Buying a new mobile phone

[Tashyboy]

Always bought my phones through the big companies. orange, EE, Vodaphone and carphone warehouse. Looking to get an iphone7 and come across a site ( tech radar ) that shows the cheapest deals. But they are companies I have never heard of such as "affordable mobiles", "mobiles.co.uk" and mobile phones direct. They all offer decent deals compared to the big companies but is there a catch. Tech radar also mention there could and should be some stonking deals in November leading up to Balck Friday. But 1, are the companies mentioned any good and 2, is it worth waiting?

 

[jusme]

Always bought my phones through the big companies. orange, EE, Vodaphone and carphone warehouse. Looking to get an iphone7 and come across a site ( tech radar ) that shows the cheapest deals. But they are companies I have never heard of such as "affordable mobiles", "mobiles.co.uk" and mobile phones direct. They all offer decent deals compared to the big companies but is there a catch. Tech radar also mention there could and should be some stonking deals in November leading up to Balck Friday. But 1, are the companies mentioned any good and 2, is it worth waiting?

Big techy here and so worth a reply. Almost always try and buy tech and contracts around Black Friday - great deals around at the those times. Not all but some of those deals cannot be matched any other time of the year. Keep up to date with some of the forums that highlight such deals not just at specific times but all year round - such as hotukdeals.

Tech radar is a solid site and can be trusted as are most of the links to other providers they mention. Mobile phones direct is one of the biggest UK phone companies in the UK. Always best to compare any deal out there with multiple search sites. If not keen or able to do same post a question on the likes of hotukdeals or moneysavingexpert etc and the experts will ensure you are getting the best deal for you.

 

[KenL]

Try Tesco Mobile or perhaps Sky.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I’ve got a good deal on a virtual network, 4 gigs data for under a tenner a month.

I wouldn’t go with a big company unless I want lots of call time and coverage is vital.

I find I’m on Wi-fi most places so money is better spent on the tech.

Buy a 2nd hand iPhone frome Game or CEX and stick a cheap virtual network sim in it.

I’ve been with iD for ages now and it’s been great, not the best coverage vs EE though but I rarely notice it.

 

[DCB]

My teenage daughter had a bad experience with a company that moneysavingexpert advertised. She bought a supposedly refurbished Iphone which turned out to be what Apple called a "frankenphone". It was cobbled together with various parts from a couple of models of Iphone and put into a new body. Serial numbers on internal parts proved this when the tech team were having a look at it. It looked perfect when it cam out the box. Only when there was an issue with it some months later did we find out via our local I Store Tech Dept that the phone was a dud. Fortunately we were able to get our money back off the credit card company as the online store stopped answering emails or calls once the problem was identified.

Lowest online price is not necessarily all it seems

We're all Tesco Mobile now, good contracts and sensible phones that work.

 

[spongebob59]

I’ve got a good deal on a virtual network, 4 gigs data for under a tenner a month.

I wouldn’t go with a big company unless I want lots of call time and coverage is vital.

I find I’m on Wi-fi most places so money is better spent on the tech.

Buy a 2nd hand iPhone frome Game or CEX and stick a cheap virtual network sim in it.

I’ve been with iD for ages now and it’s been great, not the best coverage vs EE though but I rarely notice it.

Gift Gaff ?

 

[FairwayDodger]

I bought an iPhone then got a cheap sim only contract. Means shelling out up front but cheaper in the long run I think.

 

[OnTour]

buy a Xiaomi branded handset search for Xiaomi redmi note 4+ around £125 snapdragon 625 chip and 32g rom. it will do everything the Iphone will do and save you 100s+

Buy direct from China, AliExpress, Global Central UK, Gearbest etc there all pretty sound and if you use paypal 100% secure if things do go tits up.

 

[Rooter]

If you have sky TV, then look no further than Sky Mobile (they piggy back off O2, so if you get that, happy days) I just got the mrs a new iPhone 8 plus for under 50 quid a month.

 

[Rooter]

I bought an iPhone then got a cheap sim only contract. Means shelling out up front but cheaper in the long run I think.

Correct, this is the best way to do it if you can afford the up front cost. Always worth considering a low or no interest credit card to do the purchase too, just pay it of before the offer runs out.

 

[jusme]

I also agree that buying phone outright and then contracting to sim only is usually the cheapest way forward. Both phone only and sim deals are best around Black Friday. The most important thought is put whatever your thinking of buying/contracting into a consumer forum and the experts there will let you know if its the best/right thing for you. No disrespect to those here, but there are very experienced people who are better placed to assist on those forums.

Black Friday is key - I got superb phone deals for 2 people last year at this time - nothing since has come close - but you have to be quick - the best sell out quickly - often in minutes. Get on to a consumer forum and keep a close eye on deals posted there on black friday - they come and go quickly

 

[Deleted member 15344]

If you have sky TV, then look no further than Sky Mobile (they piggy back off O2, so if you get that, happy days) I just got the mrs a new iPhone 8 plus for under 50 quid a month.

Yep it’s costing me £42 a month for iPhone 8 plus

 

[Lanark_Golfer]

Yep it’s costing me £42 a month for iPhone 8 plus

How much Data do they give per month, I looked a few times but they were offering very little, 500mb and 1GB if I rember correctly. I need 10GB data so wasn’t an option.

 

[Tashyboy]

How much Data do they give per month, I looked a few times but they were offering very little, 500mb and 1GB if I rember correctly. I need 10GB data so wasn’t an option.

If I read it correctly for £42 you get 1 BG of days for that.
it breaks down as £32 for the iPhone8 free calls and txt and £10 for 1gb of data which I think is expensive or £15 for 5 GB of data. Overall £42 is a good deal for the new phone but the last coupl of months I have needed more data so £47 is getting to much for me so may look at an older iphone.
A bit I was struggling with was do you keep the phone at the end of the contract or is there a final purchase price?

 

[MegaSteve]

As a fully paid up luddite... I really can't get my head around the amount of dosh some folk will spunk on a communicator...

 

[Andre Linoge]

Have been with Tesco mobile for about 6 years now , never any problem and great deals too, I'm SIM only.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Just saw some good options, 12gig for £12, think im switching as im paying £10 for 4 and I thought that was a good deal.

I use https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/com...Yi1yZH24g_ZQCfE2zHTOnV7rMV1Jbd-waAk9VEALw_wcB

Surely this is an error?

https://www.uswitch.com/mobiles/sim...vbXBhcmUvaXBob25lX3NpbV9vbmx5X2RlYWxzLyZwbz0x

 

[Deleted member 15344]

How much Data do they give per month, I looked a few times but they were offering very little, 500mb and 1GB if I rember correctly. I need 10GB data so wasn’t an option.

Sky were messing me around with delivery date- was supposed to arrive today didn’t now not arriving until 2 Nov ! Cancelled it - went to EE they priced matched - £42 but for 5gb and free insurance

 

[Tashyboy]

Sky were messing me around with delivery date- was supposed to arrive today didn’t now not arriving until 2 Nov ! Cancelled it - went to EE they priced matched - £42 but for 5gb and free insurance

Spoke to EE myself and they came up with the exact same deal. I did tell EE that affordable mobiles.com do a better deal if you wanna pay £150 upfront but said they cannot or won't get near it.

 

[full_throttle]

Tash,
go back too post #8, I know this lad and he talks a lot of sense, pay out £120-£150 then go sim only, you'll save the cost of the phone within the first 8 months.

A bit I was struggling with was do you keep the phone at the end of the contract or is there a final purchase price?

if you do go with the one you're currently looking at, the phone normally comes on an interest free deal, the cost of the phone is broken down into 12 or 24 payments to match your contract period