Consumers love being able to upgrade their smartphones every two years with affordable, subsidized pricing. US$199 for a brand new iPhone? Sure, sign me up. Some carriers like Sprint even offer early upgrades after 18 months, all in an effort to keep subscriber churn to a minimum.
It's now been over six years since the iPhone first launched and AT&T these days isn't keen on subsidizing iPhones, and smartphones in general, indefinitely.
While speaking at an investor conference this week, CNET reports that AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson said that the current smartphone/subsidy business model isn't viable in the long term. This is exacerbated, Stephenson explained, by users who
