When it comes to getting an iPhone, it's a buyer's market. Every major cell phone carrier has them, and they all compete against each other to bring you the best deal.

While Apple has always sold iPhones in its own stores, recent initiatives such as the iPhone Upgrade Program and Apple Trade-In have made the company a serious contender for your phone-buying business.

Let's discover whether you should buy an iPhone from your carrier or directly from Apple.

iPhone Prices Are Basically the Same

Previously, cell phone carriers would let you pay off your phone in monthly installments. What they didn't tell you is that they charged you a bit more than the total price of your phone over the course of 24 months for the privilege of being able to spread it out.

Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program offered the same 24-month installment plan, with the option of upgrading to a new phone every year for free and trading in your old phone. However, if you paid the whole phone off, it didn't cost you any more than if you had paid upfront.

Carriers followed suit, and now, for the most part, all carriers and Apple offer monthly, no-money-down installment plans through which you purchase the phone from them over the course of 24 months. The monthly cost depends on the iPhone model you want, but across the different sellers, they're all the same.

Different ways to buy an iPhone

There are a few exceptions to this. AT&T and Verizon offer special plans at a lower monthly rate for a total of 36 months. Apple also offers a higher monthly rate as part of its iPhone Upgrade Program, which includes the AppleCare+ warranty that costs between $3.99 and $9.99 per month if purchased separately.

Additionally, you can pay $4.16 more per month for AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, which typically costs between $7.49 and $13.49 per month, depending on the iPhone model.

Winner: Essentially a tie.

Carriers Have the Best iPhone Deals

iPhone trade-in deals on AT&T

Apple is infamous for seldom offering deals. Unlike many other smartphone makers, Apple has avoided sales so as not to devalue the exclusivity of its product. Everyone who owns an iPhone is also displaying a status symbol.

Carriers, however, frequently feature deals to compete with each other. Examples of past iPhone promotions have included pre-paid payments, free products, and free services. Carriers also frequently offer trade-in deals that can help take hundreds off the initial iPhone purchase price.

Winner: Carriers.

Locked vs. Unlocked iPhone

While you can unlock a contract-locked phone, it's a hassle, and you might have to wait for your contract to run out first. When it comes to unlocked versus locked phones, the better move is to buy your phone unlocked in the first place.

An unlocked iPhone allows you to use that phone with any carrier, even if you're not under contract with them. This can save money in the long term as you won't be locked into an expensive contract. If you purchase your phone through your carrier under a two-year service contract, the iPhone you buy might be locked to that carrier until that contract is up.

iPhone

Even after two years, if you want to unlock it, you'll need to contact them to do so. Although the pricing might seem good at the time of purchase, imagine still paying that price in two years when the iPhone is out of date.

When you buy a phone from Apple under the iPhone Upgrade Program, it comes as a certified unlocked device. You can pair it with an existing plan and retain your unlocked status. Besides, you can switch carriers at will before you complete paying off your device. This is one of the biggest advantages of buying your iPhone directly from Apple.

Although all iPhones purchased from Apple are unlocked, if you choose the buy it with an AT&T Installment Plan, it will be locked to AT&T until the end of the agreement. If you need your iPhone unlocked, avoid AT&T's Installment Plan like the plague.

Winner: Apple.

Insurance vs. AppleCare+

Both cell carriers and Apple offer all sorts of ways to protect your iPhone.

AppleCare+ comes in two different tiers: AppleCare+ and AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss. The pricing is different depending on your iPhone model, but typically the Theft and Loss version costs about $100 more than the regular version. However, it includes two opportunities to replace your iPhone every 12 months if it gets lost or stolen.

Regular AppleCare+ covers repairs caused by accidental damage, but you must still physically have the device.

Carrier cell phone insurance plans like Verizon Total Mobile Protection, AT&T Device Protection, or T-Mobile Premium Protection 360 have many different tiers and price plans. However, they roughly break down along the same lines that AppleCare does. On the whole, perhaps, cellular company insurance plans are slightly cheaper than AppleCare+.

Verizon's Total Mobile Protection sales page

There are two major differences between AppleCare+ and a carrier's insurance: the level of customer service and the quality of your replacement device.

Apple commits to providing you with a "new or equivalent to new" product when it replaces your iPhone. Its customer service is set up so that all you have to do is walk into an Apple Store and get a same-day replacement. Apple Stores are stocked with almost every model of replacement iPhone available for quick service.

Carriers, on the other hand, don't have access to the same level of quality assurance for Apple's products. Often, your replacement phone will not be at the same level of quality that Apple promises. Instead, it will probably be a refurbished phone.

Additionally, carrier insurance typically requires verification, and devices are often shipped through the mail.

Winner: Apple.

In-Store Experiences

You were once able to find some real savings by shopping around the various mobile carriers. Nowadays, most carriers, including Apple, offer roughly the same price for a more-or-less equivalent service.

However, Apple is a bit better in terms of convenience, customer service, and repair quality. The Apple Store will probably provide a better experience, but if you time it right, your carrier might offer you a better price.

Apple Logo on Glass Windowed Store

The Apple Store has another advantage: these locations are licensed to sell you an iPhone under a carrier's plan. As a result, if you buy your phone at an Apple Store, you can actually see how much each phone will cost you under each plan.

At each carrier's stores, they will only show you how much it will cost under their own plan. By presenting all the options to you, Apple offers a level of transparency that the other stores can't match.

Winner: Apple.

Try a Refurbished iPhone for Even More Discounts

Whether you buy your next iPhone straight from Apple or from your carrier, you should consider how long iPhones last on average. Buying directly from Apple or your carrier is typically the best way to buy an iPhone, but have you ever considered purchasing a refurbished model?

If saving money is your main priority, you can buy a refurbished or used iPhone at Best Buy, Apple, Walmart, and even online from Amazon or eBay. The quality can be questionable outside an Apple Certified Refurbished product, but that might not matter to you, depending on how much you save.

Navigating all the terminology can be a little confusing, so before you get started, ensure you understand the pros and cons of refurbished, used, and certified pre-owned electronics.

Be Careful Where You Buy Your iPhone From

In terms of price, you'll pay the same cost whether you get your iPhone from your carrier or Apple. Advantages of buying your iPhone from Apple include complete ownership, freedom to switch carriers at will, cheaper device insurance with AppleCare+ protection, and you can upgrade after 12 months with Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program.

On the other hand, buying via carriers has one upside; frequent deals and promotions for upgrading. On the downside, you'll be locked to that carrier's network for at least until the end of your agreement.

Whether you decide to purchase from Apple, your carrier, or a third-party website, be sure to pick the deal that works best for you. Consider both your long-term and short-term needs, and you'll quickly find your best option in terms of price and services.