In your final paragraph, in what looks like an editing error, the party that is charging $350 is not explicitly stated.
As to the headline, while a higher ETF may discourage churn and people leaving their contracts early, and may increase the practical length of a contract, in fact, it would take a lengthening in the contract terms to extend a hold on a customer.
I would wonder, though, if this augurs future price increases for phones, even if it's merely the nominal, mythical list price, which may suggest the cost of the subsidy. I also would wonder if there was a connection between this and all the iPads that are being sold data plan contract-free.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
ZDNet Newsletters
Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox
