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.
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.
