The core mechanic of the BOGO deal was not a free phone handed over at the counter. Instead, it functioned as a multi-year financial agreement:
In 2017, AT&T's famous promotion was a major aggressive push to win over smartphone consumers, but it came with heavy strings attached. While the marketing promised a free device, the reality was a complex financial contract designed to lock users into the carrier's ecosystem. 📱 The Illusion of "Free" at&t iphone buy one get one free 2017
: Both devices had to be from the same manufacturer. You could buy an iPhone 7 and get an iPhone 7 free, but you could not buy a Samsung Galaxy and get an iPhone free. The core mechanic of the BOGO deal was