If you’re itching to buy an iPhone 6, you probably got it last Friday. However, if you haven’t bought one yet and want to buy an off-contract iPhone 6 from Apple, it’s a bit strange how the company handles it on its website. If you want to buy an iPhone 6 at full retail price without a contract, here’s how to do it.
Most users buy subsidized iPhones at a discount in exchange for signing a two-year contract where they’ll be locked out. However, more and more consumers are buying smartphones out of contract to stay away from contracts.
When you first visit Apple’s website to buy the iPhone 6, you’ll have the option to purchase it from AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon at a subsidized cost, or to purchase it at the full non-contract retail price for T-Mobile. But the non-contract models for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon are nowhere to be found, and the T-Mobile version won’t work on Verizon, so you’re a bit stuck.
Still, never fear that with a contract-free iPhone 6 at AT&T, Sprint or Verizon you have to dig deeper into the heart of the beast on Apple’s website. Here’s what you need to do.
How to Buy an iPhone 6 Out of Contract
First, the head Apple’s iPhone 6 Buy Now webpage and select the iPhone model you want. If you want an out-of-contract Verizon iPhone 6, go ahead and choose Verizon as the carrier when you get to this step.
After completing all four steps, press the green button at the bottom to proceed to the next step.
The next page will ask you if you are a new carrier customer or an existing customer. If you’re a new customer, simply create a new wireless account with that carrier. If you are an existing customer, choose whether you want to upgrade an existing line or add a new line.
The next page will have you enter your carrier subscriber information so Apple can access it and see what your upgrade eligibility is. From there, it will automatically check if you’re eligible for a subsidized upgrade, and if not, Apple will offer you the contract-free iPhone 6 at the full retail price for your chosen carrier.
Then, just add it to your cart and start the checkout process.
One thing to be aware of is that you have to order iPhones in two different orders, one is the subsidized model and the other is the non-contract model. I’m not sure why Apple enforced this rule, but still, this is something you should do if it will apply to you. Otherwise, you can purchase multiple non-contract iPhones in one order if you want.
Where Else Can You Buy an Non-Contract iPhone 6?
Of course, we think Apple is the best place to buy an iPhone because you’re buying from the source, but buying a new iPhone from the carrier isn’t a bad idea either, and Verizon makes it particularly easy to buy an iPhone. If you’re not eligible for an upgrade and are purchasing a subsidized iPhone 6 and a non-contract model, you don’t need to split the iPhone into two different orders.
The iPhone 6 starts at $199 when signing a new two-year contract, while non-contract models start at $649. The iPhone 6 Plus starts at more than $100 thanks to the larger screen size and a small handful of special features. If you’re not sure which model to get, we have a guide to help you decide on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, but choose wisely!
