For the past few weeks, T-Mobile has been running a deal that gets you a free Galaxy S26 Ultra when you add a line with an eligible data plan. It was a great promotion, but now that it's nearing an end, Verizon has decided to take on its biggest rival with a free phone offer of its own.
For a limited time, Verizon will hook you up with $1,300 of promo credits when you add a line with the Unlimited Ultimate plan. That's enough to make the super-powered S26 Ultra completely free, no trade-in required! This Verizon deal arrives at the perfect time too, as T-Mobile is reportedly ending its Galaxy S26 Ultra deal on April 1st. Is the offer right for you? Let's break it down.
Step aside, T-Mobile: Verizon just launched its own free Galaxy S26 Ultra deal
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is a powerful smartphone with a steep price tag to match. Starting at $1,299 for the 256GB configuration, the flagship boasts the ultra-efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset with 12GB of RAM, a suite of useful AI-boosted software features, and a seven-year upgrade promise.
The S26 Ultra also sports a 6.9-inch AMOLED panel with an embedded S Pen stylus, plus you get to experience that new Privacy Display feature that's been receiving so much buzz lately. The phone is the only device in the S26 lineup that didn't receive a price increase, but with a starting price of $1,299, the Ultra is still far from cheap. Fortunately, there are plenty of S26 deals like this one to soften the blow.
Still, I wouldn't exactly call this Verizon deal a no-strings promotion. The Unlimited Ultimate plan is, after all, the carrier's most expensive data plan, starting at $90 per line for a single line. The good news is that the monthly price can be dropped down considerably by adding additional lines or using AutoPay, plus you get a three-year price guarantee (so you won't have to worry about price hikes later on).
The Unlimited Ultimate plan also gives users unlimited 5G Ultra Wideband data with a mobile hotspot and coverage in over 215 countries worldwide. Pair the unparalleled coverage with a free Galaxy S26 Ultra and you're looking at a premium wireless gift that just keeps on giving.
