AT&T confirmed it is raising the prices of its handsets for customers looking to upgrade early or buy without a commitment. The statement was sent from an AT&T representative to BGR and contained the following statement:
“We’ve updated our early upgrade and no commitment price points for smartphones and feature phones. Only customers who are not yet upgrade eligible or who do not want to sign a contract are impacted. As mobile devices become more sophisticated, their cost goes up. This change reflects the increased costs, while still allowing us to offer customers the latest device before they qualify. We’re happy to discuss individual account and upgrade needs one-on-one with customers.”
Over the weekend, an earlier leaked screengrab hinted the price of Quick messaging phones and feature phones will increase by $10 on a one-year commitment and by $20 without a contract. Smartphones, including the iPhone, will see a similar price increase with one-year prices jumping up a whopping $150 and no contract prices climbing an additional $50. These prices were not confirmed in the official statement from AT&T, so it may be more or less when the pricing adjustment finally goes live.