Guess you missed the news today (No idea why the link says Verizon)
http://yourmoney.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/10/verizon-changes-upgrade-policy/?hpt=hp_t1
AT&T customers now have to wait two years to be eligible for an upgrade. Previously, the wait time was 20 months. This will affect AT&T customers with contracts ending on or after March 2014.
The company is taking Verizon’s lead. The two carriers tend to mimic each other’s policies, and Verizon changed its upgrade eligibility policy to 24-months earlier this year.
AT&T says the new policy simply aligns phone upgrades with standard two-year wireless contracts, but consumer advocates are concerned about the move.
The Consumer Federation of America’s Mark Cooper calls the change “unjustified.” He says because AT&T and Verizon are the biggest carriers, they have less incentive to offer consumer-friendly policies.