AT&T Does Not Offer 2-Year Contracts On Mobile Phones In 2016

AT&T will not be offering 2-year phone deals to its customers in 2016.

The telecommunications service provider, AT&T, would stop offering two-year deals on all cellular phones, including non-smartphones, started on January 8, 2015. The news was disclosed when an internal document distributed amongst the organization’s workers was shared with Engadget on December 30, 2015.

The said document depicts that AT&T would introduce what it calls a “pricing simplification effort." Consumers who are interested in purchasing new phones could only do so through the payment of their selected product or AT&T Next installment plan.

The disclosed document also came with an FAQ in which workers are told, "existing customers can choose to purchase a new smartphone on AT&T Next or pay no-commitment price." Additionally, existing customers who are interested in getting a newly introduced Quick Messaging Device, also called QMD (non-smartphones with full keyboard), or a basic phone could exercise the option to make payments upfront or attain it through an installment plan. The regulation would be applied to workers with EMO accounts.

AT&T emailed to Techno Buffalo saying, “With $0 down for well-qualified customers, the ability to upgrade early and down payment options available with even lower monthly installments, our customers are overwhelmingly choosing AT&T Next. Starting January 8, AT&T Next will be the primary way to get a new smartphone at AT&T. This does not apply to business customers under a qualified wireless service agreement."

It has not been confirmed yet, though, if such changes would have an impact on wearable products, such as Tablets and Samsung Gear S2, delivered by the Texas based organization through their 2-year contracts.

T-Mobile was the first to ditch deal plans 2 years ago. Verizon and Sprint were able to follow in August 2015, they made an announcement that they will no longer sell any deals. Although AT&T has leaned towards this proposal previously in 2015 when they began to eliminate 2-year deal on iPhones, it is the slowest to stop offering the deal in every cellular phone offered by it.

TechCrunch has reported that the phone-monitoring corporation ‘Carrier IQ’ has been purchased now by the telecom. The examination of Carrier IQ was initiated four years ago when the masses discerned about its user data seizing habits on more than 140 million mobile phones. It was able to access whenever and wherever people texted or called, particular applications they used, and a number of habits as far as mobile usage is concerned, and how major telecoms such as HTC, Sprint, Apple and AT&T were used.