How to Get a Free iPhone 15

That headline is not a come-on. If you’re considering upgrading to a new iPhone, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all are offering a “free” iPhone 15 – if you qualify as the right kind of customer, have the right type of phone to trade in, and you choose an iPhone that costs less than $1,000.

When the carriers say you can get an iPhone 15 “on us” – which implies you can get a free iPhone 15 – what they actually mean is you’ll get an eligible trade-in credit up to the cost of a new iPhone 15. Say you want a 128GB iPhone 15 Plus, which lists for $899. If you’re eligible for up to a $1,000 credit from your carrier, you’ll get the $899 to cover the cost of the phone – which means you’ll get your iPhone 15 Plus for free with your trade-in. However, if you want a 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max, which lists for $1,199, the $1,000 credit will be applied, and you’ll have to pay the difference.

The $1,000 credit will not be immediately applied to cover the cost of your new iPhone 15. Instead, you will pay for your iPhone 15 with a 24 or 36-month installment plan, and your carrier will credit your account every month to cover the cost of your iPhone 15. Only after it’s paid off do you own the phone. There also may be separate “connection” or other add-on fees you’ll have to pay.

If you don’t qualify for one of these trade-in credit offers, all carriers offer a standard trade-in upgrade program if your current device is at least 50 percent paid off.

Of course, all these tempting iPhone 15 trade-in offers are accompanied by the usual fine print carrier conditions and caveats. My advice: make sure you completely understand all conditions, restrictions, and possible additional fees or subscription costs accompanying your trade-in credit deal before you sign. These deals are only worth taking advantage of if you plan on staying with the carrier for the next two to three years, have good credit, and don't mind paying for a premium plan.

Below, you’ll find an overview of what Apple and the major carriers are offering as part of their “free iPhone 15” promotions. To make sense of what offers apply to you and whether you qualify, gather together the following information:

• The model of phone you plan on trading in. For iPhones, if you’re not sure, we have instructions on how to find your model number and a chart listing iPhone models back to the first iPhone in 2007. For Android phones, go to Settings > System and look at the model number under "About Phone."
• Is your iPhone paid off? If not, what is the name of your payment agreement with your carrier, and how much have you paid off? Did you subscribe to any services that allow you to upgrade early?
• What is the name of your cellphone plan?

If you find out that you don't qualify for the $1,000 credit, check to see what Apple is offering for your old phone as a trade-in credit. If it's a similar amount, you can avoid locking into a 24 or 36-month agreement with a carrier if you take your credit from Apple.

How to get trade-in credit from Apple

You can’t get a “free” iPhone 15 through Apple – an up to $1,000 trade-in credit – just through one of the three national carriers. But you can get a trade-in credit when you trade in an iPhone 7 or later – estimated values range between $40-$650, depending on the model and condition of your phone. And if you have a Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel, or OnePlus phone, estimated trade-in values range from $30 to $325. Go to apple.com/shop/trade-in to find out the value of your trade-in phone. The benefit of getting your trade-in credit through Apple is that it is applied as soon as Apple processes your trade-in.

How to get the free iPhone deal from AT&T

AT&T is offering up to $1,000 for an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max and up to $830 for an iPhone 15 or 15 Plus for new and existing eligible unlimited plan customers. If you are an existing customer and have an AT&T Installment Plan with Next Up on your current phone, and you have paid off half of your current installment plan, you can receive up to $500 off an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max and up to $350 off an iPhone 15 or 15 Plus. To qualify for one of the offers, you need to:

• Trade in an eligible phone in good working condition. Your phone must be fully paid off. If you purchased your phone with an AT&T Installment Plan with AT&T Next Up and you’ve already paid off 50 percent, you can pay off the remaining cost and become eligible for the trade-in offer. Next Up costs an additional $6.00 per month, and that $6.00 does not go toward paying off your phone.
• With Next Up, once you’ve paid off half of your current device’s installment plan (50 percent) and turn in your device in good condition, you don’t have to pay off the rest of your phone’s installment balance to upgrade. However, instead of an up to $1,000 credit, you'll receive an up to $500 credit.
• Subscribe to an eligible unlimited voice and data plan (minimum or $65 per month) for 36 months – the time it will take AT&T to issue credits towards your new phone.
• Pay a $35 activation/upgrade fee.

How to qualify for an up to $1,000 trade-in credit

To qualify for up to $1,000 trade-in credit, your phone trade-in value must be at least $230. Here are the phones that qualify.

How to qualify for an up to $830 trade-in credit

To qualify for up to $830 trade-in credit, your phone value must be $130-$229. Here are the phones that qualify.

How to qualify for an up to $350 trade-in credit

To qualify for up to $350 trade-in credit, your trade-in device must be worth at least $35-$129. Here are the phones that qualify.

How to get the free iPhone deal from T-Mobile

T-Mobile offers up to $1,000 trade-in value for its Go5G Plus or Go5 Next customers, up to $650 for its Magenta MAX customers, up to $350 for its Go5G or Magenta customers, and $200 for everyone else. To qualify for one of the offers, you need to:

• Trade in an eligible phone in good working condition. Your phone must be fully paid off.
• Activate or keep an eligible unlimited voice and data plan for 24 months – the time it will take T-Mobile to pay down your phone as monthly credits on your phone bill.
• Pay a $35 activation/upgrade fee.

How to qualify for an up to $1,000 trade-in credit

If you’re a member of T-Mobile’s Go5G Plus or Go5 Next upgrade program, you can get up to a $1,000 credit on any iPhone 15 model when you trade in an eligible device. Here are the devices that qualify.

How to qualify for an up to $650 trade-in credit

To get $650 off any iPhone 15 model, you need to be a Magenta MAX plan subscriber and trade in one of these eligible devices.

How to qualify for an up to $350 trade-in credit

To get $350 off any iPhone 15 model, you need to be part of the carrier’s Go5G or Magenta plan and trade in one of these eligible devices.

How to qualify for an up to $200 trade-in credit

Having almost any other T-Mobile plan gets you $200 off any iPhone 15 with a trade-in one of these eligible devices:

Buy one, get one $700 off

And, if you buy any iPhone 15 model straight out, you can get $700 off a second iPhone 15 if you add a line to almost any T-Mobile plan.

How to get the free iPhone deal from Verizon

Verizon is offering up to $1,000 trade-in value for new customers and existing customers of select unlimited plans adding a new line, and up to $830 in trade-in value for existing customers on select unlimited plans looking to upgrade their device. To qualify for one of the offers, you need to:

• Trade in an eligible phone that has been fully paid off. For most customers, your phone will need to be in good working condition. However, if you’re a new customer who is subscribing to Verizon’s Unlimited Ultimate plan, you can turn in any iPhone in any condition.
• Subscribe to an eligible unlimited voice and data plan for 36 months – the time it will take Verizon to issue credits to pay off your phone.
• Pay a $35 activation/upgrade fee.

How to qualify for an up to $1,000 trade-in credit

To qualify for up to a $1,000 trade-in credit toward an iPhone 15 model, you must add a new line to the carrier’s top Unlimited Ultimate Plan – either as a new or existing customer – and trade in ANY previous iPhone in ANY condition.

How to qualify for an up to $830 trade-in credit

To qualify for up to $830 in trade-in credit toward an iPhone model, you must be a Verizon Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate subscriber. Here are the models that qualify for trade-in.

How to qualify for an up to $415 trade-in credit

To qualify for up to $415 in trade-in credit toward an iPhone model, you must be a Verizon Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate subscriber. Here are the models that qualify for trade-in.

[Image credit: screenshots via Techlicious]

Stewart Wolpin has been writing about consumer electronics for more than 35 years, including news, reviews, analysis and history, and has attended and covered nearly 50 Consumer Electronic Shows and around a dozen IFA shows in Berlin. For the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), he is an elector for and writes the official biographies of the annual CT Hall of Fame inductees, and is the keeper of the industry’s official history.

Tips & How-Tos, Phones and Mobile, Cell Phones