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Holy moly! When did iPhones get so expensive in Canada?

Idgit

Idgit

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 14, 2004
591
202
I'm still using an iPhone 4 (32 GB) with Bell Mobility in Canada. Since I've gotten it, I haven't really paid attention to iPhone prices in Canada or the mobile provider contracts. When I got my iPhone 4, with a 3-year contract, I paid $150 up front for the phone with a loyalty discount. This was the top-of-the-line phone when it came out. My monthly contract was $52/month with tons of daytime minutes, voicemail, and 500 MB of data.

I'm feeling the urge for a new phone and and so I decided to check out the iPhone 6s (64 GB) at Bell Mobility. With a 2-year plan, the iPhone 6s is $529! WTF? And not only that, but you cannot have a monthly plan of less than $70/month. Again, WTF?

What happened? What has caused such a massive price jump in phones and phone plans in Canada?
 
Expensive here in the UK too, especially the carrier plans if you buy them on contract.
 
DoofenshmirtzEI said:
Google "cad versus usd" and notice that since 2010 (launch of iphone 4) and now, the Canadian dollar has fallen from about 1 USD per 1 CAD, to about 0.75 USD per 1 CAD.
Click to expand...

That may explain part of it but definitely not massive (more than 100%) price increase for what is an equivalent phone.
 
silverblack said:
Thanks to our government for "fixing" the mobile industry by enforcing 2-year (max) contracts. The industry responded by jacking up the price of all plans to make sure they were making even more money than before.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes, I remember that now. If only the government had decided to place some other restrictions on the mobile industry.
 
Honestly, I have no desire to pay over $500 for a smartphone. My options, I guess, are to switch to an Android phone or look for a used iPhone 5s. A brief search through Craigslist and Kijiji, shows that even used iPhone 5s (32 GB) are selling for $450.
 
Due to the ********s that try to get personal gain by lowering CAD price, resulting in products being more and more expensive. I'm fairly certain is the fact that they abuse the fact that it is still new to make it the "high-end" model. Explains how the 5C is still being sold for 0$ and everything else kept the same price.
 
Idgit said:
Honestly, I have no desire to pay over $500 for a smartphone. My options, I guess, are to switch to an Android phone or look for a used iPhone 5s. A brief search through Craigslist and Kijiji, shows that even used iPhone 5s (32 GB) are selling for $450.
Click to expand...

With a 2-year agreement, you could still get a 5C for free, a 5S for <$200, or a 6 for <$300. Just don't go for the latest 6S or 6S plus.
 
Idgit said:
That may explain part of it but definitely not massive (more than 100%) price increase for what is an equivalent phone.
Click to expand...
In USD, the phone is $50 more ($699 versus $750) at the unsubsidized price. When you translate to CAD, that is C$699 versus C$1000. You got a subsidy of C$549 on the iphone 4, applying the same subsidy now gives a subsidized price of C$450. Throw in the fact that you're comparing a three year contract with a two year contract, and you're right about in the ballpark.
 
silverblack said:
With a 2-year agreement, you could still get a 5C for free, a 5S for <$200, or a 6 for <$300. Just don't go for the latest 6S or 6S plus.
Click to expand...

I need a minimum of 32 GB on a smartphone, so even the iPhone 5s is $200, which is fine, but the monthly plan can't be lower than $70/month because the mobile providers won't allow it. And that is a problem.
 
garirry said:
Explains how the 5C is still being sold for 0$ and everything else kept the same price.
Click to expand...

Because Apple only dropped the price of the 6/6+ by $100 in the US after the 6S/S+ were released, which was conveniently absorbed but the new exchange rate.
 
Idgit said:
I need a minimum of 32 GB on a smartphone, so even the iPhone 5s is $200, which is fine, but the monthly plan can't be lower than $70/month because the mobile providers won't allow it. And that is a problem.
Click to expand...

I have been keeping my old phone plan for the last couple of years, and just buy my iPhone either directly from Apple or from kijiji.
Even though the 32GB iPhone 5S are listed for $450 on kijiji. Realistically, you can get it around $400.
 
silverblack said:
I have been keeping my old phone plan for the last couple of years, and just buy my iPhone either directly from Apple or from kijiji.
Even though the 32GB iPhone 5S are listed for $450 on kijiji. Realistically, you can get it around $400.
Click to expand...

I think that's what I'll end up doing.
 
You can get used iPhone 6's with 64 GB of storage for around $500. People asking for $450 for a 5s are on crack. And then you can get whatever plan you want.

C
 
CNeufeld said:
You can get used iPhone 6's with 64 GB of storage for around $500. People asking for $450 for a 5s are on crack. And then you can get whatever plan you want.

C
Click to expand...

Depending on the province I guess. Thanks to HST, phones are more expensive.
In Ontario, carrier locked iPhone 6 16gb will be closer to $600 (perfect condition).
 
Last edited:
silverblack said:
Depending on the province I guess. Thanks to HST, phones are more expensive.
In Ontario, carrier locked iPhone 6 16gb will be closer to $600 (perfect condition).
Click to expand...

Is that what they're asking, or what they're selling them for? Lots of people asking for $700 or $800 for a 64 GB 6, but they're not going to sell them easily.

C
 
CNeufeld said:
Is that what they're asking, or what they're selling them for? Lots of people asking for $700 or $800 for a 64 GB 6, but they're not going to sell them easily.

C
Click to expand...

I'm guessing around $700 for 64gb iPhone 6 unlocked in perfect condition as the selling price.
 
silverblack said:
I'm guessing around $700 for 64gb iPhone 6 unlocked in perfect condition as the selling price.
Click to expand...

Bummer for you. Here in Edmonton, I'm turning down a 128GB 6 in mint condition for $500. I think I want to get a new 6s instead, but it's so tempting.

I was offered a 64GB 6 also in mint condition for $420, but was holding off cause the buyer of my phone backed out.

So the deals are out there, if you're patient. Many people (like the ones asking $500 for a 5s) aren't going to get their posted price.

C
 
Idgit said:
I'm still using an iPhone 4 (32 GB) with Bell Mobility in Canada. Since I've gotten it, I haven't really paid attention to iPhone prices in Canada or the mobile provider contracts. When I got my iPhone 4, with a 3-year contract, I paid $150 up front for the phone with a loyalty discount. This was the top-of-the-line phone when it came out. My monthly contract was $52/month with tons of daytime minutes, voicemail, and 500 MB of data.

I'm feeling the urge for a new phone and and so I decided to check out the iPhone 6s (64 GB) at Bell Mobility. With a 2-year plan, the iPhone 6s is $529! WTF? And not only that, but you cannot have a monthly plan of less than $70/month. Again, WTF?

What happened? What has caused such a massive price jump in phones and phone plans in Canada?
Click to expand...
2015 happened... welcome.
The price of the phone stayed "the same" just the plans changed....... same as paying $400 up front for a 2 year contract in the states and paying x amount each month in your bill or paying nothing up front and paying more in your bill (next style). You're paying the same for the phone over time your simply paying a different way.
Gotta pay to play they say.
 
I am paying $70 for 2gb ... my plan ended so my 5c was paid off.

New plan was going to be $70 dollars with no device balance anyway.

I paid $550 for 128gb 6+
 
I think everyone who posted already has summer city up pretty well

- exchange rate has worsened for us hence more expensive phone
- since plans are now 2 years and not 3 the mobile providers need to recoup money for phone subsidies in a shorter amount of time, they do this by increasing monthly plan rates

You can get a used phone which is always an option and if its either unlocked or locked to your carrier you can simply pop in your sim (depending on its size) into the new to you phone, this way you can keep your existing cheaper plan also. Want a brand spanking new phone but don't have the cash up front? Do Apples 3 month financing.
 
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