Lost iphone 4, can I still upgrade?

I was going to hang on to my iphone 4 until the iphone 5 came out, which I would be recieving as a free upgrade.but… I lost my iphone 4 last night. So my question is: do I need to physically have the iphone 4 in my hands to get the upgrade? Or can they just look it up in their system and see that I'm eligible?

Losing your iPhone does not change your upgrade status. Also if you have insurance and get a replacement, that will not change the status either.

How did your carrier answer your question?