T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T Go All-In On Discounts As Churn Surge Hits

Group 1: Market Dynamics - Promotional activity among the "Big 3" U.S. carriers—AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile—is increasing as competition intensifies in the postpaid market heading into Q2 2026 [1] - Elevated churn is a significant factor as subscribers exit 36-month financing plans, allowing them to switch carriers without penalties [1] Group 2: Promotional Index and Trends - Counterpoint Research has introduced a promotional index to quantify consumer-facing value, scoring from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more competitive promotions [2] - Year-over-year trends show improvement in postpaid promotions, particularly due to the later launch of Samsung's Galaxy S26 series, which has led to stronger pre-launch promotional activity [3] Group 3: Prepaid Promotions - Prepaid promotions have softened year over year as carriers focus marketing spend on a limited number of "champion devices," with brands lacking broader portfolios losing visibility [4] Group 4: Device Pricing and Subsidies - Samsung has raised prices on its Galaxy S26 lineup, prompting U.S. carriers to increase subsidies to maintain competitive offers, with T-Mobile's promotion for the S26 Ultra achieving a top index score of 100 [5] - Apple has maintained flat pricing for the iPhone 17e, leading to varied promotional intensity among carriers, with AT&T's unchanged offer resulting in a lower index score compared to Verizon and T-Mobile [6]