The iPhone 6 has already shifted 20 million units for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), as is latest flagship smartphone release indicates that the buzz which Apple products create is yet to die down to a hum. If anything this has been the most successful iPhone released yet, and with Samsung’s profits reportedly slumping by 60 percent, one could be forgiven for asserting that the mobile market is a one-horse race at the moment.
But although the iPhone 6 has been selling like hot cakes, and the latest generation of the Apple handset is already a much sought after device, many people who will pick up the iPhone 6 in 2014 have yet to do so. Apple itself predicted that it would sell around 80 million iPhone 6 devices during this calendar year, and some analysts have suggested that this number will in fact be exceeded.
So Apple will still do a lot of business on the iPhone 6 before the year is out, and will expect to be particularly successful over the key Christmas holiday period.
This means that there are a lot of potential iPhone 6 owners out there who have yet to fully consider all of the options open to them. Aside from whether to opt for an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6+, another major issue is which carrier to choose. Any iPhone 6 owner has a wide variety of choices in this department, so here is ValueWalk’s attempt to sum up what each of the major carriers is offering new iPhone 6 owners.
iPhone 6 Carrier: AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) are offering the iPhone 6 on a two-year deal, which also compels consumers to make an upfront device payment. Alternatively, Apple fans wanting an iPhone 6 through this carrier can choose a month-to-month service with additional instalment payments added. AT&T also requires people purchasing an iPhone 6 through them to acquire a line on the carrier’s Mobile Share package. This deal will offer them unlimited talk and text time, plus 2 GB of download data for $40 per month, as well as charging a $40 access fee per device; effectively $80 in total.
This would mean that the total cost over a two year contract would be $2,120. You cannot switch to an ‘iPhone 7’, or upgrade your phone in any other way, during this period.
Sprint
This particular carrier offers a programme entitled ‘iPhone for Life’, which is effectively is 24-month contract, which doesn’t in fact differ particularly from other carriers. This plan does offer you guaranteed upgrades, but ties you into Apple products indefinitely. While this will not be a problem for many Apple fans, it is nevertheless worth bearing in mind that this leaves you with no flexibility for the future.
Sprint Corporation (NYSE:S) offers an excellent plan for heavy downloaders, as it will provide you with unlimited data on a $50 Unlimited Everything plan. This is only available with certain packages offered by Sprint, so if you wanted to opt into this it is important to clarify that you have indeed qualified for it. At the very least, it is necessary to sign up for the $65 2GB plan on the company’s Family Share Pack in order to receive this perk.
This package will cost $1,760 over two years, while the aforementioned iPhone For Life package weighs in at $1,680. The carrier also offers trade-ins which can allow you to further reduce the cost of any package agreed with the carrier.
T-Mobile
The simple starter package from T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS) is nearly as cheap as those offered by Sprint, but some of the benefits provided by other T-Mobile contracts are absent. The Simple Choice plan which T-Mobile provides is particularly attractive for travellers given its free international data roaming and music streaming.
If you opt to sign up for the Simple Starter package, over two years you will pay $1,730 for your iPhone 6. The more feature-packed Simple Choice will set you back $2,090 over the same period.
Verizon
As a massive carrier, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) offers would-be iPhone 6 purchasers a huge number of different options. Assuming that you have merely one iPhone 6 then the Single Line plan is unquestionably the best one to go for, with this particular option providing 2 GB of data and unlimited talk and text for just $60 a month. Other packages offered by the carrier are considerably more expensive, but certainly worth considering if you’re part of a family unit and intend to purchase multiple iPhones.
The iPhone 6 will cost $1,640 on this plan over two years, with $200 needed to be paid up front. Additionally, the costs can be reduced further still by trading in your old iPhone. This can provide as much as $300 for an iPhone 5S.
Verdict
Which carrier you opt for could be to some degree dictated by your particular requirements. The international data roaming offered by T-Mobile will be particularly attractive for many business users and frequent flyers, but by the same token it is the most expensive carrier of the four. Sprint offers a very affordable price for single unit iPhone 6 owners, while those purchasing as part of a family should consider Verizon very carefully.
