With the highly-anticipated release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus right around the corner, it is that time of the year when you are likely considering switching carriers and finding the best plan for you based on cost and what each package includes in terms of talk, text and data. Fortunately, for those living in the United States, we’ve done the homework for you and prepared this guide of which carrier to choose based on cost.
AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile are the four main carriers in the United States, so these are the wireless providers that we have focused on this side-by-side comparison. Overall, in terms of cost, you will receive the best value through T-Mobile. Sprint follows close behind in terms of affordability, while AT&T and Verizon charge much more in most scenarios and typically require a new two-year service agreement.
The charts below for each carrier are broken down into, where applicable, the upfront and/or monthly installment cost of the iPhone, the monthly cost of the plan and total monthly cost. The costs for both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are listed based on the full retail price or monthly installment plans available. Generally, a monthly installment plan divides the full retail price of the smartphone into equal payments made for 20 to 24 months.
AT&T
AT&T will be carrying both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on their network with subsidized prices starting at $199 and $299 respectively for the baseline 16 GB model. A new two-year service agreement will be required to lock in that price, otherwise customers will have to join the AT&T Next program, pay full retail price for the smartphone upfront, pay month-to-month or bring their own device to the network.
AT&T has Mobile Share Value Plans that can be shared with up to 10 smartphones and devices. The available plans, based on AT&T Next, are as follows. If you opt for a two-year contract instead, you can add between $15 to $25 to each of these plans depending on the data tier that you select.
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 300 MB of 4G LTE Data ($45 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 1 GB of 4G LTE Data ($50 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 2 GB of 4G LTE Data ($65 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 4 GB of 4G LTE Data ($95 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 6 GB of 4G LTE Data ($105 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 10 GB of 4G LTE Data ($115 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 15 GB of 4G LTE Data ($145 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 20 GB of 4G LTE Data ($165 per month)
You can buy the iPhone 6 for as low as $0 down and $27.05 per month on an AT&T Next installment plan, although this option is limited to existing AT&T customers replacing a smartphone on their account with a new iPhone. The prices will vary depending on the model and capacity of the iPhone you are purchasing. We’ve prepared this useful chart to show the various plans and packages available through the carrier below.
| Upfront Cost (Phone) | Monthly Cost (Phone) | Monthly Cost (Plan) | Monthly Cost (Total) | |
| iPhone 6 – Contract | $199 | $0 | $60 – $190 | $60 – $190 |
| iPhone 6 – AT&T Next | As low as $0 | $27.05 | $45 – $165 | $45 – $165 + $27.05 |
| iPhone 6 Plus – Contract | $299 | $0 | $60 – $190 | $60 – $190 |
| iPhone 6 Plus – AT&T Next | As low as $0 | TBA | $45 – $165 | $45 – $165 + TBA |
All prices are based on the base 16 GB model iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Verizon
Verizon Wireless will be carrying the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and, like its main rival AT&T, will be offering the smartphones with subsidized prices starting at $199 and $299 respectively on a new two-year service agreement. If you’re not willing to sign a contract, there is also the option to purchase the iPhone 6 based on carrier financing. Verizon has a program called Edge in which you pay off the retail price of the iPhone 6 in 24 equal monthly installments.
In terms of prepaid and postpaid plans available, Verizon has The More Everything Plan for both individuals and families. All of the plans include unlimited talk, text, personal hotspot at no additional cost, unlimited international messaging to over 200 countries worldwide, 25 GB of cloud storage and sharable data based on allocated tiers. Each smartphone line costs $40 per month on contract or $30 per month on Verizon Edge, plus the following for 4G LTE data:
- 250 MB of 4G LTE Data ($15 per month)
- 500 MB of 4G LTE Data ($30 per month)
- 1 GB of 4G LTE Data ($40 per month)
- 2 GB of 4G LTE Data ($50 per month)
- 3 GB of 4G LTE Data ($60 per month)
- 4 GB of 4G LTE Data ($70 per month)
- 6 GB of 4G LTE Data ($80 per month)
Further data tiers are available for additional $10 increments up to 20 GB of 4G LTE data.
| Upfront Cost (Phone) | Monthly Cost (Phone) | Monthly Cost (Plan) | Monthly Cost (Total) | |
| iPhone 6 – Contract | $199 | $0 | $55 – $120 | $55 – $120 |
| iPhone 6 – Verizon Edge | $0 | $32.49 | $45 – $110 | $45 – $110 + $32.49 |
| iPhone 6 Plus – Contract | $299 | $0 | $55 – $120 | $55 – $120 |
| iPhone 6 Plus – Verizon Edge | $0 | $37.49 | $45 – $110 | $45 – $110 + $37.49 |
All prices are based on the base 16 GB model iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile has greatly simplified their smartphone plan offerings over the past few years, as part of their ongoing “Un-carrier” marketing initiative. The all-new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available at full retail price or with a monthly installment plan spread out over two years. If you opt for making a monthly payment on the smartphone, and decide to discontinue your service with T-Mobile before two years is up, you will be required to pay the remaining balance on the device in full.
T-Mobile has ditched annual service agreements and instead offers Simple Choice postpaid and prepaid plans that each include unlimited talk, text and web, alongside a specific amount of 4G LTE data depending on the price point. To get started, all you need is a T-Mobile SIM card that is compatible with the iPhone 6. That SIM card can be purchased from T-Mobile’s website for $10 and is sometimes free for a limited time. The available plans are as follows:
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 1 GB of 4G LTE Data ($50 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 3 GB of 4G LTE Data ($60 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 5 GB of 4G LTE Data ($70 per month)
- Unlimited Talk, Text and 4G LTE Data ($80 per month)
The magenta-colored carrier also provides unlimited music streaming through services like Pandora and iHeartRadio that doesn’t count against your 4G LTE data limit. Moreover, all Simple Choice plans include unlimited international data and text in 120 countries and destinations plus unlimited texting from the United States to virtually anywhere in the world. Keep in mind that the data roaming is limited to 2G speeds, although this is usually enough for checking email and weather, viewing social networks or light web browsing.
| Upfront Cost (Phone) | Monthly Cost (Phone) | Monthly Cost (Plan) | Monthly Cost (Total) | |
| iPhone 6 – Retail | $649 | $0 | $50 – $80 | $50 – $80 |
| iPhone 6 – Installment | $0 | TBA | $50 – $80 | $50 – $80 + TBA |
| iPhone 6 Plus – Retail | $749 | $0 | $50 – $80 | $50 – $80 |
| iPhone 6 Plus – Installment | $0 | TBA | $50 – $80 | $50 – $80 + TBA |
All prices are based on the base 16 GB model iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Sprint
Sprint has been upping its efforts to regain customers that have flocked to competitors like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in recent years, introducing a brand new “iPhone for Life” plan that charges no upfront cost or sales tax on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and guarantees a new iPhone every two years. Sprint leases customers a brand new iPhone for $20 per month over the course of two years, at which point they will trade in that smartphone, upgrade to a newer iPhone and continue the cycle.
You can also finance an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus through Sprint on a monthly installment plan known as Easy Pay, or sign a two-year service agreement to get the smartphones for their subsidized prices starting at $199 and $299 respectively. Sprint offers customers unlimited talk, text and data on its network for just $50 per month through the iPhone for Life lease plan or Easy Pay financing plan, while the same package costs $85 per month for those on a two-year contract.
If you switch to Sprint from AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile, you will receive up to $350 credit on a Visa prepaid card per line to go towards your Early Termination Fee or Installment Billing balance remaining on the competing carriers. You must switch your number to Sprint, register and upload your last bill at Sprint’s Buyout Landing page. We would normally place our own comparison chart below, but Sprint has prepared their own nice one for reference.
Let us know which carrier you think is best for the iPhone 6 in the comments below.
