Apple's (AAPL 0.25%) iPhone X has made waves in the tech sphere not only for its impressive specs but also for its price tag.
Without a carrier deal, the 64GB iPhone X is going to cost you $999 from Apple, while the 256GB iPhone X is going to cost $1,149. This redesigned 10th-anniversary edition of the iPhone was first released on Nov. 3, and includes an edge-to-edge OLED screen, a TrueDetect camera system to enable Face ID unlocking, and Animoji to create animated emojis.
If you want to have the latest and greatest but don't want to break the bank, you might be able to swing it with a trade-in deal. The new iPhoneX has a less alarming price tag if you sign a deal at one of the four major carriers: Verizon (VZ 0.45%), Sprint (S +0.00%), T-Mobile (TMUS 1.41%), or AT&T (T 0.08%).
The new iPhoneX has a less alarming price tag if you do a trade-in deal at one of the four major carriers.
The short answer: Sprint
If you want the short answer, Sprint has the all-around cheapest deal if you want an individual unlimited data plan and the new iPhoneX.
While the other three major carriers offer $300 off the iPhoneX with a trade-in deal, Sprint offers a generous $350 off the device if you trade in an eligible phone.
Sprint is also tied for the lowest price on an unlimited data plan for one line: $60 per month for a plan that includes HD video and mobile hotspots. AT&T also offers $60 per month for its Unlimited Choice plan, but it has slower speeds, no HD video, and no mobile hotspots. AT&T's premium Unlimited Plus plan goes for $90. Finally, Verizon's lowest unlimited data plan for one line is $75, while T-Mobile's is $70.
If you want a more detailed look at what the combo would cost at each carrier, keep reading.
Verizon
Lowest possible iPhone X cost: $699.99 ($300 off)
Unlimited for one line: $75 per month
If you want $300 off the 64GB $999.99 10th anniversary iPhone X from Verizon, you will need to follow these three steps:
1. Purchase the iPhone X with monthly payments of $41.66 spread out over two years. The discount will be paid back to you over the two years, so you have to commit to the phone and the unlimited plan for at least 24 months.
2. Sign up for a Verizon unlimited plan if you're not already on it.
3. Trade in your old phone. The discount on the iPhone X is dependent on the phone you have to trade in. The iPhone 6S or a later version will get you $300 off. The iPhone 6 series will get you $200 off, and the iPhone 5 series will get you $100 off. You can visit their website for more details on eligible phones from other companies.
T-Mobile
Lowest possible iPhone X cost: $699.99 ($300 off)
Unlimited for one line: $70 per month
If you want $300 off the $999.99 iPhone from T-Mobile, you need to pay $279.99 upfront and then $30 per month for 24 months. You will get the $300 back over two years in monthly installments of $12.50.
To get the $300 off, you will need to trade-in one of the following iPhones: the 7, 7Plus, 6, 6 Plus, 6s, or 6s Plus. You can visit their website for more details on eligible phones from other companies.
AT&T
Lowest possible iPhone X cost: $699.99 ($300 off)
Unlimited for one line: $60 per month for Unlimited Choice plan (slower speeds, no HD video, no mobile hotspots) or $90 per month Unlimited Plus
AT&T does not yet have a special unlimited iPhone X promotion. In AT&T's latest earnings call, CFO John Stephens said the company believed it was in a good position to compete with the other big carriers without offering aggressive promotions on the new iPhones released this fall.
"And as you can see, our margins are very solid and the performance has been great," Stephens said. "But we believe we can compete and win based on our product offerings and that promotional activity of an extensive nature is not necessary."
However, customers can still use the company's regular trade-in program to get credit to apply for new iPhones. This means for each phone that costs more than $20, you can get $200 in credits to put toward the iPhone X so long as your used device is in good physical and working condition, an AT&T rep said. However, if you have a newer device, such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus, then you can get $300 in credits.
Sprint
Lowest possible iPhone X cost: $649.68 ($350 off)
Unlimited for one line: $60 per month
If you want $350 off the iPhoneX at Sprint, you can sign a deal through its Sprint Flex leasing for $22.22 per month for 18 months if you trade in an older eligible device. You can trade in your iPhone 6 series phone or a later version of the device to qualify for the deal. You can visit their website for more details on eligible phones from other companies.
