Two-year contracts and subsidized phone purchases are back at Sprint

Last month, a leaked memo allegedly revealed the end of two-year contracts and subsidized phone pricing at Sprint. But it appears that there has been a change at the nation's fourth largest carrier. The mobile operator has reportedly decided that the best way to give its customers more choices is to bring back the two-year contract.

Those Sprint customers looking to obtain a new handset now have four options. They can lease them, pay for them in monthly installments, pay the full retail price of the phone, or sign a 24-month service contract. Let's take a look at the 16GB Apple iPhone 6s, no doubt a popular choice at the carrier. Leasing the model will cost you $26.39 a month. The installment plan would work out to $27.09 a month over 24 months. $649.99 is the full retail price of the unit, and with a signed two-year pact the cost is $199.99 just like the good ol' days.

With leases, the carriers have more flexibility to offer quicker upgrades. Thanks to leasing, Sprint can offer things like their iPhone Forever and Galaxy Forever plans. These leasing deals allow you to impress your friends, family, co-workers, the boss and your dog by making sure that you're always rockin' the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S handset. And with T-Mobile's JUMP! On Demand, consumers can upgrade to a new phone up to three times a year. Whether you lease or go for an installment plan, your out of pocket costs are lower at the time of purchase than if you signed a 24-month contract and purchased a subsidized handset.

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If you have a decent memory, you probably recall that T-Mobile was the first of the carriers to end subsidized pricing and the two-year pact. The other guys followed suit, at least originally. Now it appears that the two-year contract to Sprint executives is like that ex boyfriend or girlfriend that you just can't stop coming back to no matter how bad he or she is for your mental or physical health.

source: FierceWireless
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