Worth it to upgrade from iPhone 5 to 6?

Why do you think the Next plan is a rip off? You can trade your phone without ever paying full price for it, and don't have to go through the hassle of selling and dealing with buyers. The only time you will pay full price is if you intend on keeping the device, and you can trade every 12 months. I did it for my daughter since she is always wanting the latest and greatest.

However, to get to your actual question, it really depends on your need. There are pros and cons to all devices. The iPhone 6 devices are faster than the iPhone 5, however the iPhone 5 does support most of the iOS8 features. Size is the only other "selling point" to the iPhone 6 series. So, if you want speed, size and the one larger capacity selection, then get one of the iPhone 6 series devices. If none of what was listed matters, then keep your 5. In the end, you are the one that is going to make your decision based on what is important to you, not what is important to me.

Of course it is a rent, but when you look at the full price of a phone, versus a subsidized phone with a contract, for the most part it is almost a moot point. You are also looking at what you expect to sell the phone for, and if that doesn't happen, then you lose. It all has to do with supply and demand, and it doesn't always turn out right. Timing is also big when it comes to selling your phone and since the iPhone 5 right now is the bottom of the available new pile, it won't hold value too long. But then again, that wasn't really your main question, so I apologize for getting off on the tangent before answering your real question. Everyone can have their own opinion of the US carriers' programs to get you into new devices. To be honest, I hate dealing with selling devices, and except for one, we have recycled our devices through the family until we all got the newer ones, and the older ones are all in their original boxes here at home, still functioning when they were put away, including my original iPhone.

I just hate the thought of dropping $700 plus on a phone. But again, that wasn't your real question was it. I also told you what I thought about that as well.

Only you can decide whether it's worth it or not depending on what you want and need in a phone, but as a point of reference, I just sold my iPhone 5 on Wednesday (32GB, AT&T in excellent condition) on eBay for $256....since I only paid $299 for myiPhone 6 64GB, it was close to a wash. I did the same with selling my 4 when I upgraded to the 5. There's a huge market for iPhones on eBay right now - they're selling like hotcakes, even broken ones.

The article that you linked was from right after they announced AT&T Next and they say that you also pay a subsidy which isn't true.

If you consider the 64GB iPhone 6 on contract (not the next plan) you pay $299 and your plan is $15 more each month and you pay a $40 activation fee. The contract is for 2 years so $15 x 24 = $360 + $299 + 40 = $699. At the end of your 2 years your bill will drop by $15 per month.

With AT&T Next you make equal payments to pay off the phone which with the iPhone 6 64GB is $749 so yes, it is $50 more going with AT&T Next.

Where the Next plan is great for some people is that you can upgrade sooner if you like to have the option to upgrade more often. If you like to get the new iPhone every year the Next plan enables you to do that. If you're okay waiting for every two years then the contract will save you a little bit of money. With Next you also have the option of paying off the phone at any time and selling it yourself. But I'm not sure when you would be able to get a new phone under Next or under contract if you did that.