The Best iPhone 16 Deals: Get an iPhone 16 for Free!

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max

If you're opting for the new iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is the biggest-ever iPhone, you can get up to $1,000 off with an eligible trade-in and a qualifying Unlimited plan. (The discount is applied as bill credits over 36 months.) Features of the phone range from a 6.9" Super Retina XDR display to an ultrawide 48MP camera.

iPhone 16 Carrier Deals

Apple has provided info already on what to expect from iPhone 16 carrier deals, and most require trading in an eligible phone. Here's a quick look at what you can get.

Verizon

Existing Verizon customers can score up to $1,000 in credits after trade-in. Here's how that differs by iPhone 16 model.

• Apple iPhone 16 for Verizon: Up to $830 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Plus for Verizon: Up to $930 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro for Verizon: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max for Verizon: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in

AT&T

Both new and existing AT&T customers can snag up to $1,000 in credits after trade-in. Here's how that differs by phone model.

• Apple iPhone 16 for AT&T: Up to $830 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Plus for AT&T: Up to $830 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro for AT&T: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max for AT&T: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in

T-Mobile

Existing T-Mobile customers get the benefit of up to $1,000 in credits after trade-in, and the deal applies to all iPhone 16 models.

• Apple iPhone 16 for T-Mobile: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Plus for T-Mobile: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro for T-Mobile: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in
• Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max for T-Mobile: Up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in

Boost Mobile

With Boost Mobile, you can get up to $1,000 in credits without a trade-in. Trade in an iPhone 12 or newer iPhone, and you can score an extra $180 to $650 worth of credits.

What's New With the iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 range sees a number of upgrades from previous generations. From a new chip, and the accompanying focus on AI, to some quality of life improvements, it's worth taking a look at them one by one. And so:

• A18 Chip: The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus get the new A18 Bionic chip, an upgrade from the iPhone 15's A16 equivalent. The Pro and Pro Max get the A18 Pro chip, a step up from the previous A17 Pro. The A18 Pro has 6-core GPU, compared to the A18 Bionic's five cores, but for the first time, each of the new phones is capable of hardware raytracing, which is a bonus for those interested in the console-level gaming Apple has promised. Both new cores also lead us to...
• Apple Intelligence: The A18 chips come with a suite of AI features. It allows for GPT-esque text generation, image and emoji generation, as well as upgraded Siri functionality.
• New cameras: The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus get the 48MP Fusion camera, and a new dual-lens vertical layout, as well as the Ultra Wide lens the 15 Pro boasted. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, meanwhile, get 5x optical zoom (previously Pro Max exclusive), and an upgraded Ultra Wide lens. They also get 120fps 4K Dolby Vision slo-mo video recording.
• Camera control: All of this can be navigated on all the iPhone 16 models with the new Camera Control button. A single click of the button opens the camera, a second takes a photo, and a press and hold starts video recording. There are also touch-sensitive and swipe controls for zoom, exposure, and tool options.

iPhone 16 Highlights

Storage: Storage options differs based on which iPhone 16 model you choose.

• iPhone 16 and 16 Plus: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
• iPhone 16 Pro: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
• iPhone 16 Pro Max: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Colors: The iPhone 16 lineup comes in a range of colors that's divided by phone model.

• iPhone 16 and 16 Plus: Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White, Black
• iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max: Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium

Cost: The starting cost of the iPhone 16 varies by up to $400 based on the model you select.

Release date: Preorders for the iPhone 16 models will start at 8 am ET on September 13, and they'll be officially available on September 20.

NOTE: The information below was compiled before the the September 2024 Apple event. Please refer to the info above before planning an iPhone 16 purchase.

How to Get an iPhone 16 for Free

Since the iPhone 16 isn't out just yet, we can't definitively state the exact methods on how to get one for free. However, what we can do is look at the current approaches to getting an iPhone 15 for free and make the reasonable assumption that similar such offers will be available for the new phone come release. Below you'll find some of the most notable retailers and their iPhone 15 offers — offers which we expect will likely carry over to the new iPhone 16 in some form.

Deals to Expect From Verizon

The offers we saw from Verizon all centered around trade-ins. By trading in qualifying devices, it was possible to get the iPhone 15, Plus, or Pro 128GB models for free. It was also necessary to open an Unlimited Ultimate plan, as well as pay a $35 activation fee. It should also be noted that the credit received from the trade-in was applied over a period of 36 months. More recently, you can get an iPhone 15 for free with Verizon upon opening a new line although don't expect this type of offer to be available upon launch with the new iPhone 16.

It's extremely likely that when the iPhone 16 is announced, we'll see a very similar slew of deals affording the opportunity to get one for free via trade-in.

Deals to Expect From AT&T

At AT&T, it was possible to get the iPhone 15, Plus, and Pro 128GB editions for free with an eligible device trade-in. The trade-in needed to be paired with a qualifying Unlimited plan. Like with Verizon, the credit received from the trade-in was also applied over a period of 36 months. Pro Max users might be interested to know that while it wasn't possible to get one for free, it was nonetheless possible to take $1,000 off pre orders with a high value trade-in.

Will we see these kinds of offers once again, allowing for an iPhone 16 to be acquired for free at launch? Almost certainly.

Deals to Expect From T-Mobile

At this point it will surely come as no surprise to learn that T-Mobile, like Verizon and AT&T, also had the same such trade-in offers allowing for free iPhone 15 procurement. Trade a qualifying device in exchange for credit, opt for a qualifying Go5G plan, and one of several iPhone 15 models was yours for nada.

Will they do it all again for the impending iPhone 16 release? Definitely maybe probably.

Other Ways to Get the iPhone 16 for Free

Outside of The Big Three cellular network providers, who else might afford us a generous opportunity to get an iPhone 16 for free? Disappointingly, we didn't see very many offers outside of Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile that resulted in an iPhone 15 for free last year so don't expect to see many this year for the iPhone 16.

However, one deal worth noting is Amazon's offer of the iPhone 15 with Boost Mobile that was available shortly after launch. It saw all four core models (at their base storage levels of either 128GB or 256GB) available for free when paired with Boost Mobile's Unlimited plan, which cost $60 per month at the time. We might see this offer again when the iPhone 16 launches.

What Else to Know About the iPhone 16

When Will the iPhone 16 Be Released?

Apple's event to announce the iPhone 16 is set for September 9. The newly announced phones typically release within a few weeks of the event and last year saw the iPhone 15 launch on September 22 after a September 12 unveiling. There's no reason to think this year will see any deviation from tradition.

What Will the iPhone 16 Cost?

We don't know but the price of the iPhone 16 will most likely be the same as that of the iPhone 15 or very similar. For handy reference, here's what last year's various iPhone models cost at launch:

iPhone 15

• 128GB from $799
• 256GB from $899
• 512GB from $1,099

iPhone 15 Plus

• 128GB from $899
• 256GB from $999
• 512GB from $1,199

iPhone 15 Pro

• 128GB from $999
• 256GB from $1,099
• 512GB from $1,299
• 1TB from $1,499

iPhone 15 Pro Max

• 256GB from $1,199
• 512GB from $1,399
• 1TB from $1,599

Will the iPhone 16 Release Make Older iPhones Cheaper?

It's very likely that older iPhones will see price drops upon the arrival of the shiny new iPhone 16. For example, when the iPhone 15 released last year, the iPhone 14 saw a $100 price reduction to $699. The iPhone 14 Plus was also reduced as well.

Confoundingly though, the iPhone 13 and iPhone SE did not drop in price. Still, official price drop or not, when the iPhone 16 releases you can expect various retailers to begin offering their own deals on older models. Naturally, you'll be able to find said deals right here on DealNews.

What Colors Will the iPhone 16 Come In?

According to reliable rumor mongers MacRumors, we might be looking at seven colors — blue, pink, yellow, green, black, white, and purple. In slight contradiction to this however, they cite a different source who expects no purple or yellow. So we're likely looking at least some of these color choices being available but perhaps not all.

What Will Be New With the iPhone 16?

Whispers suggest that the iPhone 16 will very much be an incremental upgrade that won't offer many big changes from last year's model. Among the most heavily and notably rumored features are:

• A new A-series chip
• A vertically aligned camera system with a pill-shaped camera bump
• The replacing of the mute switch with the Action Button, bringing them in line with their Pro brethren
• The introduction of a dedicated Capture Button on the right hand side of the phone

What About the iPhone 16 Pro?

Like with the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max offerings seemingly won't hugely differ compared to last year's models. Some rumored changes and additions include:

• An increase of screen size for the Pro model from 6.1" to 6.3" and for the Pro Max model from 6.7" to 6.9"
• Tetraprism 5x optical zoom availability on the iPhone 16 Pro, a feature that was only previously on the Pro Max
• A Capture Button on the right side of the phone

Well, now you know all there is to currently know about getting one of those fancy schmancy new iPhone 16 cellular devices for free.

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