All the Hacks · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
The speaker argues that device credits offered by major carriers, even substantial ones like $1200 off an iPhone, often fail to compensate for the higher monthly plan costs. These plans can be $30 to $60 more expensive than comparable plans on the same network, negating the perceived savings from device promotions.
“So how it works typically is that you buy a new phone through them, and they give you a huge discount. Or you upgrade your phone and you trade in your old phone and they give you a huge amount in trade-in value for your phone, beyond what the phone's worth.”
“But in order to do that, you have to do two things. You have to finance the new device through them, usually over three years. And all that credit you get, they'll pay you out over three years.”
“So that completely wiped out that $19 a month savings.”