iPhone owners face monthly fee to use new Apple feature as UK and US networks confirm prices
iPhone Handoff was one of the most exciting new features to arrive with iOS 27, yet those looking to take advantage of its benefits will now have to face additional monthly charges, with major cell networks in both the United States and United Kingdom outlaying their prices.
It won't be something that every Apple fan takes advantage of, but the iPhone Handoff feature is simply game-changing for those who need it, letting them easily switch their number between a primary and secondary phone with a button press.
Many social media creators, for example, have two devices that they use to film and manage their content — and having one number and plan shared across both is something that should save both time and money in the short- and long-term.
Following the implementation of the change, however, many of the biggest cell networks across the US and UK have revealed how much extra iPhone owners will be charged for using the Handoff feature, leaving some likely wondering whether it's even worth it.
How much are cell networks charging for iPhone Handoff?
As reported by BigGo Finance, major networks like Verizon and T-Mobile have already confirmed their monthly prices for those looking to take advantage of iPhone Handoff, with the former doubling the $5/month fee first outlined by the latter.
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That means that existing Verizon customers will have to add an extra $10 a month to their expenses if they want to seamlessly switch their number between two iPhones, perhaps prompting them to think about switching to another carrier like T-Mobile for a cheaper alternative.
In the UK it appears that EE is currently the only carrier that supports iPhone Handoff, and it has revealed a monthly price of £5 ($6.66) for those looking to use it, although it is a free extra for anyone on a Full Works Plan.
A similar cost is expected for for Deutsche Telekom MultiSIM customers in Germany, as they will be charged €6.95 ($7.79) on a monthly basis, sitting somewhere in between the T-Mobile and Verizon costs.
Who can use the iPhone Handoff feature?
In order to use iPhone Handoff you need to have two devices that are eligible for iOS 27, which is any iPhone released within or after the iPhone 11 series, or the iPhone SE 2nd generation.
These devices need to share an Apple Account – meaning you can't swap a singular phone number between two different people – and it is also only available in a small number of countries for the time being, including:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Germany
These countries also only have a number of eligible networks that currently support iPhone Handoff – with the aforementioned monthly charges necessary for use – although it's unclear whether the countries ready to access the feature will expand in the near future.