Sprint today announced it will add a 12-month lease option to its “iPhone for Life” program. Where Sprint customers were previously able to claim a 16GB iPhone 6 for zero down and $20 per month on the 24-month program, they can now spend $30 per month and shorten the upgrade cycle to one year.
Beginning Nov. 14, all models of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be available on 12-month leases at monthly rates ranging from $30 to $45. At the end of the 12 months, customers have the option to turn in their device for a new one, pay off the remaining balance, keep leasing on a month-to-month basis, or turn in the phone and terminate service.
When the plan originally launched in September, a Sprint spokesperson couldn’t confirm if the carrier would offer an annual upgrade option with its iPhone leasing program. But it stands to reason it would in order to appeal to iPhone diehards who wouldn’t want to miss a model due to a 24-month lease.
“Consumers have told us they want the best value and the ability to upgrade their devices every year,” Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said in a statement.
Sprint this month began offering a $15 monthly discount on the iPhone for Life program to Sprint customers who wished to stick with their Unlimited My Way, My All-in, Simply Everything and Everything Data (Share) rate plans. Sprint did not immediately respond whether the same credit will be applied for legacy customers who choose a 12-month plan.
Also starting Nov. 14 Sprint will start offering the iPhone 5S on a 24-month lease program priced $18 per month for a 16GB model, $21 per month for a 32GB model, and $24 per month for a 64GB model.