There is no doubt that the telecom industry has become increasingly competitive as more consumers nationwide explore nontraditional phone and internet options. Amid this growing trend, T-Mobile has seen an uptick in phone customers canceling their service. In response, the carrier has launched a slate of bold new device promotions to help retain customers.
After hiking monthly bills and making sudden phone plan changes in early 2025, T-Mobile saw its postpaid phone churn, the percentage of those customers who canceled their service, reach 1.02% during the fourth quarter of that year, according to the company’s latest earnings report. This is higher than the 0.89% churn it reported for the previous quarter.
T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan told analysts during a Feb. 11 earnings call that the wireless industry’s churn climbed last year, driven primarily by postpaid phone customers finishing their device contracts.
“So clearly, NPS (net promoter score, a measure of customer loyalty) and churn are highly correlated,” said Gopalan. “What I think we saw in ’25 was also a normalization of churn as an industry as a whole. Because you went through these years with 36-month contracts and suppression of churn.”
To better compete with rivals and attract price-conscious customers, T-Mobile has rolled out several new offers in recent months. In January, the phone carrier launched its “Better Value” phone plan, which starts at $46 per line with autopay.
The following month, it quietly launched an Experience More with Appreciation Savings plan and a Loyalty plan (a retention offer), with both plans starting at $75 and $65 per month, respectively, for one phone line.
That same month, it also dropped an iPhone 17 deal, where customers who trade in an eligible old phone can get a free iPhone 17. They just need to open a new line on its Experience Beyond or Experience More plan or three new lines on its Better Value plan, to qualify for the deal.
T-Mobile introduces bold new offers as it battles elevated churn
To make it less appealing for customers to flee, T-Mobile is continuing to ramp up its device promotions by launching several new trade-in offers. Shortly after Samsung announced its new Samsung Galaxy S26 series at its Galaxy Unpacked event on Feb. 25, T-Mobile introduced its “Galaxy S26 Ultra on Us” deal.
The phone carrier is offering new and existing customers a Galaxy S26 Ultra (or up to $1,300 off any in the series) when adding a new line; no trade-in is needed, according to a recent press release. Customers can also receive the deal when they trade in an eligible device, regardless of condition, on an Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plan.
It is also offering customers a Galaxy S26+ (or up to $1,100 off any in the series) when trading in an eligible device in working condition on the Experience More or Go5G Plus plan.
If customers want to score a Galaxy S26+ (or up to $900 off any in the series), they just need to add a line to an Experience More or Go5G Plus plan.
Related: T-Mobile hopes free offer will restore customer loyalty
Currently, T-Mobile is accepting pre-orders for the Galaxy S26 lineup, with full availability online and in stores on Mar. 11.
In addition to the phone deals, T-Mobile is also offering several discounts on other Samsung devices. The carrier is offering $40 off the new Samsung Galaxy Buds4 Pro (or other select Samsung Buds) when customers preorder any Galaxy S26 device online or in the T-Life app.
T-Mobile also said that customers can get a “Galaxy Tab A11+ on Us” when adding a tablet line and $400 off any Galaxy Smartwatch when adding a watch line.
For even more savings, customers who bundle their T-Mobile voice plan with the carrier’s 5G Home Internet service can get $20 a month in savings and a $350 Samsung gift card when they upgrade to a Galaxy S26 device.
T-Mobile battles increased competition and shifting consumer behavior
The new offers from T-Mobile come during a time when many U.S. consumers are not fond of obtaining new phones through trade-in deals.
A recent survey from Reviews.org found that only roughly 6% of Americans are willing to upgrade their phones through a trade-in deal or a better contract. When they do decide to upgrade, 47% pay the full cost up front, while 36% finance their smartphones through their carrier.
Despite this trend, phone carriers such as Verizon and AT&T have continued to ramp up generous device trade-in deals to attract customers.
More Telecom News:
- T-Mobile drops 2 new phone plans to stop customers from fleeing
- Verizon CEO shifts gears after 2.25 million customers depart
- AT&T closes billion-dollar acquisition to win back customers
For example, AT&T is offering customers the iPhone 17 Pro for free with an eligible trade-in. Verizon is also offering free Samsung Galaxy S26 devices to customers who are on its Unlimited Plus or Unlimited Ultimate plan.
As competition in the wireless industry heats up, T-Mobile and other traditional phone carriers still face the threat of losing customers as many are becoming more sensitive to high phone bills, according to a recent survey from Oxio.
What’s prompting U.S. consumers to consider switching carriers:
- Approximately 70% of Americans reassess their mobile plan at least once a year.
- Also, 58% said a bill increase prompts them to reevaluate their mobile plan.
- When looking for a new plan, 79% of consumers said price is the most important factor, while 63% said network coverage and 60% said speed and performance.
- A whopping 75% have a positive or neutral opinion of non-traditional mobile providers, and 56% said they are open to buying mobile service from a retailer.
Source: Oxio
“Last year, our research signaled that consumers were open to change. In 2026, that openness became action,” said Oxio CEO Nicolas Girard in a press release. “Consumers are not passively renewing mobile plans.”
“They are actively evaluating them, comparing value, scrutinizing pricing, and reassessing providers more frequently,” he continued. “Mobile is evolving from a static utility into a dynamic service relationship, and the next era will belong to those who reduce complexity, communicate transparently, and activate seamlessly.”
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