Why You Can Trust CNET Get mom a free iPhone 12 from T-Mobile this weekend only
If you prefer, you can get a Samsung Galaxy S21 5G instead. Either way, T-Mobile will pay you back in bill credits over 24 months.
Want to spoil mom on Mother's Day? It's not too late, even though the holiday is looming. Here's an idea: Does your mom have an aging phone and want to upgrade to an iPhone 12? This weekend only, T-Mobile is offering a deal that can score you a new iPhone 12 for free -- with very few strings attached.
Here's now the deal works: You must have a "qualifying line on an eligible plan" and trade in an existing device in good condition. Then you can buy the new iPhone 12 (actually, you can get anything in the 12 family: an iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max or iPhone 12 mini) and T-Mobile will credit you back a maximum of $830 over 24 months on your monthly bill.
To get the deal, you'll need to trade in an eligible phone, and there are a few refund tiers. To get the full $830 discount, for example, you can trade in anything in the iPhone 11 or iPhone XS family, Samsung Galaxy A71, Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Galaxy S9, S10 or S20, various Google Pixel models, the Motorola Razr and more.
If you have an iPhone 7 or iPhone SE 2, that's worth $530 off the price of the iPhone 12, and there are yet other phones that T-Mobile will accept as well. There are dozen of eligible trade-in models in total, so check the T-Mobile site for the whole list.
This isn't a bad deal, because it's an easy way to net a new iPhone essentially for free. If you prefer, you can get a Samsung Galaxy S21 5G instead, and the deal is substantially the same; the only difference is the precise list of eligible trade-in phones. Again, check out T-Mobile for the whole list.
And honestly, I suspect they're not checking to make sure you're giving this to mom, so you can take advantage of the deal for yourself if you're so inclined.
CNET's deal team scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest promo codes from Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon and more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page.