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AT&T: iPhone 4S users won't get discounted pricing for the iPhone 5
Numerous readers have written in to tell us that AT&T is not offering them upgrade pricing for the iPhone 4S to the iPhone 5. The iPhone 4S went on sale in mid-October of 2011, so even those in the first round of buyers are only midway through a two-year contract. Domestically, you can check your individual account status via Apple's iPhone 5 eligibility page, covering all three US carriers. In other countries, there should be similar carrier check-in links on the local version of store.apple.com. Customers who bought the 4S from AT&T signed on for a 24-month contract in exchange for a lower, subsidized purchase price for the phone (actual retail price $400 higher than what you paid, made up for over the life of the contract in service charges). It shouldn't be a big surprise that most aren't eligible for an upgrade barely a year later. What is causing the frustration is not policy but precedent: AT&T has offered upgrading pricing to many customers when the "new" iPhone came out, even to those who had purchased last year's model and signed a two-year contract. However, this year AT&T seems to have decided not to make such an offer. At least one reader has been told by an AT&T representative that this policy change was dictated to the carrier by Apple, insisting that AT&T wait at least 18 months before offering users upgrade pricing. Consider me highly dubious of that claim. Oh, I believe that it's something that someone at AT&T might say but I don't believe that it's true that Apple is dictating AT&T policy. First of all, I can't see any reason why Apple wouldn't want as many people as possible to have the newest iPhone. Secondly, if Apple was capable of dictating AT&T's business decisions, I doubt that AT&T would be artificially restricting FaceTime over cellular. That being said, one reader wrote in to say that while he was told that his AT&T iPhone is not eligible for an upgrade, his AT&T iPad was, and so he could get upgrade pricing through his "iPad phone number." That's a little bit wacky -- the iPad's data connection may technically have a phone number, but it's not a voice contract and in fact is only a month-to-month plan. It sounds like while some AT&T customer service reps are trying to blame Apple for AT&T's policies, others might be trying to find ways to help their customers "work the system." Obviously your mileage may vary, but if you have an AT&T iPhone and an AT&T iPad and are anxious for the iPhone 5, it might be worth a call to see if that option is available to you. Users with multiple lines or family plans may find that an older phone is upgrade-eligible even if the 4S is not. Personally I have been on an "every other model" plan with the iPhone since the original. I had the original, skipped the 3G and upgraded to the 3GS. The 3GS was much better than the 3G, and a much better "leap forward" than the 3G was over the original iPhone. Likewise, when the iPhone 4 came out, I resisted the call of the Retina display and waited for the 4S. Again this year I'll watch the iPhone 5 pass me by and look forward to the "whatever they call the one after the iPhone 5" in a year.
Kyocera Echo available right now for Sprint Premier customers, tests your patience
If you're a Sprint Premier customer and are planning to purchase the company's eccentric dual-screen Android smartphone, listen up. Yes, it's due to launch in just three days, but the wireless company is now offering its loyal customers a chance to order the Echo right now. If you decide to jump the gun, you'll be happy to know that Sprint is waiving upgrade fees and will ship you the device for zero bucks. So, if this offer sounds tempting -- and you qualify -- hit the source link to get a 72-hour advantage on everyone else. [Thanks, Eric]
Motorola will upgrade your Xoom to 4G LTE -- even if you've rooted it
Happy news for Android tinkerers everywhere -- Motorola has officially confirmed it will attempt to perform its 4G upgrade on all Verizon Wireless-riding Xoom tablets it receives from users, whether they've been rooted, repainted, or accessorized with fluffy dice. Naturally, the company can't guarantee successful software updates on devices that have had their OS tweaked, so it asks users to be kind and rewind to the original firmware state. For those unwilling to stretch that far back, Moto will still give it a shot and says that it'll install the 4G LTE modem at a minimum. What a refreshingly open-minded attitude. Now if Moto could give us an open-minded bootloader on its phones as well, we'd be all set.
