US carriers offer free iPhone 7, but there's a catch

By Maureen Blas / Sep 10, 2016 07:10 PM EDT
(Photo : Getty Images/Stephen Lam) Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller speaks on stage during a launch event on September 7, 2016 in San Francisco, California. Apple Inc. is expected to unveil latest iterations of its smart phone, forecasted to be the iPhone 7.
(Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan) A sign is posted on the exterior of a Verizon Wireless store on January 22, 2015 in San Francisco, California.
(Photo : Getty Images/Toby Jorrin) The AT&T Communications Inc. corporate headquarters building is seen March 6, 2006 in San Antonio, Texas.
(Photo : Facebook/T-Mobile) An ETFs (Early Termination Fees) sign was posted at the T-Mobile entrance.
(Photo : Getty Images/Jamie Squire) A sign is seen in front of the Sprint Nextel operational headquarters after Dish Network made a $25.5 billion bid for the company on April 15, 2013 in Overland Park, Kansas.

Apple iPhone 7 is the new trend today among smartphones especially that Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 is on the hot seat. US carriers are taking advantage of the newly released iPhone 7 offering it for free to existing and new customers.

Apple's September event is over and many have witnessed the new products the company unveiled including the most speculated smartphone - the iPhone 7. Wireless carriers are taking the opportunity to lure existing and would-be customers into getting the new phone for free, (and there's the "but" and "however") provided that a new phone will be traded preferably an iPhone 6 or 6S. Sprint and AT&T would accept Galaxy S7 in some cases.

The phones that will be traded in should be in good condition with no damaged screens. There will be some cases that a subscriber needs to shell out some cash if wants to get a higher storage than 32GB.

According to The Verge, once the customer agreed to the carrier's terms and conditions he will be locked to the carrier for two years. Typically, a subscriber will pay $200 for an iPhone upon agreeing not to leave the service provider. However, it would be different this time where a customer will hand over a slightly used $650 phone rather than $200.

After agreeing on the trade in, it is necessary to stay with the carrier for two years in order to actually acquire an iPhone at no charge.  In case the subscription is canceled in less than two years, the new phone should be returned or paid in full.

US wireless providers offer different iPhone 7 Carriers Pricing Plans to their subscribers to cater to their needs and give additional assistance. The said plan will help customers make a better choice on which plan best suits their needs.

Verizon Wireless is the biggest network in the US and also the most expensive. It offers the "Additionally Everything" plan. Plans regarding iPhone 7 will cost buyers $40 for the needed access expense as an addition to any fees for the phone. In case a customer pays for the handset using Verizon Edge, a rebate will be given on the access charges, iPhone 7 Updates reported.

AT&T has the advantage over Verizon since it is a GSM network, meaning if the phones get unlocked it can be used around the world. At the moment, AT&T is exerting an effort for a "shared data plan" quite similar to Verizon one with a $25 basic access expense for an individual every month using the carrier's AT&T' NEXT program.

T-Mobile offers its Simple Starter Plan providing subscribers 2GB of data with endless conversation and content that cost $45 while Sprint has the "Family Share Pack". Sprint's unlimited talk time, data, and messages cost $50.

These carriers will surely be in a tough competition for more convenient but cheaper plans to draw in more customers.