Who doesn’t like free stuff? Right now, Verizon has a bundle that can get you a free 4K Samsung TV or a free Meta Quest 3S when you sign up for Verizon 5G Home Plus.
The bundle snags you an internet plan from a well-reviewed provider plus a nice perk for free. While it is a good bundle that’s easy to recommend, there are a few things you should know before taking advantage of the deal.
What is Verizon 5G Home Plus?
Free gifts are nice, but only if they come with a service you actually want. Verizon 5G Home Plus is a great way to get an internet connection to your home, but you need to know a few things before signing up.
Verizon 5G Home Plus works differently than a broadband connection. Rather than rely on underground cables like a broadband connection, Verizon 5G Home Plus uses a wireless network.
That setup has both pros and cons. Because it works through a wireless network, Verizon 5G Home Plus is available in some areas that do not have fiber optic broadband cables in the ground.
On the flip side, Verizon 5G Home Plus is not available in all areas. Verizon’s coverage checker is easy to use though, so accidental signups shouldn’t be an issue.
If 5G home internet sounds appealing but you’re not interested in the free gifts, Verizon’s more affordable 5G Home Plan costs as low as $45 per month.
Regardless of which plan meets your needs, make sure to check out Verizon’s internet plans FAQs. Verizon will help cover termination fees in some cases (up to $500), which is quite the perk.
In order to get a free 4K Samsung TV or a free Meta Quest 3S, you need to sign up for Verizon 5G Home Plus. That plan costs as low as $55 per month and comes with a 3-year price guarantee.
That $55 per month price is available for those with select 5G mobile plans from Verizon and auto pay & paper-free billing enabled. Not qualifying for either of those increases the price.
The Meta Quest 3S is a virtual reality headset that’s more budget-friendly than its siblings from Meta and its competitors. However, you wouldn’t suspect its lower price when looking at the Meta Quest 3S spec sheet.
The Meta Quest 3S has a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 processor, which delivers excellent performance. It also has next-gen controllers and hand tracking.
Battery life on the Quest 3S is also impressive, besting any other modern Quest headset. You can get around two and a half hours of use on a single charge, though some games can drain the battery quicker than that.
RELATED: Microsoft announces Windows 11 integration with Meta Quest 🥽
My colleague Nicholas Sutrich, who has used just about every consumer VR headset over the years, has been incredibly impressed by the Meta Quest 3S.
“The Meta Quest 3S is a triumph in nearly every way, from its highly polished onboarding presentation to the excellent mixed reality content that’s been developed over the past year. It feels like a palpable upgrade from the Quest 2 and even sports some design and UX improvements over the more expensive Quest 3.”
In his Meta Quest 3S review, Sutrich gave the headset a 4.5 out of 5.
To reach the $299 retail price, Meta had to use a display and lenses more in line with the Meta Quest 2 than the Meta Quest 3. That’s a bit of a sacrifice compared to the more expensive Meta Quest 3, but it is more than functional.
The biggest difference you’ll notice is that the Meta Quest 3S has a 90-degree field of view rather than the impressive 110-degree field of view of the Meta Quest 3.
The Meta Quest 3S supports both virtual reality and mixed reality. The Meta Quest platform has thousands of games, some of which are truly special.
I suggest a quick perusal of the best Meta Quest games roundup from my friends at Android Central if you choose to get a free Meta Quest 3S.
Microsoft and Meta have a close partnership in the virtual reality and mixed reality spaces, including support for Xbox Cloud Gaming within Meta Quest headsets. You can also use a Meta Quest headset as a virtual desk with Microsoft 365.
Mixed Reality Link for Windows 11 (preview) is a new feature from Microsoft that lets you connect your PC and Meta Quest headset.
What about the free TV?
If the Meta Quest 3S is not your thing, or if you just prefer to get a free TV, Verizon has another option. The Verizon 5G Home Plus bundle can come with a 43-inch 4K Samsung TV instead.
While it’s not a high-end model, it’s still a solid 4K TV — and at this price (free), it’s hard to complain.
If you want a larger TV, you can get a 55-inch Samsung TV for $100 when you buy the Verizon 5G Home Plus bundle.