans in my calculations 🙂. The only taxes and fees that are missing are the taxes on the new iPhone. But those taxes would be the same for all options (you pay tax on the iPhone even on the $1,000 off promos) so the relative price differences between the plans is still accurate!
Get a best buy card and buy your phone unlocked.
Awesome
Why do you need to change your phone every two years?
By not spending money is cheapest way to
Yo
I upgrade every year
Upgrade Every 2 years for the same phone is ludicrous , just save the money and use the phone you have longer, apple iphones are the same every year.
Could you make a video about the cheapest way to get a galaxy. I'm not 12 or 75. I don't need a tardbox.
thank you so much cute twink
Just don't use iphone
T mobile g5g+ plan, stack insider discount & bogo becomes even cheaper with 5 lines
Xfinity. I pay $15 for the phone and $30 for my line. 15x24=$360 for my 15 pro max. They offer the same deal every year.
Is it unlimited data?
It’s outdated.