Verizon has a new deal for new and existing unlimited plan subscribers starting May 25th: up to a year of Apple Arcade or Google Play Pass, free of charge. Specifically, customers who pay for the Play More Unlimited and Get More Unlimited plans get 12 months of either app subscription service for free, while all other unlimited plans get six months. It’s worth noting that both free options are longer than the ones Apple or Google offer themselves.
The $80 per month Play More plan or $90 per month Get More plan (that’s the price for a single line) also come with other benefits to sweeten the deal. Play More comes with an “unlimited” mobile hotspot with up to 15GB of 5G data, the Disney Bundle (Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus), six months of Apple Music, and 12 months of Discovery Plus.
Meanwhile, Get More offers an “unlimited” mobile hotspot with up 30GB of 5G data, the Disney Bundle, a continuous subscription to Apple Music, and 12 months of Discovery Plus. Verizon frequently offers all sorts of other promotions so you can check its website for the most up-to-date deals. (Each plan only guarantees 50GB of 5G/4G data at most, so none of them are technically “unlimited.”)
Google Play Pass and Apple Arcade are similar conceptually — pay monthly for access to a selection of the best apps from a platform without in-app purchases — but differ meaningfully in what they actually offer. Apple Arcade is focused on games and by far has some of the most interesting exclusives. Grindstone and Card of Darkness were early favorites, but the recent addition of Fantasian, a JRPG from the creator of Final Fantasy, is also well worth subscribing for, even if you have to pay.
Play Pass is a bit more holistic as an offering, but might be worth it if you’re new to Android. Google includes popular games and apps in the service, spanning everything from a farming sim like Stardew Valley (normally $4.99) to a utility app like AccuWeather (free, but includes in-app purchases). It also offers a larger selection than Apple Arcade, with now over 800 apps and games.
Neither Apple Arcade nor Google Play Pass are particularly expensive on their own at $4.99 per month each, but their free trials also aren’t as long as what Verizon is offering. Apple will toss in three months of Arcade for free if you purchase a new Apple device, but otherwise offers a one-month free trial. Google also only offers a one-month free trial for Play Pass.
If you’re interested in Verizon’s deal, but want a better understanding of what’s available to you, check out our lists of the best Apple Arcade and Play Pass games.
