Sprint has been going back and forth on whether it will be offering customers with two-year contracts for smartphones. Late last year, reports stated that Sprint will not be pushing through with its intention to drop two-year contracts as an option for consumers, despite the company releasing hints that it will do so.
However, at the turn of the new year, Sprint joined AT&T in stopping the offer of two-year contracts. As such, all major carriers in the United States, including T-Mobile and Verizon, no longer offered two-year contracts.
However, almost two months after making the move, Sprint is bringing back two-year contracts, as the company continues to change its stance on whether to drop the offer or not.
"We listened to our customers and are giving them more choices to get their new device," said Sprint spokeswoman to news website FierceWireless, adding that the carrier now offers the most options for subscribers in obtaining a new mobile device.
Two-year contracts will now be re-joining Sprint's other offerings for a lease, an installment bill or a full retail price payment for four total options of acquiring a new device.
Confirming the statement is a visit to the Sprint website, which shows that two-year contracts is once again an option for purchasing devices. For example, the 16 GB model of the iPhone 6s Plus can be leased for 18 months at $31 per month, acquired through a 24-month installment of $31.25 per month, purchased with a two-year contract for a one-time payment of $299.99, or bought through a payment of the full price of $749.99.
Sprint is now the only major carrier that is still largely offering two-year contracts, with AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon still no longer offering the same purchase plan for their subscribers.
Two-year contracts were once prevalent in the telecommunications industry, locking in customers to the carrier for two years in exchange for a lower cash-out to acquire new devices. The remaining cost of the device was bundled into the device's monthly fee.
The other major carriers have since moved to more transparent options, such as monthly installment plans, and have become more lenient in allowing subscribers to switch their choice of networks.
