When Google finally, officially unveiled the Pixel and Pixel XL to the world, they announced that Verizon was to be the exclusive carrier in the United States. Given the memories some have of the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon, it was understandable that a lot of users were pretty surprised, and perhaps taken aback by it. Of course, the classic Nexus model of selling the device unlocked direct to customers is still very much intact, and Google even offer zero-interest plans for those looking to spread the cost of the device, too. For those that did take Google up on this offer, or purchase the device outright from another retailer, will now be able to head on over to T-Mobile to get 50 percent – up to $325.20 – off of their bill in monthly credits.
T-Mobile is aggressive in their marketing here, and are positioning this as a way to “free the Pixel” which will no doubt please T-Mobile fans all over the nation, but there are a few caveats, sadly. First of which is that to take part in this promotion, users must sign up for the T-Mobile ONE plan, which might not be all it’s cracked up to be for some users. The second is that T-Mobile is only offering a maximum of $325.20, spread out over 24 months. This will result in a reduction of $13.55 each and every month, for two years. This is of course half he cost of the entry-level 32GB Pixel which costs $650, for those that went all out on a 128GB Pixel XL, they won’t be saving 50 percent of that final total, just the aforementioned $325.20. On top of all that, T-Mobile requires some form of proof of purchase, which means that users will have to have purchased their Pixel new in order to best take advantage of the deal.
This new deal from T-Mobile might not be perfect, but considering that a lot of users purchasing their phones outright will head to T-Mobile, it’s nice to see the firm play into the hands of an already captive audience. It’s a shame that T-Mobile isn’t deducting 50 percent of the higher-end Pixel XL models, but a saving of $13.55 each and every month isn’t something to be scoffed at. It also gives T-Mobile a way to compete with Google’s own Project Fi, which many Pixel users might have already signed up for.