T-Mobile gets you a free smartphone (sort of) if you join one of its prepaid plans

Typically, when consumers look to prepaid for their phone needs, it’s because they want to save as much as possible. T-Mobile wants to back up that way of thinking with its new promotion, which nets potential new customers a free smartphone — so long as it only costs $50, as reported by TmoNews.

The promotion applies for new customers who sign up for T-Mobile’s $40+ Simple Prepaid, Simple Choice Prepaid, or Simple Choice No Credit plans — all of which recently saw a bump in the amount of data they offer. If someone signs up for either one of the three aforementioned plans, T-Mobile will technically offer you a free smartphone from a selection of low-end devices, including the Coolpad Rogue, ZTE Obsidian, LG Leon, and the Samsung Galaxy Core Prime. You can check out the phones on T-Mobile’s website here.

We say technically because you’ll need to first buy the phone itself, then T-Mobile will send you a mail-in rebate for as much as $50. As for the smartphones included in the promotion, they’re mostly cheaper low-end smartphones, which won’t give the Galaxy Notes and the iPhones of the world a run for their money. Regardless, getting what effectively amounts to a free smartphone is still nothing to sneeze at, especially if you’re getting the phone of choice for a first-time smartphone owner.

As a bonus, if you go for the Simple Choice No Credit plan, and opt to open a second line, you’ll get an additional mail-in rebate for that line, too.

T-Mobile’s prepaid promotion will kick off this Wednesday, February 3, though the Uncarrier didn’t say when it would end. Regardless, keep in mind that T-Mobile’s prepaid plans include many perks those on the regular Simple Choice plan enjoy, such as Music Freedom and the controversial Binge On service. The latter landed Magenta in hot water as of late, with a Stanford University study calling the service illegal.