New iPhone

[morrison3]

Desperately needing a new iPhone. At this time, is it better to buy outright & stay with a good Koodo plan or get a plan that includes a new device?

 

[DaveWT]

You really need to do the math and see what works for you. I have always bought my iPhones outright and gone with a cheaper plan. The plans that included a phone always came in at a much higher rate and when you figured out what it would cost over 24 months it was clear to me. But these days there are so many incredible deals I think that picture may have changed. And plans like Freedom Mobile that are so much cheaper than even Koodo, makes the math interesting. So figure out what the total cost will be over the length of the contract you need to get into to get the phone versus the phone outright and a cheaper plan over the same period. And in the first case, is there an additional buyout cost to own the phone at the end of the contract period?

 

[morrison3]

You really need to do the math and see what works for you. I have always bought my iPhones outright and gone with a cheaper plan. The plans that included a phone always came in at a much higher rate and when you figured out what it would cost over 24 months it was clear to me. But these days there are so many incredible deals I think that picture may have changed. And plans like Freedom Mobile that are so much cheaper than even Koodo, makes the math interesting. So figure out what the total cost will be over the length of the contract you need to get into to get the phone versus the phone outright and a cheaper plan over the same period. And in the first case, is there an additional buyout cost to own the phone at the end of the contract period?

Thanks Dave, I appreciate your comments.

 

[chas_m]

I’m quite late to the party, but “financing” a phone by signing a two-year contract that gets you the phone and service from a carrier can be a good choice for those who don’t want to pay for a new smartphone up front. You often get a substantial discount on the cost of the phone when doing so.

That said, buying a phone outright (or owning a phone after you’ve paid it off from your cell provider) gives you the advantages of both cheaper monthly plan costs (since you’re not financing a phone) and the ability to switch carriers to take advantage of sales/better deals at will.

I’m currently financing a 16 Pro over two years, but after it is paid off I can change carriers or shop for a better and/or cheaper plan. And you can bet I will do exactly that!