As with the other versions of this system, the value proposition with Next is dubious for anyone who doesn’t upgrade every year. Let’s take three high-end phones: Apple’s iPhone 5, Samsung’s Galaxy S 4, and HTC’s One. The unlocked versions of those phones all start at $649, and they’re commonly sold for $199 with a two-year contract.
Though the AT&T Next system requires you to pay no money up front, by the time 12 months have passed you will have paid $384 for a phone you can no longer keep if you decide to trade up.
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