Remember T-Mobile's signature "Un-carrier" moves that basically revolutionized the US wireless landscape between 2013 and 2020? In a way, you can say Verizon is having an Un-carrier moment of its own today, dropping a surprising announcement (at a surprising time) to "accelerate" its "customer-first strategy" and establish a new "industry standard" in a field where T-Mobile has made a lot of mistakes and caused a lot of controversies of late.
While Magenta is ironically no longer permitted to use a "Price Lock" publicity slogan it essentially patented back in 2022, Big Red is now adopting the exact same label for a freshly introduced three-year program for all new and existing customers... on specific plans.
You can stop worrying about (core) price hikes
That's right, Verizon is ready to guarantee your monthly rate will not go up for the next 36 months if you're a myPlan or myHome subscriber. Existing customers don't have to do anything to join the program, which is certainly nice, and new users obviously get automatic access to it as well.
But Verizon being Verizon, it probably shouldn't come as a shock that the operator's first-ever price lock promise doesn't also cover taxes, fees, and "perks." Still, this remains an important step in the right direction for a carrier that was almost universally considered the greediest and sneakiest of America's top three wireless players until not long ago.
Verizon's new battle plan against T-Mobile looks pretty strong. | Image Credit -- Verizon
That might be a thing of the past now, and even if certain taxes and fees will go up in the near future, at least Big Red is being honest about that possibility today.
Interestingly, you can also extend that three-year price lock guarantee by "changing your myPlan", which will apparently reset the clock to zero and give you another (partially) worry-free 36-month window. Presumably, that's only going to work if you switch to a plan of higher or equal value and not if you move, for instance, from a top-tier Unlimited Ultimate to a cheaper Unlimited Plus option.
How would you like a free phone to go with your "locked" plan?
No, free phone deals are definitely nothing new for US carriers, but Verizon is doing something very cool on that front too, allowing new and existing myPlan users to get amazing devices at no cost (after bill credits) with the trade-in of "any" phone from Apple, Google, or Samsung in "any" condition.
That means broken phones as well, so if you have one of those lying around the house, you're looking at a discount of up to $649.99 on a new Verizon handset of your choice. The Galaxy S24 FE, iPhone 16e, and Pixel 9a all happen to cost 650 bucks or less, so you can opt for one of them, commit to a monthly installment plan, trade in an old iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy in "any condition", and end up paying nothing.
The iPhone 16e is one of the devices you can get for free at Verizon by trading in your old and broken iPhone. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
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That's just another simple and effective way in which Verizon is eclipsing T-Mobile right now, not to mention the free satellite text messaging offered on any myPlan (for "qualifying" devices) or all the streaming benefits that are available at lower-than-ever prices. On top of everything, you also get a free router included in your myHome plan, as well as an additional $15 monthly discount for customers with both myPlan and myHome accounts.
Those are some hard-to-beat promotions across the board, although T-Mo obviously offers a lot of sweet deals of its own on free phones, wireless plans, home internet routers, and home internet plans. And something tells me more will come after this Verizon announcement.
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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'.
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