Mobile

AT&T reportedly limiting two-year contracts come June 1

AT&T reportedly limiting two-year contracts come June 1

Alexandra Burlacu

AT&T is reportedly getting ready to ditch two-year contracts come next month, instead redirecting customers to its Next plans.

Many users prefer to purchase devices without a contract, so as not to commit to a lengthy carrier agreement. At the same time, many prefer to get a new device on a monthly installment basis with a carrier and pay for it in affordable monthly increments instead of a long contract. The latter may rack up some higher costs in time, if you calculate the whole amount paid in total over the monthly installments. Other consumers, meanwhile, have no problem with being locked into a carrier agreement for two years and prefer to purchase devices on-contract, at subsidized prices.

If a new report turns out to be accurate, however, customers who want to purchase a device on a two-year contract from AT&T may have some surprises come next month. Starting June 1, AT&T reportedly plans to gradually replace its two-year contract options with AT&T Next plans.

The news comes from Droid Life, which claims to have received the information from several sources. The carrier will not ditch all two-year contracts altogether once next month kicks off, but their availability could be significantly limited.

"Once June 1 rolls around, it's going to be harder than ever to sign-up for a new 2-year contract at AT&T and buy a phone at a low subsidized price," Droid Life reports. "According to multiple sources of ours, the wireless carrier will begin transitioning to a world where contracts are on the backburner and AT&T Next is the option that will be presented to you when it's time to upgrade and your previous contract has ended. In some cases, it will be the only option you have, unless you feel like waiting a few extra days for your brand new phone to arrive," the publication further explains.

Moreover, AT&T will apparently no longer offer such contract options at National Retail Locations or Local Dealer stores come June 1, so it will be even more difficult to obtain such contracts.

If this report turns out to be accurate, AT&T customers that have an upgrade coming up after June 1 will likely be presented with AT&T Next as the recommended option rather than signing another two-year contract.

Nevertheless, customers who really want a new two-year contract once their existing one expired will reportedly be able to get it through Company Owned Retail locations, through customer service, or through AT&T's own website.

None of this is officially confirmed, however, so make sure to take this report with a grain of salt. If the news turns out to be accurate and AT&T plans to phase away two-year contracts come June 1, more information should become available shortly.

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