T-Mobile customers looking to buy a new smartwatch or tablet will now need to commit to three full years of payments instead of two. The carrier has rolled out 36-month installment plans for tablets and smartwatches, marking the company’s first move away from its traditional two-year payment terms.

According to The Mobile Report, the change appeared on T-Mobile’s website over the weekend, affecting all available smartwatches and tablets. While you can still pay upfront in full, choosing monthly payments now locks you into a three-year commitment.

The longer payment period means your monthly bills will be smaller since the cost spreads out over more time. But there’s a catch: if you decide to pay off your device early or switch carriers before those 36 months are up, you’ll lose any promotional credits T-Mobile gave you when you signed up. For most customers who get deals like “get a tablet on us,” leaving early means you’re stuck paying the full remaining balance without those monthly discounts.

T-Mobile is the last of the big three carriers to make this switch. AT&T moved to 36-month phone installments back in 2022, and Verizon followed in early 2023. For now, T-Mobile’s smartphones are still on 24-month plans, but hints from earlier this year suggest that could change soon.

The timing is particularly interesting since T-Mobile’s own president recently criticized competitors for using these longer payment plans to discourage customers from switching carriers. Now the company is doing the exact same thing.

Source: The Mobile Report