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Apple’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini cost $30 extra for anyone who’s not an AT&T or Verizon customer

Apple’s iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini cost $30 extra for anyone who’s not an AT&T or Verizon customer

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A sneaky price increase in the US

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Image: Apple

Apple just announced that its iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will start at $799 and $699, respectively, but there’s a big asterisk attached: those starting prices are only for Verizon and AT&T customers in the US.

Everyone else — whether that’s T-Mobile or Sprint customers or even someone just looking for an unlocked device that’s not tied to any carrier — will pay $30 more, for starting pricing of $729 for the iPhone 12 mini and $829 for the iPhone 12. Notably, this pricing split doesn’t appear on the more premium iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max models, which will start at $999 and $1,099, respectively, for all carriers.

Cheaper, but only for AT&T and Verizon

That $30 price increase also applies to the higher storage capacities for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini: the 128GB models will cost $779 / $879 (instead of $749 / $849), and the 256GB models will cost $879 / $979 (instead of $849 / $949).

It’s not clear where that $30 discount is coming from, as Apple’s website just lists it as an “instant discount” for Verizon and AT&T customers once they activate their devices. But it’s certainly a frustrating surprise to see on the preorder pages, given that Apple is so prominently advertising the starting $699 and $799 prices. It’s also not clear whether this $30 discount for Verizon and AT&T customers is a limited time deal or a permanent offer. Still, whatever the reason for the $30 increase, it’s definitely something to be aware of for anyone looking to preorder an iPhone 12.

The iPhone 12 starts at $799 (for Verizon and AT&T customers) and $829 (for everyone else), with preorders available on October 16th ahead of an October 23rd release date. The iPhone 12 mini starts at $699 (for Verizon and AT&T customers) and $729 (for everyone else), with preorders on November 6th ahead of shipping on November 13th.