Apple is hoping the new features of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will push current iPhone owners to upgrade. Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile have announced free iPhone 7 deals and Sprint has also joined the free iPhone 7 party.
Apple has never shied away from making drastic changes to its product line in order to push its agenda of making its devices ultra-thin. 2008's introduction of the MacBook Air abandoned the standard optical drive, FireWire port, and Ethernet port in order for Steve Jobs to promote the laptop as the world's thinnest notebook computer.
The company retained a single USB 2.0 port that allowed users to connect peripherals, as well as Apple's own USB "SuperDrive" DVD-drive for anyone who couldn't fathom not having the ability to use an optical drive to install software or watch DVDs.
While Apple was initially lambasted for removing such a feature, the rest of the industry soon followed and offered thin laptops without optical drives. Apple is using the same play with this year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, which drop the standard 3.5 mm headphone port.
The company claims it made the decision based on "courage" to push a completely wireless experience and announced new $159 wireless AirPod headphones it hopes iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus owners will buy. In an effort to not upset users who prefer a wired solution, it includes a pair of Lightning EarPods and a Lightning to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter in each iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus box so users can still plug in their favorite headphones.
In an effort to convince current iPhone owners to upgrade to the headphone port-less iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile have announced free iPhone 7 deals to customers. Sprint is the latest carrier to join in the free iPhone 7 party and unlike its three rivals, it will allow customers to trade in Samsung's latest flagship Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge toward the purchase of a free 32 GB iPhone 7.
In order to qualify for Sprint's free 32 GB iPhone 7, customers will need to go to a Sprint store and trade in an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S7, or Galaxy S7 edge. You'll then have to sign up for a new Sprint plan, which required you to keep the service for two years. The carrier will then credit your account each month for 24 months to equal $650 — the cost of a 32 GB iPhone 7.
For a limited time, Sprint is also offering the 256 GB iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus for the price of the 128 GB variants, which knocks $100 off the price of the larger storage capacities while supplies last during preorders.
