Update (9/14/2018 8:10am ET): We've added details for Sprint's pre-order promotion and clarified a few points regarding the offers from Verizon and Sam's Club, which went live on Friday.

Original story: It’s iPhone season, which means it’s once again time for millions of Apple diehards to drop what they’re doing and immediately upgrade their daily drivers.

To be clear, we recommend waiting for the Ars review of the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max—which go up for pre-order at 3am ET on Friday and begin shipping to customers on September 21—before throwing more cash in Tim Cook’s direction. But we also recognize that a whole lot of people decided they would buy one of the new handsets as soon as Apple introduced them.

So for those who are dead set on grabbing an iPhone XS straight away—and don’t want to wait for the more affordable iPhone XR next month—we’ve broken down where to get the new handsets and what the major sellers and mobile carriers are offering for your purchase.

There’s no indication that supply is constrained for either of these phones, but for those who must have the new model on day one, pre-ordering is usually required. Plus, not all of the deals offered in conjunction with these pre-orders are wholly straightforward. Let’s break it all down.

Note: Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

Buying from Apple

For most people, the simplest method of buying a new iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max is to get one directly from Apple. You can pull up the phones’ product page on your Web browser and furiously hit refresh at 3:01am ET, though using the Apple Store app is typically the faster method for those who have an iOS device already. In either case, it’s best to ensure your login and payment information is all squared away ahead of time, just to better your chance of avoiding sudden shipping delays. That tip applies for any other retailer mentioned below.

As a refresher, here’s how much each variant of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max costs outright:

iPhone XS : $999 (64GB), $1,149 (256GB), $1,349 (512GB)

: $999 (64GB), $1,149 (256GB), $1,349 (512GB) iPhone XS Max: $1,099 (64GB), $1,249 (256GB), $1,449 (512GB)

That’s not exactly cheap! If you don’t want to pay that much upfront, here’s the obligatory reminder about Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program. This will cost you more in the long run, but it lets you pay off your phone in monthly installments over 24 months, with a simple option to upgrade to a new iPhone after 12 payments. It also packages in the company’s AppleCare+ insurance program, which in this case would drive up the price of the phone over the full 24 months. Like the similar programs offered by the big four mobile carriers, the Upgrade Program is best used if you’re sure you want to buy a new iPhone each year.

If you go this route, here’s how the pricing of the iPhone XS will break down:

iPhone XS : $49.91/month (64GB), $56.16/month (256GB), $64.50/month (512GB)

: $49.91/month (64GB), $56.16/month (256GB), $64.50/month (512GB) iPhone XS Max: $54.08/month (64GB), $60.33/month (256GB), $68.66/month (512GB)

Apple set up a pre-approval process for those who wanted to pre-order the iPhone XS and XS Max as soon as they become available, but the deadline for that expired on Thursday.

Trading in your old phone

As with most big phone launches, the majority of deals surrounding iPhone XS pre-orders involve trading in your old device for credit toward a new phone. The big four carriers have their own trade-in programs: those can be fruitful, but they usually pay you in credit that is returned over the course of several months. This is generally an attempt to keep you tied to their service longer.

If you don’t want to deal with that, you can sell back your device through other retailers. Apple, for one, has a trade-in program called Apple GiveBack. Currently, the company is offering up to $525—in the form of an Apple Store gift card or a partial refund of your purchase—for an iPhone X in acceptable condition. (The iPhone XS’ upgrades really don’t seem major enough to warrant the hassle, though.) My iPhone 7, meanwhile, would fetch $200. The program accepts several non-iPhones, too, along with other types of gadgets altogether.

Note that you won’t be able to take advantage of your trade-in credit immediately in this case; you’ll still have to send your old phone to Apple and let them inspect it to ensure everything’s kosher. Apple says it’ll take 2 to 3 weeks for the whole process to wrap. Still, it’s a way to offset costs, and it can make the trade-in process simpler if you plan to buy through Apple as it is.

You have plenty of other options, though. Best Buy has a fairly extensive trade-in program that pays you back in store credit, which can be helpful here since the retailer will sell iPhone XS models that work with the major carriers. Gazelle is a particularly attractive alternative since it can pay you in cash instead of store credit. Others like Swappa and Glyde may offer good value as well. Or you can try to sell it on eBay, if you’re willing to brave that minefield.

Verizon

Now let’s move to the carriers. First, Verizon says it will offer the iPhone XS for $999.99 outright or $41.66 a month for 24 months. The iPhone XS Max, meanwhile, will cost $1,099.99 outright or $45.83 a month for 24 months.

Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (Verizon) Buy Now (Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs .)

The carrier is promoting a deal in which it will take $700 off a second iPhone purchase for those who activate a new line of service and buy another iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone X, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus on a device payment plan. Verizon says the deal will apply to both new and existing customers, but, as expected, that $700 is returned in the form of bill credits spread out over 24 months, not as one instant discount.

Beyond that, Verizon says it will give a minimum of $100 in trade-in credit toward the purchase of a new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 8, or iPhone 8 Plus. A company spokesperson could not confirm exactly which phones will give back what amount of credit, but the carrier lists iPhones dating back to the iPhone SE and a number of past Android flagships as eligible. Again, that value will most likely be returned in the form of 24 monthly bill credits, but Verizon says it'll apply it as an account credit if the trade-in is worth more than $100. For new customers, the carrier says it'll return that trade-in value in the form of a virtual gift card, which it says will be sent within two weeks of receiving the old device.

The carrier will have a couple of other offers. Verizon says those who buy an iPhone on a device payment plan can take $100 off an iPad with a payment plan or $50 off an Apple Watch on a payment plan. Finally, the company says it will take 25 percent off “select Beats products” with the purchase of a new iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, though it’s worth ensuring any discounted product is actually cheaper than its street price elsewhere.

T-Mobile

Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (T-Mobile) Buy Now (Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs .)

T-Mobile will sell the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max outright for the same prices as Apple. It will sell each variant on an installment plan, too: the iPhone XS will range from $280 to $630 down with 24 monthly payments of $30, while the iPhone XS Max will range from $380 to $730 down with the same 24 monthly payments of $30.

The magenta carrier says those who trade in an older iPhone toward the purchase of a new model can get up to $300 off their purchase. That, too, comes in the form of bill credits spread out over 24 months.

Here’s how that trade-in credit will break down, according to a T-Mobile representative:

$300 off : iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus

: iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus $200 off : iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus

: iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus $100 off: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, or any earlier iPhone in “good working condition”

It's possible to trade in a newer iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X, too, but as T-Mobile notes, you'd get more in return by using the carrier's standard trade-in program.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere confirmed later on Friday that the carrier will also offer the "up to $700 off a second iPhone with a new service line" deal mentioned above. Expect that value to be paid back in monthly bill credits. Legere said the promo will be available beginning on Saturday, September 15.

AT&T

Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (AT&T) Buy Now (Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs .)

AT&T says it will offer the iPhone XS starting at $999.99 outright, $33.34 a month on a 30-month "AT&T Next" installment plan, or $41.67 a month on a 24-month "AT&T Next Every Year" installment plan. It will sell the iPhone XS Max, meanwhile, starting at $1,099.99 outright, $36.67 a month on a 30-month installment plan, or $45.84 a month on a 24-month installment plan.

As a reminder, AT&T's 30-month plan requires 80 percent of the phone's sales price to be paid off before a user can upgrade, while the 24-month plan allows for an upgrade once 50 percent of the phone's sales price is paid.

As for pre-order deals, an AT&T representative said those who purchase a new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, or iPhone X and add a new line of service can get a 64GB iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus at no extra cost. Alternatively, they can get up to $700 toward a second iPhone X, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max, according to the representative. Like the Verizon and T-Mobile deals mentioned above, that "up to $700" is paid back through monthly bill credits.

Sprint

Apple iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (Sprint) Buy Now (Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs .)

Sprint has likely the most aggressive offer of the major carriers. The company says it will offer a 64GB iPhone XS for $0 a month (plus tax) if you lease the device on its "Sprint Flex" plan and trade in an iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, LG G7 ThinQ, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy S9+, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, or Samsung Galaxy S8 Active. You'll need to activate a new line of service or be eligible for an upgrade to get the offer, and the carrier says it'll apply the credit after two billing cycles.

A 64GB iPhone XS Max, meanwhile, will cost $4.17 a month with the same trade-ins. Various other phones can lessen the monthly cost to different extents. Otherwise, it has the two new iPhones for roughly the same price as everyone else.

It's worth remembering that you don't actually own your phone on a Sprint Flex plan; instead, you lease it for 18 months, at which point you can trade it for another phone or pay the remaining cost of the device and buy it from Sprint outright. If you cancel before the 18 months are up, you'll have to pay off the rest of the device. Sprint's LTE network is usually considered the weakest of the big four carriers, so you'll want to make sure its coverage is sufficient in your area before committing to the carrier for a year and a half.

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