Best current iPhone promotions?
March 22, 2023 10:33 AM Subscribe
I have an iPhone second generation SE, and I'm hoping to find a program that will offer a deeply discounted iPhone 14 Pro. I currently use Xfinity mobile but I could switch. I'm hoping to have this handled in the next week so I can take my new phone on an upcoming trip.
With Xfinity, I pay around $40/month for unlimited talk / text and limited data, which I usually don't use much of. I have not checked with all the cell companies because i was hoping you all might know what's available with the fewest catches.
I did, however, call Verizon yesterday. They're offering a deal where I'd pay $5/month for the phone for 36 months (well, with a $200 credit).Unfortunately their monthly service to get that deal is $80. However, they said there's no minimum commitment and if I terminated early I'd be out the rest of the payments, so that'd still be a good deal if I terminated after one month and then paid off the phone balance. But I don't know if there are any catches to that.
I have yet to contact other providers and I plan to call Xfinity this afternoon.
Please note that I'm not in a position to pay a lot of money up front.
Thanks for your help.
With Xfinity, I pay around $40/month for unlimited talk / text and limited data, which I usually don't use much of. I have not checked with all the cell companies because i was hoping you all might know what's available with the fewest catches.
I did, however, call Verizon yesterday. They're offering a deal where I'd pay $5/month for the phone for 36 months (well, with a $200 credit).Unfortunately their monthly service to get that deal is $80. However, they said there's no minimum commitment and if I terminated early I'd be out the rest of the payments, so that'd still be a good deal if I terminated after one month and then paid off the phone balance. But I don't know if there are any catches to that.
I have yet to contact other providers and I plan to call Xfinity this afternoon.
Please note that I'm not in a position to pay a lot of money up front.
Thanks for your help.
Apple doesn't discount so trade-ins are your best bet. The carriers give way more money than the street value of the used equipment.
I ran an iPhone SE2/64GB (excellent condition) through TMobile and they're offering $400 in credit. Their "Base Essentials" plan can be found with some digging, and it's $45/month. The cheapest iPhone 14 is $800 but they will let you finance that over 24 months with $0 down.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:38 AM on March 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
I ran an iPhone SE2/64GB (excellent condition) through TMobile and they're offering $400 in credit. Their "Base Essentials" plan can be found with some digging, and it's $45/month. The cheapest iPhone 14 is $800 but they will let you finance that over 24 months with $0 down.
posted by JoeZydeco at 11:38 AM on March 22, 2023 [2 favorites]
The way Verizon does it is that each month they put in both a charge for the full cost of the phone / the duration of the amortization as well as a credit for that amount less the $5 or whatever you are actually on the hook for. Presumably if you cancel early they bill you the balance of the full cost charges at once but they don’t give you any of the credits.
So if the Pro is a $1200 phone, say, and they are offering it to you at $5/month for 36 months, your statement would show $33 and change for the phone each month and a credit for $28 and change, with a net of $5 that adds to your bill.
If you quit after one year I would suspect you would be responsible for the other 24 payments of $33 and change at once — that’s $800, or 2/3 the list price of the phone. You would have saved $340 over the course of the year on the other third of the phone’s cost, but also you would have been paying the $80/month for their service - so if that’s $40 more than you would otherwise spend you would be out more than what you’ve saved.
I don’t know what the $200 credit you mention refers to, but that might change the calculus somewhat (unless they claw some of that back for early termination as well).
That said, I do think Verizon has cheaper Unlimited plans (probably the ones which have these subsidies) than $80 even for a single line, so it might still be worth looking at. The higher cost plans also bundle in a lot of services, so if you already have some of them separately you could drop them and save money that way.
But yeah, the reason they offer such deep discounts is to keep you tethered to them and make it up on the cost of the blades^H^H^H^H^H^Hservice. If their service is a workable deal for you now and into the next three years it may be worth buying into this system.
If not I would see if Apple has a refurbished Pro in their online store. It may be a 10% or 15% savings and you probably won’t find anything better.
posted by sesquipedalia at 12:15 PM on March 22, 2023
So if the Pro is a $1200 phone, say, and they are offering it to you at $5/month for 36 months, your statement would show $33 and change for the phone each month and a credit for $28 and change, with a net of $5 that adds to your bill.
If you quit after one year I would suspect you would be responsible for the other 24 payments of $33 and change at once — that’s $800, or 2/3 the list price of the phone. You would have saved $340 over the course of the year on the other third of the phone’s cost, but also you would have been paying the $80/month for their service - so if that’s $40 more than you would otherwise spend you would be out more than what you’ve saved.
I don’t know what the $200 credit you mention refers to, but that might change the calculus somewhat (unless they claw some of that back for early termination as well).
That said, I do think Verizon has cheaper Unlimited plans (probably the ones which have these subsidies) than $80 even for a single line, so it might still be worth looking at. The higher cost plans also bundle in a lot of services, so if you already have some of them separately you could drop them and save money that way.
But yeah, the reason they offer such deep discounts is to keep you tethered to them and make it up on the cost of the blades^H^H^H^H^H^Hservice. If their service is a workable deal for you now and into the next three years it may be worth buying into this system.
If not I would see if Apple has a refurbished Pro in their online store. It may be a 10% or 15% savings and you probably won’t find anything better.
posted by sesquipedalia at 12:15 PM on March 22, 2023
Response by poster: That said, I do think Verizon has cheaper Unlimited plans (probably the ones which have these subsidies) than $80 even for a single line, so it might still be worth looking at. The higher cost plans also bundle in a lot of services, so if you already have some of them separately you could drop them and save money that way.
According to the agent I spoke to, I had to get the $80 plan in order to get the phone offer. There may be other packages that weren't eligible for the phone.
He told me if I quit before the 36 months, I'd only owe the remaining payments for the phone ($5/ month.) Can you link me to the other info you posted about their billing?
posted by mermaidcafe at 2:11 PM on March 22, 2023
According to the agent I spoke to, I had to get the $80 plan in order to get the phone offer. There may be other packages that weren't eligible for the phone.
He told me if I quit before the 36 months, I'd only owe the remaining payments for the phone ($5/ month.) Can you link me to the other info you posted about their billing?
posted by mermaidcafe at 2:11 PM on March 22, 2023
Another option would be to buy the phone directly from apple & finance it for 24 months with no interest. You can trade in your old phone with them, too. Then find a prepaid provider who will be cheaper than postpaid Verizon or your current plan. Depending on the prepaid plan you pick, this may be cheaper than being tied to a postpaid plan for several years. (For example, my prepaid plan with limited data is $15/month but I could get unlimited through other carries for about $25/month. Add $35-ish for the phone & it's still cheaper than most postpaid plans.)
posted by belladonna at 2:47 PM on March 22, 2023
posted by belladonna at 2:47 PM on March 22, 2023
> He told me if I quit before the 36 months, I'd only owe the remaining payments for the phone ($5/ month.) Can you link me to the other info you posted about their billing?
I believe he told you that, but he is also 100% wrong. Go to Verizon's site. First, you'll notice the $5/$200 deal only applies to the iPhone 14 Plus (which is not the Pro; Plus is a bigger-screened version of the iPhone 14) and maybe only the yellow one, at that. Tap on the linked word "details" on the description of the iPhone 14 Plus and you'll see that the monthly price is reduced just as sesquipedalia stated, by applying a bill credit over 36 months which ends if your eligibility requirements are no longer met--which means, if you cancel service or switch to a plan that isn't specified.
I believe he told you that, but he is also 100% wrong. Go to Verizon's site. First, you'll notice the $5/$200 deal only applies to the iPhone 14 Plus (which is not the Pro; Plus is a bigger-screened version of the iPhone 14) and maybe only the yellow one, at that. Tap on the linked word "details" on the description of the iPhone 14 Plus and you'll see that the monthly price is reduced just as sesquipedalia stated, by applying a bill credit over 36 months which ends if your eligibility requirements are no longer met--which means, if you cancel service or switch to a plan that isn't specified.
$899.99 (128 GB only) device payment purchase or full retail purchase w/ new smartphone line on One Unlimited for iPhone (all lines on account req’d on plan), 5G Start, 5G Do More, 5G Play More or 5G Get More plan req’d. $200 Verizon e-gift card (sent w/in 8 wks) w/port-in. Less $719.99 promo credit applied over 36 mos; promo credit ends if eligibility req’s are no longer met; 0% APR.posted by tubedogg at 3:40 PM on March 22, 2023
Response by poster: I chatted with an Xfinity agent, hoping they'd want to retain me,but nope. They don't have any iphone promos and I mentioned the other carriers that do. I cracked up when the agent said they were only offering deals because they wanted me to switch to their service. As if that's not obvious.
posted by mermaidcafe at 7:46 PM on March 22, 2023
posted by mermaidcafe at 7:46 PM on March 22, 2023
Response by poster: I've still been looking, and it seems the promos require expensive phone plans.
Has anyone had success negotiating for either the price of a plan or in getting your own provider to come down in price?
posted by mermaidcafe at 11:44 AM on March 24, 2023
Has anyone had success negotiating for either the price of a plan or in getting your own provider to come down in price?
posted by mermaidcafe at 11:44 AM on March 24, 2023
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by greta simone at 10:54 AM on March 22, 2023 [1 favorite]