Free Upgrades at Verizon, AT&T, and More
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Deals on iPhones, like the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, aren't usually "deals" in the traditional sense of the word, where the product is discounted. Rather, the best iPhone 15 Pro deals are really trade-in offers, where a carrier gives you credit toward a new phone in exchange for your old phone.
Carriers like Verizon and AT&T easily have the highest trade-in values for your old phone, even compared to retailers like Best Buy and Apple itself. Verizon and AT&T both have trade-in offers up to $1,000, which means you can get an iPhone 15 Pro for free.
We think Verizon has the better deals for an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max at the moment, as the carrier is more generous about which phones you can trade in to get the $1,000, and it's more forgiving about your old phone's condition, too.
Once you get your free iPhone 15 Pro, or you've only paid $200 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max, make sure it's protected with the best iPhone 15 Pro cases or best iPhone 15 Pro Max cases. Or, if you're looking for the more affordable iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Plus, check out the best iPhone 15 deals.
Best iPhone 15 Pro deals
iPhone 15 Pro deals at Verizon
Verizon offers $1,000 of credit when you trade in any iPhone, which is applied to your wireless bills over 36 months. Seeing as the iPhone 15 Pro costs $999.99, Verizon's trade-in offer makes it essentially free. New and existing customers need to be on the Unlimited Ultimate plan to get the trade-in offer.
If you're after the iPhone 15 Pro Max, you can also get up to $1,000 toward it by trading in your older iPhone. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts $200 higher than the base Pro model, so you can't get it for free, but you can get close enough.
Verizon's trade-in offer is particularly generous and forgiving, as you can trade in any old iPhone for the full $1,000 credit, even one as old as the original iPhone from 2007. It doesn't even need to be in working condition, either. At the very least, however, your old iPhone shouldn't have any battery damage, like a swollen battery or one that emits heat, even when it's off.
Note, however, that Verizon isn't accepting Android phones for this iPhone 15 Pro trade-in offer.
Verizon iPhone 15 Pro financing options
- iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999.99 if you want to buy it outright, but you can get 0% financing over 36 equal monthly installments of $27.77. That jumps to $1,099.99 for the 256GB ($30.55 monthly), and $1,299 for 512GB ($36.11 monthly), and $1,499.99 for 1TB ($41.66 monthly). With maximum trade values, the 128GB iPhone 15 Pro would be free.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max costs a little more and leapfrogs the 128GB mark to start at 256GB, which costs $1,199.99 ($33.33 monthly). The 512GB model is $1,399.99 ($38.88 monthly), and 1TB is $1,599.99 ($44.44 monthly). Your monthly charge for an iPhone 15 Pro Max could be as low as $5.56 with maximum trade-in values.
If Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan is too expensive for you, new and existing customers can opt to be on Verizon's Unlimited Plus plan for a lower $830 trade-in offer. Unlimited Welcome customers get up to $430 off.
Note, if you decide to cancel service before the 36-month agreement of the trade-in offer, you'll need to pay the remaining balance of the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Pro deals at AT&T
At AT&T, any new or existing customer can trade in their old phone to get up to $1,000 in credit over 36 months toward the iPhone 15 Pro series. That means you can get the iPhone 15 Pro for free, or pay $200 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
To get $1,000 in credit, your old phone needs to have a minimum trade-in value of $230. You'll get the most credit when trading in iPhones like the iPhone 12 Pro Max or newer, or premium Android phones such as the Pixel 7 Pro (or newer), Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Fold 4 (or newer), the Galaxy S22 Ultra, and the Galaxy S23 lineup.
Further, to get the maximum credit, your old phone needs to be in good condition. As expected, it should be able to turn on and off, but it can't have any signs of damage like cracks or breaks anywhere, whether the screen or body.
Whether you're a new or existing customer, the trade-in offer also requires an eligible unlimited plan that totals at least $75 per month with all the lines combined. Basically, as long as you're paying at least $75 per month on your wireless bill with an unlimited plan, and you're not on AT&T's Value Plus plan, you're set.
AT&T iPhone 15 financing options
- iPhone 15 Pro retails for $999.99, but you can get 0% financing over 36 equal monthly installments of $27.78. That jumps to $1,099.99 for the 256GB ($30.56 monthly), $1,299.99 for 512GB ($36.12 monthly), and $1,499.99 for 1TB ($41.67 monthly). Your monthly payment could be $0 for the 128GB model with the highest trade-in value.
- iPhone 15 Pro Max costs $200 more. The 256GB model starts at $1,199.99 ($33.34 monthly), 512GB costs $1,399.99 ($38.89 monthly), and 1TB is $1,599.99 ($44.45 monthly). With the maximum trade-in credit, your monthly payment could be as low as $5.56 for the 256GB iPhone Pro Max.
You can also add $6 per month to enroll in AT&T Next Up, which lets you trade your iPhone for the newest model each year after paying 50% of its cost.
Note that if you decide to cancel before the 36 months of the trade-in agreement are up, you'll need to pay the remaining balance of the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max you got. Also, don't be alarmed if the credits don't show up immediately, as they take a few months to kick in.
iPhone 15 Pro deals at T-Mobile
At T-Mobile, you can get $1,000 in trade-in credit to get the iPhone 15 Pro for free, or the iPhone 15 Pro Max for $200, if you're on a Go5G Next plan when trading in an eligible device.
What's an eligible device? T-Mobile is a little more fickle with which phone models are eligible, so here's the list of devices that can get you up to $1,000 in credit.
Apple: iPhone 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 Pro, 12 Pro Max, 13, 13 Pro, 13 Pro Max, 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, 14 Pro Max.
Samsung: S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, Z Fold 3, Z Fold 4, Z Flip 3, Z Flip 4, Note20 Ultra
Whichever phone you trade in, T-Mobile says it needs to be in good condition to get the best trade-in value. Other phones from Apple, Samsung, OnePlus, and Google can get you up to $830 in credit for the Go5G Next plan.
You'll save more if you're buying more, too, with T-Mobile offering $700 off your second iPhone 15 device when adding a line, eligible for almost all plans. These savings come off your monthly bill in 24 equal installments.
Other iPhone 15 Pro trade-in offers
Both Apple and Best Buy allow you to trade devices in for credit that you can use toward an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max. You'll get significantly better trade-in value from carriers, but trading in through Apple or Best Buy does have some merit.
Primarily, you're not locked into a 36- or 24-month contract with a carrier, which will make you pay the remaining balance of the iPhone 15 Pro you got under the agreement if you decide to cancel service before the contracted months are up.
iPhone 15 Pro release date and price
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were released worldwide on September 22. Apple offers them in an all-new lightweight titanium finished in shades of black, white, and blue, in addition to a natural titanium look. Pricing starts at $999 for the iPhone 15 Pro (128GB base storage) and $1,199 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max (256GB).
If you're thinking of buying an iPhone 15 Pro model outright, you can save significantly on your monthly phone bill by opting to sign up with a mobile virtual operator network, or MVNO. MVNOs offer more affordable and flexible plans than major carriers like Verizon and AT&T.
With options among the best cheap cell phone plans, Mint Mobile and Visible Wireless are our top MVNO recommendations to consider. Check out the details in our guides to the best Mint Mobile deals and best deals on Visible phone plans.
How do I get an iPhone 15 Pro for free?
The only way you can walk away with a free iPhone 15 Pro is to trade in qualifying devices with a major carrier. While you can trade devices in at any time to get store credit, you can only tap into the eye-popping $1,000 trade values through offers from carriers like AT&T and Verizon.
While they have the best trade-in values, carriers usually stipulate that you must be on certain plans to take advantage of trade-in credits. Read the details of your preferred carrier's offers carefully, and double-check your device's estimated trade-in value before completing checkout.
What's new with the iPhone 15 Pro?
This year's iPhone 15 Pro series marks a noteworthy evolution in Apple's hardware, featuring all-new lightweight titanium builds and improvements like a USB-C port for faster charging and up to 20x faster data transfers with USB 3 speeds. These models also introduce a customizable Action button to replace the sound switch and a stronger ultra-wideband chip for improved Find My performance.
Notably, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max get the fresh A17 Pro processor (strong enough to power triple-A gaming titles like Assassin's Creed Mirage). In contrast, the base models are reusing the A16 featured in the iPhone 14 Pro models. See our comprehensive guides to the iPhone 15 series and best iPhones for more information.
Antonio Villas-Boas
Senior Tech Reporter
Antonio is a senior tech reporter for Insider's Reviews team, where he helps lead coverage, reviews, and guides of smartphones, tablets, accessories, wearables, smart home products, as well as audio devices from Apple, Google, Samsung, OnePlus, and other major tech companies. Before joining Business Insider, Antonio was a consumer-electronics analyst at PCMag. He graduated from Colgate University in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in history. You can contact Antonio with tips and cool tech via email at: avillasboas@businessinsider.com Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Learn more about how we test tech and electronics. Read more Read lessQuentyn Kennemer
Editorial Fellow
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