Verizon Will Give You Money For That AT&T iPhone

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Verizon caught some hell a few weeks ago when it was confirmed that they were ditching their “New Every Two” upgrade program – just in time for the iPhone. But, America’s biggest wireless carrier will be introducing a new program that is sure to get some folks happy. Verizon CFO Fran Shammo announced at an investor’s meeting that the carrier will begin a trade-in program that will let you trade in an old cell phone (either GSM or CDMA) and let you take the value off of your phone bill, or off the price of a new phone – yes, including the iPhone.

This is something that’s much more common among some European carriers. Sprint also offers something similar, FierceWireless reports. Those hoping to trade in an AT&T iPhone 4 16GB into Verizon will get $212 in Verizon credit. That will go along way towards paying the cost of a new iPhone on a new carrier, eh? I predicted that the number of people who will actually switch from AT&T to Verizon will be lower than everybody thinks, just because of all the cost involved (early termination fee on AT&T plus the cost of buying the same phone you already have for another carrier). But, this goes a long way towards covering that, one thinks.

FierceWireless reports that that trade-in program is just one of many new programs that Verizon will be introducing in time for the iPhone. They’re also expected to begin promoting it heavily in connection with the iPhone. Verizon and AT&T have had TV commercials bashing each other for awhile now – and that war is expected to continue with the iPhone. I fully expect Verizon ads saying “Trade in your crap AT&T iPhone for a new CDMA one that won’t drop calls,” or something more elegant and catchy.