To ask what you pay for your phone?

[boringbertha1]

I'm coming to the end of my contract and I need a new handset. My current provider is telling me to get the oldest model of iPhone they have available (but still newer than mine) is a 31% increase per month.

I'm currently paying £35 for an iPhone 8 which I'm happy with but think the price hike for an 11 is a bit ridiculous when it's one of the older models on the market.

God, how are people paying so little?

I went to SIM only £27 a month 2.5 years ago now when my last contract ended. To upgrade to a new iPhone was going to cost me £67 a month, that was with unlimited data and £8 a month insurance or something but still! I complained as it was with EE and ive been with them for 15 years now (since they were Orange) I said is there really no way you can better the price because £70 a month for a phone contract is ridiculous. He said no, wouldn’t budge at all. So I kept the handset (iPhone 7, it’s bloody ancient!) and just went to a sim only deal with insurance which like I say is £27 a month.

I really, really need a new phone though as this one is knackered but I can’t afford £500 for a relatively new iPhone (which is what I’d want, probably an iPhone 12) or £70 a month for a contract! I think it’s the amount of data I use that puts it up but I WFH full time now so wouldn’t need as much nowadays...considering phoning them and trying again!

The £6 a month giffgaff bundle and I buy a new phone whenever the last one dies, this one is on its last legs and I'm trying to save up for a fairphone as I like that it let's you replace components and the battery easily as I'm sick of batteries dying and not being able to replace them easily plus theethical factor.

I spend £2.50 per month on pay-as-you-go for mine. Phone was a Samsung S10E bought for £230 up-front last summer.

£27 a month for SIM only is bonkers. You really don't need to be paying more than £10 a month, which buys unlimited calls, unlimited texts and a few Gb of data.

Look here:

www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheap-mobile-finder/

I don't know about iphones because they always seem expensive but I currently have a 2/3 YO Motorola G7 that I got for £75 after cashback in a black Friday sale.

I always sell the phone I'm upgrading from, so my monthly cost for the phone is a couple of quid if that. Even if you have much better phones, it shouldn't average out at much more than £5-10 a month over time.

But if you want to stick with an iphone, MSE will point you to the cheapest one, I'm sure they were recommending a contract on a newish one a few weeks back that was cheaper than buying outright for once.

I never insure my phones and I've never lost or broken one. But the standalone insurance is well known for being expensive and full of exclusions. You'd be best covering it on your house insurance.

Thanks for everyone's tips!

I'm going to try calling Three. When I got the phone I have just now they were very rude instore and like 'you want X model? its almost extinct, get this model, well for only £5 a month more you could get the newer one" etc etc and were showing me contracts at about £70 pm.

When I phoned up last time they were able to offer me other deals from what I'd seen online which I thought the live chat might do but no joy today!

£26 a month, 2 year contract (o2) iphone se 2020 with unlimited calls and text plus 40g data. Worked out cheaper then buying outright and going sim only.

Just looked and the iPhone 11 is available for £29 a month on a two year contract for unlimited data

I pay £59 for iPhone 12 Pro Max I took out last year. Extras on top and my DH’s phone, I pay a total of £98.

I won’t be upgrading again, it’s so expensive.

I got a Samsung Galaxy A52 5G with O2 last year for £23 p/m over 2 years that's with unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 30GB data. Paid nothing upfront and it's a great phone.

Always buy the phone separately.

Apple does finance deals at 0%. You can pick your phone, pay monthly and then get a great sim only deal.

£46 month iPhone 12. Had it about 18 months. Thought it was on a 24 month contact but just checked and it's 36 month contract which is a pain!

Another one on the £6 a month Giffgaff bundle - I bought the phone (iPhone SE) outright in 2017. It’s had the battery replaced once but is otherwise in perfect working order. Upgrading your phone every two years is such a con!

sim only, £12 a month, i buy the handsets outright

£8 per month for sim only with EE, I kept my old iPhone when the contract ended and just moved to sim only . The £8 was a reduction on what was advertised as I stayed with same company.

7glg....unlimited text& calls 7£ per month virgin

@Gladioli23 This is with Smarty. I usually get £3.50-ish back every month as I barely use my data.

Oppo Reno 4pro 5G. Bought the handset and use SIM only contract with ID mobile
Unlimited texts
Unlimited calls
50G data plus rollovers
Buying a phone on contract is a huge waste of money

Only cost me £10 a month

£5 sim only.

Also have poor network availability where we live but wifi calling fills in the gaps.

£32 a month, iPhone 12 with 150gb data and unlimited texts and calls

Bought phone outright and have a PAYG sim. Much cheaper in the long run.

Both Samsung and Apple do phones interest free phones.

For example the Samsung fold on contract with EE was £70 a month but you could get it with Samsung for £36 a month. Then buy a £10 a month sim.

If you are NHS and have a blue card you can get 15% off the phone and get £200 cash back from Samsung (offer at the time I got the fold).

Worked out loads cheaper.

I pay £10 a month

£6 monthly rolling contract with unlimited phone calls and think 10gb of data. I can cancel with a month's notice. I bought my phone outright for £100 and it's amazing Motorola.