iPhone 7 Release Date and Promos: Free iPhones? Carrier Deals Come with a Catch; Pre-order and Price Details
There is no such thing as free these days, especially basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothing and most definitely - luxuries.
The iPhone 7 is a feature-packed luxury. Sure, it lacks a headphone jack and people hate that, but it is still running out of supplies in the pre-order phase alone. In fact, the hype is so real that various mobile carriers had cashed in on the opportunity.
AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon had all offered "free" iPhone 7's to its beloved customers. But this is the age where everything "free" has a catch—and for these deals, there is definitely one.
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Free phone?
Do these offers really guarantee a free phone? If one reads the fine print, they clearly do not. There has to be a tradeoff, and in this case, another phone.
These deals require people to trade in older models, but not too old. The exchange would involve an iPhone 6 or 6s; or, for the case of Sprint, a Samsung Galaxy S7. They also have to be in tip-top shape.
But that is not a big issue, as you would be trading for a newer, better phone. The catch is that you might have to pay cash if you want an iPhone 7 with more than 32GB capacity.
Still, it is not the most troubling part. Once these deals are taken, the iPhone might be free, but the consumers won't be. They would be tied to the carriers they got their phone from, which is basically the return of the two-year contract.
Chains that bind
If the user refuses to stay with the carrier before the two years are up, two things could happen: either they give the phone back, or pay for the phone in full. The latter is the only option Verizon and AT&T presents.
The users get credits from monthly wireless bills which can then be deducted from the full payment should they back up from the deal. However, there is no chance at getting the exchanged old phone back.
These offers do not really give away free phones, but possibly good deals. That is, if people are willing to stick with one carrier for two years. For loyal consumers, that would not be a problem. But for people who get sick of bad services from their carriers, they might be better off spending $650 on a no-strings-attached iPhone 7.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus ($750) can be pre-ordered at Apple.com.
