T-Mobile's latest promotion offers new discounts on family plans

T-Mobile is joining the list of companies with deals for back-to-school. It's introducing a few new offers for new users. 

For family plans, the carrier is introducing a new deal that offers "half off" lines three to eight of a family plan. That means that the cheapest Essentials unlimited plan would run $97.50 a month (not including taxes or fees) for three lines, or $105 for four lines (each additional line is $7.50). 

T-Mobile's step-up Magenta plan -- which adds Netflix Basic (the non-HD version of Netflix), international data and includes taxes and fees in the price -- would be $130 for three lines or $140 for four lines (each additional line is $10 a line). The company's top plan, Magenta Max -- which includes Netflix's Standard plan, 40GB of high-speed hotspot data, 4K streaming and faster international data -- would be $160 for three lines, or $170 for four lines (each additional line is $15 a line). 

T-Mobile says this new deal will be available to both new and existing customers, though for the latter you will need to add a new line to your account to get the discount. Only the new added line would be discounted, however, so if you're on a family plan with four existing lines, just the new fifth line would be cheaper. You would not get a new, lower rate for lines three and four. 

The carrier's previous promotion offered a "third line free" with any of its three unlimited plans. That offer ended on July 23 with this new half-off deal taking its place the same day. 

A free iPhone 12... if you go for Magenta Max

In addition to the new half-off plan offer the carrier is also adding a new promotion to get people onto its highest tier Magenta Max plan, dangling the prospect of a free iPhone 12 when trading in an "eligible phone."

Like the plan deal, this offer will be available to both new and existing customers with up to the $830 price of the iPhone 12 64GB distributed back to you through monthly bill credits. If you want a pricier phone, like an iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max, it will apply your credits towards the cost of that device. 

Eligible phones for the full $830 off include the iPhone X or later, the Samsung Galaxy S20 (or later), Note 10 (or later), Z Flip 5G and Z Fold 2. There's also the Motorola Razr 5G and the OnePlus 8 5G and 8T 5G. 

If you have an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, or if you have an Android phone such as the Galaxy S9, S10 or Note 9 or Google Pixel 4 and 4A line, you can save $730 on an iPhone 12. You can save $530 if you trade in an iPhone 7, 7 Plus or a 2020 iPhone SE (or if you trade in an LG Velvet). If you have an iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6S or 6S Plus you can save $380. 

T-Mobile is also offering $380 in savings if you trade in a variety of Android phones including the Samsung Galaxy S7, S8, Note 5 and Note 8 (or one of their variants); Pixel 2, 3 or 3A (or one of their variants) and OnePlus 5, 5T, 6, 6T and 7 Pro. 

In addition to being on the Magenta Max plan, any phones being traded need to be in "good condition." You can find a full list or check to see how much your phone will get at T-Mobile's trade-in site. 

As with the new plan deal, the iPhone 12 offer will start on Friday. T-Mobile says both promotions will run for a "limited time" though as with most of its deals the carrier has yet to provide an exact end date. 

Correction, Aug. 3: T-Mobile has clarified that its half-off family discount will require existing users to add a line to their accounts. The story has been updated.