Best Buy’s own pages show the AT&T and Verizon iPhone 18 Pro trade-in tiers side by side, plus an Apple Watch Series 12 that a qualifying trade-in brings to a stated $199 and an Apple Watch Ultra 4 that drops to $369. Amazon’s own iPhone, Watch and AirPods pages returned server errors or timed out on every attempt made for this report, so nothing from Amazon is confirmed below.
Best Buy is the one US retailer whose own pages loaded cleanly this weekend, checked Sunday, September 13, the day after iPhone 18 Pro pre-orders opened. What follows is quoted or closely paraphrased from those pages.
Key facts
| Product | Best Buy’s own page | Extra terms |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max via AT&T | up to $1,200 off, tiered by plan and device value | Hosted on Best Buy’s AT&T trade-in page |
| iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max via Verizon | up to $1,200 (add-a-line) or $1,020 (upgrade), tiered | Hosted on Best Buy’s Verizon trade-in page |
| Apple Watch Series 12 (42mm, $399) | “Starting at $199 with qualifying trade-in” | 2% rewards back on pre-order through 9/17/26 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 4 ($799) | “Starting at $369 with qualifying trade-in” | 24-month 0% financing through 10/25/26 |
| Amazon | Pages would not load this weekend | Not confirmed |
iPhone 18 Pro trade-in, carrier by carrier, on Best Buy’s own pages
Best Buy hosts a dedicated trade-in page for each carrier’s iPhone 18 Pro program. AT&T’s page states: “Save up to $1,200 off iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max after 36 monthly bill credits w/ trade-in of an iPhone 14 or higher (excl. iPhone 16e) in any condition, or an eligible smartphone w/ min. trade-in value of $180 or more.” Verizon’s page sets out a two-tier structure by device and plan:
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| Carrier | Top device tier, top plan | Lower device tier, top plan | Key condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | up to $1,200 (device valued $180+, Premium 2.0 or qualifying legacy unlimited) | up to $350 (device valued $35 to $129, any plan) | 36-month 0% APR installment, $35 activation fee |
| Verizon | up to $1,200 add-a-line / $1,020 upgrade (Tier 1 device, Unlimited Ultimate) | up to $600 add-a-line / $510 upgrade (Tier 2 device, Unlimited Ultimate) | Trade-in device must be active on the account for 60 days; submission due within 14 days of activation |
Both pages also list the trade-in condition rules: the device must be unlocked, deactivated and wiped of personal data, with Find My iPhone turned off, and Best Buy excludes phones with a damaged battery, an unidentifiable model, activation lock enabled, or a lost or stolen flag.
What Best Buy actually prices for Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4
Best Buy’s own Apple Watch Series 12 page lists the 46mm “starting at $449” and the 42mm “starting at $399,” with 12-month 0 percent financing on the My Best Buy Credit Card at suggested payments of $38 and $34 a month. The same page states the 42mm goes “Starting at $199 with qualifying trade-in,” and that My Best Buy Plus and Total members “earn 2% back in rewards with pre-order” through September 17, 2026, the day before launch.
The Apple Watch Ultra 4 page lists it “starting at $799,” with 24-month 0 percent financing (suggested $34 a month) that Best Buy’s own page says runs through October 25, 2026, and a trade-in line reading “Starting at $369 with qualifying trade-in.” The same page separately states an Apple Watch Ultra 3 “trades in for Up to $430.”
Amazon’s pages would not load this weekend
Several attempts to reach Amazon’s iPhone 18 Pro search results, its Apple storefront page and a direct listing page each returned a server error or timed out over the course of this weekend’s research. That is an honest gap, not evidence Amazon has no promotion. No coupon, trade-in figure or discount from Amazon’s own pages can be confirmed for this article, and anyone comparing Best Buy’s terms against Amazon’s should check amazon.com directly.
What has not been confirmed
Best Buy’s pages do not state an expiration date for the AT&T or Verizon trade-in tiers, only for the rewards window (September 17) and the Ultra 4 financing window (October 25). Whether the Series 12’s $199 and the Ultra 4’s $369 “starting at” figures assume one specific trade-in device or the maximum possible credit is not stated on either page.
These figures reflect Best Buy’s own pages as read on Sunday, September 13. Amazon’s terms should be checked directly at amazon.com, since its pages did not load for this report, and Best Buy’s 2% rewards window closes September 17, a day before iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch Series 12 and Ultra 4 reach stores.
