The 10 best iPhone deals you can get right now

Accounting for nearly half of all smartphones in the U.S., iPhones are by far the most popular mobile devices around. But with prices over $1,000 for the latest iPhone 12 models, it’s not cheap to upgrade to a new phone. Fortunately, there are plenty of deals out there to help you save some money on a new iPhone. 

As we sorted through all the available deals, we favored ones that weren’t entirely dependent on trade-in value. Carriers like to boast that you’ll get a completely free phone when you trade in an eligible device, but the amount you get is entirely dependent on their evaluation of it. 

With the exception of the refurbished iPhones straight from Apple, almost all of these deals require you to open a new unlimited data line. If you want to stay with the same carrier and add a new phone, you’ll likely have to pay close to the sticker price.

Deal #1 – Buy one iPhone 12 Pro Max, get one $1,100 off through Verizon

• Can choose between 24 or 30 monthly payments for first phone
• Must be on the Get More Unlimited line plan and add new line for free phone 
• Can also trade in your current phone for up to $440 off
• Additional $500 when you switch two lines from another carrier

This Verizon iPhone deal requires you to check a lot of boxes, but no other carrier offers more savings on the iPhone 12. First, you’ll have to open one or more new lines on Verizon’s Get More unlimited plan. The phone you’re paying full price on will have to be on this plan, along with the second phone you’re getting for free. You’re also able to trade in your old phones for a maximum promo credit of $440 for each phone.

Finally, you’ll also get a $250 gift card for each line that you switch to Verizon — in this case, two. Just enter the code “VZSWITCH250” at vzw.com/digitalrebatecenter after you check out. You’ll receive a Verizon gift card in the mail within eight weeks, which you can then use to pay your monthly bill. 

Deal #2 – Free iPhone 12 through T-Mobile

• Purchase the iPhone on a 30-month payment plan: You may also have to make a down payment in some cases 
• Join T-Mobile from another carrier: Current T-Mobile customers aren’t eligible for this deal. You’ll have to switch over from another carrier
• Trade in an eligible iPhone: You’ll have to trade in a newer phone to get the most savings

This deal from T-Mobile is entirely dependent on the phone that you trade in. If it’s a relatively newer model, you can get the full $950 off the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro Max or the iPhone 12 and 12 mini entirely free. Here’s the list of phones that are eligible for the $950 credit:

• Up to $950 off: iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS Max
• Up to $830 off: iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus
• Up to $530 off: iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone SE 2nd gen
• Up to $380 off: iPhone 6S, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE
• Up to $230 off: iPhone 5s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 4s, iPhone 4, iPhone 3 GS, iPhone 3G, iPhone 1st gen

Deal #3 – Free iPhone 12 through U.S. Cellular

• Only available to new customers with a postpaid plan
• 30-month contract required
• Can also get $829 off iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max, or free iPhone 12 mini

This promotion from U.S. Cellular is refreshingly simple. Switch your service over to them, and they’ll give you a free iPhone 12 — no trade-ins or complicated rebates required. Like every deal on this page, you will have to commit to a 30-month contract and open a new unlimited data line, which range from $60 to $80/mo. with U.S. Cellular. If you want to be sure you’re getting a free iPhone 12 without having to jump through too many hoops, this is one of the simplest deals around.

Deal #4 – $700 off all iPhone 12 models through AT&T

• Must add a new unlimited line or upgrade to one ($75/mo. minimum)
• Trade-in required. Phone must have minimum trade-in value of $95 for $700 credit or $35 for $350 credit

This is the rare iPhone deal that’s available to existing customers as well as those who are switching from another cellphone company. To get the full $700 off an iPhone 12, you’ll have to open or upgrade to an unlimited data line that costs $75/mo. or more. (The AT&T plans that currently qualify are Unlimited Extra and Unlimited Elite.) The following devices qualify for the full $700 trade-in credit: 

• Apple: 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS, XS Max, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max
• Samsung: A71, A71 5G, Fold, Z Fold2 5G, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy S9+ Duos, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 Lite, Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, Galaxy S20+ 5G, Note9, Note10, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra 5G, Z Flip 5G
• Google: Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL
• LG: V50 ThinQ, V60 ThinQ 5G
• Other: Asus Rog Phone2, moto razr, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren, OnePlus 8 5G, OnePlus 8 Pro

You can also trade in these older models for the $350 credit:

• Apple: iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, iPhone 7, 7 Plus, SE (2nd gen)
• Samsung: A11, A20, A20s, A30, A50, A50s, A51, A70, A8+, A9, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Active, Galaxy S8 Duos, Galaxy S8+, Note5, Note8
• Google: Pixel 2, 2XL, 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL
• LG: G7 ThinQ, G7+ ThinQ. G8 ThinQ, G8X ThinQ, K51, Stylo6, V35 ThinQ, V40 ThinQ
• OTHER: Moto Z4, RED Hydrogen One, Razer Phone, Razer 2, Huawei P20 Lite, Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 7 Pro

Deal #5 – iPhone XS for $400 through Cricket Wireless

• iPhone XS 64GB marked down from $900
• Only available to new customers
• Must bring existing phone number

Prepaid wireless companies aren’t known for their phone deals, but this promotion from Cricket Wireless is the rare exception. Right now, you can get the iPhone XS for just $400 — a $500 markdown from the retail price. There is one requirement you don’t typically see: You’ll have to bring your own phone number to take advantage of these savings.

Deal #6 – $399 off any iPhone through Red Pocket

• Full $399 off when you choose 22GB service plan. Discount goes down when you choose cheaper plans

This promotion from Red Pocket is unique among iPhone deals. How much you’ll save will depend on which service plan you choose. The 22GB plan typically costs $40/mo., but when you buy a new iPhone through Red Pocket, it’s discounted to $23.38/mo. In other words, you’ll save $399 over two years. It’s not technically a discount on an iPhone, but rather a discount on a cellphone plan when you purchase an iPhone. Here’s how you can save on Red Pocket’s other plans when you buy an iPhone at full price:

• 10GB plan: $30/mo. to $19.58/mo. ($250 savings)
• 3GB plan: $19/mo. to $12.75/mo. ($150 savings)
• 1GB plan: $10/mo. To $5.83/mo. ($100 savings)

Deal #7 – Up to $350 off refurbished phones in the Apple Store 

If you want to save money on an iPhone without switching to a new carrier or opening a new line, purchasing a refurbished phone is one of your best options. And in most cases, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.

In a Consumer Reports survey of 3,211 people who bought a refurbished phone, 67% said they had no complaints — just slightly under the 69% of people who bought new smartphones. And if you’re going to buy a refurbished phone, it’s best to go right to the source. 

All refurbished phones from Apple come with a new battery, a new outer shell and are backed by a one-year warranty. Apple also puts them through a round of functional testing and replaces them with brand new parts whenever necessary.

Deal #8 – iPhone SE for $50 through Metro by T-Mobile

• In-store only
• Requires auto-pay on qualifying plan

The iPhone SE is Apple’s cheapest phone, and nearly every wireless carrier offers some kind of additional discount on it when you switch service. But the price through Metro by T-Mobile is by far the cheapest price you’ll find anywhere, and is even $150 less than you’ll get through T-Mobile. Unfortunately, it’s only valid in-store, so you’ll have to find a Metro by T-Mobile location near you. 

Deal #9 – iPhone 11 for $300 through AT&T

• Available for $10/mo. for 30 months
• Open to both new and existing customers
• Additional $5/mo. off with trade-in with minimum value of $35

If you don’t mind using a slightly older model, AT&T is currently offering the iPhone 11 for just $300 — down from $700 when it was released just a year ago. What’s more, this is one of the few iPhone deals that’s available to both new and existing AT&T customers. You can also save an extra $5/mo. when you trade in one of the following phones:

• Apple: iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, X, XR, XS, XS Max, SE (2nd Gen) 
• Samsung: A11, A20, A20s, A30, A50, A50s, A51, A70, A8+, A9, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Active, Galaxy S8 Duos, Galaxy S8+, Note5, Note8, A71, A71 5G, Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Fold 5G, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+, Galaxy S9+ Duos, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 Lite, Galaxy S20 5G, Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G, Galaxy S20+ 5G, Note9, Note10, Note10+, Note10+ 5G, Note20 5G, Note20 Ultra 5G, Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Z Fold2 5G
• Google: Pixel 2, 2XL, 3, 3 XL, 3a, 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL
• LG: G7 ThinQ, G7+ ThinQ, G8 ThinQ, G8X ThinQ, K51, Stylo6, V35 ThinQ, V40 ThinQ, V50 ThinQ, V60 ThinQ 5G
• Motorola: moto Z4 , moto razr
• Other: RED Hydrogen One, ASUS ROG Phone2, Razer Phone, Razer 2, Huawei P20 Lite, Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, OnePlus 7T, OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren, OnePlus 8 5G, OnePlus 8 Pro

Deal #10 – $250 off all iPhones through Xfinity

• Available to new and existing customers
• Credits applied over 24 months of device payment plan
• Deal excludes iPhone SE 64GB

This isn’t as flashy as some of the other deals on this page, but it’s a great option if you want some flexibility in which iPhone you pick. The $250 off promotion applies to all Apple devices that Xfinity carries (with the exception of the iPhone SE 64GB), including the latest iPhone 12 models. Existing Xfinity Mobile customers who are replacing or upgrading their current device can also take advantage of the savings.

*Originally written 07/21/20. Last updated 12/10/20.

Written by:

Joe Supan

Senior Writer, Wireless & Streaming Content

Joe oversees all things wireless and streaming for Allconnect. His work has been referenced by McAfee, Fox network and more. He has utilized thousands of data points to build a library of metrics to help users n… Read more

Edited by:

Trey Paul

Editor, Head of Content

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