Contract or BYO? The Cheapest Way to Get a Moto G3 in Canada

By Alex Angove

Last updated 13 October 2015

The Moto G3 is one of the more-popular affordable handsets out there, and for good reason. It's faster and smoother than you might expect from a device in its price range. The camera also features vast improvements over previous Moto G models, and the phone itself is even IPX7 water-resistant (the same as the Samsung Galaxy S5).

If you'd like to know more about the Moto G3 you can check out our review, although keep in mind that ours was the 16GB version with 3GB of RAM; the 8GB with 2GB RAM model is the one being sold in Canada.

If you've made up your mind and are looking for the best way to buy this nifty little handset then stick around.

Let's take a look at the providers who offer the G3 on plans and compare the total cost of a contract + phone vs buying it outright and opting for a monthly BYO phone plan. We'll use a standard 1GB cap as a base.

We've centered our comparison around Ontario. That should give the same pricing structure as the rest of Canada with the exceptions of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec, which tend to have cheaper plan options.

Moto G3 on Contract

You can grab the Moto G3 from Bell, Telus, PC Mobile, and Virgin Mobile on a 2-year contract.

Carrier	Data	Calls & messages	Per month	Upfront For phone	Total Over 24 months + activation fee
PC Mobile	1GB	Unlimited national calls, Unlimited international msg	$60	$0	$1440 $0 activation
Virgin Mobile	1GB	Unlimited national calls, Unlimited international msg	$62	$49.99	$1542.98 Includes $4.99 activation
Telus*	1GB	300 local mins, Unlimited national msg	$65	$50	$1620 Includes $10 activation
Bell*	1GB	200 local mins, Unlimited national msg	$75	$49.99	$1874.94 Includes $24.95 activation

*Jump to the end to compare these Bell and Telus contract totals with their own BYO phone prices. HINT: BYO is cheaper.

PC Mobile is by far the cheapest, but is less-widely available across the nation than the other three, larger-carrier plans.

Virgin Mobile operates over the Bell network, so coverage should be identical. Given this, it's looking like a more-attractive plan options. Unlimited national calls for $13 per month less than Bell is asking for just 200 local minutes. Those who follow the link will notice we've picked out the Virgin Silver plan. We suggest you do the same. The Gold and Platinum plans are designed for more-expensive phones; you might save a little more on day 1, but you'll end up spending more in the long-term if you go for anything other than silver.

Then there's Telus. Only a wee bit more each month than Virgin Mobile, but using its own network. This one is basically a toss-up based on which has the better coverage in your area: the Bell network (Virgin), or Telus. For $3 per month it's probably not worth the saving if it means you won't have proper coverage in your home or at work.

Bell is a little confusing here. This price is found based on the Voice 35 basic plan for $35 per month with zero data included. After that, Bell charges you based on how much data you use. Above 500MB and no more than 1GB will run you an extra $40 for that month - coming to $75. You're much better off going the BYO route with the Moto G3 on Bell.

Also note that these plans for both Telus and Bell restrict their call inclusions to limited local minutes, where PC Mobile and Virgin Mobile both offer unlimited Canada-wide (CW) voice. You can get CW plans from Telus and Bell, but they cost more. We're looking for the cheapest plans here, not just the ones with CW minutes.

Moto G3 on BYO plans

BYO plans are usually cheaper per-month than contracts with subsidized phones. As an added bonus, these options are month-to-month, side-stepping the need for you to be locked in to a long-term contract.

BYO means exactly what you think: you will need to purchase a Moto G3 elsewhere (or from the same carrier if that's an option) and bring it to the plan yourself. Price can vary depending on who you're buying from, but in general you'll be forking out about $230 for a new Moto G3.

Carrier	Data	Calls & messages	Per month	Total Over 24 months + activation fee	+ Phone $230
WIND	2GB	Unlimited national calls & msg	$35	$961 Includes $25 activation	$1191
Videotron	1GB	Unlimited national calls & msg	$49.45	$1201.80 Includes $15 activation	$1431.80
Koodo	1GB	Unlimited national calls & msg	$55	$1325 Includes $5 activation	$1555
Fido	1GB	Unlimited national calls & msg	$55	$1330 Includes $10 activation	$1560

Some of these options are far-cheaper than the contract alternatives. That's to be expected. All of these providers are MVNOs and smaller providers known for lower prices.

Unsurprisingly, WIND comes in first by far with not only the cheapest option on the table, but with double the data of the rest. Videotron is also a great deal, and Koodo and Fido both have the advantage of functioning over larger networks (Telus and Rogers, respectively).

Moto G3 on the big 3 BYO Plans

If you feel more comfortable turning to one of the bigger carriers for your BYO plan, then here's that that will run you for 1GB.

Carrier	Data	Calls & messages	Per month	Total Over 24 months + activation fee	+ Phone $230
Telus	1GB	300 local mins, Unlimited national msg	$55	$1330 Includes $10 activation	$1560
Rogers	1GB	300 local mins, Unlimited national msg	$55	$1340 Includes $20 activation	$1570
Bell	1GB	200 local mins, Unlimited national msg	$55	$1344.95 Includes $5 activation	$1574.94

Once again we see that the bigger companies offer fewer calls in their more-competitive price brackets, restricted to limited local minutes, as opposed to unlimited nation-wide calls.

Interestingly, while both Telus and Bell offer the Moto G3 on a 2-year contract, you'll end up paying less if you buy the phone outright and opt for a BYO phone plan. $60 less with Telus, and a surprising $300 less with Bell - more than the price of the phone itself.