Verizon is launching a blitz of advertising and deals aimed at getting consumers and small businesses to upgrade to 5G devices and plans.
Touting 5G mmWave coverage in parts of 75 cities, 13 airports and dozens of venues plus Dynamic Spectrum Sharing-based 5G availability for 230+ million people in more than 2,700 cities, Verizon is offering what it calls “the biggest Verizon 5G upgrade campaign ever,” with iPhone 12 series phones and Samsung Galaxy S21 5G devices eligible for the new promo.
Customers can get up to $700 (for iPhones) or $800 (for Androids) device credit with a new or upgraded smartphone line, with the requirement that they sign up for one of Verizon’s Unlimited plans. New customers also qualify for a $300 prepaid Mastercard, meant as an offering to defray termination fees from other wireless providers. In an accompanying promotion for small businesses, the device credits are the same and a number transfer will result in a $300 credit to the customer’s bill.
The carrier continues to emphasize that users can turn in old or even broken devices, and the current offering looks much like the deals that Verizon began offering in April. In the previous promo, Verizon was offering a combination of a trade-in/promotional credit of up to $700 for iPhones and up to $800 for Android devices, plus a e-gift card of either $300 for iPhones and $200 for Androids if you ported in a number.
Verizon is also running a promotion offering a buy-one-get-one deal with up to $1,000 off a new device, if you activate a new line of service.
According to Blancco, 57% of mobile users around the world have plans to upgrade to a 5G device within 24 months. Both Gartner and more recently, Strategy Analytics, have predicted double-digit growth for smartphones this year, after a 2020 in which the impacts of the global pandemic drove a roughly 10% drop in sales.
Verizon is emphasizing its content and entertainment options for new unlimited 5G subscribers, offering new and existing customers six or more months of free Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, and te inclusion of streaming offerings such as Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ on some plans, or options to add Discovery+ and Apple Music access.
