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Apple and T-Mobile are fixing a big iPhone 17 pre-order error right on time

If you didn't get the right value for your T-Mobile trade-in with an iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, or iPhone Air pre-order at Apple, you might want to check your email for a fix right now.

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Sep 19, 2025, 2:33 AM

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Official Apple iPhone 17 Pro promotional image

If you were among the first people in the US (and possibly, even the entire world) to pre-order one of Apple's newest iPhones, and instead of doing so through a carrier, you chose the device manufacturer's official website, your Cupertino loyalty may have been rewarded... with a seemingly broken promotion.

While early iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air buyers were promised $800 discounts with eligible trade-ins on select T-Mobile plans, many orders initially showed much lower values for very good devices, scaring customers into thinking they'll have to pay through the nose for their new phones.

$0 /mo

$23 ⁰⁵

$23 off (100%)

Get the iPhone 17 and enjoy improved design, better battery life, and top-tier performance. Right now, you can get the phone for $0.00/mo. with Unlimited Welcome, Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan.

Buy at Verizon

$0 /mo

$27 ⁷⁷

$28 off (100%)

The slimmest iPhone is here! You can now buy the powerful iPhone Air at Verizon for $0.00/mo. with a new line activation on select Unlimited plans and a trade-in. This is an online-only offer.

Buy at Verizon

But if you didn't cancel your order, you might want to check your email for an important message from Apple shared and confirmed by many Redditors over the last 24 hours. As it turns out (and as anyone familiar with Apple and T-Mobile could have easily anticipated), the error was noticed and will quickly be fixed.

If you only got a $200 instant credit for your "good condition" trade-in, for instance, you should expect to receive the difference to 800 bucks in the form of T-Mobile bill credits starting at some point in the next three billing cycles. That's not exactly ideal for fairly obvious reasons, but we all know trade-in deals tend to be convoluted and take a little bit of time on occasion, so it's definitely good to hear that everyone will eventually get what they're owed.

Where did you order your new iPhone?

Straight from Apple

36.96%

T-Mobile

50%

Verizon

2.17%

AT&T

4.35%

Best Buy

A different carrier or retailer

6.52%

Apple and T-Mo's error appears to have specifically impacted folks on Magenta's costly Go5G Plus plan, so if you don't have that, you probably didn't go through a state of panic this last week... but you also may have received a smaller discount than $800.

Of course, you did always have the option to pre-order your new iPhone of choice from T-Mobile rather than Apple, and the industry-leading "Un-carrier" is set to keep a lot of great deals going for these bad boys even after the pre-order window officially closes today.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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