Posted by Not too long ago I wrote a review on purchasing a iPhone 6s Plus at Costco. I still think it’s weird that Costco currently sells a nearly 5 year old phone, but I digress. On the flip side, Costco also sells the latest iPhone to come out, the iPhone SE. To buy the Costco Unlocked iPhone, just go to Costco’s website!
Canadian Pricing
Pricing for the iPhone SE is nearly the same as what you will find on Apple’s website. For example, the iPhone SE 64 GB is listed at $599 on Apple Canada’s website. The same model on Costco’s website is…. hold on to your hats… $597.99. That’s right, you’ll save a whole $1.01! Almost enough for a Costco hot dog, but not quite!
American Pricing
In the United States, Costco lists the iPhone SE 64 GB at $389.99 online, and Apple at $399.00. $10 difference. At least it’s better than what Canadian’s get.
Buy the Unlocked iPhone SE through Costco or Apple?
Since the price difference between Costco and Apple is tiny, why buy a Costco unlocked iPhone SE? I can only think of one reason. An Executive Membership, allows a 2% reward on the purchase. For example, a $597.99 iPhone SE works out to a $11.96 annual Executive Membership reward.
Conversely, why buy from Apple directly? In short, trade-in. If you have an eligible iPhone to trade-in, you could receive anywhere from $0-$490 in credit towards a new iPhone. To find out an estimate of your current iPhone’s worth, go to Apple’s website and try buying a phone from Apple’s site. Apple will give you an estimate before making the final purchase. For example, my ancient iPhone 6s Plus, currently will give me a $90 credit. Not too shabby!
* Americans win again when it comes to trade-ins as Apple will potentially give a credit for non-Apple smart phones.
Sidenote
At this time, the iPhone SE isn’t regularly sold in at Costco stores. However, one time I saw an unlocked iPhone SE in one of the jewellery case(as featured above). I asked about it and was told that the phone had been purchased online, but then immediately returned. Costco then decided to sell this one-off, in an actual store. The pricing is nearly the same as buying directly from Apple.
If you already have an iPhone and are ok trading it in, it may be worth your while when buying your new iPhone through Apple. If you do not have a phone to trade-in, buying from Costco might help.
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