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iPhone SE is free with this amazing T-Mobile Memorial Day sale

iPhone SE
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

If you've been tempted by the low price and powerful processor of Apple's iPhone SE 2020, T-Mobile is giving you extra incentive this Memorial Day weekend to buy one of the best cheap phones we've seen this year. Trade in an eligible device with the Uncarrier, and you can get the iPhone SE for free.

T-Mobile's discount comes in the form of bill credits, spread out over 24 months. You'll also be on the hook for the taxes on your new iPhone.


Getting the full $400 credit requires you to trade-in a pretty recent phone. According to T-Mobile, eligible devices for the $400 discount include the iPhone 7 or later, the Samsung Galaxy S9 or later, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or later, Google's Pixel 3 or later, the OnePlus 7T or later and the LG G8 ThinQ.

But T-Mobile also offers a $200 discount on select older and budget phones. You can essentially get half off on a new iPhone SE by trading in an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus; iPhone 6s or 6s Plus, Pixel 3a or 3a XL; Galaxy S8 or Note 8; OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 7 or OnePlus 7 Pro; and an LG V50, V40 or G7.

T-Mobile's iPhone SE offer, which goes into effect tomorrow (May 22), is eligible to anyone with a post-paid plan at T-Mobile or Sprint. (Sprint's now part of T-Mobile, in case you've forgotten.) If you switch over to either carrier, you're also eligible to pick a free iPhone SE with trade-in. And T-Mobile says that same $200 to $400 discount can apply to other phones as well, with trade-in.

The iPhone SE has certainly established itself as the phone to get if you prefer compact devices and balk at paying more than $400 for a smartphone. But there's more to the SE than just a smaller screen and lower price. 

The phone runs on the same A13 Bionic processor found in Apple's more expensive iPhone 11 models, meaning this is a budget phone that can outperform Android flagships that cost hundreds of dollars more. The iPhone SE only features a single rear camera, but it makes extensive use of the A13's neural engine to produce terrific photos that make it one of the best camera phone bargains you can find.