Verizon's finally bringing the iPhone on board! But what's this? The carrier's going to be closing its "New Every Two" upgrade discount program to new subscribers three weeks before the iPhone hits its shelves? But... but... aw, man.
Just to be perfectly clear, this won't affect current subscribers who've been holding on to their current handset for two years. Yet. You'll still be eligible for up to a $30-$100 bonus credit towards a 16GB iPhone 4, you lucky mugs. And this doesn't mean that you'll have to pay full price for a Verizon phone when you hit your regularly scheduled upgrade. It's a bonus program that's being phased out, under which a current long-term Verizon customer could get the iPhone 4 for just a hundred bucks.
After January 16th, though, any new Verizon subscribers won't be enrolled in the program, according to SmartMoney. And existing customers will be similarly boned whenever they renew their contracts. Generous early upgrades will also become a thing of the past, with eligibility hitting at 20 months at the earliest instead of the current 13 months.
So! This won't really have any major effect right now. But when you decide to hold out on upgrading for a few more months because you know iPhone 7's right around the corner, well, that might be when you think back to this day and shake a tiny fist of indignation. [SmartMoney via Business Insider]