Why do people buy mobile phones?

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When they come free with a contract?

Wondered this for awhile.

They arent free with the contract. You are paying for it as part of the contract price. Most often actually more expensive than if you just bought the phone outright and got a sim only contract.

They are not free - the price of the phone is built into the contract, probably at an inflated price. I can understand why people would buy the phone and get a sim-only deal if the could afford the outlay.

They don't come free, usually the contract is set to cover the cost of a mobile so really you pay monthly for the actual phone, not just the usage.

Because paying up front is cheaper. I use a cheap Three monthly sim deal with my iPhone and save approximately £80 over 18 months.

Because they don't come "free" with a contract, they are included within the contract price that you pay.

My children and I all have £5 monthly contacts with ID Mobile, you wouldn't get a "free" phone with that.

i calculated the monthly equivalent of a cheap-ass giffgaff SIM and buying the phone outright, and it worked out cheaper than the best monthly deal for phone and the same data bundle.

That explains it then. Did wonder. Seems a faff to me.

It’s much cheaper to buy the phone outright if you can afford it.

I used to get one with a contract but am now a convert to buying them second hand.

Faff?

I bought a pixel outright, cost just over £400. On contract over 24 months it would have cost me £550 ish, and I'd be tied into a contract. Appreciate that not everybody has hundreds to pay on a phone in one to, but mine is on an interest free credit card for 12 months.

Generally means it's sim free too, so not tied to a network. Gives you flexibility to switch between the cheap sim-only deals. SO much cheaper.

..one *go

I buy my phones outright because it ends up being cheaper. Contract phones require a long contract (3 years usually) at a high amount per month. I don't really use my phone very much, and am perfectly fine on the lowest sim only plans (£10-12 per month). Also, I travel to the US and switch SIMs when I get there, thus need an unlocked phone.

Not in the least a faff! Bought half decent phone for £150, £5 per month sim contract. Keep the phone for as long as possible to get money's worth.

It's much cheaper to buy the phone. I've done both but you get hammered usually paying for it within the contract.

I used to have a phone with a contract until I worked out how much I'd paid over 2 years.

At the end of my contract I researched to choose the best phone in my price range, shopped around for the best deal and now have a £3.99 a month SIM only deal with ID mobile.

I'd never go back to having a phone on contract.

No way would I get a contract. Buy phone outright and get a cheap deal of your choice. Much much cheaper.

Why is it a faff? It's literally the complete opposite

I've just got a second hand iPhone with a pay as you go sim. I probably end up spending less than £5 a month on it.

Me too, reconditioned iPhone plus cheap payg sim. Win-win

Having a contact seems a faff to me. I've always bought my phones.

Do you really not understand this OP?

Its almost always significantly cheaper to buy the phone outright and then pay just a small amount a month on a SIM only contract. The phone isn't 'free' on a contract!

Far cheaper, I buy the phone outright then use giffgaff.

Much cheaper to buy phone outright, than be tied to a contract.

I can never understand why people take out very expensive monthly contracts on the latest phones, what if their circumstances change and they can no longer afford to pay for the remaining contract, doesn’t make any sense to me.

We also buy the handset and and then pay monthly for a sim card. Currently have the new S10 phone but still just paying the usual monthly charge for the sim card (just swapped it from the old to the new phone)

Actually in my daughters case it was only just more to put on a contract. We got a 32gb iPhone 6s for £22 a month inclusive of data. So about £480 over 2 years. A second hand high graded phone from a shop with warranty was over £300 plus £6 a months sim. In that instance I went for contract as the price difference was worth it to get new phone. In my case I pay interest free direct with Apple over 20 months for iPhone 8. Then separate sim. Best of both worlds!