Back in July, T-Mobile introduced its “Jump!” pricing plan. The mobile provider’s new plan, instead of subsidizing the cost of new smartphones, allows customers to pay for their devices on a monthly basis. In addition, customers on the plan can upgrade to newer smartphones on a yearly basis instead of being locked into a two-year contract.
Within days of T-Mobile’s announcement, AT&T and Verizon had both announced similar plans with their “Next” and “Edge” programs, respectively. Sprint seemed to be the only major U.S. carrier caught off guard by the new system. Now, with its big SoftBank merger out of the way, Sprint is coming around with its own unsubsidized plan.
According to a CNET report, Sprint is readying “One Up,” its monthly payment plan for smart devices. The service is reportedly scheduled to start on September 20 – the same day the new iPhone 5S launches in the U.S.
“One Up” will be very similar to competing plans, allowing customers to pay for smartphones over the course of 24 monthly payments. Customers can trade in their current smartphone after one year and upgrade to a newer one.
It appears that Sprint will be positioning “One Up” as the least expensive of the new unsubsidized plans carriers are now offering. In a chart provided by CNET, Sprint estimates the cost of one year or “One Up” as being around $220 less expensive that T-Mobile’s “Jump!,” which is less expensive than both AT&T’s and Verizon’s offerings.