Vivo T-Mobile is waving around one of the year’s major upgrade carrots: a free iPhone 17 Pro with the pre-order and an eligible trade in and activate on a qualifying unlimited plan. The offer is worth about $1,100 in bill credits that decrement the price of the phone to zero over time. Here’s everything you need to know about how to qualify, what you’ll actually pay, and the fine print that’s worth perusing before you tap pre-order.
How the preorder and who is eligible
The iPhone 17 Pro is $0 via 24 monthly bill credits when new and existing T-Mobile customers trade in an eligible device and activate or maintain service on the Experience Beyond unlimited plan. Credits applicable within each month or billing period; suspended, disconnected or terminated service are the exception.
Switchers on Experience More or Go5G Plus, meanwhile, can get a free base iPhone 17 or up to $830 off any iPhone 17 series model (without trade-in), the carrier also says. And that’s a mighty fine fallback if your current phone won’t fetch top-flight trade-in value.
Anticipate up to a one-time $35 activation fee, taxes on the phone’s full retail price at checkout, and perhaps a down payment depending on credit. 1 promo per line; lines must be active in order to receive credits.
What qualifies as an eligible trade in
T-Mobile employs tiered trade-in lists for its flagship promos here. Recent top-tier phones that are in good working condition — premium models from Apple, Samsung and Google, for example — usually get the highest credit. The devices must be able to power on, have no screen cracks which impact device function and not be reported lost or stolen. Battery wear is generally fine if the phone works otherwise.
Before you send off or trade in your device, back up what’s on it, sign out of cloud accounts (including Find My on iPhone), and factory reset. If you prefer to mail it, send the provided materials back promptly — not returning them in time can diminish or void the bill credits.
For a trade-in that falls into the mid- to low-value tier, you still might get partial credits, but not enough to entirely discount the 17 Pro. In that scenario, take the no–trade-in discount on other plans into account or trade up from an older phone before everything you’ve invested becomes worth nothing.
What you’ll actually pay
“Free,” according to carrier-speak, means the cost is refunded as monthly credits. You will pay sales tax on the full retail price up front, the activation fee and your plan cost every month. The credit flow can total to around $1,100 over 24 months if the retail price is in line with recent Pro models. Miss a payment, downgrade your plan, or cancel early, and T-Mobile ceases to provide you credits and the remainder of the device balance is due.
Budget tip: when sketching out the cost add in for good measure the Experience Beyond plan’s monthly amount.
The richer the plan, the more the credits, but also your ongoing bill. For a lot of buyers, the net worth still leans in favor of the promo — particularly if your phone’s trade-in is strong.
Alternatives if you can’t trade-in
If your device isn’t eligible for the maximum credits because it’s too old or damaged, consider the trade-in offers from on Experience More or Go5G Plus — free base model iPhone 17 to $830 off of any 17 model. They take a nice chunk off the monthly device price even without a trade-in and could help to keep your plan price in a more palatable range.
Why this deal is happening (and who benefits)
Carriers rely on device subsidies to grab and hold onto high-end lines. These upgrade cycles now go past three years for many users, according to industry groups and analysts. So promotions like these are aimed at swaying fence-sitters while rolling up multi-year revenue with the help of bill credits. T-Mobile has been ranked among the best in 5G speed and availability by independent network tests — putting a Pro-level phone as a natural showpiece for that network.
If, big if you planned on sticking with T-Mobile for two years anyway,2) Have a high-top-tier trade-in and 3) Place a premium on the perks the plan comes with. If you want flexibility or anticipate swapping carriers in the future, a significant one-time discount and purchasing an unlocked phone could be smarter.
iPhone 17 Pro features that prove it's worth the upgrade
That upgrade in the Pro model gets you Apple’s A19 Pro silicon for faster performance and better efficiency, a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR display with Dolby Vision, and a camera stack built around a 48MP main sensor plus ultra-wide and telephoto shooters.
And a high-quality 18MP front camera enhances video calls and content creation, with emergency features — such as crash detection, satellite connectivity for messaging and SOS — delivering tangible safety value.
The chassis is made of premium materials that supposed to be scratch resistant like ceramic, and comes with storage options ranging from 256GB on up to 2TB. Apple promises up to 33 hours on a charge, which is quite the leap for heavy streamers and travelers.
Fine print to read before you preorder
Pay close attention to the device and plan terms. Credits also post after over 24 months; returns, plan downgrades or cancellations prevent them. There might be a restocking fee for returns. These trade-ins are based on final inspection — if your device is in worse shape than stated, T-Mobile can adjust the credit and you would pay a higher out-of-pocket cost. Get insurance for your new phone right away; replacement costs are high if you lose or drop it before the contract is paid off.
Bottom line: If you’re willing to sign up for the qualifying plan, and have a device good enough to trade in, T-Mobile’s preorder does seem capable of earning you an iPhone 17 Pro gratis over time.
Add up plan costs and taxes in advance, pick the promo that makes sense for you and you’ll know whether to preorder now or go after a different discount.