T-Mobile is offering $1,000 off the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, but you only collect the full amount by staying on the carrier for three years.
The two deals have different entry requirements. The iPhone 18 Pro costs under $200 if you switch to T-Mobile, bring your number and sign up for the Experience Beyond plan. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is $1,000 off if you trade in an eligible phone, in any condition, on the same plan. The offer was listed October 25.
The savings do not come off the price at the register. They are spread as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. If you leave T-Mobile before the three years are up, you are charged the remaining balance. At checkout you also pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line.
That changes what "practically free" means. The headline price is real only for a customer who plans to stay, and the upfront cost is higher than the sticker suggests because tax is calculated on the undiscounted phone. The roundup behind the deal said carrier offers are "probably your best bet" right now, which holds up only if the carrier is one you would keep anyway.
The sharper comparison is between the two offers. The Pro deal rewards people willing to move their number, while the Pro Max deal rewards people with an old phone to hand in. Neither is a plain price cut, and the cost of leaving early is the figure worth checking before you sign.