Apple overnight removed the option to purchase a new iPhone on a two-year contract with AT&T on the Apple Online Store, eliminating the ability for customers to purchase an iPhone for a subsidized price of $199 or $299 through the carrier. Apple now sells iPhones on AT&T exclusively through the AT&T Next carrier financing program, while two-year contracts remain available through Verizon and Sprint.



AT&T Next allows a customer to purchase a new iPhone for $0 down and make equal payments for 12, 18 or 24 months until the full price of the smartphone has been paid, at which point the device can be traded in for a new iPhone. The full price breakdown for each iPhone model on AT&T Next, available through both the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Store, is listed below.

iPhone 6

- 16GB: From $21.64/month

- 64GB: From $24.97/month

- 128GB: From $28.30/month

iPhone 6 Plus

- 16GB: From $24.97/month

- 64GB: From $28.30/month

- 128GB: From $31.64/month

The shift away from two-year contracts is not specific to Apple or iPhone, but rather part of a larger move by AT&T. Droid-Life reported last month that AT&T would begin moving away from two-year contracts on June 1, although the report claims that the option will remain available through AT&T's website, company-owned retail stores, local dealers via direct fulfillment and customer service.