What's the AT&T next program?

I'm wanting to get an iPhone 5c and I heard about the next program. If you have used this program or know about it could you please let me know how much money I would need to get the phone.

With AT&T Next, you get to upgrade to a new phone sooner than you otherwise would. The two options are AT&T Next 12, where you can upgrade in 12 months, or AT&T Next 18, where you can upgrade after 18 months (the standard contract usually being 24 months/2 years).

For the iPhone 5C, assuming you want the 16GB version, with AT&T Next 12, you'd pay $550 for the phone by paying for it in 20 monthly installments of $27.50. With AT&T Next 18, you'd pay $549.90 for the phone by paying for it in 26 monthly installments of $21.15. If you cancel your wireless service before your 20- or 26-month plan is completed, you agree to pay the full balance remaining on your device.

If you sign up for a conventional two-year contract, you'll pay $99.99 for the phone up front, with no additional monthly payments. So if paying the least amount up front is your main concern, go with AT&T Next, where there's no up-front payment. If you can afford to pay $99.99 up front, go for a two-year contract. However, the best option, if you have $549.99 handy, is to buy the phone outright and go with a prepaid plan, which will save you money in the long term while giving you more monthly data to use with AT&T's GoPhone plans.

Hope that helped explain it!