Early Upgrade price changes coming to AT&T?

By Jerry Hildenbrand
last updated

We just received this one through the Android Central app, and with a little sleuthing (reports filed via the app are completely anonymous) we tied it to AT&T, based on the lingo.  QMP is what AT&T calls their feature phones (Quick Messaging Phones), and it looks like anyone looking to purchase off-contract or on a one-year commitment is going to be paying a little more come April 3.

According to the screenshot, the price of the iPhone will be going up by $50, while other smartphones like the Atrix 4G will be going up by $150 for a one year contract, and $50 if purchased outright.  How any rebates are going to affect this, is still unknown.  Nobody likes it when prices rise, but Android, BlackBerry, and WP7 fans will be hit the hardest.  And just when we thought AT&T was warming up to Android a little.  Thanks, Anon!

Jerry Hildenbrand
Jerry Hildenbrand
Senior Editor — Google Ecosystem

Jerry is an amateur woodworker and struggling shade tree mechanic. There's nothing he can't take apart, but many things he can't reassemble. You'll find him writing and speaking his loud opinion on Android Central and occasionally on Twitter.

31 Comments
  • Money Grubbing Bung Holes, that is why I refuse to be subjected to ATT
  • I don't like them
  • Thank god my business at account lets me upgrade when ever I want. I'm not lying I go to my sales guy and "hey vijay I want (insert phone name) what can you do?" Vijay says "let me see (upgrade cost) and ill refund the activation". Every time he does that i've upgraded three times last year. I am with at&t too :) .
  • Good for you.
  • SWEET BETTER THAN VERIZON'S P.O.S UPGRADE SH*T
  • 1yr Pricing is only $70 more than 2 year pricing, and to my knowledge their full retail prices are typically in line with other CDMA carriers. I'm not saying their policy is great by any means, but I just don't see how it is "worse" than these changes if ATT goes through with them.
  • Why would anyone want to be on AT&T?
  • Because they like dropped calls & tiered data plans?
  • Snorts!!! (Sprays coffee on Nook) +1
  • Funny, I've been with AT&T for 4yrs and never had drop call issues. In regards to the data plan...I used data a lot and no problem again as I never go over the limit. Overall I'm happy with them
  • What does it take to make people leave ATT
  • I hate ATT... Though, we have to realize, the ONLY reason ATT and Verizon dominate the mobile industry at the moment is because they offer more than just mobile services. They have cable, internet and home phone services too.. People like convenience so they say "Hey I just want ONE bill for everything"....consolidation makes everything seem less worse. I, for one, am with Sprint and LOVE it. I just laugh at the way people b*tch about Sprint taking the additional $75 off of the premier 1-yr upgraders(so now we only get $75 off after a year as opposed to $150), yet ATT and Verizon are taking people's wallets and taking advantage of them in a dark lonely room and people prefer ATT/Verizon over the cheaper, better deal, Sprint.
  • Sprint FTW!!:O)
  • I really like sprint's pricing, but the reason they're struggling so hard isn't because they don't sell landlines, it's because they gained a (well deserved) negative reputation for bungling the Nextel merger and then spent the next several years doing basically nothing about it PR/Marketing-wise. Because of that fiasco years ago a lot of customers have a bad taste in their mouth's when it comes to Sprint, and if they think Sprint is an inferior product, they expect it to be cheaper. This is why sprint's "we're cheaper than everyone" campaign could've actually harmed them. I don't want to see sprint fail, I think they work amazingly for a lot of people. But a large reason of why they're struggling now are mistakes they made in the past. As for Tmobile? Their issue was spectrum related. They sucked once you got out of major cities (I had tmobile as my first phone). That's why they didn't get any bigger. People who had them work, loved them, and a lot of people wished Tmobile would cover them, but there's only so much they could do with the limited spectrum they had.
  • For us it took them trying to gouge us for an extra $200...said adios and haven't looked back! US Cellular ftw! Seriously, if they are an option where you live you'd be doing yourself a favor to check them out!
  • A carrier with decent service in my area would get me to leave. ATT has the best coverage for me and thats what counts to me. No dropped calls here either.
  • Maybe this is their way of finding out.
  • I'm sure they are just showing the FCC what direction they plan on going with prices if the merger is approved.
  • another reason why competition is good and att/tmobile merger is not.
    without competition prices will rise unhindered
  • i guess att has to come up with money for the tmobile buy out
  • We always knew ASS T&T never cared much for android WHO CARES ABOUT THEM. I AM SURPRISED THEY HAVE ANY TRUE CUSTOMERS OH I FORGOT THEY HAVE THOSE BUMS THAT HAVE AN IPHONE.. NOTHING BEATS SPRINT... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlkT7gRM0xo&feature=youtube_gdata_player
  • funny how certain businesses, cell phone companies, health insurance, gas/electric companies can provide less and charge more and besides a few grumbles here and there it seems to be okay with everyone. I own a small business, if pulled that crap more than once, my business would drop like a brick.
  • Jerry, maybe I'm just too tired, it being Friday and all, but your post structure is semi-incoherent. According to that chart, Off Contract and 1 year Commitment price increases exclude the iPhone entirely and only the Early Upgrade increases their price by $50. The wording of your second paragraph, first sentence mixes apples (excuse the pun) with oranges. Either way, it sure reads like AT&T is trying to crawl further up Apple's ass while slamming all other smartphones.
  • Jebus these phone prices are getting crazy. My n1 was$ 529 outright which was 30 more than average at the time. The Atrix is currently$ 599. So they are saying that it'll be$650 off contract? That's$ 150 more than phones were at this time last year. That is nearly 33% more.
  • Looks like screwing over everyone but iPhone yet again.
    This is pathic that they are doing this. I would not be surpise if they are trying to figure out how to make us buy the phone out right and lock us into a 2 year contract.
  • Once they start losing customers to sprint and vzw they might sing a different tune.
  • EVERYTHING IS BETTER THAN VERIZON... VERIZON IS A BIG EPIC FAIL!!!
  • Just joined Verizon from T-Mobile, couldn't be happier. Live in the LTE area and things are good. With a Carrier with a future Network that will get nothing but better. Only spending 14 bucks more a month on a plan that has UNLIMITED DATA. Not too shabby I think.
  • And everyone was bitching about the price of the xoom?! Try paying $500+ for a fukin phone!!!
  • This is EXACTLY why we don't want AT&T to take over T-Mobile! AT&T will keep raising prices and the others will follow.
  • Left T-Mobile after being a customer for a very long time. Own 4 of their best devices that will soon be paper weights. That is why I am so pissed off, no one can give me back over $2.000.00 I spent on them. I went to Verizon, bought the Thunderbolt with UNLIMITED DATA.My end price was only $14.00 more a month then what I was spending on T-Mobile. The best part is now I am on a future network that will get nothing but better. I live in a LTE area now and I am very, very happy with my new phone, plan and CARRIER.
    PS II never thought I would ever leave T-Mobile, live also in their
    HSPA+ area and was getting fast speeds with them also. Just couldn't see myself giving them anymore $$ after dumping over 2000 bucks for future paper weights and a future with AT&T and unrealistic Data caps that are just praying you go over so they can zing you with overage chargers.