Best iPhone deals

Best iPhone deals: buyers’ guide

If you’re looking for the best deals and cheap offers on the Apple iPhone before you buy one here in the UK, then it’s vital to carry out plenty of comparison of the options before you start.

Although there are plenty of mobile phones out there, it's touchscreen phones that come with better functionality, plus those all important apps. And when it comes to apps, the iPhone is king.

Since the original Apple iPhone hit the market back in 2007 it has been a phenomenal success story. While phones powered by the Android OS may have overtaken it in terms of global sales, the iPhone is still the number one selling handset.

This is more down to Apple not making budget versions of the iconic smartphone, rather than a fall in popularity. But as it does with its Macs and MacBooks, the manufacturer is currently just happy spending its time at the premium end of the market.

Back up to price comparison

The iPhone: What's all the fuss about?

If you're still not sure whether to choose to go for iPhone deals over rival handsets from the likes of Samsung and HTC, your best bet is to read both some expert and user reviews. However, not everyone has time to trawl the internet all day, so here's a re-cap of some general opinions:

• The good: All iPhones have great screens, so your videos and apps/games will look brilliant. Talking of apps, Apple's operating system (OS) has the most choice of any of the OSs available. In addition, in iTunes and the App Store it has a very well established music, video, podcast and application distribution system that works simply and effectively. The iPhone is lovely to look at, simple to use and very well supported.
• The not so good: With competing OS Android (from Google) now with its own great selection of apps, and simpler PC connectivity with fewer restrictions on content, it's getting hard to justify high Apple prices. Also, with the likes of Samsung and HTC having proven phone making backgrounds, it has become very competitive out there. Older iPhones weren't so great at the basics (such as calling), while if you are looking for a specific function (camera, screen, processing power) you are likely to find a more suitable handset elsewhere.

But hey, it won't be an Apple! Let's face it, if you want the style icon of the decade in your pocket you're going to carry on looking for the best iPhone deals: it oozes class and does everything a smartphone should - what's not to like?

Back up to price comparison

iPhone contract deals: networks

Of course, you don’t need to know all that much about the Apple iPhone to realise you’re looking at a premium bit of kit. As a result it has rapidly become a must-have purchase for both gadget and style geeks alike, so it can be tricky when you’re looking for the best iPhone 4s deals: high end demand has dictated that prices generally remain high, even for older models such as the 4 and 3GS.

Nevertheless, if you’re prepared to spend time on a comparison of the different deals and offers, it is possible to pick through to find a match that will be ideal for your requirements.

You can choose the most suitable iPhone contracts from a whole variety of different offers on our comparison tables, while this guide should answer all your questions.

You’ll find that all the major network providers (Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, O2 and Three Mobile) have competing iPhone deals available - a far cry from the early days of network exclusives.

The most important thing to do is find your chosen iPhone UK network's coverage checker (simply click through to their website) and make sure you can get a good 3G signal with them in the areas you'll use your phone most. There's no point having the coolest phone on the block if you can't receive your calls or get online!

Also, remember signing up for one of these packages does involve committing to a certain period of time. An iPhone contract will tie you in for a specific period with the network, often two years, which can seem a really long time if you're the kind of person who needs the latest gadgets as they appear on the high street!

Of course you'll be allowed to upgrade at the end of your contract, but two years...? You may want to bite the bullet and look at more expensive iPhone deals that will tie you down for less time - or even consider paying up front for a PAYG iPhone or SIM free iPhone.

Back up to price comparison

iPhone special offers

When it comes to finding the best iPhone deal, it's very much horses for courses. Just remember: when looking at an iPhone price, UK retailers have a lot of ways at their disposal to swing your business in their direction.

As a rule of thumb, deals that come direct from a network tend to be less complicated. However, those from high street retailers can be very tempting indeed. They need to tempt you away from the network to get their commission, so you'll see everything from cashback to free iPods available.

While these can be really tempting, just take some time to do the maths (is it really cheaper in the long run?), to step away from the freebies (do you really need a new MP3 player?), and to think about any possible hassle involved (will I need to apply for my cashback in six months time?).

Compare what's on offer and then think on it: often with the iPhone, best deals are actually the simplest ones in the long run.

Another thing to be wary of is 'free' iPhone deals. What this really means is that a percentage of the iPhone's price has been factored into the monthly payments; it's more like hire purchase than getting something for nothing. This is still a great deal, as you don't pay interest and usually pay less than normal overall, but if you can pay some for your iPhone up front you should find some options for shorter contracts and lower monthly bills.

Back up to price comparison

Cheapest iPhone deals: older models

Even if you can't afford the latest iPhone on the market, it doesn't mean you can't have an iPhone at all. Or, if you haven't had one before and are reluctant to spend big on the newest model, there are other options. 

The cheapest iPhone deal you'll find above in our comparison table will usually be for an older model, such as an Apple iPhone 3GS (pictured) or the more recent iPhone 4.

These are still great smartphones, they just have slightly worse specifications (slower processor, not so great a camera, slightly lower resolution screen etc). But a lot of these differences will only really be spotted by the techies out there: an older model will be more than sufficient for most people.

The only thing you need to be a little wary of is Apple's history of stopping supporting products relatively soon after their release. For example, an older iPhone may not be able to be upgraded to the latest version of its operating system, which may cause you a few issues with the latest and greatest apps to be released. However, once again, if you're not a massive techy this is unlikely to be a deal breaker.

Back to top