Getting an iPhone has never
been easier, or cheaper for that matter. But an iPhone is still a pretty big
investment. The initial cost of the hand set is one thing, but when you add in
the monthly contract costs, you could end up spending an awful lot more money
than you really should be. It is worth considering the older pay as you go
(PAYG) model when looking at iPhones, because you could well save money,
particularly if you're not a big phone user, per se, preferring instead to use
your device for messaging of internet capabilities. iPhone PAYG can be a great
way of getting the phone that you really want, whilst not paying an awful lot
of money to get it. Don't believe us? Then check out the figures...
iPhone Contracts...
Note:
these prices are averages, and will depend on your location and any special
deals that mobile service providers may be offering.
One
of the best iPhone contract deals for the 4S right now is with Tesco Mobile.
The initial upfront costs will be around £335 for the phone itself. You're then
locked into a fairly short twelve month contract (the standard contract length
nowadays is twenty four months), at around £25 per month. You do get some
freebies, including 1GB of internet usage, 250 calling minutes and 500 SMS. The
total price of this contract works out to be around £635 (the price of the hand
set plus the monthly bill for twelve months).
For
those of us who don't want to shell out any cash up front, there is another
possibility, but it involves being locked into a much longer contract. The UK
mobile service provider 3 will give you an iPhone 4S for gratis, but you have
to sign a twenty four month contract at £35 per month. For this you get the
phone, 1 GB of internet usage, 500 calling minutes and unlimited SMS. But the
total cost of this contract ends up to be a whopping £840.
iPhone PAYG...
The
caveat for an iPhone PAYG plan is that you need to regularly top up your
account. By putting money into your account often enough you will qualify for
unlimited data usage with most mobile providers. You will, of course, also need
to buy the hand set yourself. Buying the iPhone 4S direct from Apple (which is
cheaper and will avoid any unlocking issues), will set you back around £499.
Going with the provider GiffGaff is your best deal. Putting at least £10 of
credit per month onto your phone will qualify you for unlimited data and SMS as
well as 250 calling minutes. Doing this for a year has a total cost of £619.
Which is Best?
PAYG
obviously works out cheaper in the long run, but you do have to be willing to
make the initial investment. If you can spend the cash right now on an iPhone
though, you do end up saving money by not having to sign a contract. There's no
reason that you should be locked into paying the phone company, when you could
be putting that money back into your own pocket...
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