If you already have a phone that you're happy with, or you're a savvy deal hunter who knows how to find good deals on unlocked phones, T-Mobile is offering an affordable prepaid plan that includes all of the essential services. It's called the Metro by T-Mobile BYOD (bring your own device) plan and all that it requires from you is to bring your own phone.
Metro by T-Mobile Plan: Unlimited 5G Talk, Text, and Data for $25
Metro BYOD by T-Mobile offers one line of unlimited talk, text, and 5G data for $30 for the first month and $25 per month afterwards with AutoPay. Taxes and fees are already included. You're guaranteed this price for 5 years, although being a prepaid plan, you're free to opt out at any time. In addition, you get perks like Scam Shield, which enables Caller ID and blocks or redirects spam calls, and T-Mobile Tuesdays, a program that gives you access to freebies and exclusive discounts every Tuesday. Note that speeds may slow if you go over a soft cap of greater than 35GB per month.
If you already have a phone and don't expect to replace it every year or two, the Metro by T-Mobile BYOD plan will save you money in the long run. Whereas the Metro BYOD plan only costs $25 per month, Metro's least expensive Unlimited plan costs $40 per month (although it does supply you with a free 5G phone). You can opt into an even higher-tier $50/mo plan to be eligible for discounted phone upgrades every 12 months. However, that also means you're paying an extra $20-$30 per month – which totals out to an extra $240-$360 per year – on your phone bill. If you stick with the BYOD plan and hold onto your phone for at least three years, you could be saving over $1,000 on your bill.
Buying an iPhone 17 Outright and Signing Up for the $25 Metro by T-Mobile Plan Might Save You More Money Than "iPhone On Us" Deals
You might think buying an iPhone outright isn't really a deal, and technically you'd be correct, but there's a good chance that you might actually be saving money in the long run. If you're looking to purchase an iPhone 7 and don't expect to replace it in a year or two, the Metro by T-Mobile BYOD plan might end up being the most cost effective path.
T-Mobile is currently offering a couple of "iPhone 17 On Us" deals, however all of them require signing up for a plan that costs $85 or more per month and maintaining the account for at least 24 months to claim all of the bill credits. The Metro plan only costs $25 per month with hardly any strings attached. That's a difference of at least $60 every month on your phone bill. If you hold onto your phone for 3 years, you're saving $2,160 on your bill. That's plenty of savings to afford your next iPhone upgrade down the line and worth more than a couple of iPhones "on us".
Note that some exclusions apply. See details at MetrobyT-Mobile.com.
New Apple iPhone 17 Phones Announced on September 9
Apple announced three iPhone models during its iPhone 17 Event: the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, and iPhone 17 Pro/Pro Max. The Apple iPhone 17 starts at $799.99 and is available in both 256GB and 512GB capacities. Major upgrades include a slightly larger 6.3" OLED display with 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, a more powerful A19 processor, higher resolution ultra-wide and selfie cameras, and longer battery life with faster charging.
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max starting at $1,099.99 ($1,199.99 for the Pro Max) and are available in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities. They carry over the same 6.3" and 6.9" screens of their predecessors but the screens are 50% brighter with up to 3,000nit rating. Other upgrades include an A19 Pro processor with more RAM, higher resolution ultra-wide and selfie-cameras, and longer battery life and faster charging.
The iPhone 16 Plus has been replaced by the new iPhone 17 Air. It starts at $999.99 and is available in 256GB, 512G, and 1TB capacities. The iPhone 17 Air measures only 0.22" thin and weighs less than 6 ounces. It features a 6.5" 120Hz ProMotion display with up to 2,000nits of brightness and the new A19 Pro processor (although with fewer GPU cores than the iPhone 17 Pro model). The thin form factor limits this phone to a single 48MP ultra-wide rear camera, although you do also get the new 18MP Center Stage selfie cam.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.