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 (Caution)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...

Top Rated Comments

agsystems Avatar
53 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
53 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
53 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
53 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
53 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
53 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)