Sep 15, 2017

As iPhone 8 orders begin, wireless operators dangle juicy offers

Ina Fried

Apple

You can order the new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and cellular equipped Apple Watch (but not the iPhone X) starting at just after midnight PT.

  • The iPhone 8 starts at $699, but to try to woo customers, the major cellular carriers are all offering a variety of deals, ranging from discounts on trade-ins or future updates to free movie services like HBO or Netflix.
  • As for the LTE-equipped Apple Watch, most carriers are charging $10 a month to add the watch to your monthly plan after getting the first three months free. And the watch itself will set you back about $400.

Bottom line: There are some good offers for those that have a recent smartphone and are sure they want the iPhone 8. But, those willing to both spend a little more and wait a little longer might prefer the iPhone X, with its edge-to-edge screen and face recognition technology.

Here is what each carrier is offering:

AT&T: Those who buy an iPhone 8 can get a 32GB iPad for $99 (as long as you sign up for a two year-contract on the iPad). The company is also offering those who pay for its DirecTV or U-Verse home TV service an offer to buy one iPhone 8 and get one free (up to $699 off). AT&T also recently added free HBO to its Unlimited Choice service. (It had previously only been included with the pricier Unlimited Plus)

Sprint: Sprint is offering up to half off the iPhone 8 for new customers who buy the device on its "Sprint Flex" pricing and trade-in an eligible phone, including an iPhone 6 or newer, along with recent high-end phones from Samsung, LG, Motorola and Google. It's also saying it will guarantee the lowest monthly price on the entry-level iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus to those who switch to Sprint. If a customer sees a better nationally advertised offer within 14 days, Sprint says it will match the price.

T-Mobile: The self-styled Un-carrier is offering up to $300 credit for those who trade in an iPhone 6 or newer for one of Apple's new phones (iPhone 8, 8 Plus or, eventually, the iPhone X). It's also promising those that get one of those new iPhones can trade in the device once half of it is paid off and then upgrade to the next iPhone. T-Mobile also recently started including free Netflix for customers with two or more lines, an offer that COO Mike Sievert told Axios was designed to arrive just before the new iPhones.

Verizon: Those who buy an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, sign up for unlimited service and trade in certain smartphones can get up to $300 back.

Go deeper

Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3:30 p.m. ET: 838,061 — Total deaths: 41,261 — Total recoveries: 174,115.
  2. U.S.: Leads the world in confirmed cases. Total confirmed cases as of 3:30 p.m. ET: 177,452 — Total deaths: 3,440 — Total recoveries: 6,038.
  3. Public health updates: More than 400 long-term care facilities across the U.S. report patients with coronavirus — Older adults and people with other health conditions are more at risk, new data shows.
  4. Federal government latest: The White House and other institutions are observing several models to better understand and prepare cities for when the coronavirus is expected to peak in the U.S.
  5. In Congress: New York Rep. Max Rose deploys to National Guard to help coronavirus response.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: Misinformation in the coronavirus age.
  7. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  8. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 51 mins ago - Politics & Policy
Rebecca Falconer, Orion Rummler, Marisa Fernandez

U.S. coronavirus updates: White House studies models projecting virus peak

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Map: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

The White House and other institutions are observing several models to better understand and prepare cities for when the coronavirus is expected to peak in the U.S.

The state of play: The coronavirus is expected to peak in the U.S. in two weeks, but many states like Virginia and Maryland will see their individual peaks well after that, according to a model by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 2 hours ago - Health
Marisa Fernandez

FDA authorizes two-minute antibody testing kit to detect coronavirus

Currently, it takes days to produce results from testing kits. Photo: Sergei Malgavko\TASS via Getty Images

The Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency approval Tuesday for a serological testing kit produced by Bodysphere Inc. that can detect a positive or negative result for COVID-19 in two minutes.

Why it matters: Access to testing has improved in the U.S. thanks to commercial labs, but the average wait time for a patient's results is four to five days — with some reports of it taking more than a week.

Go deeperArrowUpdated 2 hours ago - Health