Whether you’re team Android or a diehard iOS fan, one thing we can all agree on is that today’s smartphones are pricier than ever. While it’s true that we’re holding on to our phones for a longer period of time, when it finally comes time to upgrade we can’t help buy grimace at today’s prices.
I’ve been tracking cell phone deals for over a decade and when it comes to freebie deals, it’s hard to beat T-Mobile. The carrier offers various opportunities to score today’s flagship phones for free. Yes, you may need to trade-in an older device or port your number from a competing carrier, but you’ll save upwards of $1,200 on flagship phones like the iPhone 18 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro. Here are five deals I recommend if you’re in the market for a new phone.
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Freebie Phone Deals
iPhone 17:free w/ trade-in + unlimited @ T-Mobile
Apple recently increased the price of the iPhone 17 to $899 (that’s a $100 increase), but the Magenta network is offering the iPhone 17 for free when you trade-in an old device and sign up for a qualifying unlimited data plan. The base iPhone 17 includes a 6.3-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate. You also get an A19 processor, 256GB of storage, 48MP main camera, and a new 48MP ultrawide camera. There’s also a new Center Stage 18MP front camera. Finally, battery life is improved and there’s now 25W Qi 2.2 charging support. In our iPhone 17 review, we said it offers one of the best bang-for-the-buck deals in recent memory. View Deal
iPhone 18 Pro:free w/ trade-in + unlimited @ T-Mobile
T-Mobile is offering the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch and bring your number or when you trade-in an eligible phone and sign up for T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan. The iPhone 18 Pro features a 6.3-inch OLED 120Hz display (2622 x 1206), A20 Pro chipset, and 256GB of storage. You also get a 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, and 48MP telephoto lens w/ 4x zoom. The front camera is 18MP. In our iPhone 18 Pro review, we said its the best phone money can buy. View Deal
Google Pixel 11:free w/ new line + unlimited @ T-Mobile
T-Mobile has a few Pixel 11 discounts it’s offering. For example, you can get it for free with trade-in and most new lines. Or get it free with trade-in on an Experience More plan. The new phone features a 6.3-inch Actua Display OLED (2424 x 1080) 120Hz display, Tensor G6 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Rear cameras include a 48MP (f/1.7) main, 13MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, and 10.8MP (f/3.1) telephoto with 5x optical zoom. On the front there’s a 10.5MP (f/2.2) lens. View Deal
Google Pixel 11 Pro:free w/ new line + unlimited @ T-Mobile
T-Mobile has a few Pixel 11 Pro deals available. For example, you can get it for free with trade-in on Experience More or Experience Beyond plans. Or get $500 off with trade-in on most plans. It features a 6.3-inch Super Actua OLED display (1280 x 2856) 120Hz display, Tensor G6 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Rear cameras include a 50MP (f/1.68) main, 48MP (f/1.7) ultrawide, and a 48MP (f/2.8) 5x telephoto. On the front there’s a 42MP (f/2.2) lens. In our Pixel 11 Pro review we said the upgrades are minimal, but there are some excellent improvements to the camera. Just note that it comes with less RAM and weaker battery than its predecessor. View Deal
Galaxy Z Fold 8:free w/ trade-in + unlimited @ T-Mobile
T-Mobile is offering the Galaxy Fold 8 for free with trade-in and a new Experience Beyond plan. The phone features an 7.6-inch AMOLED (1848 x 2448) 120Hz main display, 5.5-inch AMOLED (1248 x 1972) 120Hz cover display, Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. On the rear you get a 50MP main wide-angle lens and 50MP ultra-wide lens. Selfie cams include a 10MP main display and 10MP cover camera. In our Galaxy Z Fold 8 review, we called it our favorite foldable to date. It loses the telephoto zoom, but you get a greatly reduced crease, brighter main screen, and lighter design.View Deal
