June Wan/ZDNET
With the start of back-to-school shopping, you may have tweens, teens, and college-aged kids asking for their first smartphone or an upgrade to their old device. And right now at Verizon, both new and existing customers can get up to four free iPhone 15 Plus smartphones when you sign up for an Unlimited Welcome, Plus, or Ultimate plan. That means you can upgrade the whole family for just the activation cost.
Also: The best iPhone models you can buy
Verizon offers the 128GB version of the iPhone 15 Plus in this deal, with plenty of space for most users to store photos and essential apps. Though if you need to offload some files to make room, an iCloud or Google Drive backup is a great and affordable option. The iPhone 15 Plus has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display, titanium case, and matte glass back for a sleek, sophisticated design available in five colors (black, blue, green, pink, and yellow) to show off your style.
Also: iPhone 15 review: Why I recommend this model even to ‘Pro’ users
The A16 Bionic chip features a 5-core GPU for faster, more efficient multitasking and smoother video playback. The 48MP front camera and dual 24MP and 48MP rear cameras let you shoot professional-quality video and photos in various lighting environments. The integrated battery can last up to 26 hours on a full charge, so you can use it all day and well into the evening before you need to top up your battery.
All you have to do to take advantage of this deal is click the tile on Verizon’s deals landing page. It will ask if you’re either a new or existing customer (existing Verizon customers will need to sign in to add lines to your plan), and then you choose to either open a new account or add a line to an existing one. I’ve also combed through the terms and conditions to see if there were any catches in the fine print, and while the phones themselves are free, you have to pay an activation fee of $40 per line as well as all applicable sales taxes and service fees. But even so, it’s still a steal for multiple new Apple smartphones.
The deal advertised on Verizon’s website as of Aug. 1, 2025.
Screenshot by Kayla Solino/ZDNET
Another stipulation is that your account has to stay in good standing, and you can’t transfer the devices to another plan or network. If you decide to move to another plan or carrier, you’ll be on the hook for the full retail price of each phone (which is about $830 a pop). The discount on each phone is applied as a credit to your monthly statement over 36 months, just like if you had chosen a financing option for a new iPhone. You can also only get one free phone per new line added to your plan, so to get the complete four-phone deal, you’ll have to either be a new customer or find some family members to add to your existing plan.
Don’t need four phones? Verizon also has a promotion for a free iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro with an eligible device trade-in, or you can get a Samsung Galaxy S25+ for free if you’re looking to jump from iOS.
Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
How I rated this deal
One free phone is excellent, but four free phones are even better. And this Verizon bundle deal came at the perfect time for back-to-school shopping as teens and college students look to upgrade devices for the new year or get their first smartphones. Even with a $40 activation fee per line, a total cost of $160 almost feels criminal. That’s why I gave it a 5/5 Editor’s rating.
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If getting your hands on four free iPhone 15s sounds too good to be true, it sort of is. While the devices themselves are offered for free, you still have to pay a $40 activation fee for each device as well as all applicable sales tax and service fees. You can only claim one free phone per new line added to an eligible Unlimited plan, so existing customers may not be able to take full advantage of the offer. And if you ever decide to switch from an Unlimited plan or to another carrier, you’ll be on the hook for the full retail price of each device.
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