Apple is preparing a significant expansion of its iPhone sales capabilities in its official retail stores, according to sources. Late in August, many Apple Stores in the United States will kick off a pilot program for customers to be able to purchase a new iPhone via the latest carrier upgrade programs: AT&T Next, T-Mobile JUMP, and Verizon Edge. Currently, iPhones bought at Apple Stores must either be purchased on a two-year deal, or at full-price (unlocked) with no contract…
AT&T Next allows customers to upgrade to a new phone every 12 or 18 months with no down payment upgrade fee, activation, or financing fee. The price of the phone is rolled into the monthly service bill. T-Mobile JUMP allows customers to upgrade to a new smartphone at their leisure, and the price of the phone is also packed into the monthly phone bill. Verizon EDGE is similar is similar to the T-Mobile and AT&T programs, and it allows the price of the phone to be paid off over the course of 20 months. Sprint also has a similar One Up program, but sources did not have any information on Apple supporting those (yet).
This new pilot program will likely be rolled out to Apple Stores later in 2014 after the initial kinks are worked out in the test markets, a source said. It’s also no coincidence that the program is rolling out just ahead of the iPhone 6 launch in September. As part of Tim Cook’s plan to dramatically boost iPhone sales in his own stores, Cook does not want to miss any iPhone 6 sales opportunities in Apple Stores, and supporting the latest carrier upgrade programs will help ensure that. Apple will be introducing a 4.7-inch iPhone around mid-September, with a larger 5.5-inch model to hit the market later this year.
Apple Stores will be training extensively for this new program between August 10th and August 28th, we reported yesterday. We also noted that Apple is working on improvements to Genius Bar customer service. This iPhone sales expansion will mark the second improvement in recent months. In June, Apple began allowing iPhones to be purchased through its stores on month-to-month and pre-paid plans. It is possible that Apple decides not to go through with the pilot testing as yet-to-be-launched initiatives can always be cancelled late in development. We’ve reached out to Apple, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and AT&T for comment on this story, and we’ll update if we hear back from any of those companies.
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Reblogged this on Taste of Apple and commented:
Good news for customers. The more options in Apple stores, the better for customers. It is likely that Apple will sell more iPhones to customers in their own stores rather than in their partner’s stores with these expanded upgrade options.
I wonder if they will be factory unlocked!
Doubt it since you aren’t purchasing it at full price up front.
Wow, very lazy. The graffic is almost a year old and most of the data is no longer correct.
Verizon Edge is actually 20 monthly payments
Verizon EDGE is 20 month financing agreement, with the ability to upgrade after 30 days as long as 60% of the device is paid off and traded in. No upgrade or activations fees.
Sprint One-up no longer exists, it is now sprint EasyPay which is the same as the plan above explains. One time $36 Activation/Upgrade fee.
AT&T next has a few different options when looking at financing a device, there is a 12 or 18 month financing agreement with the ability to upgrade every 12 months. There is no upgrade or activation fees.
And everyone knows about Jump by t-mobile (groundbreaking in the US market) which led to the rest of the rest of the US carriers to do the same type of purchasing program.
The description of AT&T Next is completely wrong now. There are two versions (Next 12 or Next 18) and consumers can have up to 4 installment plans per account. Please check your sources, before you post erroneous data.
Verizon info is out of date. It’s 20 monthly payments and at least 60% of the device paid off. Also, able to upgrade after 30 days as long as device is paid at least 60%, not 6 months.
Verizon is 20 monthly payments with 60% paid off. Also, upgrade every 30 days if you want, just have to pay the remaining up to 60%
Verizon is incorrect. It’s 20 payments, not 24. Also, it’s 60% of the device must be paid before edging-up, not 50%. Also, you can Edge Up after 30 days, not 6 months, as long as you have paid the 60% amount.
You can have up to four lines with a Next program on it with AT&T.
And they have the option of deciding the payments over 24 months as well, you upgrade at 18 months on that plan.
Paying for any phone over 24 months seems an awfully expensive way of buying a phone. Cheaper, at least here in UK, is buying an unlocked phone plus getting a “sim-only” contract.
It’s only paying the retail cost of the device, just like you would if you purchased it outright. There are no financing fees (Atleast on AT&T Next, I don’t know about the other ones.) So technically, there is no contract on the line, it’s a financing agreement on the device. With Mobile Share, those who are out of contract or on AT&T Next get a bill credit of $15 or $25 on each line out of contract.
Mark, can you verify whether this is phone only or are tablet purchases included as well?
This is great news! :D
Why are you printing rumor and misinformation as fact? The 5.5 will be releasing at the same time the 4.7 is, not “later this year” as if that would make sense from any vantage point. Apple has never done nor have they gave any indication they would do something as damaging to customer base and to sales. Sigh.