Device connection charges or upgrade fees are not new to the US wireless industry. If you head to AT&T or T-Mobile and upgrade to a new device, they are going to charge you a fee for doing so, on top of the price of your new phone. Of course, Verizon recently ended upgrade fees and should be praised for doing so, but they were previously a part of this scheme.
A device connection charge or upgrade fee is at least $35 at AT&T and T-Mobile. There aren’t many work-arounds to get away from this fee either, as this is clearly a money maker for these companies.
However, if your carrier was T-Mobile, you used to be able to skip their Device Connection Charge by upgrading through Apple or Samsung.com. Unfortunately, T-Mobile ended that loophole with Apple back in March and has now done the same with Samsung Store orders.
Today, T-Mobile updated their bill explainer page by adding Samsung.com to the Device Connection Charge section. It now read as follows:
A device connection charge will appear on your bill for any upgrades completed through Apple and Samsung.com (in-store, online, or via the app).
So, if you were planning to upgrade to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 or Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra this week and skip the upgrade fee from T-Mobile by ordering through Samsung.com, you are now out of luck. T-Mobile and Samsung will add a one-time $35 Device Connection Charge.
Of course, this only applies if you upgrade to a T-Mobile model through Samsung.com or the Samsung Store app. If you buy an unlocked model and simply move your SIM card, you should be able to avoid the fee.
