Rogers has unveiled a new program designed for those want to upgrade their device every year. “Rogers Next” is an early upgrade program subscription program coming in March that, after twelve months, allows a customer to trade in his or her phone in exchange for a brand new one. Of course, a few stipulations:
The Rogers Next program will available to new and existing subscribers who sign a 2-year contract on an LTE-enabled “Premium” device, which constitute flagship devices from most manufacturers (Android, Apple, BlackBerry and Windows Phone).
The Rogers Next program has two monthly price tiers. The first is a fee of $24.99/month ($299.88 per year), which is the base price, or $29.99/month ($359.88 per year) that includes the “Rogers Device Protection Premium” (usually $11.99/month).
After 12 months, customers can trade-in their device “for a new smartphone of your choice that has a subsidized price of up to $250.” Rogers notes that “you pay $0 down for the new device on a new two-year term, and your remaining FLEXtab balance and connection fees are waived.” This includes the $15 Connection Fee. Upon receiving the new phone you can opt back into the program and grab another device 12-months later for $0. If the subsidized cost is above the $250 then you’ll simply need to pay the difference, for example the 32GB iPhone 5s is $329.99 on a 2-year and you’d need to pay an additional $79.99 when you re-sign with with Rogers Next).
Rogers Next is similar to TELUS’ T-Up program where customers pay a monthly fee of $108 per year, but it currently only available for the iPhone with “additional devices” expected to become available “in the near future.” The major difference is that Rogers has waived the new device cost after 12 months while TELUS currently requires the customer to pay another device subsidy amount. The program is also similar to programs launched in the United States: AT&T and Verizon have Next and Edge, respectively, though they are a bit more flexible.
Rogers Next may appeal to the gadget junkie who needs an extra hit of smartphone every year, but it’s also a guaranteed revenue source, above a customer’s monthly fee, of $300-$360/year. What do you think?
Source: Rogers RedBoard
