Apple iPhone 5 for free? Best Buy will make that possible Saturday, June 1, through a one-day trade-in offer for consumers with a working iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S.
"Get a minimum $150 Best Buy gift card after you trade in a working iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S and use it toward the purchase of an iPhone 5 16GB with 2-year agreement," the official promo offer stated.
However, according to a CNET article, iPhone fans may need to pay for any applicable sales tax for the new phone or if there will be applicable activation fees with the carrier.
To take advantage of the offer, the customers should be eligible for a phone upgrade. They need to activate their new iPhone and sign a two-year lock-in contract with Verizon, Sprint or AT&T to take advantage of the Best Buy iPhone 5 promo. T-Mobile is not included in the offer because it is the only UNcarrier in the U.S..
The Best Buy trade-in deal will not be available online. To trade-in, customers must locate a nearby participating store and bring their working iPhone 4 or 4S in.
"Valid 6/1/13 in store only. Carriers, coverage and products may vary by store. Carrier requirements may include select plan subscriptions, additional data add-ons, credit approval, usage fees and termination fees," the small fonts in the offer stated.
The Best Buy iPhone 5 one-day promo comes as the tech retailer tries to boost its sales of mobile devices and focus on hot market niches. Best Buy is trying to avoid what marketers call "showrooming" where consumers window shop for different products in-store but buy them online where prices can be a bit lower. The brand is now trying to match the sticker prices of devices online.
iPhone 5 is not the only device Best Buy is promoting. The retailer has announced plans to run more promos featuring products from other partner brands. It has recently collaborated with South Korean tech giant Samsung to setup mini-shops inside all of their stores.
Best Buy also rolled out on May 26, a price cut of $50 for the Apple iPhone 5, iPhone 4S or iPhone 4. This deal, which ends on June 29, comes with a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless, Sprint, or AT&T.
