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If you're looking to make sure you're among the first to own Samsung's swanky new Galaxy S8 but don't want to line up outside a store on April 21st, you're in luck. Major and minor carriers alike have announced that they're running pre-order campaigns (with some hefty incentives) starting as early as tomorrow. Here's what each has planned:
AT&T will begin taking orders both online and in stores tomorrow, March 30th. If you're on the AT&T Next program, the $750 S8 will cost $25 a month for 30 months and the $850 S8+ can be had for $28.34. For AT&T Next Every Year customers those prices increase to $31.25 and $35.42, respectively, over 24 months.
The carrier is offering a whole slew of incentives if you do opt to pre-order. First, you'll receive up to $750 in credits towards another Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8+. It also comes with a Gear VR headset, controller and some bundled content. You can also pick up a Gear S3 smartwatch for $50 (they normally retail for $300) with a two-year service agreement. And finally, AT&T will try to unload a Tab E or Gear S2 on your for $1 if you go in on a 2 year service agreement.
Verizon Wireless' offers are a bit more... nuanced. For a limited time with an eligible trade in device and enrollment in the Verizon Unlimited Plan, you can get the S8 or S8+ for as little as $15 a month. Otherwise you'll pay $30 for the S8 and $35 for the S8+. There are a bunch of restrictions on that offer so make sure you read the fine print before you pull out your wallet.
To sweeten the deal, Verizon will throw in one of two Samsung Gear VR bundles. You can get the Controller Bundle ($180 value) for free, which includes a Gear VR with controller and Oculus content. Or you can splurge on the Experience Box ($550 value) for $100, which includes the Controller Bundle plus a pair of Harman Kardon headphones and a 256GB micro SD card. These bonuses are only available before April 21st and must be redeemed at the Samsung promotions site before May 21st.
We also expect Sprint, Cricket Wireless, Straight Talk Wireless and US Cellular to carry the handsets, however they have yet to release information on bundles and availability. As they do, we'll update this post.
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