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Verizon goes straight for T-Mobile's jugular with its 'biggest 5G upgrade' deal yet

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Jun 01, 2021, 11:10 AM

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The conditions of the deal/s may have changed since the initial publishing of this post.

Verizon goes straight for T-Mobile's jugular with its 'biggest 5G upgrade' deal yet

Seeing as how T-Mobile appears to be slowly catching up with the US wireless industry's leader in subscribers while already towering above the competition in terms of 5G infrastructure, it shouldn't come as a big surprise that Verizon keeps unveiling "Un-carrier"-style promotions and ad campaigns.

The latest such move looks incredibly similar to an extensive deal Big Red introduced for both its new and existing customers a couple of months back.

That may have inspired T-Mo's "Great Free 5G Phone Upgrade" program announced just a week later, so it remains to be seen if Magenta plans to contend its arch-rival's "biggest 5G upgrade campaign ever" with any new or improved offer of its own.

What exactly is the deal here?

In a nutshell, Verizon wants to boost its undoubtedly underwhelming 5G subscriber numbers by taking whatever old, raggedy, and even broken device you might have lying around the house off your hands.

The best part about this awesome trade-in promo is arguably the fact that you don't need to settle for a complimentary mid-range smartphone like Samsung's Galaxy A32 5G. Instead, you can score up to a $700 discount on Apple's latest iPhones or as much as $800 off a Samsung Galaxy high-ender.

That means the 5G-enabled iPhone 12 mini and the "regular" Samsung Galaxy S21 can be yours free of charge right now without jumping through too many hoops. Number port-ins are not mandatory, but if you do switch your mobile network operator, you'll qualify for a $300 Virtual Prepaid Mastercard on top of the aforementioned discounts.

Said savings, by the way, will be provided in the form of credits applied to your bill over a period of 24 months, which is pretty standard stuff when it comes to these types of deals.

That obviously means you'll also have to opt for a two-year device payment plan, but on the bright side, new and existing subscribers looking for a new line or a simple upgrade are all eligible for the full discounts.

A "select" unlimited plan is last but certainly not least on Verizon's list of key requirements, and while the carrier doesn't spell those out for us, we're pretty sure they include the Play More, Do More, and Get More Unlimited options.

What can you trade in and how much will you get for a damaged phone?

If some of the terms detailed above sound a little too good to be true, that might be because not all devices accepted by Verizon for its "Biggest Upgrade Ever" will get you $700 or $800 towards a hot new 5G flagship.

Unlike T-Mobile, Big Red will not take old "dumb" phones at all or even smart devices from brands like Huawei, Sony, or Nokia. Meanwhile, if you choose to trade in such oldies as Samsung's Galaxy S6, S7, and Note 8 or Apple's iPhone 6 and 7, you'll have to settle for a $350 or $400 discount, which is... not that bad actually.

Remember the Galaxy S8?

What's even better is that everything from the Galaxy S8, Note 9, and iPhone 8 to the Google Pixel 3, OnePlus 7, and LG G8 ThinQ (and above, of course) is eligible for the maximum trade-in values mentioned above.

All of that goes for both fully functional units in mint condition and broken handsets... as long as there's no visible battery damage (i.e. swelling, leaking, or "too hot to touch"). That's right, Verizon can give you $800 for a Galaxy S8 or iPhone 8 with a cracked screen or other type of damage.

The huge discount, mind you, can be applied to a whole slew of 5G and 5G Ultra Wideband-compatible smartphones, ranging from Samsung's Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra to the Note 20, Note 20 Ultra, and Z Fold 2, as well as the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max, not to mention the Motorola Edge+, LG Wing, and LG V60 ThinQ.

Basically, you're looking at the bulk of 2021's best phones here, which can be had for free or at an incredibly low price for a presumably limited time only.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.