- Aside from the usual feature hype of Apple's new iPhones, it's the company's new financing plans that throw an interesting wrinkle at service providers, who have usually financed phones -- and some analysts figure T-Mobile (TMUS +0.6%) and Sprint (S -1.2%) have an edge with the new arrangement.
- Wells Fargo's Jennifer Fritzsche notes the two have cheaper ways of getting the phone: T-Mobile's monthly offering of $20-$24/month, even with optional insurance of $8/month, still beats Apple's cheapest $32/month by $4. Meanwhile, Sprint's 24-month "iPhone forever" offering is $22/month (or even cheaper, $15/month, for those jumping this year).
- The carriers have more comprehensive insurance as well, since AppleCare doesn't cover lost or stolen phones.
- Switching carriers gets easier with Apple's new approach, to which leaders AT&T (T -0.1%) and Verizon (VZ +0.1%) are most vulnerable, she says. “However, we note that the vast majority (90%+) of T and VZ’s customer base is on corporate or family plans, which tend to be the stickiest customers.”
- Meanwhile, at T-Mobile, John Legere is now pushing a "lifetime coverage guarantee" that offers refunds for device payments for unhappy iPhone 6s and 6s Plus buyers who use the carrier's Jump On Demand device plan, along with getting an unlocked device.
- Previously: Sprint up 3.4% as it introduces plan to upgrade iPhones anytime (Aug. 17 2015)