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AT&T Confirms Early Upgrade Price Changes for Smartphones

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There were rumors swirling last Friday that early upgrade price changes were coming to AT&T. Now the carrier has confirmed to BGR that it has made changes to its upgrade pricing, a move that is likely not going to sit well with its customers.

AT&T

The carrier has confirmed that off-contract early upgrade pricing for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, Android devices and Windows Phone 7 supported handsets has gone up $50 and the price for all of these devices when bought on a one-year contract has gone up $150.

Here is what AT&T had to say:

Only customers who are not yet upgrade eligible or who do not want to sign a contract are impacted. As mobile devices become more sophisticated, their cost goes up. This change reflects the increased costs, while still allowing us to offer customers the latest device before they qualify. We’re happy to discuss individual account and upgrade needs one-on-one with customers.

The carrier did not comment on how rebates will play into this, if at all.

These price changes are now being employed by AT&T so those that were hoping to make a change while still on-contract or were hoping to get a device with a one-year contract are going to have to shell out quite a bit more money.

As an AT&T customer and someone that was looking at possibly upgrading early to a Motorola Atrix 4G, this policy is an extremely disheartening piece of news. That extra $50 has not only dissuaded me from doing the upgrade but it also has been thinking about leaving AT&T when my contract is up in August.

AT&T would’ve had another customer (me) locked into another two years, but instead, they have yet another person thinking about jumping ship.

Anyone else in the same boat?

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. Zeuxidamas

    04/05/2011 at 1:35 am

    Kind of, as a T-Mobile customer under the risk of being assimilated by the Collective. Personally, I do not feel any carrier is justified charging anything more than $499 for an off-contract phone. The carriers continuously make me feel as if the early adopters and tech champions are the ones they target punishing with policies like these. If you want a product to sell, put it in the hands of techuber-geeks who can recommend it to mainstream consumers. AT&T’s draconian policies continue to make me pray the tmo acquisition does not go through.

  2. Bob68

    04/05/2011 at 2:16 am

    I thought one-year contracts were ancient history… So, I could have gotten an HTC Inspire for a kinda/sorta reasonable price, and then upgraded after 10 months once AT&T worked out all its LTE nonsense, but now I will have to pay $150 on top of that, or keep using my Backflip (yes, I admit to it) until July or longer?? No one told me 1-year contracts were still an option!

  3. Cuhulin

    04/05/2011 at 8:42 am

    Makes me think that AT&T is feeling more monopoly power already.

  4. Erik Bailey

    06/29/2011 at 4:00 am

    I had my iPhone 4 stolen a few months ago and, of course, was left with my dick in my hand. I tracked it to the perp’s home, but since they didnt come to the door and po po’s didnt have a warrant, they couldnt do anything. The phone doesnt show up on MobileMe anymore. So to get another iPhone 4 I decided to wait unti my Oct. ’11 upgrade date. I checked while at best buy the other day and my Upgrade date has been moved to MARCH ’12! Anyone know why this happened? Now i;m forced to pay the early upgrade price(Motorola Atrix). MY contract is up in OCtober and I’ve been a “valued customer” since 2000! AT&T keeps pissing me off more and more. Advice:Dont get your phone STOLEN!!!!! BTW, what is the early upgrade price on the Atrix? $299?

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