Carriers are seeing success with equipment installment plans, Sprint is thinking about ending carrier subsidies altogether in favor of these plans, while AT&T is adding a longer payment period option to its Next plans. The existing Next 12 and Next 18 plans are now being joined by Next 24, so customers can choose between these 20 month, 24 month and 30 month installment plans, respectively.
On AT&T Next 24 subscribers will have a longer period of time on hand to pay off the cost of their device. If the device remains in good condition and 24 payments have been made, they will also be able to trade in their smartphone and upgrade to a new device.
Those who opt for the Next plans on AT&T’s Mobile Share Value plans receive a discount every other on access charge for that particular smartphone line. Adding a Next line to the aforementioned plan allows subscribers to save up to $25 per month on that line’s access charge for plans 10GB or higher.
Installments depend upon the device selected but they usually range between $10 to $50 per month. All devices available in the carrier’s lineup now can be bought on these plans. New and existing AT&T subscribers can sign up for the Next 24 plan which the carrier will start offering from November 9th.