T-Mobile has five noteworthy holiday deals for shoppers

T-Mobile is going all out to woo holiday switchers and upgraders, stacking aggressive promos on top of iPhone, Pixel and Galaxy devices. If you’re contemplating a plan switch or come firing with gifts, these five promotions have real value — not just headline numbers — when considering requirements for current plans, trading in your device and long-term bill credits.

Independent testing from companies such as Ookla and Opensignal has consistently shown T-Mobile to be either leading or close to the front on 5G availability and median speeds in the US, and that network advantage can help these offers stick. Here are the five promotions that make sense right now, plus context on who each is best for.

Free iPhone 17 for switchers on premium plans, no trade-in

Apple was up with the headline offer and it’s simple, but powerful: iPhone 17 or iPhone 17 Air free for customers switching to select premium tiers including Experience Beyond, Experience More, and Go5G Next.

There’s no trade-in needed in that instance, which is rare for brand-new iPhones.

Do you want an iPhone 17 Pro or a Pro Max? You won’t get it free without trading, but you can score as much as $1,000 off.

Traditional T-Mobile customers can get in on the freebies too — a qualifying trade-in on Experience Beyond or Go5G could score you an iPhone 17 smartphone at no cost (and your old device doesn’t even have to be in tip-top shape). Anticipate credits applying over 24 months; taxes are normally due at purchase.

Pixel 10 free with new line or big savings with trade-in

Google’s newest lineup gets an aggressive push: add a new line on Essentials or higher and you can receive a Pixel 10 for free or as much as $1,000 off other Pixel 10 models. That’s an appealing route if you’re adding another family member or transitioning a secondary device.

Don’t need another line? A trade-in with most T-Mobile plans can deliver a comparable result — a free Pixel 10 or up to a $1,000 price cut on a sibling in the series. For Android enthusiasts who care about getting the most timely software and AI features, this is one of the cleanest value plays among holiday offers.

Up to $1,000 off Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Z Flip 7, no trade-in

Foldables are still some of the most expensive smartphones out there, so this discount is nothing to sneeze at: Take up to $1,000 off a Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Z Flip 7 when you add a new line on Experience More or Experience Beyond, no trade-in necessary. Not many carriers are getting rid of the trade-in for flagship foldables, so this is impressive.

Already on T-Mobile and don’t have an extra line to add? You can also stack those savings with a qualifying trade-in of any phone on those same premium plans. On other plans, a trade-in usually nets you about $400 in bill credits over 24 months — decent if you want to stay at the lower price point for plan cost per month.

Galaxy S25 series gets up to $1,000 off with trade or line

The Galaxy S25 deals at T-Mobile have a lot to offer. You can get up to $1,000 off with a trade-in on Experience More or Go5G Plus, and T-Mobile is unusually forgiving regarding device condition for some promos. No trade? With a new line, $800 off is a significant dent in flagship pricing.

You can even get the S25 Edge for free with an eligible trade-in on Experience Beyond or Go5G Next. To Samsung buyers who aren’t interested in foldables, that’s the sweet spot: big discounts without exposing oneself to the most expensive options.

Four lines on Essentials with four free phones per line

Families should give the bundle a long look these days: four lines of Essentials for $25 each per month, plus four free phones. The kicker is the selection — you can choose to have an iPhone 17 or a Galaxy S25 per line under either of these plans. It’s rare to see deals that include more than a single free flagship at entry-level postpaid pricing.

And keep doing the math on plan features you circled — Essentials doesn’t include some premium benefits, but gets to the fundamentals well. For households that do multiple lines at a time, the collective savings compared to paying outright for devices could be significant.

How to choose the right offer and calculate true savings

Begin with total cost of ownership. One man’s “free phone via bill credits on a more expensive plan” can be another’s “more overall cost over 24 months than a smaller discount on less-chic wireless service,” depending precisely how many hundreds of gigabytes of data you chew through per millisecond. Account for plan variations such as hotspot allowances, roaming access, and upgrade schedules.

Next, assess trade-in value. For an older or damaged device, T-Mobile’s generous trade promos on certain tiers can be a win. Who am I comparing against? I’m capturing a network discount vs. selling my phone privately and taking less of a network discount, if the phone has good resale value.

Finally, remember the fine print. Nearly all promos have certain terms that must be met in order to take advantage of the discount, but if you cancel early, your remaining bill credits will stop and you’ll owe whatever is left. Taxes, as in the case of purchasing at a cash register, are due at the time of purchase, and restocking fees may apply to returns. Autopay and paperless billing discounts are unlikely to be offered to credit card holders; expect offers of this sort only for bank accounts.

Why these five T-Mobile holiday deals are especially noteworthy

The no-trade iPhone offer for switchers, the flexible Pixel savings across plan tiers, the rare no-trade foldable discount, the monstrous S25 trade credits and the family bundle with free flagships each cater to a different buyer profile. Between them, they accommodate most upgrade scenarios, without trying to funnel everyone into a single premium tier.

These are the promotions to beat this season, as supported by T-Mobile’s network performance in third-party testing and the carrier’s relentless encouragement for potential switchers. If you can pair the right plan with the right device, you’re going to be locking in meaningful savings well beyond what they are quoting you in terms of that headline price tag.