Navi 2024 Wireless Trends Report
Before we head into the New Year, Navi takes a look back at the wireless trends of 2024 and the data behind the stories.
In this report, we cover the rise of no-trade phone deals from major carriers like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, as well as the impact of Any Phone, Any Condition promotions. We explore the influence of no-trade deals on demand for previous model year iPhones and report on shopping interest for a small but growing category: foldable phones. Other highlights include the increasing market share of Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile, rising demand for perks like streaming services in wireless plans, and why it was a good year for loyal customers on premium unlimited plans.
2024 Wireless Promotional Trends: No Trade Deals, Any Phone Trade-Ins & More
Rise of the No Trade Phone Deal
No trade-in? No problem—especially for shoppers willing to switch carriers and sign up for a premium plan.
Before 2024, the majority of wireless promotions from the big three carriers, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon required an eligible trade-in phone in good working condition, with model limitations, not to mention other qualifications such as switching carriers and signing up for select plans. However, in 2024, we saw no-trade deals enter the picture in a meaningful way; previously, no-trade deals were only available for select devices from time to time. Verizon changed that in late February offering no-trade deals on a variety of devices including the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S24 series. By April, T-Mobile followed suit, and during Black Friday season, AT&T ran similar promotions.
Navi reports the increase in no-trade deals was most notable among switchers on premium unlimited plans, with average no-trade value in 2024 up 123% versus 2023. For new customers on premium plans, the average no-trade promotional value in 2024 was $343 compared to $154 in 2023. In addition, Navi data shows 1.3x more no-trade phone deals in 2024 compared to 2023 across all shopper segments, from switchers to existing customers, and on all types of postpaid unlimited plans from entry to premium.
Rise of the Any Phone, Any Condition Trade-in Deal
No phone too old for this trade-in offer.
As noted above, prior to 2024, the norm among wireless carriers was to include quite a few eligibility requirements for their trade-in promotions, including a working battery and model limitation with devices older than the Apple iPhone XS and Samsung Galaxy S9 not typically qualifying.
Beginning in late 2023 during Black Friday, Verizon ran a new kind of Any Phone, Any Condition Trade-in Promotion which the carrier continued to offer throughout 2024. AT&T also occasionally made similarly unrestrictive trade-in offers available to both new and existing customers, while T-Mobile continued to reserve their highest trade-in credits for new model devices.
Throughout 2024, Verizon’s “$1,000 Any Phone, Any Condition” promo was available on both flagship iPhone and Galaxy devices. AT&T offered a similar deal on Galaxy devices with their “$1,000 Any Galaxy S, Note, or Z series, Any condition” promo that ran from mid-January to mid-February of 2024.
By comparison, in 2023, Verizon only offered its “Any Phone, Any Condition” deal for the last couple of months of the year following the iPhone 15 release. Meanwhile, AT&T did not begin offering its “Any Galaxy S, Note, or Z Series, Any Condition” until 2024.
Notably, In December 2024, T-Mobile introduced an Any Condition promotion similar but only for switchers and upgraders for premium plans. Meanwhile, model limitations still apply.
2024 Device Trends: iPhones, Foldable Phones, and the Impact of Wireless Promotions
Previous-Year Model iPhone Interest Increased by 36% in 2024
Shopping activity for last year’s iPhone model was on the rise, but promotions were likely the key cause.
On the Navi platform, shopping intent for the previous year's iPhone model was 10% in 2024 vs. 7.5% in 2023, accounting for a 36% increase year over year.
While one might conclude that this increase in interest for previous-year iPhones in 2024 signals that the iPhone 16 series was in some way less desirable immediately following its launch than the iPhone 15 series the previous year, Navi suggests the rise in no-trade promotions for previous-year iPhones among top carriers is what drove the difference.
Navi reports the average promotional value for previous-year iPhone no-trade deals increased 60% year over year across AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. In 2023, the average promotional discount for an n-1 iPhone was $250 off compared to $400 off in 2024.
Foldable Phones Still Niche But Interest Was Up in 2024
While foldables still only represent a small portion of the phone market, demand on Navi increased by 25% in 2024.
With the release of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Google Pixel 9 Fold in 2024, foldables saw a marked improvement in tech, with prices comparable to flagship devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Google Pixel 9 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro. And, we dare say, interest followed.
Shopping interest in foldable phones on the Navi platform grew year over year with foldable devices accounting for 5% of purchase activity in 2024 vs. 4% in 2023.
Notably, Apple still hasn’t thrown its hat in the foldable ring, though rumors have been swirling about the possibility for some time and a recent WSJ article suggests an Apple foldable may be in the works.
2024 Market Trends
Two Leading Cable MVNOs Increased Market Share by 20%
Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile, the two largest postpaid MVNOs, are giving the Big Three a run for their customers.
Since entering the wireless market in 2017 and 2018, respectively, Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile have been making other carriers take note.
Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile represented a larger portion of the postpaid wireless customer base in 2024 vs. 2023; accounting for 6% of the market through Q3 2024 vs. 5% through the same period in 2023.
The benefit to postpaid wireless shoppers? More options to choose from. The challenge? With more options comes more complexity. That’s where Navi’s free and unbiased Phone Deal Finder and Plan Finder can help consumers find and compare the best phone promotions and plan options to meet their unique needs.
2024 Wireless Plan Trends
Rising interest in highly competitive low-cost plans from MVNOs
One key factor in Spectrum Mobile and Xfinity Mobile’s growing market share has been their low-cost plan structure.
Heading into 2024, both MVNOs offered highly competitive single-line plan pricing, and in March 2024, Xfinity Mobile restructured its plan pricing making it much more competitive on multi-line accounts as well. While Spectrum Mobile doesn’t offer multi-line discounts, they introduced an Anytime Upgrade program in April 2024.
Comparing the Big Three carrier’s cheapest unlimited plans to Xfinity Mobile and Spectrum Mobile’s comparable plans, Xfinity and Spectrum were on average 47% cheaper than the Big Three for 1-line accounts and on average 33% cheaper on 4-line accounts in 2024.
Two of the Big 3 Spent More to Keep their Most Valued Customers
2024 was a good year for current customers on premium plans at T-Mobile and Verizon.
In 2024, the average promotional value for device offers available to existing customers on premium plans at T-Mobile and Verizon increased from $720 to $802, 11% higher than in 2023. The reason? 2024 was the first full year that both T-Mobile and Verizon plans promised that new and existing customers were eligible for the same trade-in device deals.
Meanwhile, AT&T has been offering the same deals to both new and existing customers for several years now, and not only on their premium plans.
2024 Perks Trends
Demand for Streaming Media Perks On the Rise
Interest in adding perks to wireless plans increased 23% in 2024 vs. 2023.
Among wireless shoppers on the platform, Navi observed a significant uptick among those interested in add-ons in 2024.
In 2023, only 35% of shoppers expressed interest in perks, with that number rising to 43% in 2024. In 2024, add-ons that garnered the most attention on Navi were streaming media services, the top 5 being Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, AppleTV+, and Paramount+.
With the proliferation of streaming services and the fragmentation of sports rights across channels and services, Navi anticipates demand for streaming media service add-ons to continue to rise.
About Navi
Navi is an independent and unbiased US wireless services marketplace. Founded by industry veterans, Navi aggregates information on service plans and phone deals to help consumers easily compare choices and find the best offers. Navi features the most comprehensive source of phone promotions in the market with over 2 million records updated daily, including values for every trade-in, plan type, and customer type combination. This pricing data along with Navi's first-party data offers unique competitive intelligence, price sensitivity analysis and market insights to Carriers, OEMs, and analysts in the sector.
For press inquiries and more information about Navi's data insights, please contact us at: pr@yournavi.com