AT&T is going to make it more expensive for customers to upgrade smartphones before their contracts are up.
With regard to the iPhone, for example, AT&T customers eager to upgrade to the iPhone 4 before they are eligible for upgrade or their current contract expires will now have to pay $50 more.
Beginning this week, the new pricing for early upgrades looks like this: 8GB iPhone 3GS is $299, the 16GB iPhone 4 is $449, and the 32GB iPhone 4 is $549.
“We’ve updated our early upgrade and no commitment price points for smartphones and feature phones,” an AT&T representative tells Apple Insider. “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.”
According to the published report, no-commitment pricing on the iPhone 4 sits at $599 for the 16GB model, and $699 for 32GB of capacity.
The early upgrade price changes also impact other smartphones, though the fees associated with iPhone upgrades are most expensive.
