The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge are the first of many devices to arrive on the market this year, with HTC soon to announce the HTC 10, Motorola to announce its Moto X Pure Edition 2016 model, Google to announce the next Nexus devices (with its three-year deal with HTC that should make for one interesting unveiling), Sony to announce its new Xperia X series (there’ll be no Xperia Z6, I’m afraid), and soon, the LG G5 on April 1st. With all the new announcements on the way, and phones constantly coming to market, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge can’t be declared the winners of 2016 just yet. Whether or not we’ll deem them the best of the year depends on the final analysis as we arrive at Christmas 2016.
Despite the fact that we can’t declare winners in the smartphone race just yet, we can celebrate deals on what we think are two of the finest Android devices you’ll see all year. Verizon, the nation’s largest and most reliable carrier, is offering a BOGO deal on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. If you buy one of either, you can get the second for free.
Let’s break down what this means: in short, you can get a free phone, a free Galaxy S7 edge even — but you’ll have to buy one of the phones first. For Verizon customers looking to get on installment plans or are already on them, you need to know what this means: for each phone, you’ll pay a $20 one-time activation fee, followed by $20 a month for each smartphone line (one for the paid one, one for the free as well), not to mention the actual cost of the Galaxy S7 edge or Galaxy S7 you bought. As for the free phone, here’s what Verizon says about it in the small print in an email I received, celebrating the offer:
Free phone of equal or lesser value. Retail price of S7 ($672) or S7 edge ($792) less up to $792 mail-in Visa prepaid card. Visa Prepaid card takes 8-10 weeks (upon receipt of claim). Taxes on retail prices at sale. Lines must remain active for 6 mos. Limited time offer.
In short, you’ll need to 1) wait 8-10 weeks for your prepaid card that totals the $792 you’re getting back, for example, if you buy the Galaxy S7 edge. Then, you’ll need to pay the taxes for both phones at the time you accept the offer in-store or online: so, if you’re doing the BOGO deal, prepare to pay $53 x 2 = $106, for example, since you must pay the taxes on the phone at the time you agree to the purchase. Then, once you get the Visa Prepaid card, you can use it and spend the money on your Verizon bill, the total cost of the second phone, or other things, should you wish. And, finally, make sure to keep your phone line on for 6 months. Since you can use the Visa Prepaid card to pay off the entire Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge, you can do anything with the phone after the six months is up — including sell it back to Verizon for a nice price that can then be placed on another phone.
This is a lot of stuff to remember, which is why we’re going through it in this post. We want you to know what you’re getting into before you jump. I have to admit, it’s a pretty sweet deal, and we sure wish the LG G5 BOGO deal had come along around the same time with Verizon. For some of you that’re at least tempted by LG, you can always use the Galaxy S7 edge BOGO deal and get another phone of equal or lesser value, as my Verizon email states (which means you can get the LG V10 as the second phone, if you wish).
Are you jumping on this deal? Loving your Galaxy S7 edge so far? If so, feel free to let us know what you decided to do and how happy you are with your choice. As Big Red always says in its advertising, “better matters.”
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