Arguably the two hottest smartphones this year are Apple’s iPhone 7 and the first phone completely designed by Google, the Pixel. Well, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was literally hotter, but the iPhone 7 and Pixel are figuratively the hottest smartphones this year.
Although the iPhone 7 debuted without any additional new groundbreaking features, and without the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, it did feature a brighter and more detailed display, an incredible new camera, a faster, more efficient processor, and a whole host of other upgrades. Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL, by contrast, featured an entirely new design and top-of-the-line specs all across the board. Android vs. iOS arguments aside, both phones perform very similarly according to most metrics, and the prices reflect that. Let’s take a look at a price comparison between the Android and iOS powerhouses.
iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Full Price
Apple has always marketed the iPhone as a “premium” product – the phones are made of premium materials, with premium hardware, all integrated with a well-designed, premium operating system. With a premium product, however, comes a premium price tag. Apple’s iPhone has always been one of the more expensive flagship phones on the market. The same is not necessarily true for Android. Because the Android operating system isn’t tied to a certain manufacturer, Android phones at all price points have pretty much always been available. Even today, you can purchase a Motorola Moto G4 for under $200 – a great value for the quality of the phone, or you can head all the way to the other side of the spectrum, and purchase a Gresso Regal smartphone for a mere $3,000. A fool and his money are soon parted.
Google debuted their Nexus line of phones in 2010, with the Nexus One. The line featured premium materials and build and a stock Android experience for an affordable price. This year, Google ditched the Nexus line and introduced the Google Pixel line. Although the Pixel phones are manufactured by HTC, the Pixel and Pixel XL are the first smartphones completely designed by Google. Before the official release, many were hoping that the Pixel line would follow the Nexus line in regards to price. Unfortunately for Android users, that wasn’t the case – the Pixel is designed to compete with the iPhone 7, and the price shows it. Unlocked, SIM-free versions of both phones are priced exactly the same, although the iPhone 7 offers an extra storage variant.
Google Pixel
| 32GB | 128GB | |
| Pixel | $649.00 | $749.00 |
| Pixel XL | $769.00 | $869.00 |
Each device and storage option also offers device protection – “2 year protection for those oops moments” for an additional $99.00
iPhone 7
| 32GB | 128GB | 256GB | |
| iPhone 7 | $649.00 | $749.00 | $849.00 |
| iPhone 7 Plus | $769.00 | $869.00 | $969.00 |
AppleCare+ is available for an additional $129.00, adding two years of hardware repair coverage and “two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $29 for screen damage, or $99 for any other damage, plus applicable tax. In addition, you’ll get 24/7 priority access to Apple experts via chat or phone.”
iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel – Payment Plans
For those of you who aren’t too keen on dropping $649 or more all at once for a phone, there are a few payment options available for you.
Google Pixel
With “Google Store Financing”, users can pay for their phone over 24 months at 0% APR. Using Google’s payment plan, monthly pricing for each variant of the Pixel is as follows:
| 32GB | 128GB | |
| Pixel | $27.04/month for 24 months | $31.21/month for 24 months |
| Pixel XL | $32.04/month for 24 months | $36.21/month for 24 months |
iPhone 7
| 32GB | 128GB | 256GB | |
| iPhone 7 | $32.41/month | $36.58/month | $40.75/month |
| iPhone 7 Plus | $37.41/month | $41.58/month | $45.75/month |
Users can also finance the purchase of a new iPhone 7 with Apple’s “special financing” through British banking firm Barclays. Using this method, users pay no interest for 12 months on purchases ranging from $499 to $999 – the range where all of the iPhone 7 models lie – so long as the full cost of the device is paid within those 12 months. Users who fail to pay the full balance within 12 months will be retroactively hit with interest for every month, and that interest can be hefty – ranging from 14.24% to 27.24%, according to Forbes. Financing through Apple is certainly one way to pay off an iPhone 7 over time, but there are plenty of other, better ways.
iPhone 7 vs. Google Pixel Carrier Deals
Google Pixel
Verizon, the only official carrier partner for the Pixel, allows their customers to purchase the Pixel directly through them or at a Best Buy location. The advantage of buying through Verizon lies in the variety of payment options that the carrier offers for its customers. Verizon also offers a trade-in program*, which offers a discount on Pixel phones with the trade-in of another paid-off phone in good working condition. Unfortunately, however, there are several downsides to purchasing through Verizon, namely being locked to a single carrier and the addition of Verizon “bloatware” apps to the Pixel (as well as a locked bootloader, but most users won’t have to worry about that). However, if Verizon is your carrier, and you’re planning sticking with them, here are the pricing options available to you:
| 32GB | 128GB | |
| Pixel | $10/month* for 24 months | $15/month* for 24 months |
| $27/month for 24 months | ||
| $199.99 with a 2-year contract | $299.99 with a 2-year contract | |
| Pixel XL | $15/month* for 24 months | $20/month* for 24 months |
| $32/month for 24 months | ||
| $319.99 with a 2-year contract | $419.99 with a 2-year contract |
iPhone 7
Apple is offering the iPhone 7 through pretty much every major carrier in the US. AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, and a host of others are all selling the iPhone 7 in stores and on their websites – and pretty much all of them are trying to lure customers in with deals. There were plenty of incredible Black Friday deals for the iPhone 7, for example. Verizon offered a $300 credit for trading in an old device in working condition, and AT&T offered a 32GB iPhone 7 for free for users who switched to AT&T and had DirecTV service. Big box retailers also hit customers with deals, as well – Walmart offered $250 gift cards to customers who bought an iPhone 7 on a Verizon or AT&T payment plan, and Target did the same for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint customers.
Through the holiday season, many carriers and retailers are offering huge deals on the iPhone 7 once again. AT&T, for example, offered a buy-one, get-one free promo through Christmas Eve – “For a limited time, customers can buy one and get one free after up to $695 in monthly bill credits on some of our most popular smartphones when they buy both on AT&T Next or AT&T Next Every Year with eligible service and add a new line.” Verizon is offering a free 32GB iPhone 7, or a deep discount on a different storage options with an eligible trade-in.
Deals from carriers and retailers on the iPhone 7 are constantly changing – there are certainly too many to list here – but savvy buyers can get save plenty on an iPhone 7 if they keep their eyes peeled to the web for deals.
Featured Image: Ars Technica
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