AT&T Next: Finally, A Way To Get A New Phone Without A 2-Year Wait

Do you suffer from phone envy? I can admit that cell phones are my weak spot and it drives me crazy when I don’t have the latest gadget. I usually count down my eligibility for a phone upgrade like one would a prison sentence. Only 4 months, three days, and five hours until I can trade in this outdated phone…

The two-year upgrade cycle has been the standard, but AT&T just changed all that with a new program called AT&T Next. In a nutshell, if you sign up for AT&T Next you can upgrade your phone (or tablet) as frequently as once a year. There is no down payment, no activation fee, no upgrade fee, and no financing fee. It is a pretty sweet deal, especially if you are always lusting after the latest phone.

Here’s how it works. Just divide the full, no-contract price of whatever phone or tablet you want by 20.  This will be your monthly price for a new smartphone or tablet under the AT&T Next program. For example, an iPhone 5 (16 GB) would be $32.50/mo, the Lumia 1020 would be $33/mo, and the Galaxy S 4 would be $32/mo. AT&T Next is available with all of their smartphones and tablets, so it makes getting the latest device really affordable.

After 12 months, you can either trade in your phone or tablet for something new, or you can keep using it and have no more installment payments after 20 months.  You can read all the fine print on the AT&T Next site, but overall it is a great deal. Just the fact that you don’t have to pay a financing, activation or upgrade fee puts it a step ahead of plans offered by other carriers. I’ve included a video below, which gives a nice overview of how AT&T Next works.

Update (Nov 2013): If you are looking at the new iPad Air, you can pay $629 for the WiFi + cellular model, or use AT&T Next to break that down into monthly installments of $31.50. It works out to be the same cost for the tablet either way, but the monthly installments are easier on the family budget.

Update (Dec 2013): For those who wanted to see a lower monthly rate after paying off the cost of the phone, AT&T now has Mobile Share Value Plans. When you combine the Mobile Share Value Plans with AT&T Next, you get a way to reduce your monthly cell phone bill and you can avoid paying a large, lump sum for a new phone or tablet. When you pay off your phone (you choose if you want a 12 or 18 month payment plan), your monthly bill will then go down. It is a great deal worth checking out.

Image via AT&T

Share this:

• Facebook
• X
• Pinterest
• Reddit
• Email