T-Mobile is constantly giving out special deals, but its latest promotion is an enticing gambit to get more users on its 5G network. Starting April 18, T-Mobile will let you trade in your older phone for a Samsung Galaxy A32 5G. And if you’re an Apple fan, you can trade in your non-5G iPhone for a new iPhone 12.
The company is spinning the offer as a “free” phone, but that’s not entirely true. Instead of paying for the balance of your new A35 5G or iPhone 12 immediately, the price of the phone will be spread across two years of monthly billing credits, so you can pay it off in small chunks.
The deal is also slightly different for iPhone trade-ins. If you trade in a working iPhone 11, you’ll get the iPhone 12 directly, while trading in older iPhone models gives you 50% off a new iPhone 12 or iPhone 12 mini.
As for your device itself, it doesn’t matter how old your phone is or its trade-in value; any working device is eligible for the trades as long as it’s in good condition—meaning no cracks or water damage.
The deal is open to all existing T-Mobile and Sprint customers and to those on AT&T or Verizon with data-limited post-paid plans. You don’t need to add extra lines to receive the offer, but you will need to upgrade your plan to use T-Mobile’s 5G network.
According to PCMag, existing T-Mobile and Sprint users will get bumped up to the equivalent “T-Mobile Essentials” plan (or higher, if you want), and customers switching from another carrier can join T-Mobile unlimited plan at the same price point as their existing limited-data plan. That even applies to outdated Verizon and AT&T plans that are no longer offered.
With this deal, new T-Mobile users could come away with a new 5G phone and a T-Mobile unlimited plan, but be paying the same on their monthly bill…not including the monthly bill credits for the new phone and applicable taxes. Oh, and some users will need to buy a new $10 SIM card and pay a one-time $20 upgrade support charge if they swap phones in-store.
Is the T-Mobile trade-in deal worth it?
This is a pretty good deal for existing T-Mobile and Sprint users who want to upgrade to 5G right away. It’s arguably even better for AT&T and Verizon customers on older plans if you don’t mind locking yourself into two years of T-Mobile service. You can cancel early, but you’ll need to pay the remaining balance on your new phone plan and cancellation fees.
That said, new and existing T-Mobile users should do their homework first. T-Mobile’s 5G network is more viable than AT&T’s or Verizon’s (at least for now), but the 5G trade-in is only worth it if you get good 5G coverage in your area. Use this map to check your area’s 5G speeds, and this one to see local T-Mobile coverage before you make the jump.
Good news is, T-Mobile’s 5G trade-up deal is a long-term offer. Speaking to PC Mag, T-Mobile’s Jon Freier, T-Mobile EVP of consumer markets says the company is “going to do this for the entire year,” so you have time to mull it over. More details will be available on T-Mobile website once the promotion begins on April 18.