True. Except that you would use up your upgrade/free/cheap phone option for the next 2 years and you might want it more later.

True, but I have three accounts that are all eligible for phones

Well, there you go.

Still using my four year old 3G. And boy is it slow. :(

No plans to change though.

Funny I was just thinking about this. My iPhone 4 is awesome and has served me well for the last couple of years, and my contract is up in about three weeks. I just jailbroke it (no issues) to update MMS in anticipation of ordering a SIM from StraightTalk. If I can do that, it'll mean no contracts, no BS and $50 a month versus ATT's rape-me prices that run close to $120 a month. I figure if it doesn't work correctly (unlikely, but just in case - there are a lot of testamonials from people who have done this) I'll just eat the $45 SIM card and go upgrade to an iPhone 5. Of course who knows if the 5 will be all that much of an improvement on the 4. I thought Siri was cool on the 4S (played with it in the store a few times) but nothing that would compel me to run out and blow another $400-$500 plus a contract for one. The 5 better be WORLDS better than the 4 otherwise it just won't be worth it to most people, including me. For not having to be on a contract, being rid of ATT and saving more than half off my bill every month, keeping my venerable 4 is pretty enticing...

Been mulling over a similar approach.

The thing holding me back from Straight Talk is losing the subsidized upgrades.

Yeah I know I'm still paying for the phone but it's a comfort thing.

My 4's are fine. Not a scratch on them, batteries are holding up.

I may wait to see what 4S prices look like when the 5 comes out.

If they are within the same price range as the subsidized 5 upgrade I may just dump ATT and resolve to be one model behind from now on.

I've thought sometimes about dumping AT&T and going with a no contract or smaller carrier.

Issues:
- Between the four of us, one or two phones get lost or broken every year.
- I want 4G.

Committing to a 2 yr contract sounds bad but in reality I have been under contract for ~ 10 years now anyway. With 5 phones (wife, teen son & daughter, self and MIL) I don't see dropping mobile service anytime soon. Before moving the clan to smart phones (Galaxy II Skyrocket - rooted custom ROM of course) my ATT monthly bill was ~ $160/month but now has swollen to $240/month with the larger data plan. Still cheaper than $50/phone through small carrier I guess.

And my coveted grandfathered unlimited:rolleyes: data plan.

Hard one to give up.

I don't fully understand the aversion from a contract on a service that you have pretty much a 0% chance of giving up. I've been with AT&T for 8 years, bring on the contract so I can get my cheap phone.

FWIW....
IPHONE 4, with a trimmed GoPhone simcard.
$26/month.
Unlimited text.
No contracts.

If you end up ditching your 4, give me a shout...would love to upgrade my wife's phone using the above specs.

It's the constant nickle and diming fuchdouchery.

Like the "upgrade" fee when you switch to a new phone. What is that all about?

If I pull my sim and put it into a phone I got out of network it functions just fine and there is no inability on their end to continue to charge me my contract amount.

My daughter just turned 12. Wanted an iPhone for her birthday. Not a big deal, can get her a refurbed 4 for $49 but it's the data plan that's the issue.

Right now her account is locked at the ATT network level out of everything but calls and texts.

I don't want her to be able to surf unless I am present and can supervise.

With an iPhone her account would still block access over ATT (not wifi) network but I'd have to pay for a data plan that can't be used.

Think about it, ATT, at my request, blocks data access on her phone but would still require me to pay for the feature ONLY because it's a smartphone.

4g, free turn by turn navigation (rumored), and a better antenna and phone quality (rumored). That's enough for me, though I would love to give AT&T the finger and go monthly.

iPhone does not bundle free voice guided navigation? My wife loves it on her Galaxy phone.

I have 4G on T-Mobile and pay $60/mo for unlimited everything, no contract. They do not support the iPhone at 4G speeds, but do at slower speeds. That's why I instead bought an unlocked Galaxy Nexus from Google and called it good. The cheapest I could get equivalent service for at ATT or Verizon was over $100/mo.

Nope. I think they have to for the 5 thanks to pressure from the Android phones.

Mapquest App.

Turn by turn voice guided navigation.

Free download.

Been using it for a couple of years.

I have it on my iPhone, but it's just ok. There's a Garmin app that has a monthly fee but is nearly identical to my Nuvi, I'll pay for a month when I really need it.

Turn by turn voice navigation is built in to iOS6 coming out next month.

Nokia Lumias have Nokia Drive, which is turn by turn, and also has full offline downloads.

May or may not be in WP8 for all other devices.

I think they'll all have it within the next 6 months or so without spending extra, iOS, WP8 and Android.