Boost Mobile: Are you actually saving money with a phone and service bundle?

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but with Boost Mobile’s Infinite Access plans, it feels a bit like there may be such a thing as a free phone. Boost Mobile is the fourth major carrier in the US and is working hard to keep its momentum with a 5G footprint that’s quickly growing, and one of the most appealing free phone offers I’ve seen since the days of two-year contracts.

Specifically, Boost Mobile is offering a free phone to customers who sign up for its Infinite Access for iPhone or Galaxy plans, but you should keep in mind that underneath this attractive offer is a 36-month payment plan with a yearly option to extend.

How do Boost’s Infinite Access plans work?

High-speed data for your brand-new phone

The main character of this story is the Infinite Access for Galaxy plan that comes in at $65 per month. This price, which isn’t far off what you’d pay for a single line at any other postpaid carrier, comes with 30GB of high-speed data, usage in Mexico and Canada with 5GB of data, and a new Galaxy phone. This isn’t a refurbished or budget model, but a brand-new Samsung Galaxy S24.

This plan also comes with a free upgrade if you’ve paid for 12 months of service and your account is in good standing. While you can renew your phone payment plan in 12 months with a brand-new device, you’re still technically signing up for a 36-month payment plan that will eventually need to be paid.

Even so, Boost’s plans are relatively cheap compared to other annual upgrade plans like T-Mobile’s Go5G Next, which starts at $100 per month, or an add-on like AT&T’s Next Up Anytime.

How much do you end up paying with a Boost plan?

At the end of the day, it's still a 36-month payment plan

Souce: Boost Mobile

Boost’s plans really only make sense if they work out to be cheaper in the long run, and for the most part, they do.

Let me be clear, there will be other carriers that offer stronger deals with things like phone trade-ins or buy-one-get-one promotions, but these promotions won’t work out for everyone. This is especially true if you don’t have a phone to trade in or don’t want to pay for a premium plan. It’s also worth pointing out that AT&T doesn’t require a specific plan to get its best phone prices like T-Mobile and Verizon do for some of their deals.

Boost Mobile’s Infinite Access for Galaxy and iPhone plans are really designed for those who want a new phone every year, not those who upgrade every few years. These plans are $65 per month with a phone included, or around $780 per year, and include up to $800 off a new Galaxy or $1,000 off a new iPhone. That’s enough for the Galaxy S24 and iPhone 16 Pro, but you can get a higher-end model by paying the difference monthly.

Source: Samsung

At the time of writing, you can get a Galaxy S24 for $10.99 per month with AT&T’s cheapest single-line unlimited plan, which is $50.99. If you want to upgrade in a year, you’ll need AT&T’s Next Up add-on for $10 per month. All in all, you’re looking at over $860 with the option to upgrade in a year.

Verizon and T-Mobile both work out to be more expensive due to hefty plan requirements that bring the phone's monthly cost down to $0. That being said, T-Mobile’s payment plans are only 24 months compared to 36 months on the other three, so if you want to own the phone, the price works out cheaper if you drop down to the Go5G Plus plan, which only upgrades every other year.

One thing to keep in mind about most new phone deals is you’ll still need to pay taxes on the device at checkout, so be prepared to pay a little bit for your new phone despite it being free month-to-month. Still, with these phone deals, you should have enough left over to make sure you get all of the accessories you need, like a good case.

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Boost is a good fit for those who need a new phone and service

Family plans are great, but if you’re ready to move on and take things into your own hands, you’re likely looking for a way to save on both phone service and a new device.

While Boost’s Infinite Access plans aren’t the best unlimited plans around, they’re still a solid pick for a lot of people with 30GB of high-speed data and some basic international features included. Of course, it’s worth checking to see if you can get a better deal at another carrier, such as getting a teacher discount at AT&T.

Furthermore, while Boost's plans aren’t the best value plans for everyone, they make a lot of sense if you’re ready for a new phone and want to have the latest model every year. If you’re looking for a cheap plan and don’t mind using a slightly cheaper phone, like one of the best budget phones, you can save more in the long run. Still, Boost makes it easy to get a great phone with solid service featuring its own 5G and AT&T roaming.