I currently have an iPhone 13 base model. I have an offer from Verizon to trade in my current 13 for a 16 pro for free. I did this free trade in prior from the 11 to the 13. Should I trade in for 16 pro now or wait for the 17 and hope for another free trade in deal for that one? Do any Verizon people have insight into if there will be a free trade in offer for the 17? If so when? 👀

Verizon is advertising a deal where you can get up to $1,000 off a new iPhone (like the 16 Pro) when you trade in your old phone — sounds amazing, right? I almost did it, but when I ran the numbers, it turned out to be a lot less valuable than it seems.

Here’s how it actually plays out: • I currently have an iPhone 14 Pro Max 256GB, which has a resale value of around $600 in excellent condition (not $700–$850 like I previously thought — sorry for the overestimate). • I’m on Verizon’s Unlimited plan with a $15/month BYOD (bring your own device) discount, and my total bill is $195/month. • If I do the trade-in: • Verizon removes my $15/month BYOD discount • They charge me $2.77/month for the new phone (after applying the $1,000 trade-in credit over 36 months) • My new monthly bill becomes $212.77

That’s a $17.77/month increase Over 36 months = $639.72 extra paid over time

So I’m “saving” $1,000 on the iPhone… but paying $640 more on my bill, which is basically just another way of financing the phone over 3 years.

And I’m giving up a phone worth $600 to do it.

$640 ÷ 36 months = $17.77/month — almost exactly what it would cost to finance the iPhone yourself without losing your BYOD discount or trade-in device.

Bottom line: Verizon’s “$1,000 off” is just a shell game: • They give you $1,000 in bill credits • But quietly raise your monthly bill in ways that offset most of it • And you lose flexibility (e.g., switching carriers = lose remaining credits)

If you sell your phone and buy a new one directly from Apple, you keep more value, avoid hidden bill increases, and don’t get locked into a 3-year commitment.

Don’t fall for the fine-print math — it’s not a “free iPhone.” It’s a clever upsell wrapped in shiny marketing.

Right now, our family plan has an option to trade in an old phone and receive a free iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Pro. We have to pay the sales tax on it/etc but the phone itself is free.

The salesperson said the deal might not last for very long and he wasn’t sure when it would go away. I have an iPhone 11 that is 3.5 years old, and it works despite having a somewhat crappy battery. How rare is this deal? Should I take advantage of the deal or wait until I really need a new phone?

Also how is this beneficial to Verizon?