T-Mobile is still offering one of the year’s big promos, more or less handing over the iPhone 17 Pro at no cost after trade-in and carrier switch to its top-tier Experience Beyond plan. The discount comes in the form of bill credits spread out over 24 months and covers as much as $1,100 of the device’s cost — meaning that, if you’re eligible, you could get a 256GB iPhone 17 Pro for free.
How T-Mobile’s free iPhone 17 Pro deal works over 24 months
The deal is in the form of monthly bill credits to your account for 24 months. It’s an installment plan for the iPhone 17 Pro, and T-Mobile issues you credits equal to what you’ve paid so the balance nets to $0 over two years. Cancel service or switch to a non-eligible plan before credits start and you’ll owe the remaining device balance at full price.
- How T-Mobile’s free iPhone 17 Pro deal works over 24 months
- Eligibility and required trade-in devices for full credits
- What to do if you lack a qualifying trade-in or eligible plan
- Key features and specs of Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro model
- The real costs to expect beyond the $0 iPhone promotion
- Why carriers run aggressive phone promos and trade-in deals
- Steps to secure the deal before the promotion period ends
There will be upfront costs to budget for. There is also a $35 activation fee from T-Mobile, and sales tax is due upfront with the purchase of the phone based on its full retail price. Standard service charges apply, and it can take one to two billing cycles for credits to appear — T-Mobile typically backdates missing credits once posted.
Eligibility and required trade-in devices for full credits
It’s available to new and existing T-Mobile customers, but you’ll need to be on the Experience Beyond unlimited plan. A qualifying trade-in in good working order is necessary for full credit. Though the specific list of devices may fluctuate, recent Apple, Samsung, and Google flagships tend to end up in that top tier that slides the full $1,100 across the table. Partial credits may still be possible depending on the year of the older or midrange model, but they will not eliminate much of the cost.
If you’re coming to T-Mobile from another carrier, make sure your device is fully paid off and unlocked before trading it in. Devices are checked to power on, with no major cracks and a functioning screen. Pro tip: Back up, then factory reset your old phone before you turn it in to avoid potential delays.
What to do if you lack a qualifying trade-in or eligible plan
If you want a new iPhone and don’t have an eligible trade-in, T-Mobile also has promotions for switchers on Experience More or Go5G Plus: You can get the base iPhone 17 for free or up to $830 off any iPhone 17 device without a trade-in. Those deals won’t zero out an iPhone 17 Pro, but if you’re looking for the Pro or Max options, they can make a real dent in the cost.
Key features and specs of Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro model
The new iPhone 17 Pro combines a 6.3″ Super Retina XDR display with Dolby Vision HDR, and a unibody aluminum design with a ceramic surface coating. Inside, Apple’s A19 Pro chip promises faster performance and longer battery life (up to 33 hours on a full charge, depending on usage).
Imaging is centered around a 48MP Fusion imaging system with wide, ultra‑wide, and telephoto lenses and an 18MP front camera developed for high-quality video calls and content creation. The safety toolkit also offers crash detection and communication without service via satellite, as well as Emergency SOS features. The free promo model starts at 256GB and larger capacities up to 2TB are sold separately.
The real costs to expect beyond the $0 iPhone promotion
Even if the phone is a net $0, you’ll still have to pay any taxes due and the $35 activation fee. Experience Beyond is T-Mobile’s top-drawer plan, so your monthly service cost will be higher than that of the entry-level stuff, but you also get some premium hotspot allotments and international features included in the price. Then, of course, there’s the possibility that AutoPay discounts can take a chunk out of your monthly bill for some providers — or if you have enough bundled perks in other offerings to offset the subscription spending you’d be doing anyway.
For example, if a customer were to trade in a recent flagship that gives her value at the highest tier, she would see installment charges and corresponding credits approximately cancel each other out every month for 24 months — effectively making the phone free as long as she stays on that plan.
Why carriers run aggressive phone promos and trade-in deals
Counterpoint Research analysts have observed that aggressive promos “fuel upgrade cycles and mitigate churn,” one of the key metrics among major carriers they aim to keep under 1%. T-Mobile, which has beaten the industry in reporting the lowest postpaid phone churn in investor materials, is using trade-in subsidies to drive customers to premium plans and goose 5G adoption. Trade-in programs are also promoted by groups like CTIA as a way of helping to cut down on e‑waste, thanks to the refurbishing and repurposing of second-hand devices.
Steps to secure the deal before the promotion period ends
- Check if your current device is eligible for trade-in and confirm the trade-in value, then back it up and wipe it.
- Select the iPhone 17 Pro capacity you’re interested in, sign up or switch to Experience Beyond, and be prepared to pay taxes and the activation fee at checkout.
- Watch your first two bills to make sure the credits show up; if they don’t, reach out to support and have them applied retroactively.
Bottom line: If you can make the plan and trade-in math work, T-Mobile’s ongoing promotion is a rare instance with few asterisks in which a flagship iPhone comes at $0 — just be sure you’re comfortable signing on for all 24 months of credits.