The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus could be among this year's hottest phones.
Andrew Hoyle/CNETThe Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus officially hit shelves on March 16, and Verizon is having a buy one, get one (BOGO) deal to celebrate.
Starting March 16, anyone who buys a Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus through a device payment plan will get a $800 credit toward their next Galaxy S9 or S9 Plus. That means you essentially get the second Galaxy S9 for free, or a Galaxy S9 Plus for $130, which is $800 off Verizon's retail price.
Of course, there's some fine print to be aware of. No plan or phone trade-in is required, but at least one of the Galaxy S9 phones must be activated on a new line of service. Also, the discount is applied monthly over 24 months, and starts one or two billing cycles after the purchase date.
The Galaxy S9 ups the ante on last year's Galaxy S8 by bringing an upgraded camera with tricks like variable aperture, super slow-mo video and 3D avatars called AR Emoji. It also packs a blazing fast Snapdragon 845 processor and a similar all-screen design as the Galaxy S8.
It's always nice to see carrier promotions on new phones as soon as they come out, but if the Galaxy S9 isn't your cup of tea, Verizon is also offering 50 percent off the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X with a phone trade-in. This deal also starts on March 16 and requires you to purchase the device on a payment plan, use a Verizon Unlimited data plan and trade in an eligible phone.
Not all phones get you that full 50 percent discount. For example, you can get 50 percent off an iPhone 8 by trading in an iPhone 6S Plus, a Google Pixel or an LG G6, but only 35 percent off if you trade in a Galaxy S7 or HTC10.
The list also gets more selective as the iPhones get more expensive. So you'll have to trade in something like an iPhone 7 to get 50 percent off an iPhone 8 Plus, or trade in a Galaxy S8 Plus to get half off an iPhone X. Still if you're in the market for a new iPhone, it's worth checking to see how much your current phone can get you.
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