Sprint To 'One Up' The Competition With Its Own Early Upgrade Plan

U.S. carrier Sprint is reportedly set to take on AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile with its own early upgrade program, called "One Up." The plan appears to be less expensive than rival programs, and is said to be launching on Sept. 20, meaning it'll be available in time for Apple's next-generation iPhone 5s. As a reminder, "early upgrade" programs such as AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, T-Mobile Jump, and - as of this Friday - Sprint One Up allow customers to pay for a new smartphone or tablet through monthly installments, and to upgrade their mobile device on a yearly basis. Though these plans are generally bad news, with subscribers ending up paying over the odds for their iPhone or iPad, an internal document indicates that Sprint's One Up is set to be less expensive than rival plans. Here's the document, which reached us from CNET and compares Sprint One Up against AT&T Next, Verizon Edge, and T-Mobile Jump. Sprint's One Up takes the best from rival plans and incorporates this within its own program. As with AT&T Next, there's no downpayment, however as with T-Mobile Jump, One Up entitles subscribers to a discount on their monthly plan. As mentioned, the program is set to launch on Sept. 20, the same day Apple's iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c go on sale. We'll keep you updated with further information as we receive it. In the meantime, see: Apple's iOS 7.0.1, iOS 7.0.2, iOS 7.1 Already Being Tested Inside Cupertino, Fun iPhone Photo-Editing App PicLab Gets Turbocharged With Universal PicLab HD App, and Handwriting App Ink Adds New Fountain Pen Tool, Bluetooth Styli Support And More.