Sprint wants to charge you $700 for a $500 HTC One A9

By Chris Burns/Nov. 6, 2015 5:02 pm EST

Sometimes carriers mark smartphones up from their standard, manufacturer price. Sometimes this amount of money is negligible – like AT&T's $20 over the standard $499 HTC will charge for the HTC One A9. But Sprint's not feeling like offering the device at HTC's current price – nor the lower price of $399 the device is currently at on promo. Instead, Sprint is charging users $696 for the HTC One A9. That's $197 more than HTC will charge AFTER their promo is done – or $297 more than HTC's current price for the same device.*See our full HTC One A9 Review

*I shouldn't say "same device" in the paragraph above – with HTC you get more options. You get more than two color options, for starters. You can choose to get the same phone as Sprint is offering, in a variety of colors, for $399 USD off-contract. You can also choose to get the phone off-contract with AT&T or T-Mobile USA for $399 – there's an Unlocked edition available as well with compatibility with AT&T and T-Mobile USA networks – that's the same price.

ABOVE: Sprint's listing for the HTC One A9 right now. BELOW: HTC's listing for the HTC One A9 right now.

You can also lease the phone from Sprint, if you're for some reason low on cash and absolutely need to get a smartphone out of your price range. With this leasing option, Sprint suggests, you get to use the device for 24 months at $500 less than you'd pay with either of its other payment options. But you don't own the phone.

And don't break the phone, or you'll have to pay full price for it, unless you have insurance, also sold by Sprint.

If you lease a phone from Sprint – this or any other phone – and you decide that you no longer want it (before the 2-years of payments are done), you'll be responsible for the remaining lease payments immediately, and you'll still have to give the phone back to the company.

Or you could just buy the phone outright from HTC right this minute. Or head to our review portal for more information on a whole bunch of other phones.