It's almost hard to believe it, but Thanksgiving is now less than a week away, and the biggest shopping day of the year happens right after. You’ve probably been inundated with best early Black Friday deals going on right now, including stuff like the best Black Friday iPhone deals that discount Apple’s latest and greatest handsets.
But how good are some of these iPhone deals? I can’t tell you how many free iPhone offers I see all the time, which should make you wonder if they’re all that special around Black Friday. That’s why I want to break down deals I've been seeing on the iPhone 17 Pro specifically to tell you exactly if they’re worth it or not, while also explaining what other hidden costs can come with buying a new phone.
I’m not just going to focus on free iPhone 17 Pro offers either; I’ll also look at other deals that discount the phone with a trade-in or offer the phone through an MVNO with service packaged into the cost. So the next time you think about committing to an iPhone, you might want to check out the fine print first.
Verizon’s free iPhone 17 Pro deal for a single line
- What’s the deal: get a free iPhone 17 Pro from Verizon
- Other costs you need to know about: $40 one-time activation fee
- Device unlocking policy: 60 days after purchase
Nothing is ever truly free and Verizon’s “free” iPhone 17 Pro deal for a single line is a perfect example. The phone costs $1,099 without any offers attached to it, and yet it’s advertised as “free” with this early Black Friday offer.
There are two big things you should know about this. The first is a one-time activation fee of $40 that’s going to be included in your first month’s bill, while the second relates to the cell phone plan the deal requires. At some point during the buying process online, you’ll be given a choice of three unlimited cell phone plans to choose from.
What’s interesting is that the “free” offer only applies to the Unlimited Ultimate plan at $90 per month with AutoPay (or $100 per month without), which is on a 36-month agreement. You save up to $1,100 on each eligible phone when you select this plan.
In contrast, the $65/month Unlimited Welcome plan is cheaper, but the discount doesn’t cover the entire cost of the phone — so that $65/month plan ends up being $75/month.
So what’s the total cost of ownership for Verizon’s free iPhone 17 Pro offer? There’s the $3,240 cost for the services ($90 per month for 36 months), $40 one-time activation fee, and the $72.87 sales tax. In total, this one ends up costing $3,352.87. What you’re really paying for here is the reliability of Verizon’s service.
What you really end up paying: $3,352.87
Mint Mobile’s $1,079 iPhone 17 Pro offer with service included
- What’s the deal: Get an iPhone 17 Pro with 1-year unlimited data service for $1,079
- Hidden costs you need to know about: $25.25 recovery fee, plus taxes and surcharges
- Device unlocking policy: 60 days after purchase
MVNOs — that's short for mobile virtual network operator — are the reasons why I’ve ditched a traditional wireless carrier years ago. I’ve often switched between Visible and Mint Mobile because both have some of the best cheap cell phone plans around, but Mint has a surprising offer for the iPhone 17 Pro ahead of Black Friday.
This deal is very different from what Verizon offers because the cost includes a year’s worth of unlimited cell phone service. In addition to the $200 instant discount that brings the cost of the phone from $1,099 to $899, Mint Mobile also slashes the cost of its service. Normally you’d shell out $360 for a year of its unlimited plan, but the cost drops to $180 with this offer.
Unlike the traditional way of paying monthly for the service, you pay for everything upfront at Mint. That’s why at checkout the total comes out to $1,079 before taxes and fees. All told, it’s $1,165.06 for the phone shipped to my address. That includes a $25.25 recovery fee and $60.81 in other taxes and surcharges.
Since the service is heavily discounted over what you’d find from traditional carriers, I think this is one of the best deals you’ll find out there on the iPhone 17 Pro. Basically, you’re paying just a smidge more over MSRP — which isn’t too shabby. The incentive to get this iPhone 17 Pro offer is that you’re getting a heavily discounted unlimited cell phone plan that’s good for the entire year.
What you really end up paying: $1,165.06
T-Mobile’s free iPhone 17 Pro offer with a trade-in
- What’s the deal: get a free iPhone 17 Pro from T-Mobile with a 24-month service agreement and trade-in
- Hidden costs you need to know about: $10 device connection charge, plus taxes
- Device unlocking policy: Device must be active on the T‑Mobile network for at least 40 days
The final iPhone 17 Pro deal I’m highlighting is the free offer from T-Mobile, which is almost similar to Verizon, but you’re locked in for 24 months as opposed to the 36 months. Usually you’d be charged $45.84/month for the iPhone 17 Pro, but this monthly rate drops when it’s activated on T-Mobile's most expensive cell phone plan — but there’s a catch. This offer requires a trade-in.
That's why I’m not a fan of this deal because your trade-in value is contingent on the device and its condition. Newer flagship devices, like a 256GB iPhone 16 Pro, will land you bigger savings off the cost for the iPhone 17 Pro. I got a $550 trade-in value for a 64GB first-generation iPhone SE when I was checking out trade-in values with other phones. With the 256GB iPhone 16 Pro Max, I’m offered the full $1,099.
Most of the monthly service charge boils down to the $100/month Experience Beyond plan that’s required to get this deal. However, the pricing can change depending on your credit score. The price I’m mentioning comes from selecting the credit score of 661 or higher during the buying process, but it will obviously change if you have a lower score.
At the final checkout screen, the total due is $83.54, which consists of the $10 device connection charge and $73.54 in taxes. Combine that with the $100/month rate for T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan, the total cost for this deal ends up being $2,483.54.
What you really end up paying: $2,483.54
Verdict
I know which deal I’d pick out of all of the ones above, but your choice depends on how confident you are with the service provider. Mint Mobile’s iPhone 17 Pro deal has the lowest total cost, plus you’re invested into the service for only a year.
Verizon’s offer would be my second choice, despite the hefty long term commitment to pay for the service — but I know the service is one of the best and most reliable. T-Mobile’s offer might cost you less than Verizon’s, but I really don’t like the idea of trading in a device to get the best offer.
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