T-Mobile 36-month device payment plans will begin rolling out Friday

Earlier in the week, news broke that T-Mobile plans to roll out a new 36 month payment plan for new device; the idea being that this would make device payments cheaper per month by extending the pay-off period. With new flagship phones creeping up in price (most $1000+), this should allow accessibility to remain the same with monthly payments for devices staying the same or even decreasing.

It now appears that this service will begin to roll out Friday with major flagships phones such as the Samsung Galaxy S9, LG G7 ThinQ, and iPhone XS/XR as eligible for the promotion. According to T-Mobile, with eligible trade-in, customers can achieve device payments as low as $10 per month; obviously, this will depend on the value of trade and device you choose.

It remains to be seen how this will impact the sales of these devices as well as the pricing. Concern from many (including myself) is that this will encourage device manufacturers to continue increasing pricing on devices as they will be more affordable. However, the reverse effect could happen in that individuals will upgrade less frequently as they owe too much on the current device to purchase a new one. This may impact sales causing manufacturers to lower prices as an incentive to get the latest greatest.

Speculation aside, this could be good news for T-Mobile customers looking to upgrade to the year's newest devices. If you are a T-Mobile customer or in the market for a new carrier, check out their website Friday to see what deals could be available to you.