During the mid-2010s, the on Sprint was a centerpiece of aggressive retail wars at Best Buy . For many, it represented a strategic crossroads where high-end tech met massive carrier subsidies—a "golden era" of deals that helped Sprint claim nearly double the iPhone sales share at Best Buy compared to Apple's own stores. The Strategy: Why Best Buy?
A unique part of the Best Buy iPhone 7 story is the Universal iPhone policy. Best Buy Universal iPhone 7 - Apple Support Community
For Sprint users, Best Buy was often the preferred destination over carrier-branded stores because it acted as a "neutral" ground with exclusive retail incentives.
: Best Buy frequently sweetened the pot with its own offers, such as $200 gift cards upon activation or massive service credits for trade-ins.
: Late-cycle deals in 2018 saw the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus available for as little as $5.99/month (approx. $144 total) for new Sprint accounts, a massive reduction from the standard $450+ retail price.
The iPhone 7 launch period (2016–2017) saw some of the most aggressive pricing in the device's history:
: With over 84 versions of the iPhone 7 across various storage capacities and colors, Best Buy’s warehouse associates were famously busy managing one of the largest inventories outside of Apple itself. Notable Deals & Offers
: Sprint historically struggled at the Apple Store due to the dominance of Verizon and AT&T. At Best Buy, however, Sprint leveraged its unlimited data plans and deep discounts to lure customers.