August 2025 isn’t just about heatwaves—it's also the hottest time to score a deal on the iPhone 16. Carriers and retailers aren’t just trimming prices; they're slicing them, making it a wild ride for anyone looking to upgrade Apple’s latest smartphone.
AT&T is pulling out all the stops. Right now, you can walk away with the iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro for $0 if you have the right device to trade in. Even the larger iPhone 16 Plus gets up to $830 off if you hand over an eligible phone. Don’t expect to just walk away though—these deals usually come with strings attached. You’ll need to jump onto their unlimited plan and agree to pay off the phone over two or three years, with credits landing in your account each month. If you cancel early, get ready to pay what’s left on your phone.
Verizon isn’t sitting back, either. Their offer? Up to $800 off an iPhone 16 with a qualifying trade-in, like a recent iPhone 14 Pro Max. These discounts also come as bill credits spread over a couple of years. Verizon and AT&T regularly swap places for the biggest discount, so timing and your device matter.
Boost Mobile is making noise, too. They’re handing out iPhone 16s with $0 monthly payments through their Infinite Access program, if your credit and trade-in line up. The maxed-out iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $5.55 per month. For those who don’t want to be locked into a big carrier contract, that sounds almost too good to be true—but always read the fine print. Full retail pricing’s what you’d expect: the base iPhone 16 starts at $829.99, and the Pro Max tops out at $1,199.99.
If you’d rather not tie yourself to a carrier, Amazon’s got unlocked iPhone 16s. Want it faster? Prime members usually get delivery within a day or two. Amazon drops and updates discounts weekly, so there’s a bit of a game to catching the lowest price. If you like to keep things simple and avoid carrier drama, this might be your lane.
Best Buy sweetens Apple’s own trade-in values. While Apple’s official program can net you up to $620 depending on what you’re trading and its condition, Best Buy sometimes adds store credit or gift cards on top. That means real money if you’re looking to grab accessories or something else in-store. The better your old phone, the more cash or store credit you’ll see.
Here’s how the trade-in process works: you hand over your old device, and Apple or the retailer checks condition and model to figure out your discount or credit. Carrier offers typically run higher, but you must stick with them for the long haul. Break the contract, and you’ll be paying off the phone balance yourself.
The iPhone 16 family is bigger and fancier than ever. The regular iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are still crowd-pleasers, but the 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are the head-turners. The Pro comes with a 6.1-inch OLED screen, storage up to 1TB, the new A18 Pro chip, and a seriously upgraded triple-camera system. The Pro Max takes it up another notch with a 6.7-inch display, a periscope zoom lens, and a tough titanium body for folks who tend to drop their phones.
Apple threw a curveball with the iPhone 16e—a cheaper model but still with the latest Apple Intelligence features. All these phones need iOS 18.1 or later, so you’ll get the fresh AI smarts, advanced photography tricks, and whatever surprises iOS 18.1 brings next.
Shopping around? You’ll notice new customers and folks switching carriers usually get the sweetest deals. Keeping your old service or simply upgrading isn’t as rewarding unless you trade in a high-end or newer device. If you’re thinking of switching, it’s a buyer’s market right now.
The iPhone 16 series launched back in September 2024, but with all the promos still running heavy into 2025, it feels fresher than ever. With so many deals flying around, shoppers who do a little homework and play their cards right are bound to save big on Apple’s latest flagship.
