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Best Verizon Phone Deals of 2023: What Was Worth It—and for Whom

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The most compelling Verizon phone offer documented for 2023 was its September iPhone 15 launch promotion: qualifying new customers and existing customers adding a line could get an iPhone 15 Pro “on us” after promotional credits, while eligible existing customers upgrading a line could get up to $830 off with a qualifying trade-in. Those were conditional offers, not instant discounts, and the largest headline credit was not automatically the best value. These are historical promotions; they are not necessarily available now.

How to read this 2023 deal guide

Verizon’s September 26, 2023 announcement gives the clearest dated consumer promotion in the available evidence. It does not establish that the same offers ran throughout the year, or that every customer qualified. The Samsung and Pixel evidence here comes from a 2023 Verizon business flyer; it confirms promotional-device availability in that channel, not equivalent consumer pricing.

“Best” depends on the customer’s status, eligible plan, trade-in and willingness to keep the line and device financing for the promotional term. The strongest headline offers were generally delivered through monthly bill credits rather than money off at checkout.

Best documented Verizon phone offers in 2023

Offer Best for Who the dated evidence covers Trade-in or line condition What to keep in mind
iPhone 15 Pro “on us” Qualifying switchers or customers adding a line New customers and existing customers adding a line, in Verizon’s September 26, 2023 campaign Offer eligibility and plan requirements applied; confirm exact terms for the promotion “On us” meant a promotional offer, not necessarily a free phone at checkout. Verizon’s announcement does not establish identical terms for every 2023 campaign.
Up to $1,000 off an iPhone 15 model Eligible buyers trading in an iPhone New customers and customers adding a line, in the September campaign Qualifying iPhone trade-in and offer eligibility applied “Up to” is a maximum, not a guaranteed credit for every device or account.
Up to $830 off the iPhone 15 lineup Existing Verizon customers upgrading a line Existing-customer upgrade offer described in September 2023 Qualifying trade-in and plan eligibility applied This was a dated upgrade offer, not a permanent upgrade allowance.
Galaxy S23, Pixel 8, Pixel 7a and other listed devices Eligible business-account buyers Devices listed in Verizon’s 2023 business promotion flyer Business-channel terms applied; consumer eligibility is not established by the flyer The flyer establishes promotional-device availability, not a universal consumer price, discount, or plan requirement.

The iPhone terms above are documented in Verizon’s September 26, 2023 Up to Speed Live presentation. The business-device evidence is in Verizon’s 2023 Wireless Device Promotion Flyer.

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Best iPhone deal: the September iPhone 15 campaign

For a switcher or a customer adding a line

Verizon described an iPhone 15 Pro “on us” offer for new customers and existing customers adding a line. The same campaign advertised up to $1,000 off any iPhone 15 model with an iPhone trade-in. These are separate ways to frame the campaign, not a guarantee that every buyer could combine the maximum credit with every model or account configuration. Check the archived offer terms where available before treating either headline as your expected savings.

The value depended on whether you actually needed a new line, whether your trade-in qualified, and whether the eligible plan made sense for your household. Adding a line solely to obtain a larger phone discount can cost more than the discount. Compare the added line’s cost over the time you expect to keep it, not just the device credit.

For an existing customer upgrading a line

Verizon described up to $830 off the iPhone 15 lineup for existing customers upgrading with a qualifying trade-in. This was materially different from a new-line promotion: an existing customer did not automatically receive the new-customer or add-a-line offer by upgrading. Check the eligible plans and trade-in requirements for the specific campaign.

For a buyer who wanted to keep the existing plan, a smaller upgrade credit—or an unlocked phone purchased separately—could have been a better overall choice than raising monthly service costs to qualify for a larger subsidy.

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Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel: what the evidence supports

Samsung Galaxy S23

Verizon’s 2023 business flyer included the Galaxy S23 5G among promotional devices. That is useful evidence for business-account buyers, but it does not verify a particular consumer “on us,” buy-one-get-one, or trade-in offer. Do not assume a business promotion’s price or line requirements applied to a personal account.

Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 7a

The same business flyer listed the Pixel 8 128GB and Pixel 7a. It does not establish a comparable consumer promotion, the value of any trade-in, or a Pixel bundle with a watch or tablet. Buyers should compare the actual dated Verizon offer available to their account against the manufacturer’s offer before deciding; no like-for-like 2023 manufacturer comparison is established here.

Because the verified material does not provide comparable consumer prices for the Galaxy or Pixel models, there is no sound basis for ranking them against the iPhone offers by dollar savings.

How Verizon phone promotions worked—and what “free” meant

Verizon’s general promotion materials describe discounted or free devices as offers using recurring monthly bill credits over a promotional term. In a typical financed-phone structure, the customer pays the device installment and eligible credits reduce the bill over time. The required service plan, taxes, fees and any activation or upgrade charge may remain payable. Exact terms vary by offer; do not assume every 2023 promotion had the same term or rules.

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Verizon’s current Mobile Device Deals and Promos FAQ explains the general credit and BOGO mechanics. It also gives an example in which a traded-in device must have been active on the account for the preceding 60 consecutive days. That is an example of Verizon eligibility rules, not proof that every 2023 promotion used that requirement.

Why the credit term matters

A $1,000 credit spread over 36 months would average $27.78 per month ($1,000 ÷ 36). That arithmetic illustrates the difference between recurring credits and an immediate checkout discount; it is not a claim that every September 2023 offer paid exactly $1,000 over 36 months.

If a customer leaves before all credits are received, future credits may stop and the remaining device balance may still be due. A plan change can also affect eligibility if the new plan does not qualify. Paying off a device does not, by itself, establish that future credits will continue; the particular offer’s terms control. Verizon’s FAQ explains the general framework, but it does not replace the terms attached to an individual 2023 offer.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Calculate the real value before trading in or adding a line

Start with the promotion’s total device credits, then account for the costs and value you give up to receive them:

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Net deal value = promotional device credits
− extra plan cost over the commitment
− activation or upgrade fees and taxes
− value of the trade-in phone
− any added-line cost you would not otherwise pay

For example, if qualifying for a hypothetical offer required a plan that cost $20 more each month for 36 months, the added service cost would be $720 ($20 × 36). A hypothetical $1,000 device credit would leave $280 before fees, taxes and the value of the surrendered trade-in. These example figures are arithmetic only, not 2023 Verizon prices.

For a 36-month credit schedule, a customer leaving after 24 months would have 12 months of credits left. At a hypothetical $27.78 monthly credit, that is about $333.36 in credits not yet received. That figure is not automatically a cancellation penalty: the customer may lose those credits while still owing the financed device balance. Check the actual payoff and promotion terms before switching.

Value the trade-in separately

A promotional trade-in credit is not necessarily the same as the phone’s independent resale value. Check the device’s Verizon trade-in estimate using the Verizon Smartphone Trade-In Program, then consider the value of keeping the phone as a spare and whether the offer accepts its model and condition. Verizon’s trade-in page explains its current valuation process; it should not be used to reconstruct a 2023 trade-in value.

Which kind of customer stood to benefit most?

Switching from another carrier

  • Start with new-customer offers, but verify whether porting a number was required; the available September announcement does not establish that condition for every offer.
  • Check the plan requirement and the 36-month cost of any plan upgrade before counting the phone credit as savings.
  • Proceed only if you expect to keep eligible service for long enough to receive the credits you are counting.

Already with Verizon

  • If upgrading an existing line, compare the dated upgrade offer rather than assuming new-line savings apply.
  • If adding a line, include the full line charge over the time you expect to maintain it. Do not add service you do not need just to reduce a phone’s price.
  • Confirm that your current or intended plan qualifies and check any account-specific trade-in rules.

Budget-conscious, single-line, or plan-flexible buyers

The largest flagship subsidy may be poor value if it requires a more expensive plan or a long stay. Compare it with an affordable phone bought outright and lower-cost service. Verizon’s postpaid promotions, Verizon Prepaid, Total by Verizon and Visible are distinct purchase and service options; Visible is a separate brand that uses Verizon’s network, not the same Verizon Wireless postpaid offer. No 2023 prices or like-for-like terms for those alternatives are established here, so compare actual offers rather than assuming one was cheaper.

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Business-account buyers

Use the Verizon business flyer as evidence that listed devices—including the Galaxy S23, Pixel 8 128GB and Pixel 7a—appeared in a business promotion channel. Confirm business-account, plan and line eligibility with the actual offer. Those listings should not be presented as consumer promotions.

When a buy-one-get-one offer was a bad fit

A BOGO promotion can involve device-payment agreements for two phones, two lines, an eligible plan and credits on the second device. Verizon’s FAQ describes the general monthly-credit structure and stresses that exact eligibility depends on the promotion. For a customer who needs only one phone or one line, the extra service and device obligations can outweigh the apparent free-phone value.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 3
Samsung Galaxy S23+ Plus 5G, US Version, 256GB, Phantom Black - Verizon (Renewed)
Samsung Galaxy S23+ Plus 5G, US Version, 256GB, Phantom Black - Verizon (Renewed)
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$304.00

Checklist before accepting a historical or current promotion

  • Identify whether the offer is for a new account, an added line, an upgrade, or a business account.
  • Confirm the required plan, trade-in model and condition, and any port-in or account requirements in the specific terms.
  • Write down the credit amount, term, device-payment amount and what happens if you change plans, pay off the phone or leave early.
  • Calculate the incremental plan and line costs across the time you will keep them.
  • Check your current device payoff, remaining credits and the trade-in’s alternative value before surrendering it.
  • Save a copy of the offer terms and confirmation for your records.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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