We all know that the iPhone 6 from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) carries a list price of $649. What might be more interesting is how different companies’ cell phone plans affect what consumers end up paying for the phone.
The folks at WalletHub have calculated the cost of a 16-GB iPhone 6 from each of the four major carriers and, depending on the plan selected, the out-of-pocket cost can vary by as much as $605 over the course of two years. The calculated costs include a discount of 5% per year to the present value of the phone.
On a two-year contract, the lowest cost service is the 2-Year Contract & No Contract, Single Line Plan with 2 GB of data from Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ) with a total two-year cost of $1,568. T-Mobile US Inc. (NYSE: TMUS) does not offer a two-year contract, and the comparable two-year contract from AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) costs $2,064 over the 24 months, and the two-year contract from Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) costs $2,173.
The lowest cost no-contract plan with 2 GB of data is available from T-Mobile — a two-year total of $1,686, which includes the cost of paying full price for the iPhone. A similar plan from Sprint will cost $1,826 out-of-pocket over two years, and the Verizon plan will cost $2,017 for the period. AT&T’s cost is highest for a no-contract plan — $2,132.
If you would rather purchase one of the installment plans, where the (usually $199 cost of the iPhone is spread over the course of the two-year period), the best deal is available from T-Mobile for $1,653, including 2 GB of data. Verizon’s cost of $1,762 is next lowest, followed by Sprint’s cost of $1,793. AT&T is again the highest priced at $2,099.
Out-of-pocket costs vary by plan. A family plan like Verizon’s More Everything plan that charges an access fee for every device will push up the out-of-pocket costs of customers pay.
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