I want to add a line. Worth switching to a new plan?
I need to add a family member to our plan. Here's what we've got right now:
- Magenta MAX 3 lines (3rd was free as promo)
- 2/3 phones are BYOD (although one shows as an iPhone 13 when it's really a OP13)
- 18/24mo (6mo left) on 1 line 'till payoff ($200 to pay off or $33.34/mo credit until $0.00). Phone is a Pixel 9 with no signs of wear.
- We use ~30GB/mo +/- 5GB of data
- We use Netflix
Currently, we're paying ~$177/mo after T&F w/ Autopay disc ($10).
If I go online and add a line, the bill increases $46.67/mo w/ a P10 Pro added ($16.67/mo for 24mo promo). Can get Pixel Buds for free but IDRC. That would now become ~$223/mo w/ Autopay disc (plus the 1-time $10 line fee & taxes on the P10 Pro).
However, if we go with a new account, it's looking like ~$205/mo not incl T&F. This would be the "Better Value Plan (promo)" at $170/mo. It has a lot of the same options we have now.
The $205/mo would include 2 phones BYOD, 1 new iPhone 17, and 1 new P10 Pro. Up front would be $182.43 (taxes + 1-time line charges). For the sake of saying we're gonna be tied for 24mo bc of the phones, I'd have to pay off the P9 at $200. Noting that, I can trade it in for the iPhone 17 and get it for $0.00/24mo. The P10 Pro would also be $0.00/24.
I understand we won't be able to upgrade for 2 years bc of the whole 2x2y change. The 2 BYOD phones won't need to be upgraded. Those should last us quite a while longer.
Essentially for the new plan, we'd have to pay off the P9, cancel the account, move to a new account (question incoming) to get the promo stuffs, and port a line. Otherwise, it's + 46.xx to just...add a line to our existing plan.
Questions:
- What makes the most sense here? Either way this pans out, the 4th line will contribute ~$50/mo based on my calculations rendering the difference for either option net neg or net 0. We won't get the iPhone 17 but once the P9 is paid off it's a matter of either getting the iPhone on whatever promo is available and adding to the bill (which then makes the 4th line $50 contribution net positive bc it won't likely be $0.00/24mo).
- Are there going to be any hoops to jump if we cancel our current account and put the new account to a different person..say...my partner? Is the account linked by address or name?
- The new plan has the 5 year price guarantee but our Magenta MAX plan doesn't. This worries me that they'll start pushing the bill higher. Am I correct?
- Is there anything I'm missing? The iPhone 17 isn't a deal breaker.