In some scenarios it can be! In other scenarios, it makes more sense to get it from Koodo.

All depends on the person’s situation and the current pricing in the market.

Well I just upgraded to an iPhone 14 Plus a month ago and did some comparisons. I was shocked that the other cell companies are basically renting the phones for 2 years - hence the attractive monthly prices. At the end of the 2 years you return the phone or pay a big lump sum to keep it. This is fine if you are the type of person that upgrades every couple of years, but I hang onto my phones for quite a few years.

I also checked out buying directly from Apple and it was cheaper to buy from Koodo. Firstly Koodo gives a discount and divides the payments up over 24 months interest free. Apple charges almost 8% interest. At the end of 24 months I would have paid Apple around $400 more (no discount and 8% interest). All you have to do is stay with Koodo for 2 years. Of course if you choose to leave then you would have to pay the remaining amounts owing and the prorated  balance of the discount.

I also couldn't get even close to the plan I currently have with Koodo, which I was able to keep (75 GB for $55) so I would have had to pay a lot more for a similar plan elsewhere. 

Everyone’s needs are different and another company may work better for you, but I am happy with my choice to stay.

If you are on a lower priced plan, buying your phone elsewhere will generally be cheaper (and the fact your plan is going to go up by $15.00 a month would tell me you are).  And this is true regardless of which telco you deal with, it’s not just Koodo.  But as others have already said, yo7 need to analyze your own situation to see what makes sense.

P.S.  If you can wait a couple of months, there will probably be better deals when Black Friday arrives, both at the telcos and elsewhere.