Carriers Offering Discounts Up to $200 to Subsidize Higher Cost of 5G iPad Pro Models

The major wireless carriers in the United States are teaming up with Apple to subsidize the cost of the new 5G iPad Pro, which debuted today. Choosing cellular over WiFi carries a $200 premium, which is more expensive than the $130 upgrade price that Apple normally charges for a cellular model.

ipad pro carrier subsidies
As noted by Bloomberg, carriers are hoping to encourage customers to purchase the new 5G tablets despite the cellular price increase through subsidies. Multiple carriers are offering up to $200 in gift cards, which makes choosing a 5G ‌iPad Pro‌ over a standard WiFi version more or less free, with the exception of monthly costs.

Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint are all offering $200 reimbursements, while AT&T is offering $150 back. AT&T is providing credits to a monthly bill, while Verizon is offering a digital gift card. T-Mobile and Sprint are providing a gift card that can be spent like a credit card.

Carriers often offer these kinds of discounts for iPhone models, but it is unusual to see these subsidies provided for iPads.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Buyer's Guide: iPad Pro (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
iOS 26

Apple Continues to Prepare iOS 26.0.1 With Multiple Bug Fixes Expected

Sunday September 28, 2025 1:30 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The account initially said iOS 26.0.1 would have a build number of 23A350, but they now expect the update to have a build number of 23A355. This suggests that the software update will include more bug fixes or changes than initially...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pro Nears Mass Production, But Four Bigger Upgrades Expected Next Year

Sunday September 28, 2025 2:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Pro models will enter mass production soon, according to the latest information shared by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said he continues to believe the new MacBook Pro models will be released at some point between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, meaning they should be available to order by March at the latest. Apple often...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Event in October? Here's What to Expect

Monday September 29, 2025 9:31 am PDT by
Apple's annual iPhone event is in the rearview mirror, but rumors suggest the company plans to release a handful of additional products before the year ends. Will there be another Apple event this October? We discuss the possibility below. Apple in October Apple's most recent October events were in 2021 and 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Apple did not host an October event. Instead, it...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.0.1 With Fixes for Wi-Fi, Cellular, and Camera Issues on iPhone 17 Models

Monday September 29, 2025 10:12 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 26.0.1 and iPadOS 26.0.1, the first updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out earlier this week. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes for the update, iOS 26.0.1 addresses a bug that could cause aberrations in...
iphone 17 ceramic shield

Regular iPhone 17's USB-C Charging Speeds Tested With Apple Chargers

Friday September 26, 2025 9:01 am PDT by
The website ChargerLAB has tested the standard iPhone 17 model's USB-C charging speeds with a variety of Apple's chargers, from 18W to 140W. The device reached a peak charging speed of around 27W to 28W with these Apple chargers:29W USB-C Power Adapter 30W USB-C Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter 35W Dual USB-C Port Compact Power Adapter 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...

Top Rated Comments

agsystems Avatar
58 months ago
Just for kicks - I tried to a trade-in (with Apple) my 11" 256GB second gen and I got a 'fair' price of $90 - god bless Apple
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kkspire Avatar
58 months ago
This is going to be the first time I literally buy every product announced. Love the iPad Pro 12.9
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Freeangel1 Avatar
58 months ago
The Best Bang for your BUCK is the $650 M1 Mac mini.
you've already proven by the Chinese that you can upgrade the RAM and disk size.
Better M1 chip than the iPad and iMac.
My God they even rip you off on the iMac and come out with a crippled M1 chip that has only 7 GPU cores enabled instead of 8.

The $650 M1 Mac mini is the STEAL here.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fishkorp Avatar
58 months ago

The Best Bang for your BUCK is the $650 M1 Mac mini.
you've already proven by the Chinese that you can upgrade the RAM and disk size.
Better M1 chip than the iPad and iMac.
My God they even rip you off on the iMac and come out with a crippled M1 chip that has only 7 GPU cores enabled instead of 8.

The $650 M1 Mac mini is the STEAL here.
No normal person can do that, or have access to the chips. Actual Apple repair centers don’t have access to chips for repairs. The average person will never be able to get the chips, never mind the process of doing the upgrade (or necessary equipment to do it).
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
takasugi Avatar
58 months ago

It's very telling when AT&T gives an outright price reduction, Verizon gives a big gift card (most likely after some time and subject to clawback), while the most dishonest US carrier of them all T-Mobile has a reverse 2-year contract bill credits scam for suckers.
T-Mobile is a virtual MasterCard.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ppj845 Avatar
58 months ago

Just for kicks - I tried to a trade-in (with Apple) my 11" 256GB second gen and I got a 'fair' price of $90 - god bless Apple
How so? Apple trade in for my iPad Pro 2018 base model is $455. Maybe you clicked damaged by mistake?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)