T-Mobile's iPhone 12 mini 5G is now cheaper than free (no trade-in needed)
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Despite Best Buy and especially Verizon's best efforts these past few months, last year's iPhone 12 mini doesn't appear to have found its audience, selling much worse than its big brothers.
Obviously, we have no way to know just how popular the diminutive 5G-enabled handset proved at a 100 percent discount at the largest US wireless service provider, but something prompted the second-largest mobile network operator stateside to do even better in what looks like a pretty desperate attempt to clear iPhone 12 mini inventory ahead of the fast-approaching iPhone 13 family launch.
If you're having trouble imagining what could possibly be better than a free iPhone 12-series device (with no trade-in required), we have two additional words for you: free AirPods.
That's right, T-Mobile is ready to throw in a complimentary pair of some of the best wireless earbuds out there in addition to the actual iPhone 12 mini 5G if you'd just be so kind as to take the handset off the "Un-carrier's" hands.
Because nothing is ever that simple, you probably won't be surprised to hear the killer new deal does come with a few special conditions and strings attached. The $729.99 discount bringing the $729.99 list price of Apple's iPhone 12 mini down to $0 will be applied to your T-Mo account as bill credits over a period of two years after agreeing to a monthly installment plan, activating a new line of Magenta Max service, and porting in an existing number from a different carrier.
Meanwhile, you will receive a $160 Virtual Prepaid Mastercard Card upon request at this link after purchasing an AirPods variant of your choice on a monthly payment plan of its own. That will only cover the normal cost of the second-gen AirPods with a wired charging case included, but if you prefer the wireless charging-equipped model or the premium Pro version, you can buy those and end up spending 40 or 90 bucks respectively.
Circling back to the iPhone 12 mini, it's certainly worth pointing out that our in-depth review didn't reveal any deal-breaking flaws or shortcomings (especially for this kind of deal), which is why we still consider the 5.4-inch Apple A14 Bionic powerhouse one of the overall best phones available today, as well as probably the most unfairly criticized iPhone in recent memory.
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