Apple says iPhone Duo buyers can get an instant credit of $175 to $885 through Apple Trade In, or up to $1,200 through carrier deals when trading in iPhone 14 Pro Max or higher. The size of a carrier credit depends on the plan you are on, and Apple’s store fine print shows that only certain unlimited plans unlock the biggest numbers.
iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB, with pre-orders that opened on October 16 and availability listed from October 23. Apple outlined the savings options in its iPhone Duo pre-order announcement, and the full carrier terms sit in the footnotes of the iPhone Duo buy page on apple.com.
Apple Trade In: $175 to $885, no carrier required
Apple’s release says customers “can receive an instant credit ranging from $175 to $885 when trading in an eligible iPhone 13 or higher.” That credit “can then be used to lower their monthly payments across Apple Upgrade, Apple Card Monthly Installments, or one of the incredible carrier deals.”
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Apple’s footnote adds that “trade-in values will vary based on the condition, year, and configuration of the eligible trade-in device.”
How the credit lands depends on how you pay. Apple’s Trade In page says that if you pay in full, the credit goes back to your original payment method “after we receive your trade-in device and confirm that the condition matches what you have described.” If you choose a monthly payment option, the estimated credit “will be applied directly to the purchase price of your new Apple device.”
Carrier deals at a glance
Each carrier gets a headline figure on Apple’s buy page. The fine print sets the real tiers.
| Carrier | Headline on Apple’s page | Top credit tiers | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Save up to $1200 after trade-in | $1,200, $930 or $350 on eligible unlimited plans | 36 months |
| T-Mobile | Save up to $1000 with an eligible trade-in in any condition | $1000, $700 or $500 on Experience Beyond 2.0, Experience Beyond or Go5G Next | 24 or 36 months |
| Verizon | Save up to $840 with an eligible trade-in in any condition | $840 or $420 (existing) and $1000 or $500 (new or add-a-line) on Unlimited Ultimate | 36 months |
In every case the credit is “based upon the model and condition of your trade-in smartphone” (Verizon’s terms say “based upon the model”), and Apple’s terms for all three say “max bill credits will not exceed the cost of the device.”
AT&T: up to $1,200, with a $35 fee
AT&T pays $1,200, $930 or $350 when iPhone Duo is activated on “any eligible AT&T unlimited plan except Extra 2.0 Unlimited Extra, Unlimited Extra EL, Unlimited Starter, Unlimited Starter SL, Unlimited Starter SM, or AT&T Value 2.0.” On those Extra and Starter plans, the credit drops to $930 or $350. On AT&T Value 2.0, it is $500 or $350.
The deal requires a new iPhone Duo “on qualifying 36-month 0 percent APR installment plan, subject to carrier credit qualification.” Bill credits are applied monthly over the 36-month term and “start within three bills.” AT&T charges an “Activation/upgrade fee: $35,” tax on the full retail price is due at sale, and customers buying this offer through Apple “cannot add the Next Up Anytime option.” If you cancel service, “credits will stop and you will owe the remaining device balance.”
T-Mobile: the top tier needs Experience Beyond or Go5G Next
T-Mobile’s best credit is $1000, $700 or $500 for customers on an Experience Beyond 2.0, Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plan, excluding 55+, Military and First Responder Savings plans. Apple lists that tier as a “$100+/mo. plan after AutoPay discount.” New T-Mobile customers get that tier only on Experience Beyond 2.0.
Lower plans get less. Existing customers on Experience More 2.0, Experience More or Go5G Plus get $800, $600 or $400, and those on Experience Signature, Go5G, Magenta, Magenta MAX, Essentials 2.0 or Essentials get $300 or $150.
T-Mobile’s credit is “comprised of (i) Apple instant trade-in credit at checkout and (ii) T-Mobile monthly bill credits applied over the loan term (24 or 36 months).” Apple says 36-month financing is only for Experience Beyond 2.0, Experience More 2.0 or Essentials 2.0 plans. There is a “$35 device connection charge due on next bill,” and “bill credits end if you pay off early.”
Verizon: new lines get more
Existing Verizon customers on Unlimited Ultimate (min. $95/mo with Auto Pay) get $840 or $420, Unlimited Plus (min. $80/mo) gets $660 or $330, and Unlimited Welcome (min. $65/mo) gets $300 or $150. New or add-a-line customers get $1000 or $500 on Unlimited Ultimate, $840 or $420 on Unlimited Plus, and $480 or $240 on Unlimited Welcome.
Verizon requires the Verizon Device Payment Program “at 0% APR for 36 months,” and the customer “must remain in the Verizon Device Payment Program for 36 months to receive the full benefit of the Verizon bill credits.”
Carrier financing locks the phone
Apple’s buy page says that if you finance “through the AT&T Installment Plan, T-Mobile Equipment Installment Plan, or Verizon Device Payment Program, your iPhone will be locked to the carrier until paid in full.” An iPhone bought with Apple Card Monthly Installments “is always unlocked,” as is a leased iPhone through Apple Upgrade, which we covered in our Apple Upgrade guide for iPhone Duo.
Three months of Apple One
Apple says “new and qualified returning subscribers who purchase iPhone Duo can unlock three months of Apple One for free.” The offer is limited to one per Apple Account and one per Family Sharing group, is not available if you or your family “have previously accepted an Apple One three-months-free offer,” and the plan “automatically renews after trial at your region’s price per month until cancelled.”
