Following in the steps of its three US nationwide rivals, Sprint is giving customers the option of upgrading their smartphone every 12 months.

Starting at $65 per month, the Sprint One Up package also gives customers unlimited talk, text and high speed data while on the Sprint network.

The new program is available to new and existing customers on its Unlimited, My Way and My All-in plans.

To get the ‘early’ upgrade option, customers purchase an eligible smartphone or tablet and agree to 24 monthly instalments.

After 12 consecutive payments, customers can give back their current device and upgrade to a new smartphone or tablet.

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse claims “no other plan can compare”, emphasising the Sprint guarantee on unlimited talk, text and data for life.

The trend of offering device upgrades before two years are up in ‘traditional’ contracts is spreading beyond the US, with the UK’s EE launching a similar plan recently.

T-Mobile’s Jump initiative started the trend in the US, enabling customers to upgrade to a new device twice every 12 months at an additional cost of $10 each month, as long as they have been part of the programme for six months.

Unlike EE’s package, T-Mobile’s Jump does not require the user to accept a 24-month contract but instead is done on the basis of a one-month rolling arrangement.

US rival Verizon Wireless announced a similar plan called Edge this summer, while AT&T unveiled Next, another rival package.