Sprint Returns Two-Year Contracts After One Month Because of Commitment Fears
Sprint decided to stop offering subsidized phones on January 7 this year when you signed a two-year contract. Now the opportunity is back. It is very difficult.
Today, if you buy a phone from Sprint, you can use the old model where you pay a small (or no) down payment to get a new phone in advance and agree to stay with Sprint for two years. After the two-year period, you become the owner of your phone. Sprint resurrected the option after a brief flirtation in order to get rid of it because customers requested it, according to a statement provided by Fierce Wireless.
As we’ve noted many times in the past, buying phones by contract , despite consumer demand, sucks . A quick glance at Sprint’s website reveals that due to the recently returned contract option, it is very difficult to tell which options will save you money.
For example, you can buy an iPhone 6S in installments (where you just slowly pay off your phone) and it will cost you $ 67.09 a month including service, or $ 1,610.16 over two years. However, if you opt for the subsidized plan, you will be charged $ 200 up front, plus $ 65 each month for the same time frame, for a total of $ 1,760, or about $ 150 extra. You won’t get your phone sooner, there are no additional benefits, but it costs more and you will still be using Sprint for two years. Some phones actually get cheaper with a subsidy, but without the math, it’s not entirely clear which ones .
Undoubtedly, some clients have definitely missed this opportunity as most of us have gotten used to it over the years. Sprint remains the last carrier to offer a subsidized option, however. For everyone else, you should either buy your phone straight away or pay for it monthly for a longer period of time. While Sprint might not want to stick with its new no-contract plans for two years just because it tried them for a month, you can still do it with the phones you buy from Sprint.
Sprint Revives Two-Year Wireless Service Contracts to Give Customers More Options | Fierce Wireless via The Verge