US carriers unveil first promotions for iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo
In the United States, carriers T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon have unveiled their first promotional offers for buyers of the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and the foldable iPhone Duo, which Apple introduced as its first foldable smartphone. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999, the iPhone 18 Pro at $1,199, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at $1,299.
As MarketWatch reports, IDC senior research director Nabila Popal called the Duo's starting price a display of “incredible price discipline” amid memory shortages. At the same time, UBS analyst John Godulik suggested that the high prices of the new devices could affect demand.
JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee said in a note to clients that Apple will rely on leasing, trade-in programs and carrier subsidies to reduce the impact of prices on sales.
Carrier offers
T-Mobile offers discounts of $300 to $1,200 on iPhone 18 Pro models, depending on the plan and device traded in. The carrier also offers up to $1,299 off the iPhone 18 Pro Max. A similar AT&T offer provides a discount of up to $1,200.
Verizon's offer is tied to the Simplicity Pro plan, under which the iPhone 18 Pro can be obtained for $80 per month. When trading in an old device, Verizon customers can also receive up to $1,200 off a new iPhone.
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On Apple's website, customers of all three carriers can receive up to $885 off the iPhone Duo when trading in an old device. At the same time, only AT&T and T-Mobile promotions are listed on the website.
Subsidies and leasing
Evercore ISI analyst Kutgun Maral described the T-Mobile and AT&T offers as a targeted strengthening of promotions rather than the start of a price war between carriers. According to him, T-Mobile is focusing on new connections to more expensive plans, while AT&T offers comparable terms to new and existing customers.
Maral said he is waiting to see whether carriers will provide substantial subsidies for the iPhone Duo, whose price in the top configuration could reach $3,199. AT&T Chief Financial Officer Pascal Desroches said that as phone prices rise, consumers will ultimately have to pay more even with promotions taken into account.
Apple also offers the Apple Upgrade leasing program in partnership with Klarna. Under it, payments for the iPhone 18 Pro start at $34.99 per month for 24 months. For the iPhone Duo, payments start at $57.99 per month for two years or $82.99 per month for 12 months.
