an iPhone 13 is cheaper with a subscription

You might expect it to be cheaper if you buy an iPhone separately, but the opposite is true. In our calculations, an iPhone in combination with a subscription turns out to be cheaper.

Is an iPhone cheaper with a subscription?

For years, providers made a lot of money by financing smartphones in combination with a subscription. You paid more for your phone in a subscription than if you bought the device separately.

After a heavy slap on the fingers of the European Union, that was no longer allowed, and hefty fines were even handed out. What not many people know is that a telephone in combination with a subscription is actually cheaper these days.

Conclusion

We list some calculations below, but if you don’t have the time or sense in a long calculation, here’s the spoiler:

In all our calculations we come to the conclusion that the iPhone 13 is cheaper with a subscription than as a separate device (from Apple). Is that the end? No, because there is more good news: the providers are (encouraged by legislation) super transparent these days. Our calculations showed that the device price always remained exactly the same, regardless of the subscription or the term. We did see that the discounts between the providers on the iPhone 13 differed somewhat, so it pays to take a good look before you choose. Read more about the exact amounts and calculations below, and see for yourself that a device with a subscription is cheaper.

iPhone 13 with subscription more than 140 euros cheaper at T-Mobile

In this article we take the iPhone 13 as an example. At Apple you pay 909 euros for a separate device with 128 GB memory. The 256 GB version costs 1029 euros and for the 512 GB version you pay 1259 euros at Apple. Then we go to the website of provider T-Mobile and we choose the first subscription that we come across (24 months duration, 8 GB of data bundle and 120 calling minutes). For the subscription you pay 16.50 euros per month. For the telephone you pay 32 euros per month.

This means that you pay 768 euros for the device in 24 months. And yes, that is 141 euros less than at Apple. Let’s take a closer look at the 256 GB version and the 512 GB version. You also pay 141 euros less for the mid-engine at T-Mobile. With the topper, your advantage even goes up to 164 euros.

Are you going for a subscription, and do you want to know what is the cheapest? View the price comparison:

Will I pay too much for my subscription?

All well and good, but you can wonder whether you are secretly not paying a bit for the phone in the 16.50 euros subscription costs. That should not be possible, because the European Union has prohibited this by law: a provider may not recoup a discount on a device by asking more for the subscription.

We check it on the T-Mobile website. Under the heading Sim Only, a subscription with 8 GB data bundle and 120 calling minutes is offered for … 16.50 euros. Exactly the amount that we also pay for the subscription with iPhone.

What do I pay for the iPhone 13 at KPN and Vodafone?

Now we are of course also curious how this is with other providers. At KPN we opt for a subscription of another 24 months. This includes a data bundle of 10 GB and 150 calling minutes. We see that adjusting the bundle and calling minutes has nothing to do with the device price. At KPN it is 19 euros per month. The Dutch provider does, however, ask for an additional 336 euros in advance. That brings the total for the device to 720 euros. Another 48 euros cheaper than with T-Mobile, and 189 euros cheaper than a separate device from Apple.

Finally, we try that other big boy: Vodafone. With a subscription of 12.5 GB and unlimited calling, we arrive at a device price of 744 euros after two years (29 euros per month + 48 euros supplementary payment). The iPhone 13 is therefore also cheaper at Vodafone: 165 euros†

provider	Price iPhone 13
apple	€909
T-Mobile	€768 (€141 cheaper)
KPN	€720 (€189 cheaper)
Vodafone	€744 (€165 cheaper)

iPhone 13 also cheaper with a 12-month subscription?

We assumed subscriptions with a duration of 24 months (two years) in the calculations, but what about if we opt for a duration of one year?

Here we get the same transparent picture with all providers. With T-Mobile, KPN and Vodafone, the monthly amount for paying off the device remains the same. The twelve months that less is collected are compensated by means of the one-off amount that is settled for the device at closing. The results for 12 months are exactly the same as 24 months. Indeed: surprisingly transparent.

Also striking: the costs of the subscription are increased by one euro for all three if you opt for a duration of one year.

Prevent a BKR registration

Please note, your subscription with device is registered with the BKR when the financing of the device is higher than 250 euros. Such a BKR registration can then cause problems when you want to take out a loan. This also includes a mortgage. You can avoid this registration by paying off the device in one go (or in any case keeping the financing amount below 250 euros).

Our price comparator has a handy filter option with which you only see the offer with a telephone credit of a maximum of 250 euros. This prevents a BKR registration

All three providers surveyed offer the option of determining for yourself how much euros you want to pay per month for your device. You can easily indicate here that you want to pay the total device price in one go when you conclude your contract. The registration with the BKR will then expire.

Disclaimer

Prices quoted in this article are February 2022 prices and may change over time. However, this does not change the conclusion that you can get a nice discount on your new device by purchasing it together with a subscription, something many people do not know. As far as we’re concerned, you’re crazy if you buy a separate device!