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Sprint jumped into an iPhone 6s sales war with T-Mobile by offering 16GB models of the new smartphone for $1 a month on a Sprint Lease, which is $4 a month cheaper than the $5 a month price announced by T-Mobile on Sept. 23.
The Sprint counteroffer, which was announced Sept. 24, is available to Sprint customers if they trade in an Apple iPhone 6 on a new iPhone 6s.
The specially priced phones will be available for a limited time starting Sept. 25, when the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus smartphones go on sale for the first time. Discounted iPhone 6s Plus phones will also be available from Sprint starting at $5 a month for a 16GB model with the trade in of an iPhone 6. The monthly fee announced by T-Mobile for a 16GB iPhone 6s Plus with a trade-in of an iPhone 6 is $9 a month.
All other iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models are also available at discounts that Sprint says are priced lower than T-Mobile’s bonus prices. The Sprint iPhone deals are part of Sprint’s iPhone Forever program, which allows new and upgrade-eligible Sprint customers to get the newest iPhone as soon as it is available, the company said.
“Once again it is clear that the best place to get the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is Sprint,” Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure said in a statement. “New and existing customers who trade in their current iPhone 6 can now get a device for only $1 a month, making it the best way to get the iPhone—and a yearly upgrade is included in this charge. We are certain that more people will continue to switch to Sprint because of the great service and value we offer.”
Higher memory configurations of the iPhone 6s can be leased for $5.77 a month for the 64GB model or $10.53 for the 128GB model, with the trade in of an iPhone 6. For the 6s Plus, a 64GB model can be leased for $9.77 a month, while the 128GB version is $14.53 a month with an iPhone 6 trade–in.
Sprint is also offering a $10 a month lease price on a 16GB iPhone 6s or a $14 per month lease on an iPhone 6s Plus with the trade-in of an iPhone 5s.
The T-Mobile iPhone special pricing is part of the company’s latest push to drive its iPhone sales, according to a recent eWEEK report.
Earlier in September, T-Mobile had announced a special $20 a month rate for 18 months for a 16GB iPhone 6s through the company’s Jump On Demand program, with zero down. Now, however, T-Mobile is dropping its prices even more, unveiling a $5 a month rate if a customer trades in a working and undamaged Apple iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge or Galaxy Note 5 smartphone. No money down is required for the deal. If a customer trades in an iPhone 5s or a Samsung Note 4 or Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone on a 16GB iPhone 6s, they would pay $10 per month for 18 months under the new promotion. If they trade in almost any other phone, the rate would be $15 per month.
T-Mobile customers are eligible to get larger capacity iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus models as well under the lower-priced Jump On Demand offerings.
A 128GB iPhone 6s will sell for $199.99 down and $3 a month with a trade-in of an Apple iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge or Galaxy Note 5 smartphone, or for $8 per month with the trade of an iPhone 5s or a Samsung Note 4 or Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone. On the trade of almost any other phone, the rate will be $13 per month.
For a 16GB iPhone 6s Plus, customers would pay no money down and $9 per month if they trade in an Apple iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge or Galaxy Note 5 smartphone. They would pay $14 a month if they trade in an iPhone 5s or a Samsung Note 4 or Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone, or $19 a month if they trade in almost any other phone.
For a 128GB iPhone 6s Plus, customers would pay $199.99 down and $7 a month if they trade in an Apple iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge or Galaxy Note 5 smartphone. They would pay $12 a month if they trade in an iPhone 5s or a Samsung Note 4 or Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone, or $17 a month if they trade in almost any other phone.
T-Mobile is maintaining its regular Jump On Demand rates, which start at $20 a month for a new iPhone 6s 16GB, for customers who are getting a new iPhone without a trade-in.