Apple shaking up carrier promos for iPhone, will allow damaged devices and other exceptions
Sales for Apple devices, including the iPhone 16, have been sluggish due to a myriad of factors currently in play. To counter that, the company is going to announce some major changes to how it handles carrier promotions and deals at its retail stores from June 26.Apple insider Mark Gurman — in the latest edition of his newsletter Power On — reports that the company is relaxing its stance on carrier promos to help boost sales. He expects that this change will net Apple almost double the number of promotions at its stores.Apple's retail stores have usually only allowed carrier deals where a customer would have to turn in an old device in good condition. If the company deemed it too damaged, the promotion would be off the table. In addition, deals without required trade-ins, as well as deals for turning in damaged devices, were not accepted.
Gurman claims that Apple is even going to allow devices with an appraised value of zero Dollars from June 26. Carrier promotions that don't require any devices to be traded in will also be honored from now on.
Turning in your iPhone 16 for the iPhone 17 will net you some credit, though. | Video credit — Apple
This is, in my eyes, yet another way that Apple is being forced to diversify and stop clinging to its old ways. The 'walled garden' ecosystem has already come crashing down in regions like the E.U. because of laws like the DMA ( Digital Markets Act ). Apple users in the E.U. can sideload apps, change default app choices, and use third-party NFC payments, amongst other new features.
Having to allow more carrier promotions and deals to boost sales was inevitable, perhaps, given the state of the industry. Apple is already considering raising the prices of the upcoming iPhone 17 series to combat the uncertainty of tariff rates. While U.S. carriers like T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon have always offered these promotions at their stores, it'd be nice to have Apple accept them at its own stores as well.
Phone manufacturers may also have to get used to American consumers upgrading less often, and opting for older phones instead, due to the current economic situation. But perhaps these companies had already prepared for this in advance, considering that they now offer five or more years of software support for their newest phones.
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