The iPhone 13 series went live for pre-order today, and Canadian carriers revealed their pricing in part of the yearly dance around Apple’s hotly-anticipated smartphones.
Considering that many Canadians will rush to secure their iPhone order, I thought it might be helpful to break down just how much more you’ll pay for an iPhone 13 with a carrier compared to buying it directly from Apple.
Of course, comparing all the prices across all possible device and plan configurations would be a lot. To keep it simple, I looked at the base 128GB model for each of the four levels of iPhone 13 (mini, regular, Pro and Pro Max). I also kept it to Big Three and their flanker brands as well as two of the larger regional carriers (Freedom/Shaw Mobile and Videotron).
Finally, I based the pricing information on the listed ‘retail price’ for each iPhone on a given carrier’s website. My reasoning here was simply that regardless of what financing or tab configuration you go for, after the 24-repayment period, customers almost always end up paying that listed retail price, give or take a few dollars.
As an example, Telus offers the iPhone 13 Pro Max for $0 upfront and $43.04/mo for 24 months with the carrier’s Bring-It-Back plan. In total, that works out to $1,592.96 over two years, just a few cents shy of the $1,593 retail price Telus lists on its website. Similarly, if you don’t do the Bring-It-Back option and pay $0 upfront and $66.38/mo financing, that’s $1,593.12 after two years.
Comparing carrier cost to Apple’s price
It’s worth noting that generally, the main and flanker brand pricing is very similar. Any differences usually stem from how flanker brands handle their financing (i.e. Fido limits the amount customers can finance while Koodo does a Tab system instead of financing). However, in some instances, the primary and flanker brand pricing does differ by a small amount (Fido charges $1 more on some iPhone 13 models than Rogers does).
In other words, this isn’t the be-all and end-all pricing list — the chart below is an example of the cost differences. If you’re considering buying a phone (iPhone or anything else) from a carrier, always take the time to calculate the price after two years of financing and compare it to buying the phone outright. I’ll dig into Apple’s financing options below.
As you can see, Bell typically charges the most for a given iPhone 13 model (I highlighted the most significant price differences with a red border around the cell). Videotron surprised me by being both consistently cheaper than everyone else and offering their iPhones for $1 less than buying it outright from Apple — if you live in Quebec, lucky you!
I will also note that as far as added cost goes, paying an extra $30 or so isn’t the end of the world. I’ve seen significantly worse carrier mark-ups in the past, sometimes as high as $100 more. Still, every dollar counts and if you can save $30, you might as well do it.
Apple’s financing is also worth considering if you don’t want to pay upfront
The downside to this is that not everyone can afford to drop $900+ on an iPhone in one go. Thankfully, Apple does offer financing if you choose to buy a phone directly from the company.
Even better, Apple just reverted to 24-month financing after briefly switching to six-month financing. Customers still pay the same amount, but the six-month financing made monthly payments for the phone quite a bit higher.
Across the board, Apple’s 24-month financing works out to be almost the same as paying all at once. Still, I included a breakdown of all the financing costs below.
- iPhone 13 Pro Max – $64.54/mo financing ($1,548.96 total) | $1,549 outright
- iPhone 13 Pro – $58.29/mo financing ($1,398.96 total) | $1,399 outright
- iPhone 13 – $45.79/mo financing ($1,098.96 total) | $1,099 outright
- iPhone 13 mini – $39.54/mo financing ($948.96 total) | $949 outright
All things considered, you’re probably better off buying an iPhone 13 direct from Apple at 0 percent APR unless you can sign up with Vidéotron. If you do choose to buy an iPhone 13 from a carrier, keep in mind that you’ll also need a plan with that carrier. Most carriers will limit your plan options depending on the phone you get (although the Big Three generally offer the same plans now, whether you bring your own phone or not).
In cases where you do have to subscribe to a more expensive cellular plan to get a new phone, it’s likely worth considering that extra monthly cost in your calculations.
Finally, keep in mind that things change. Sales and other promotions can impact the financing costs and sometimes make buying a phone from a carrier cheaper than getting it from Apple. It’s rare, but it does happen. Always remember to check the math and compare the actual cost with what Apple’s charging. The same often applies with phones from other manufacturers, but it can vary significantly between companies and carriers.