iPhone Handoff pricing: EE, Verizon and T-Mobile compared
EE is the first UK carrier to price iPhone Handoff: free on Full Works Plus or £5 a month. Here is how that compares with T-Mobile's $5 and Verizon's $10 add-ons.
LandGadget Newsroom · · 3 min read
Quick verdictEE is the best deal if you already pay for Full Works Plus; in the US, T-Mobile charges half what Verizon does.
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iPhone Handoff is one of the more practical features Apple announced at its September keynote: it lets you use the same eSIM and phone number on two iPhones and switch between them without missing calls, messages or notifications. It needs carrier support, and the carriers are now putting prices on it. The latest is EE, which announced its terms alongside iPhone Duo pre-orders, as 9to5Mac reports.
Who supports it and what it costs
At launch, Apple named four partners: T-Mobile, Verizon, EE and Deutsche Telekom. Here is what has been announced so far.
| Carrier | Market | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | UK | Free on Full Works Plus, otherwise £5/month | First UK carrier to price it; rolling contract; 'coming soon' |
| T-Mobile | US | $5/month add-on | Per line |
| Verizon | US | $10/month | Announced this week |
| Deutsche Telekom | Germany | Not announced | Named by Apple as a launch partner |
EE pitches it at people who want a lighter phone for a festival, a run or a long hike while keeping their contacts, calls and messages with them. The £5 option is on a rolling monthly contract, and the feature is free on Full Works Plus, which includes EE's Fast Lane priority service.
Pros and cons
+ Pros
- One number across two iPhones, for example a foldable for work and a smaller phone for exercise
- Calls, messages and notifications follow whichever phone you pick up
- EE includes it at no extra cost on its top plan
− Cons
- A monthly fee at most carriers announced so far
- Only four carriers named; availability elsewhere is unknown
- Not live yet: Apple and EE only promise it by the end of the year
The timing is no accident. Handoff makes most sense for people adding a second iPhone, and Apple has just opened iPhone Duo pre-orders. With the phone market already crowded, as the latest IDC shipment figures show, carriers clearly see a paid add-on as a way to earn more from heavy Apple users.
Our verdict
EE Full Works Plus, then T-Mobile
If you are in the UK and already on EE Full Works Plus, Handoff costs you nothing. Otherwise £5 a month is in line with T-Mobile's $5 in the US, while Verizon's $10 is the priciest so far. If your carrier is not on the list, wait: the feature only works with carrier support and is not live anywhere yet.
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