Apple
How to Buy the T-Mobile iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus
If you plan to buy the T-Mobile iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, the time to act is near. Both phones launch on September 22nd, but iPhone 8 pre-orders start on September 15th.
There are reasons to think the T-Mobile iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will sell out very quickly. T-Mobile has a new iPhone 8 trade-in deal that will save subscribers $300 in payments over two years. Its smartphone insurance plans now come with Apple Care, and the carrier will have the fastest iPhone 8 experience, according to Ookla and Speedtest.
Unfortunately, T-Mobile’s complicated web of plans and purchase options may leave some shoppers frustrated when pre-orders arrive. Don’t get caught up in all the confusion. Here’s how to buy the T-Mobile iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus.
Read: 5 Reasons You Need the iPhone 8 and 3 Reasons You Don’t
Check T-Mobile iPhone 8 Upgrade Eligibility
Before you do anything else related to the T-Mobile iPhone 8, be sure that your line is eligible for an upgrade. Upgrading gets you T-Mobile’s best pricing for the iPhone 8.
Read: iPhone 8 Pre-Order Time & Date
Check your eligibility on My T-Mobile by clicking on the Phones tab once you log in. If you’re eligible and have a phone you’re paying on through JUMP already, you will find a notice just below the description of the phone you already have.
Your iPhone 8 T-Mobile Upgrade Eligibility depends on when you last upgraded and how much money you have left. If you have Jump On-Demand and make monthly payments on your current phone, you can upgrade once a month, according to T-Mobile support. Jump and Jump Plus users must have paid half their device’s total cost before they are eligible for an upgrade.
Finally, if you split the total cost of your phone into monthly payments through an Equipment Installation Plan, you need to have paid off your device in full before you sign up for another EIP.
Read: AT&T vs. T-Mobile: All The Things That Matter
Choosing The Right T-Mobile iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus
After checking your eligibility, choose the right iPhone 8 for you. T-Mobile will carry the iPhone 8 and the iPhone Plus in both 64GB and 256GB storage sizes. There are only three color options: Gold, Space Gray and Silver.
The iPhone 8 has a single 12-megapixel camera and the smallest battery of all the new iPhones, including the iPhone X. Its 4.7-inch screen is less sharp than either the iPhone 8 Plus or the iPhone X’s displays. On the other hand, the smaller display makes it easier to navigate iOS 11 with one hand.
The iPhone 8 Plus has dual camera modules for capturing better photos. Also, it has a 5.5-inch display and a bigger battery. The bigger display might make it harder for you to hold.
Read: Which iPhone 8 Color to Buy? Silver, Gold or Space Gray
T-Mobile iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus Price with EIP & Jump
How much you pay for the T-Mobile iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus depends on how you want to buy it.
T-Mobile will sell the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 at their full prices. While these prices have high upfront costs, you don’t have to worry about paying off an installation plan with each month’s bill.
| Model | Full Price |
|---|---|
| iPhone 8 64GB | $699.99 |
| iPhone 8 256GB | $849.99 |
| iPhone 8 Plus 64GB | $799.99 |
| iPhone 8 Plus 256GB | $949.99 |
T-Mobile doesn’t have wireless contracts that come with discounts on your phone. Instead, its Equipment Installation Plans let you pay a small down payment upfront and the balance in monthly increments with your wireless bill. The carrier doesn’t charge any interest on these plans, making them more budget friendly than charging an iPhone 8 to your credit card. A limited time offer lets users get an iPhone 8 with 64GB of storage with no down payment.
| Model | EIP Down Payment | EIP Monthly Payment | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 8 64GB | $0 | $29.17 | ||
| iPhone 8 256GB | $177.99 | $28 | ||
| iPhone 8 Plus 64GB | $79.99 | $30 | ||
| iPhone 8 256GB | $229.99 | $30 |
Where to Buy the T-Mobile iPhone 8
Once you’ve made peace with paying full price for the T-Mobile iPhone 8 or decided to use an upgrade, you need to decide where to buy your new smartphone.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus pre-orders all start at 12:01 AM Pacific Standard Time in the United States. Ahead of pre-orders, T-Mobile is letting customers sign-up for pre-order notifications and any upcoming deals here. The very latest version of T-Mobile for iPhone and T-Mobile for Android let you switch on these alerts too.
iPhone pre-orders break carriers’ websites year after year. Because of that, expect some issues if you try to place an iPhone 8 pre-order on T-Mobile.com. If you keep running into problems, call 1-844-558-6855 for assistance. You can also upgrade to the iPhone 8 through the T-Mobile app on your existing phone.
Apple will begin taking iPhone 8 pre-orders at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on September 15th also, making them a great second option for purchasing your device. It has its own iPhone Upgrade Program and monthly financing options for shoppers.
| Model | Monthly Payments | Full Price |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 8 64GB | $34.50 | $699 |
| iPhone 8 256GB | $40.75 | $849 |
| iPhone 8 Plus 64GB | $39.50 | $799 |
| iPhone 8 Plus 256GB | $45.75 | $949 |
T-Mobile iPhone 8 Trade-In Deals
If you’ve already paid off your existing iPhone, you can trade it in to get the cost of your new T-Mobile iPhone 8 down.
T-Mobile will give you up to $300 in credit toward the purchase of the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus if you trade in an iPhone 6 or newer. The company will apply this credit to your bill for two years. To take advantage of the deal, you must sign up for EIP payments instead of buying your iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus in full.
Read: T-Mobile iPhone 8 Deals Beat AT&T & Verizon
T-Mobile iPhone 8 Upgrade Plan
T-Mobile’s new iPhone Upgrade Program can save iPhone 8 buyers a lot of money on upgrades over time. Revealed on the T-Mobile blog, subscribers that buy the iPhone 8 can pay 50% of their phone’s value, then upgrade to the next iPhone. T-Mobile will wipe out their remaining payments, provided they trade the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus they have toward whatever phone they want next. It’s like T-Mobile Jump, but without the $9 or $12 charges that program requires.
Pre-Order if You Want the iPhone 8 ASAP | |||||||||
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If you want the iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus in your hands as soon as they arrive you'll want, need, to put in a pre-order. Nothing is confirmed but we fully expect to see iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus shipping times move back shortly after they go on sale Friday. Some models will probably be pushed back into October or, if we're really unlucky, November. If you want to secure a new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus for release day, you'll need to stay up late, wake up early, whatever it is you have to do on Friday September 15th. If you don't put in an early order you could potentially have to deal with a long wait for the iPhone 8 model you want. | |||||||||
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