Apple's best iPhone 13 features are the ridiculous trade-in offers, not the specs

Apple's new iPhone 13 and 13 Pro phones -- now available to preorder -- have lots of new features that are welcome upgrades over earlier iPhone models. Battery life is longer, and there are nifty camera tricks, better displays, a slimmer notch and even some new color options. While this stealth "S year" upgrade isn't as significant as last year's redesign and inclusion of 5G, there is enough here that Apple will still likely move many, many millions of iPhones.

Especially when you consider the carrier pricing here in the US.

All three of the major wireless providers have introduced new iPhone offers to get people to upgrade their older devices to these 5G-capable iPhones. As has been the trend in recent years, these offers are available to both new and existing customers, offering significant discounts on all versions of the new iPhone 13 if you're willing to upgrade and commit to staying with a carrier for several years.

The deals represent a push by the carriers to not just pick off new customers from each other, but to lock in their current customers with longer deals. The floodgates of deals opened last year, when the companies were eager to get people on their 5G networks, and they're continuing with the iPhone 13 launch. While it's a good time for those looking for a good deal, consumers should be aware that terms can stretch out as far as three years.

Apple went so far as to acknowledge carrier discounts during its presentation on Tuesday with Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of iPhone product marketing, noting that there are "some fantastic offers from Apple and our partners" when mentioning the pricing of the iPhone 13.

AT&T is offering up to $1,000 off the iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max and up to $800 off the iPhone 13 and Mini, essentially making the iPhone 13 Pro, 13 or 13 Mini free. Verizon is offering up to $1,000 off a 13 Pro or Pro Max or $800 off any iPhone 13. This would cover the base costs for the 13 Pro Max, 13 and the Mini.

Both carriers will need you to trade in a fairly recent phone and be on an unlimited plan (in Verizon's case, one of its current higher-tier unlimited offerings such as Do More, Get More and Play More or older Above Unlimited and Beyond Unlimited plans) to get full credit. AT&T also requires that your device be in good working condition while Verizon will take any phone -- even those with broken screens -- so long as its battery is undamaged.

T-Mobile's most aggressive offer comes from Apple directly. If you're buying from Apple and trading in an iPhone X or newer, the company will give you a credit of at least $200 from Apple toward the price of the phone and a minimum of $200 back from T-Mobile. Those numbers can quickly jump if you're trading in a new device and have the carrier's top plan, called Magenta Max.