AT&T on Monday said it is trimming down its Next installment offerings from four to two as part of an effort to simplify its device purchase and upgrade options.
The carrier’s new pair of options, AT&T Next Every Year and AT&T Next, will offer upgrades every year or two years, respectively.
Similar to the old AT&T Next 12 plan, AT&T Next Every Year will include a 24-month financing term with the option to upgrade to a new device after 12 monthly payments or once half the retail cost of the device has been paid off. The plan will require the trade in of an eligible device.
The former AT&T Next 24 will become AT&T Next, and will offer a 30-month financing program with the option to upgrade after 24 months of monthly payments or once 80 percent of the retail device cost is paid off. AT&T Next will also require the trade in of an eligible device.
AT&T’s new plans will eliminate AT&T Next 18, which offered an upgrade option after a year and a half of payments, and AT&T Next with Down Payment, which required a down payment of 30 percent of the device cost and offered an upgrade option after 12 months.
But the down payment option will live on in the new plans.
AT&T said customers will be able to put money down at the time of purchase to reduce their monthly payments on either plan. Customers who own their old device will also be able to trade it in and apply the value toward the cost of their new device, the carrier said.
The new installment options will go into effect on June 9.