Submitted by Thomas Estilow on
AT&T may begin offering its customers discounts on new phones if they trade in an older model. Rumors of a possible June launch to the program have iPhone enthusiasts buzzing about the implications. The possibility of a next-generation iPhone launch to coincide with a trade-in policy means users returning their old phone could get up to $200 back if the device is in good shape.
Preliminary rules indicate the phone being returned can't be more than two years old. Depending on what shape the phone is in and the model, trade-ins will net the customer $50 to $200 bucks off their purchase of a new phone.
If an existing customer purchases the new phone before the 18-21 month upgrade window, the trade-in value will be the only discount and no subsidy will be applied. AT&T may be trying to cut down on unhappy customers who may have purchased a phone only to see a newer model released days after their trial period ended.
Providing an alternative to the online used phone sales on various websites might be good for AT&T assuming they can do something with the used phones. However, users could probably make more money selling their used equipment directly to a third party, especially in the case of the iPhone.