Can't they do the same thing with statement credits? I got a Pixel on Google Fi that was $X and over the next 24 months I will get a statement credit of $X/24, so after two years it will be "free" if I stay with Google until then. Otherwise, I paid the difference.
Consumers, especially lower-income ones, mostly look at the sticker price. Paying upfront and getting a discount later is the opposite of what they want and carriers know this.
What do you mean? This is what they’re doing. “Switch to [carrier name] and get the iPhone 16 Pro on us!” Then it’s explained that it’s all statement credit to cover the purchase price over X months.
