If you’re an existing Fido customer looking to renew your existing contract to get an iPhone 6, the company is requiring a minimum $60 plan (voice + data) or higher to be eligible, in particular for those with legacy $30/6GB data plans.
@gary_ng The minimum monthly service fee is $60 for voice + data, add-ons not included, for grandfathered plans ^mv
— Fido Solutions (@FidoSolutions) September 15, 2014
If you’re an existing customer with a grandfathered plan such as the $30/6GB data plan, plus you have a voice plan of at least $30, making for a total of $60, you will qualify for a full iPhone 6 subsidy. As long as your contract plan has a minimum of $60 or higher (voice + data; not including add-ons), you will qualify for a full subsidy.
If you’re an existing customer with, say the $56/2GB Smart Plan from two years ago, to qualify for an iPhone 6 upgrade, you will need to subscribe to a minimum $80/month Max Plan (with 500MB only). You cannot add or re-arrange your existing plan, as you must choose a current Max plan in order to get your full iPhone 6 subsidy.
@iPhoneinCanada I got a reply from fido about subsidies iPhone 6 & 6+ pic.twitter.com/wjsWTTpP33
— Solomon Weiser (@SolWeiser) September 14, 2014
There seems to be contradicting info though, as the telephone reps we spoke with, told us the minimum amount had to be $70 per month (voice + data), not $60. Update: Fido responded to us and confirmed it is indeed $60 minimum for grandfathered plans looking to upgrade to iPhone 6.
However, Fido’s own community forums stress the minimum $60 per month requirement, as told by an employee, which also stresses there are also “exceptions”.
Don’t forget, there will also be a $25 hardware upgrade fee tacked onto your bill as well.
It’s this type of conflicting information from customer service reps that drive Canadians mad when it comes to wireless carriers.
Standard and Smart Plans Soon to Qualify for iPhone Subsidies
The Fido reps we spoke with also told us the company has future plans to allow 2-year iPhone contracts on Standard or Smart Plans. Of course, since subsidies for Standard ($200) and Smart ($350) plans are less than Max ($450) plans, you will be paying more upfront for the iPhone, despite having a ‘cheaper’ monthly plan.
A 16GB iPhone 6 costs $265 on a 2-year $80/month Max Plan; the price for the same phone under a Standard Plan could be $515, while under a Smart Plan it could be $365, based on the differences in subsidy amounts.
As for the timeline, reps were unable to provide a specific date, other than to say changes are coming once the iPhone 6 launch settles in.
As of now, Rogers and Bell require customers to subscribe to $80/month plans to qualify for iPhone 6 hardware upgrades.
As for Telus, the company tells us existing users require $70/month plans that are renewal eligible and have not expired, should they pursue iPhone 6 upgrades. There are some possible exceptions but users are asked to check their plan details with Telus.
If you’re a Fido customer with the $30/6GB data plan, let us know what your iPhone 6 upgrade details are like. Even if you aren’t on the legacy 6GB data plan, let us know what Fido has shared with you for your iPhone 6 upgrade.
Update: A Fido spokesperson just sent the following clarification on upgrades:
To confirm, Fido customers with in-market Max plans and previously offered Max plans with a minimum monthly service fee of $60 are eligible for iPhone upgrades. Max plans let customers save up to $450 on a new phone with a 2-year Tab24 agreement and include extras like voicemail and call display at no added cost.
Update 2 Sept. 18: Here’s an updated section added to Fido’s fine print:
Existing Fido customers: If you renew your Fido Agreement, your new Tab24 agreement will begin immediately. Price shown available with 2-year Tab24 agreement on one of the following: (i) any in-market Max plan, (ii) any previously-offered Max plan with a monthly service fee of at least $60 per month, or (iii) any combination of a voice plan and an eligible Data Add-on (e.g. $10/100 MB and $25/2GB Add-ons excluded), both offered prior to August 8, 2012 and having a combined monthly service fee of at least $60 per month. Device savings recovery fees and/or service deactivation fee apply, see below for details. Taxes extra.
