Yea because those $49.99 burner phones at Walgreens are just strictly decorative pieces.
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iPhone Demand Remains High Despite Technology Market Slowdown, Say Analysts
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He’s not wrong. I’m holding an iPhone 11 Pro I got for “free” (deferred monthly payments) for turning in an iPhone 7! $1000 off was the promotion on att. The only thing is they may make you switch providers. Both att and Verizon are terrible companies but their coverage is similar here. So I can bounce back and forth. I’ve seen deals at the Verizon store for $800 off and I’m not even keeping an eye on them right now.
So, yes. If you don’t rush out right after the new phone comes out, you can practically get your phone for “free.”
Edit: This was about 3 months after the iPhone 11 Pro came out I got it.
I think the issue some are having is with the word "free." It's not exactly free if you are giving them something of value (phone trade-in) and/or have to meet/agree to certain requirements like plan level or contract term.
iPhone demand is going to remain high regardless of a lockdown, supply shortage or whatever.
This train a'int coming off the tracks anytime soon.
This train a'int coming off the tracks anytime soon.
When you have an iPhone 7 in a drawer that isn’t used (worth $120 on Craigslist), they have you use a plan you would have purchased anyway (unlimited), and they don’t make you pay the monthly payments… I call that free. You can call that subsidized if you want, but I didn’t drop $1000 on a phone. The way they get you is if you break your phone or upgrade prematurely. If you don’t… it’s a no brainer.
Most carrier promotions are not nearly that generation ($1,000 for an iPhone 7) plus, these inflated/subsidized trade offers typically have new line, higher price plan and/or term requirements. Additionally, customers may be sacrificing hundreds of dollars in other "bring/keep your phone" incentives in the process.
Again, I wouldn't call it "free" if there are obligations/strings attached and/or the buyer is giving up other incentives.
In my case, I was decreasing monthly payment, getting $1000 for an unused phone and I don’t understand how you call a price inflated if it’s the same price that everyone is paying for an unlimited plan. These prices - from month to month and provider to provider don’t change much.
The only thing I needed to do was switch to ATT which has similar service where I work and live. The cost was almost the exact same per month and I got a phone without paying anything.
Keep an eye out. Those deals pop up. When they do, I upgrade. There will be a deal from Verizon in the next two years where they offer $1000 off an iPhone 14 pro or iPhone 15 pro if you jump to Verizon from ATT. I have no loyalty to either so as long as the unlimited plan costs the same, a brand new phone will be welcome and I won’t pay a thing for it.
What would you be sacrificing from “Additionally, customers may be sacrificing hundreds of dollars in other ‘bring/keep your phone’ incentives”?
I don’t understand. Sure - you could be sacrificing a deal to get $700 for your phone, but I’d gladly “sacrifice” an opportunity to get $700 for an opportunity to get $1000.
Some carriers offer incentives to switch (or upgrade) without trading phone. For example, while AT&T currently offers $350 in bill credits to trade a phone worth $35 to $94 (like an iPhone 7) towards an iPhone 13, they also separately offer $250 in credits for not trading. Therefore, someone taking the first offer may really only be getting $100 ($350 - $250) for their phone since they'd otherwise potentially get $250 and be able to keep the phone.
It's kind of like when a car company offers 0% financing or $1,500 rebate. It's not truly 0% if you have to give up a $1,500 cash rebate.
I'm not suggesting that there aren't worthwhile carrier deals out there but the reality is that the offers are more of a combination of plan, new phone, trade, etc. discounts/incentives than anything truly "free."