Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max doesn’t come cheap, especially if you’re after the 1TB version. But with Prime Day just right around the corner, now’s the best time to consider getting one thanks to Amazon’s epic deal that has the 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max going for a penny.
Through Boost Mobile, it effectively brings its cost to $0.01 when it’s all said and done. Normally you’d have to pay $1,599 outright for it, but Amazon’s Prime Day Deal brings the cost of the phone itself to a penny when you commit to a 36-month financing plan that also includes the cost of the service. This deal isn't limited to the iPhone 16 Pro Max either because it's available with all iPhone 16 models.
I know that sometimes I’d rather see an upfront cost instead of what it could be through a financing plan. But what’s really interesting here is that Amazon’s Prime Day deal beats anything else you’ll find from carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and even T-Mobile itself (parent company of Boost Mobile)
For starters, the terms and conditions state that you’ll have to commit to paying $81.66/month for 36 months. That ends up being $2,939.76 to have the 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max active with Boost Mobile’s unlimited plan, which provides up to 30GB of premium data per month before it’s slowed down. Obviously, that’s an immense cost over the $1,599 that the phone costs by itself. However, you shouldn’t be alarmed because I asked Google Gemini what’s the total cost of ownership of the same exact phone — but with AT&T and Verizon.
Most people end up holding onto their phone for between two to three years according to a survey conducted by SellCell. I’m inclined to agree to three years because the year-over-year gains are so minor, so waiting two or three generations will result in the biggest performance differences.
Total cost of ownership with AT&T
Google Gemini breaks down the total cost of ownership for the same exact iPhone, but it also calculates the average unlimited plan from those carriers — and typically they offer 2-year financing deals. Right now, the carrier’s offering up to $1,000 off with a trade-in offer. Here’s what Google Gemini calculates for its total cost of ownership.
- Device cost after trade-in: $1,599 - $1,000 = $599
- Monthly device payment: $599 / 36 months = $16.64
- Total device cost over 36 months: $16.64/month * 36 months = $599.04 (rounding may occur)
- Total plan cost over 36 months: $90/month * 36 months = $3,240
- Total overall cost: $599.04 (device) + $3,240 (plan) = $3,839.04
Total cost of ownership with Verizon
Similarly, I asked Google Gemini to calculate the cost of the 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max with Verizon's unlimited plan. Here's the breakdown:
- Device cost after trade-in: $1,599 - $1,000 = $599
- Monthly device payment: $599 / 36 months = $16.64
- Total device cost over 36 months: $16.64/month * 36 months = $599.04 (rounding might occur)
- Total plan cost over 36 months: $85/month * 36 months = $3,060
- Total overall cost: $599.04 (device) + $3,060 (plan) = $3,659.04
Is Boost Mobile's offer better?
As you can see, you’ll end up paying $3,658.04 or $3,839.04 through AT&T and Verizon respectively. Meanwhile, Amazon’s Prime Day deal with Boost Mobile comes out to be $2,939.76 at the rate of $81.66/month for 36 months.
That’s a solid amount of savings earned through this deal, which is why it is the best iPhone 16 Pro Max deal you’ll find right now. And you don’t have to bother with trading in an old phone to get the best discount, unlike what its rivals offer. That's important to note because only a select amount of phones will qualify for the $1,000 off in savings.
Oftentimes, I forget that the other part about buying a new phone is also the service attached with it. When you factor in that with the actual cost of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, there isn't a better one than this Amazon Prime Day deal.
