Red Pocket Mobile is now offering customers a free year of service with the purchase of either an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus. Customers will have the option to purchase the iPhones outright or on a 24-month 0% APR device payment plan.
Offer Details
Customers have the option to purchase an iPhone 8 for $449 for a 64GB model or $499 for a 128GB model. Color options include black, white and gold. Financing begins at $18.71/month for the 64GB model and $20.79/month for the 128GB model.
The iPhone 8 Plus is also available in 64GB and 128GB storage configurations and in the same colors. The 64GB model is priced at $549 or $22.88/month and the 128GB model is available for $599 or $24.96/month with financing.
Plan Options
The free plan being given away includes 1,000 minutes, unlimited texting and 1GB of hard-capped data each month. The plan is regularly valued at $15/month or $180 over the course of a year.
An alternative to the free plan is an upgrade option. For just $60 outright, or $5/month customers can upgrade to an unlimited talk, text, and data plan with the first 5GB of data each month available at high-speeds. The plan is regularly sold on eBay and typically sells for between $210 and $240.
Red Pocket Mobile defines a year of service for both plans as being 360 days. The plans being offered are for service on Red Pocket Mobile's GSMA network partner which is AT&T.
Both plans include international calling to over 70 countries at no extra charge. Red Pocket Mobile says that WiFi calling, VoLTE, FaceTime over cellular data and visual voicemail will all work with the plan. Not specified is MMS, but it should work too given that the other features are supported. Apple typically blocks AT&T MVNOs from supporting MMS unless they sell Apple devices.
Red Pocket has not specified if the devices are being sold locked to the network or not. (Update: 3/18/2020 - I'm told the iPhones will be sold locked to the network for one year, after that, standard general unlocking policy applies). Red Pocket does have a general unlocking policy which states that locked phones can be unlocked under the following circumstances:
- Device isn't reported as lost, stolen, or involved with fraud.
- The device is not associated with a fraudulent account:
- Device has been active for at least 120 days (if you bought it on an installment plan) otherwise must have remained active at least 180 days OR
- Members of the military who are being deployed, and their family members on the same plan, may be eligible to unlock their phone upon verification of deployment papers OR
- Red Pocket Mobile may at its sole discretion unlock device upon request which may not qualify above.
How Does This Deal Compare To Competing Offers?
Apple is currently selling the phones unlocked for use on any network at the same prices that Red Pocket Mobile is offering them at. So with the free and low-cost plan options, for some, it may be a good deal. But there are other options that shoppers may want to consider for comparison's sake.
Metro currently offers the 64GB iPhone 8 for $249.99 to switchers. However, they also charge a $15 activation fee and customers are required to purchase at least a $30/month plan. Adding that up, the total cost of service for one year on Metro including the phone would be $624.99 and that is certainly more expensive than the Red Pocket Mobile offer.
Boost Mobile had been offering the iPhone 8 online for $349.99 but it is currently out of stock. A year of service for a single line on Boost's cheapest $35/month plan would end up costing $769.99 with the cost of the phone included. That's much more expensive than Red Pocket Mobile's deal as well.