(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

As someone who's always searching for cell phone deals , I've learned that one of the best ways to save on your next smartphone purchase is by buying previous-gen phones. They always provide ample power at a much lower cost.

For example, right now Metro By T-Mobile is offering the iPhone 16e for free . You'll need to bring your number to Metro and pay $99 uprfront. However, after three months you'll receive a $100 virtual prepaid MasterCard.

It's not the newest budget iPhone, but the iPhone 16e is still a capable phone. It sports a 6.1-inch display and Apple's A18 chipset. Other noteworthy features include a Face ID notch and a full-screen design with gesture-based navigation. Unfortunately, there's no Dynamic Island nor is there a Camera Control key, but the iPhone 16e does have an Action button. Another added bonus is that it supports Apple Intelligence .…