AT&T extends wait for phone upgrades to two years

Advertisement
By Associated Press | Updated: 11 June 2013 15:21 IST
AT&T extends wait for phone upgrades to two years
AT&T is extending from 20 months to 24 months the time it takes for customers on contract-based plans to earn a fully subsidized upgrade to a new phone.

The move announced Sunday follows an identical one by Verizon Wireless in April. AT&T Inc.'s new policy applies to any customer whose contract expires in March 2014 or later.

Extending the time between phone upgrades saves the phone companies money, since they subsidize each new phone by hundreds of dollars to make it available to customers for $199 or less. AT&T executives had said they planned to rein in spending on phone upgrades this year.

The change reflects the growing popularity of expensive smartphones. Verizon subsidized upgrades after just 13 months until January 2011, just before it introduced the iPhone, one of the most expensive phones on a wholesale basis. Carriers pay Apple over $600 for it.

Dallas-based AT&T is the country's second-largest cellphone carrier. It activated 6 million smartphones in the first three months of this year.

Advertisement

AT&T shares rose 55 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $36 in morning trading. The shares hit a five-year high of $39 in April.

Breaking with industry practices, No. 4 wireless carrier T-Mobile USA ditched its service contracts and phone-upgrade waiting periods in March. It now sells phones on installment plans, giving customers more flexibility on the timing of their phone upgrades.

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: smartphones, telecom
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Vivo V60 Launching Today: Everything You Need to Know
  2. Redmi Pad 2 Review: The Budget Tablet Done Right
  3. Flipkart Independence Day Sale 2025 Will Start on This Date
  4. iQOO 15 Teased Again as iQOO Prepares to Launch Its Next Flagship Phone
  5. Sony WF-C710N Review: Best Noise Cancellation Deal from Sony
  6. You Now Have a Higher Usage Limit With ChatGPT-5, But Not for Long
  7. Oppo Enco Buds 3 Pro Debut in India With Up to 54 Hours of Battery Life
  8. Realme GT 8 Launch Teased; Tipster Leaks Key Specifications Ahead of Debut
  9. Inspector Zende OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Manoj Bajpayee Starrer Thriller Online?
  10. HTC Wildfire E4 Plus With 50-Megapixel Camera Launched: See Price
  1. Vivo V60 Launching Today: Know Price, Features, Specifications and More
  2. SpaceX to Fly Italian Science Experiments to Mars on Starship in 2026
  3. SWOT Satellite Captures Tsunami Wave After Kamchatka Quake
  4. Inspector Zende OTT Release Date: When and Where to Watch Manoj Bajpayee Starrer Thriller Online?
  5. Microsoft Lens App to Be Retired at the End of This Year, Company Suggests Users Switch to Copilot
  6. Smartphone Shipments in India Grew 7.3 Percent YoY in Q2 2025; Vivo Retains Top Spot
  7. Microsoft Faces Lawsuit Over Decision to End Windows 10 Support
  8. Oppo Find X9 Ultra to Feature Bigger Dual-Cell Battery Than Find X8 Ultra, Tipster Claims
  9. Samsung Galaxy M17 5G Reportedly Listed on Google Play Console Ahead of Debut
  10. Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 Live Image Surfaces on Safety Korea Database in Sign of Imminent Launch
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.