It appears there's a half-subsidy upgrade price of $499 between the $299 full-subsidy and $699 no-commitment price. Eligibility seems to be 1 year after your last subsidy.
If you spend a lot monthly, you might be eligible for a full subsidy at 12- or 18- months rather than the full two years' time.
And, it might even be possible to pay a smaller cancellation fee (perhaps $125-$175), then return as a full-subsidy new customer. One rep I spoke to a while ago seemed to see no problems with that approach.
Finally, an old phone may fetch $200-$300 without a contract.
So the net costs aren't as scary as $699 with a little extra effort.
If you spend a lot monthly, you might be eligible for a full subsidy at 12- or 18- months rather than the full two years' time.
And, it might even be possible to pay a smaller cancellation fee (perhaps $125-$175), then return as a full-subsidy new customer. One rep I spoke to a while ago seemed to see no problems with that approach.
Finally, an old phone may fetch $200-$300 without a contract.
So the net costs aren't as scary as $699 with a little extra effort.