Crazy-low carrier deals on iPhones are nothing new, but this one is a little different: If you activate a new Unlimited line, Verizon will give you an iPhone 12 mini completely free with no catches or trade-in hoops to jump through. The only slight problem is that it’s currently backordered until mid-January, but you may be able to pick it up locally.
In true carrier fashion, the $600 cost of the phone will be spread out in bill credits over 24 or 30 months, but otherwise there is no fine print. Verizon’s Unlimited plans start at $70 a month and all include nationwide 5G, and at least six months of Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Discovery+, Apple Arcade, and Apple Music.
The iPhone 12 mini is a smaller version of the iPhone 12, with a 5.4-inch display, but otherwise has all of the same features as the larger model. It has a dual camera, A15 processor, Face ID, and MagSafe support. In our 4.5-star review, we wrote that the iPhone 12 mini is “the smallest possible phone that doesn’t compromise or cut corners,” and a year later it hasn’t lost much of its luster.
And that was when the price was $699. For free, it’s an absolute no-brainer.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.