Phone Carrier Device Deals: Trade-In Math Before You Switch
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Carrier deals are loans with marketing. The phone is full price on a payment plan. Credits cancel those payments if you stay. Trade-in value is a second variable that can be clawed back if the device is not in the promised condition.
Write four numbers
- Retail price of the new phone
- Monthly credit × months
- Trade-in offered vs what a used-phone buyer would pay
- Your current early-termination or remaining device balance
If the credits require a more expensive unlimited plan, subtract the extra plan cost over the same term. That is the real discount.
Bottom line
A good deal is one you can hold to the last credit. If you switch carriers every year, buy unlocked on a sale instead.
