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iPhone Upgrade Program Makes It Easy to Switch Carriers
Much of the talk about Apple’s new iPhone Upgrade Program has focused on the great pricing. And for “gotta-have-it” upgraders, it is a pretty good deal: about $30 to $45 per month (depending on the model), plus $129—spread out over 24 interest-free installments—for AppleCare, which is among the few extended-warranty programs we recommend for certain consumers.
By choosing the iPhone Upgrade Program, you can opt for a brand-new phone after a year or pay off the one you already have and treat yourself to monthly savings. AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon confirmed to us that service costs will be the same for iPhone Upgrade Program devices as they are for models bought from the carriers themselves. Not bad.
Even better: It’s super easy to change carriers. That’s because you’re dealing with Apple for the phone, not with the carrier. Fed up with spotty Sprint coverage in your area? Bring the phone to AT&T. Not happy with Verizon prices? Hello, T-Mobile. So long as you’re not currently tied to a two-year carrier plan, you can pick out a new iPhone and a new service provider while you’re at it.
What’s more, if you pay off your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, you might even be able to bring that phone to another carrier. Here’s why: Apple appears to be making only two versions of those phones. One seems to be compatible with the LTE networks of Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and a vast number of international carriers. The other supports AT&T’s LTE network, along with more than 30 smaller domestic carriers, including Boost, Consumer Cellular, Credo, Cricket, Net10, Straight Talk, and U.S. Cellular. (Read our report on the best and worst cell phone carriers.)
Apple’s site warns that LTE band support for the models listed will be based on whether those models are configured for CDMA networks (Sprint and Verizon) or GSM networks (AT&T and T-Mobile). Our engineers will be testing the phones for cross-carrier compatibility once they’re available on September 25.
If it turns out you can bring a Verizon phone to T-Mobile, how cool would that be?
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