How to buy the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in Canada

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are coming soon to Canada, and there are a lot of different ways to buy one. You can saunter into your carrier's brick and mortar or online store, or check out Best Buy or Amazon. Alternatively, go right to the source and visit the nearest Apple Retail Store.

Let's go through what's available, as how much you pay will largely be dictated by where you buy. Before we get started, there are a few things to note.

• Prices are subject to change, but we'll keep them up to date as best we can
• You'll need to pay service charges on top of the device cost that we list below, though we'll note when and how one affects the other.
• If you live in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, or Quebec, your rate plans will be significantly lower, as each has a dedicated regional carrier (MTS, Sasktel, and Videotron, respectively), that the other big three (Rogers, Bell and TELUS), have to compete with. The prices listed below assume that you're in Ontario.

You can find the best iPhone 6s deals across all carriers at the end of this guide, while the best deals per carrier will be at the end of each of their sections.

Where to buy an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus in Canada

• Buying a new iPhone 6s or 6s Plus from the Apple Store
• Buying a new iPhone 6s or 6s Plus from Rogers
• Buying a new iPhone 6s or 6s Plus from TELUS
• Buying a new iPhone 6s or 6s Plus from Bell
• Getting the best iPhone 6s and 6s Plus deals

Why not just skip all that and win a free iPhone 6s from us, though?

Enter to win a new iPhone 6s from iMore!

Apple Store

The Apple Store lets you pick up an iPhone 6s for any carrier. If you're super gung-ho and planning on getting a 6s or 6s Plus on launch day, the Apple Store is where you'll see the most excitement. Apple can sell you an unlocked phone outright to use with whichever carrier you have a plan with, be it Rogers, TELUS, Bell, any other Canadian provider. Note that this is probably the way you want to go if you're with WIND Mobile, since they haven't announced availability or a tab for the iPhone 6s yet, though they do support iPhones in general. There's also Mobilicity, though they're going to get sucked up into Rogers soon. Anyone running with regional carriers like Videotron and MTS may also want to compare prices here with their local provider, if only to have an unlocked device ready for visiting the rest of the country.

• Buy an iPhone 6s from the Apple Store
• Buy an iPhone 6s Plus from the Apple Store
• Find the nearest Apple Store

Rogers

Rogers has the fastest network in Canada, so there's a good reason to go with them for your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus.

Rogers has standard individual plans and Share Everything plans. The name comes from your ability to share your monthly data allotment with multiple iPhones or iPads (either your own or those of family). Monthly Share Everything prices range from $55 to $155 and from 500 MB to 15 GB. Unlimited talk and text are included in every plan, with an option for Canada-wide calling for an extra $5/month. There are some extra perks depending on the plan, like NHL Gamecenter Live access and two years of Spotify Premium. If you don't intend on sharing, there are cheaper non-sharing plans available too, though they cap out at 2 GB and have limited talk time. Some non-shareable plans allow you to get a tab with your iPhone 6s, but the cheapest one that does is $70 for 500 MB, at which point you might as well go with Share Everything, which gives 1 GB for the same price.

In terms of the iPhone 6s itself, you can either get it on a Premium Tab, or without. All tab systems work more or less the same. You're cutting up the full price of the iPhone minus whatever you pay up-front and spreading it over 24 months. You can go month-to-month if you prefer. If you need to cut out on your agreement early to get a plan to upgrade to the next model, you pay whatever is left on the tab. The kicker is that Share Everything plan rates change depending on the tab you chose. You might not have to pay as much on the first day of your new iPhone 6s with the Premium Tab, but you're also going to be paying $20/month more on your plan than if you just bought the iPhone outright.

Rogers will try to guide you towards their Share Everything plan, which is fine and dandy if you have other devices (like an iPad) to share to. There is a small segment for whom a cheaper non-sharable plan is suitable:

• If your needs are modest (2 GB/month, 300 minutes local talk), you only have to worry about your own iPhone plan, and you can afford to buy the iPhone 6s outright, the non-sharable $60/month plan beats the Share Everything $60 without a tab, which gives 1 GB but has unlimited talk.
• If you want the hottest new iPhone now, now, now, and want to pay as little immediately as possible, the 16 GB iPhone 6s on a two-year Share Everything plan will cost $398.99 up-front. On the downside, the cheapest plan you'll get is $75/month.
• Rogers subsidiary Fido offers plans similar to its big brother, which are a bit cheaper if you buy your iPhone outright. If you're willing to sign up for a two-year plan, you get Spotify Premium and some exclusive Vice News content. Their cheapest plan with data is $45/month, but only includes 400 MB.
• If you have a solid legacy plan with Rogers and want to keep it grandfathered until the end of time, you're better off buying direct from an Apple Store since it won't be SIM locked like one sold from Rogers.

• Buy an iPhone 6s from Rogers
• Buy an iPhone 6s Plus from Rogers
• Check the Rogers coverage map for your area

TELUS

TELUS still has a relatively traditional two-year plan structure, where you pick out a voice and data portion of a two-year plan, and have the original cost of the iPhone subsidized. You'll need to pay back that initial discount if you finish your term early, though it reduces every month by an equal amount. TELUS Your Choice plans start at $70 for 500 MB and 300 minutes, and go up to $145 for 10 GB and unlimited nationwide calling. The option to buy your iPhone outright is still there. If you want something in between, TELUS subsidiary Koodo lets you buy on a tab system, which spreads your device repayment over the course of your service period. Unfortunately they haven't announced availability just yet.

Though Apple doesn't have the upgrade program set up in Canada like they do in the U.S., TELUS has their own called T-UP!, and is worth a gander if you anticipate upgrading again next year. For an extra $11/month, you get Apple Care+ and can trade in your phone after 12 months to wipe your device balance and sign up for a new plan. That's $250 of forgiven subsidy, though you're also paying $48 more over the course of the year toward the upgrade after discounting the usual $7/month going towards Apple Care. You also don't get to keep your old iPhone to resell it, you're obliged to renew with TELUS, and get a new iPhone.

Up-front price, in addition to $20/month plus your standard plan rate.

Cost for iPhone outright. Immediately available for upgrade.

If you aren't already a TELUS subscriber, be sure to check their coverage map before taking the plunge. They share an extensive network with Bell, but may not service your area as well as Rogers.

• Wait for Koodo to start offering the iPhone 6s if you need to save money in the short-term. The tab will take some of the sting out of that first bill.
• T-UP! is effectively giving you $200 for your old iPhone, most of which evaporates when you have to renew your plan next year. Even though it's more hassle to resell your iPhone yourself, you'll get more money back and have more flexibility with your service provider. You'll still owe TELUS $250 if you want to get out after 12 months, but you'll get at least that much from an iPhone 6s sale.

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Buy an iPhone 6s Plus from TELUS{.cta .large.nofollow}

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Bell

Though Bell and TELUS have a lot of overlap in their network, you'll find a few differences in service and price. Like Rogers, Bell pushes shareable plans, even for individual subscribers. The convenience may be lost on you if you don't have other devices to hook into a common data bucket. Conspicuously similar to the other two, Bell plans start at $70 for 500 MB of data and 300 local minutes, and capping out at $160 for 15 GB and unlimited nationwide calling. As an added bonus, you get access to Bell's Wi-Fi network at McDonald's, Tim Hortons, Indigo, and Chapters, plus their solid Mobile TV.

So what's the best way to get an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus from Bell?

As we mentioned earlier, Bell and TELUS share a network, so if you're within their coverage zone, be sure to compare plans on the two providers.

• Bell's subsidiary Virgin Mobile has data plans as cheap as $37/month for 100 MB and 200 minutes. Bell's $70 entry level plan is beat by Virgin's at $47 for 500 minutes and 500 MB, though you're only getting a $200 discount on the iPhone 6s, rather than $500. At the 2 GB tier, the two a roughly the same, so check out Virgin if you're looking for lighter plans.

• Buy an iPhone 6s from Bell
• Buy an iPhone 6s Plus Bell
• Check the Bell coverage map for your area

So what's the best iPhone 6s deal in Canada?

This is a tough call, since the big carriers match pricing so closely in terms of device, tab systems, and rate plans. There are two clinchers:

• Coverage: Check a provider coverage map and gather up anecdotal evidence from your area to see if Rogers, Bell, or TELUS can keep a stead signal the best.
• Perks: Rogers and Bell both offer additional perks like mobile NHL or mobile TV. Meanwhile TELUS offers their upgrade program which, though an additional cost, also includes AppleCare+. One of these will likely meet your needs better than the others.

That should get you started on your quest for a new iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus. Sing out in the comments if you need any extra help or find a particularly good deal. We'd love to hear your experiences with the smaller regional carriers, too!