• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechFortune 500

Use This Calculator to Save More Than $1,700 on iPhone 7

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 13, 2016, 11:42 AM ET

Trying to find the best carrier plan for the iPhone 7 can be treacherous business. But a handy calculator is trying to take some of the guesswork out of that.

WalletHub, a site that tracks users’ credit, has launched a new tool designed to help users determine how much they will spend over a two-year period owning the iPhone 7. The data is based on both individual and family plans and claims that, depending on the option customers choose, could net iPhone 7 owners a savings of more than $1,700 over a two-year period compared to the highest-cost plans.

The findings come less than a week after Apple unveiled its iPhone 7. The smartphone comes with greatly improved cameras, a better processor, and a slightly modified design. Most surprisingly, it’s the first iPhone not to come with a headphone jack, requiring owners to use Bluetooth-based headphones or the adapter that will allow tethered headphones to connect through the smartphone’s Lightning port.

WalletHub analyzed plans and initial investments required from the top wireless carriers in the U.S., including Verizon (VZ) and AT&T (T). The company then factored in their plan costs on both individual and family plans and arrived at a two-year total cost of ownership. It found that on the individual side, it’s possible for customers to save $1,074 by picking up an iPhone 7 off contract from RingPlus, a small carrier that allows users to use their own devices on its network. Opting for RingPlus and family plans would cost customers $2,988 over two years, saving them $1,705 compared to the most expensive major carrier wireless plan.

However, because most users will opt for one of the big carriers, WalletHub examined their plans and included the cost of buying an iPhone either on a two-year contract, unlocked, from Apple (AAPL), or from the carriers themselves. It then added the cost of carrier plans for a total cost of ownership over two years. It found that on the individual plan side, Sprint offers the cheapest options, costing customers $1,757 on an installment plan, assuming they use 3GB of data per month.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

For family plans, the results were mixed. T-Mobile (TMUS) customers who buy the smartphone from the carrier and use its installment plan will pay $3,828 over two years for four lines and 12GB of monthly data. If customers want an installment plan but would like to buy the iPhone 7 from Apple, Sprint takes the crown at $4,050 over the two-year period.

The findings are not all that surprising, since T-Mobile and Sprint (S), the smaller of the four major U.S. carriers, were among the first of the bunch to make a strong push for iPhone 7 buyers by offering free upgrade programs. AT&T and Verizon are also offering freebies on the iPhone 7 with slight variations among all the carriers in how they’re pitching the deals.

For more about the iPhone, watch:

Earlier on Monday, T-Mobile announced that iPhone 7 preorders had surpassed its sales records, indicating that sales have been strong at the carrier’s stores. Now with some hard figures—and a handy “cell phone savings calculator” to boot—it’s easier for customers to see exactly the kind of deal they’ll get from each carrier.

The iPhone 7 goes on sale on Friday.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Startups & VentureTaxes
As billionaires debate California’s wealth tax, a tech investor suggests other ways to raise revenue that target a huge loophole the rich exploit
By Jason MaJanuary 13, 2026
3 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
How Strava ran toward a comeback and set its sights on an IPO
By Allie GarfinkleJanuary 13, 2026
5 hours ago
A person in a hoodie holding a credit card.
Cybersecurityfraud
Consumers lost $12.5 billion to fraud last year, and AI-powered scams are set to explode in 2026, Experian warns
By Amanda GerutJanuary 13, 2026
5 hours ago
The Siri application icon in October 2025. (Photo: Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Apple will use Google Gemini to power Siri
By Andrew NuscaJanuary 13, 2026
5 hours ago
Future of WorkElon Musk
Elon Musk says saving for retirement is irrelevant because AI is going to create a world of abundance: ‘It won’t matter’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJanuary 12, 2026
17 hours ago
vervet
LawAnimals
Monkeys are on the loose in St. Louis, and AI-generated jokes are just slowing down animal control’s primate chase
By Heather Hollingsworth and The Associated PressJanuary 12, 2026
19 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Treasury spent $276 billion in interest on the national debt in the final three months of 2025, says the CBO—up $30 billion from a year prior
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 12, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘Sell America’: Investors dump U.S. assets in fear of the end of Fed independence
By Jim EdwardsJanuary 12, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
An exec at $62 billion giant Colgate says Gen Z workers, despite getting flak for being woke and lazy, are actually ‘pushing us to get better’
By Emma BurleighJanuary 10, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
This CEO laid off nearly 80% of his staff because they refused to adopt AI fast enough. 2 years later, he says he'd do it again
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 11, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
I run one of America's most successful remote work programs and the critics are right. Their solutions are all wrong, though
By Justin HarlanJanuary 11, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Newsletters
The oil CEO who stood up to Trump is a follower of the disciplined 'Exxon way' and has a history of blunt statements
By Jordan BlumJanuary 13, 2026
5 hours ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.