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AT&T tries to move more customers to Mobile Share with cheaper 300MB and 2GB Mobile Share plans (update)

AT&T tries to move more customers to Mobile Share with cheaper 300MB and 2GB Mobile Share plans (update)

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AT&T (stock)
AT&T (stock)

It looks like AT&T wants to move more customers over to the iPhone 5 before the inevitable release of its successor this fall. According to CNET, AT&T customers who aren't yet eligible for a fully-subsidized upgrade can get an "early upgrade" price on the iPhone 5, which cuts $200 off the full retail cost of the device. That means that a customer who would pay the full $650 retail price for the 16GB iPhone 5 can pick one up for $450 along with a new two-year contract. It's a large chunk of change, but it's still a better deal than AT&T Next. It's likely a plan for AT&T to get rid of existing inventory before the next iPhone comes out, but it's not a bad option for those that need a new iPhone right now and aren't eligible for an upgrade. It's not the first time AT&T has offered such a discount to its customers, but the timing here definitely lines up with a push to clear out some hardware. We've reached out to AT&T to confirm this promo and will update this post with any other details we find.

AT&T's also revamping its mobile share plans a bit this week — as of July 26th, the carrier will start offering two new mobile share data options. There's a new 300MB per month plan for $20 per month as well as a currently-unpriced 2GB plan. The 2GB option slots in between the existing 1GB and 4GB plan, which are currently priced at $40 and $70 per month, respectively. We can only assume that the 2GB plan will slot in right between those in pricing. AT&T already offered a pretty wide selection of data buckets, but these new options are yet another sign that the carrier wants to move all of its customers over to mobile share plans as soon as it can — offering more granular choice over how much you spend on data should help on that front.

Update: In a statement to The Verge, AT&T clarified its early upgrade policies, which have not changed — customers with an account in good standing can take advantage of an "early upgrade" price after six months. The cost is $250 on top off the standard two-year contract pricing for a phone, making $449.99 the early upgrade price for a 16GB iPhone. However, AT&T also confirmed this offer is good for any device, not just the iPhone. The company has also revealed that the 2GB Mobile Share plan will cost $50 per month with a fee of $45 per month, per smartphone.