AT&T & Verizon join in on 'free' iPhone 7 deals offering up to $650 in credit [u]

Posted:
in iPhone edited September 2016
Not content to let Sprint and T-Mobile steal their thunder, U.S. carriers AT&T and Verizon have launched their own promotions in which customers can potentially get a free iPhone 7 after trading in an older device. [Updated with second AT&T option]




The AT&T deal, ending Sept. 15, requires that people be porting a number to AT&T for the first time, and also be a DirecTV subscriber. There are also other limitations, among them that trading in an eligible iPhone will only net up to $650 in credit spread over the course of an AT&T Next plan.

While that amount is enough to cover a 32-gigabyte iPhone 7, people wanting a more expensive device -- such as a 7 Plus -- will have to pay the difference. The deal is unavailable in Connecticut, Rhode Island, or Florida's Miami-Dade county.

Verizon's offer spreads up to $650 credit across a 24-month period, during which people have to stay with the carrier to keep the savings. People must trade in an iPhone 6 or 6s in good condition to get full credit.

Preorders for the iPhone 7 began earlier on Friday. U.S. shipping times have already stretched out to 2 to 3 weeks in many cases.

Update: An AT&T spokesperson reached out to AppleInsider to note the existence of a second deal, similar to to the first but which doesn't require a DirecTV subscription or porting a phone number. Customers must simply trade in an iPhone 6 or 6s in "good working condition," and buy an iPhone 7 through AT&T Next. The older hardware must be owned outright.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 30
    I did this for my 6 Plus 64GB to get the Jet Black Plus 256GB. It was a no brainer. 
    schlack
  • Reply 2 of 30
    Can someone please verify that all iPhones now come "unlocked"....So that you can change carriers at a moments notice without being tied to any one carrier...It shows all the phones on Apple's site as being Unlocked. Seems this gives a edge to the Customer for a change ...
  • Reply 3 of 30
    I did this for my 6 Plus 64GB to get the Jet Black Plus 256GB. It was a no brainer. 
    Were you porting from another carrier or currently with AT&T?
  • Reply 4 of 30
    jfc1138jfc1138 Posts: 3,090member
    lmagoo said:
    Can someone please verify that all iPhones now come "unlocked"....So that you can change carriers at a moments notice without being tied to any one carrier...It shows all the phones on Apple's site as being Unlocked. Seems this gives a edge to the Customer for a change ...
    One caveat, noted on Apple's pages, is the phones now come in two variants. 

    Look under "cellular and wireless": http://www.apple.com/iphone-7/specs/
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 5 of 30

    Preorders for the iPhone 7 began earlier on Friday. U.S. shipping times have already stretched out to 2 to 3 weeks in many cases.
    As of now, U.S. shipping times have already stretched out to November in many cases. 
  • Reply 6 of 30
    damonfdamonf Posts: 229member
    lmagoo said:
    Can someone please verify that all iPhones now come "unlocked"....So that you can change carriers at a moments notice without being tied to any one carrier...It shows all the phones on Apple's site as being Unlocked. Seems this gives a edge to the Customer for a change ...


    From what I saw, if you buy the phone outright or go through one of Apple's installment / lease plans, it will be unlocked.  But if you want to pay through your carrier's installment plan like AT&T Next, it will be carrier locked (presumably until you've paid it off or turned it in to upgrade / switch to another phone).

    There's another catch in that you have to provide your cell number to buy at AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon iPhone on Apple's online store.  T-Mobile is the only carrier choice on Apple's site that doesn't authenticate you as a customer.  So the T-Mobile phone (which is the same model number as for AT&T) is the only one you can buy as a kind of "SIM free" unlocked iPhone.  Yes it will come with a T-Mobile SIM in it, but you can just remove it and put your own SIM in it.  But note that the T-Mobile/AT&T model doesn't support CDMA.  So it cannot "fall back" to CDMA if you used it on Sprint's or Verizon's network.

    edited September 2016
  • Reply 7 of 30
    The Verizon offer is not a free iPhone.  Line charges throughout those two years will more than cover for the phone.   My paid-for iPhone, on the other hand, means that I'm getting a $15 discount with every Verizon bill, which amounts to $360 in two years.
  • Reply 8 of 30
    linkmanlinkman Posts: 1,035member
    The marketing term "free" is being too loosely applied. It's an outright lie in my book. At least Verizon is calling it a trade-in. Let's look at dictionary definitions:

    11. provided without, or not subject to, a charge or payment

    12. given without consideration of a return or reward

    If it were free I would be able to walk into the store, grab one off the shelf or have an employee hand me one, then walk out without paying anything or signing for some sort of commitment.
  • Reply 9 of 30
    It's not free. You are going to pay for that phone one way or the other. And in AT&T's case, a new DirecTV subscription along with it. Never free. I wish they would stop putting that word in the headline.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 10 of 30
    To add to davidswelt's comment. The Verizon credit for bringing your own equipment goes up to $25/month if you have an 8GB or more data plan. That's worth $600 over a 2 year "contract". I have five phones all off-contract that share a 10GB plan. The phone service costs me only $15 per line (net cost) while the data plan costs $80/month for a total cost of $155/month (plus taxes) for 5 lines sharing 10GB.

    Given that you have to surrender a working (and salable) iPhone 6 or 6S in order to get the $650 credit it's not such a great deal. I prefer paying full-price and taking the $25/month credit. Which, by the way, does not end. So if you upgrade only every 3 years then the line savings are $900/phone.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 11 of 30
    marktime said:
    To add to davidswelt's comment. The Verizon credit for bringing your own equipment goes up to $25/month if you have an 8GB or more data plan. That's worth $600 over a 2 year "contract". I have five phones all off-contract that share a 10GB plan. The phone service costs me only $15 per line (net cost) while the data plan costs $80/month for a total cost of $155/month (plus taxes) for 5 lines sharing 10GB.

    Given that you have to surrender a working (and salable) iPhone 6 or 6S in order to get the $650 credit it's not such a great deal. I prefer paying full-price and taking the $25/month credit. Which, by the way, does not end. So if you upgrade only every 3 years then the line savings are $900/phone.
    Is that on a current Verizon Plan? It sounds like you're describing a More Everything plan or something like that where the line access fee is $40 and you're getting a $25 credit making your line access $15. Is that correct? On the more recent Verizon Plans the line access is only $20 and then you just bring your phone or pay a monthly payment plan for whatever phone you buy. At least that's how I understand it. I don't think there's any credit for bringing your own phone (other than you simply aren't making a monthly payment for the hardware) on the Verizon Plans. But anyone please correct me if I'm wrong.
    In that case you're still saving $5 per month as you're paying $15 for line access, but that doesn't offset the appeal of trading in for a new phone quite as much.
  • Reply 12 of 30
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    ATT sucks. TMobile deal is for everyone including existing Tmo customers as well.
    doozydozen
  • Reply 13 of 30
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    It's not free. You are going to pay for that phone one way or the other. And in AT&T's case, a new DirecTV subscription along with it. Never free. I wish they would stop putting that word in the headline.
    Yeah, who gives the fuck about DirecTV? Also, it has to be new customers not current ATT ones! 
  • Reply 14 of 30
    Update: An AT&T spokesperson reached out to AppleInsider to note the existence of a second deal, similar to to the first but which doesn't require a DirecTV subscription or porting a phone number. Customers must simply trade in an iPhone 6 or 6s in "good working condition," and buy an iPhone 7 through AT&T Next. The older hardware must be owned outright.

    This is not right, I'm giving them a perfectly functioning 6s to be able to buy an
     iPhone 7 through AT&T Next? Am I missing something?
  • Reply 15 of 30


    This is not right, I'm giving them a perfectly functioning 6s to be able to buy an iPhone 7 through AT&T Next? Am I missing something?
    If i read the update correctly, ATT will credit you 650 in 24 installments (or 30, depends on which ATT Next you choose) when you trade in your Iphone 6/6+/6s/6s+.

    So basically you're exchanging your perfectly working Iphone 6s with a brand new Iphone 7, provided that you stay with them for 24 (or 30) months. 

    Please let me know if I am incorrect.......
  • Reply 16 of 30
    So I went to the AT&T store today to reserve a few iPhones. I was told online through their support that I could still get the subsidized price since we are on a FAN with them.
    After an hour they just said that no, I could not anymore.

    So, do I stick with AT&T and keep paying a more for my service (2 grandfathered unlimited plans) or do I go to T-Mobile where I can trade in my 6 and get a 7 for free AND pay less every month for unlimited? Duuuh.

    I've been with AT&T since the bought Cingular and had the first iPhone. That doesn't mean anything to them though I guess.
  • Reply 17 of 30
    So I went to the AT&T store today to reserve a few iPhones. I was told online through their support that I could still get the subsidized price since we are on a FAN with them.
    After an hour they just said that no, I could not anymore.

    So, do I stick with AT&T and keep paying a more for my service (2 grandfathered unlimited plans) or do I go to T-Mobile where I can trade in my 6 and get a 7 for free AND pay less every month for unlimited? Duuuh.

    I've been with AT&T since the bought Cingular and had the first iPhone. That doesn't mean anything to them though I guess.
    I guess that depends. I was in a similar boat last year. So I dropped ATT for T-Mobile. Great data speed. Near constant drop and disconnect on both voice and data. This year I am looking to go back to ATT...
  • Reply 18 of 30
    so, just spoke with ATT.  The rep I was speaking with did not know their own terms.  Looking at their website 

    "*FREE IPHONE 7 32GB OFFER: Limited time (ends September 30, 2016, in Puerto Rico). Select stores and online. Not an AT&T Next upgrade offer. "


    Thus, the questions...this does NOT appear to apply towards upgrades of existing lines, just new accounts and/or new lines of service.

    Always have to read that small print with these tricky sales tactics.

    Any hear otherwise from ATT?
    edited September 2016
  • Reply 19 of 30
    Is the second AT&T promo (trade in 6/6s for 32GB 7 with Next sign-up) worse or better than selling my 6/6s on eBay (can often get $400+ if unlocked) and getting a 7 at discounted prices under a new 2 year contract (AT&T still offers as exceptions to VIP customers)? AT&T rep has offered early upgrades + new 2 year contracts and discounted 7s to stay with AT&T.

    A tip: if you have anyone you know who works for T and you've had a horrible customer service experience, there is a employee referral program that gets the frustrated friend a phone call within 24 hours from a higher-up/exec team that takes care of you. I highly recommend finding someone that works for T and telling them to get you a call. The exec team can often help make exceptions you'd otherwise not know about. 

    Re: switching, AT&T has consistently faster speeds bc TMUS limits video unless you have Premium plan and T Mobile coverage is good in metro areas but not so good vs T in others. I probably wouldn't switch to T Mobile. You're paying slightly more for better data overall. It's also a nightmare to switch carriers on a family plan with lines in different states. There should be a free or premium concierge service that handles everything bc this big switch is an archaic method. 
  • Reply 20 of 30
    So I was actually wrong.  It actually works for existing customers as long as you do not have an exiting next plan on your current phone.  In other words, paid in full.
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