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T-Mobile exec blasts AT&T over Next plan, claims consumers pay double

Published Jul 16th, 2013 4:15PM EDT
AT&T Next T-Mobile

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In response to T-Mobile’s recent Jump intuitive, AT&T on Tuesday announced a similar program called AT&T Next that allows subscribers to upgrade their phones once every 12 months. What’s more, subscribers aren’t required to pay a down payment, an activation fee, an upgrade fee or a financing fee. Monthly payments will vary depending on the device, ranging from $15 a month to $50 a month, in addition to a customer’s monthly service plan. AT&T’s ambitious plan was surely meant to challenge T-Mobile, however T-Mobile’s executives aren’t worried so far.

Andrew Sherrard, T-Mobile’s senior vice president of marketing, called AT&T Next a “poor imitation” of T-Mobile’s Jump plan. The executive claimed that AT&T’s plan is misleading and will cost customers more than they think. Sherrard noted that unlike T-Mobile, AT&T hasn’t reduced the price of its service plans, despite offering smartphones at full price.

“They’re charging you twice on the same phone and calling that a good deal,” he said in an interview with CNET, adding that AT&T Next doesn’t include insurance, which Jump does. “As people dig into this, they’ll find it’s a much better deal to go with Jump.”

Verizon is also rumored to be preparing to launch a similar plan, known as VZ Edge, that will also compete with T-Mobile. Sherrard isn’t worried, however, and believes Jump will stack up well with whatever Verizon will announce.

Dan joins the BGR team as the Android Editor, covering all things relating to Google’s premiere operating system. His work has appeared on Fox News, Fox Business and Yahoo News, among other publications. When he isn’t testing the latest devices or apps, he can be found enjoying the sights and sounds of New York City.