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T-Mobile trolls Verizon with half-off Google Pixel offer

The carrier will refund half the purchase price of an unlocked Pixel phone to people who sign up for its One plan.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director -- Personal Tech
David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.
Expertise A 20-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. Prior to CNET he worked at Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. He is known to two people on Twitter as the Cormac McCarthy of consumer electronics. Credentials
  • Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation.
David Katzmaier
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Bring your Google Pixel over to us, says T-Mobile.

Josh Miller

Exclusive, exschmoosive.

T-Mobile really wants you to know that Verizon's "exclusive" to sell the red-hot Google Pixel phone isn't an exclusive at all.

"Don't let the 'exclusive' advertisements fool you, the Pixel phone is tested and proven to be fantastic on our lightning fast network, and we want to help you get the best of both worlds!" said T-Mobile CEO John Legere in a statement.

To back up his words the company has a new limited-time offer: bring in an unlocked Pixel purchased from Verizon, Google or another vendor, sign up for T-Mobile's "One" plan, and get up to $325 cash back, equivalent to half the price of an unlocked 32GB Pixel. The money doesn't arrive in a lump sum, but over the course of 24 months as discounts on your T-Mobile bill of up to $13.55 per month.

In addition to stealing steam from Verizon, the move can be seen as reaction to the Galaxy Note 7 recall: T-Mobile (and other carriers) need a replacement flagship Android phone. The Google Pixel and Pixel XL, which earned 4.5-start ratings in CNET's reviews, seem like worthy alternatives.

Correction, 9:49 a.m. PT: The article originally misstated a characteristic of the phones. According to T-Mobile, the Pixel devices that Verizon sells are unlocked and thus eligible for the promotion.