can you add a new phone to a contract before the contract is up?

Question

my phone died and i want to replace it without buying one up front...

Answer 1

It depends. You have to buy the phone at full retail price. Then, sure, you can add a new phone to a contract if you get rid of the old one.

Answer 2

You are looking at paying full price for the phone, unless you find it cheap or used somewhere (usually people buy from ebay or something). You don't have to replace your old phone, but most people donate it to charity or just recycle it. You also might be charged a fee for "upgrading" your phone. If your phone uses a SIM card, then it is just a matter of being compatible with the network, either be a branded phone or unlocked. If it is a CDMA phone make sure it is for the network you plan to use it on, and the activation can be done online (at least with Verizon, I had Sprint a long time ago and that was how to do it too).