Verizon wants to give you a free iPhone or Galaxy S21 to switch to its 5G network

The 5G arms race is on, and Verizon is pulling out all the stops this time around to try and lure customers from other carriers or to even upgrade. Big Red published a blog post earlier today detailing some pretty insane deals in an effort to tempt potential customers from finally making the switch.

Starting on Tuesday, Verizon will offer up to a $1,000 credit for a new iPhone or $1,100 for a new Galaxy S21 if you are a new subscriber. Even those who are already subscribers have the ability to save $700 on an iPhone or $800 for an Android phone.

So what’s the catch?

The biggest catch seems to be that you must subscribe to one of Verizon’s “premium 5G unlimited” plans in order to qualify. This is the same rule for both new and current subscribers, with Verizon even going the extra mile for new subscribers by offering a $300 prepaid Mastercard to cover the cost of leaving your current carrier.

This all comes after Verizon lost ground to both AT&T and T-Mobile in the first quarter as it lost around 178,000 subscribers. Meanwhile, AT&T gained almost 600,000 new subscribers, and T-Mobile increased its subscriber base by almost 775,000 in the quarter.

Along with being able to get Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone for completely free, Verizon also has some pretty great perks for those who subscribe to those premium plans. This includes at least six months of either Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass for free, along with six months of Apple Music and the following:

• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ included on Play More and Get More Unlimited plans.
• 6 months of Discovery+ on any Unlimited plan or 12 months with the Play More or Get More plans.

In the blog post, Verizon recommends heading into your local brick-and-mortar location in order to get signed up. However, you can do all of this right from the My Verizon app on your phone, or through the company’s website. Verizon may be a bit more expensive than the likes of AT&T and T-Mobile, but it clearly has its sights set on luring more subscribers with either a free iPhone or free Galaxy S21.