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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask what you pay for your phone?

110 replies

boringbertha1 · 04/02/2022 11:39

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.

OP posts:
HidingFromDD · 05/02/2022 12:00

£35 a month for iPhone 11 and 20gb data (might be 30). Do your research and bargain hard. I usually spend about an hour and a half on the phone when I upgrade. Although have been EE customer since they were orange and have 3 phones and broadband with them

Zeflyinghelmetandzevetcelery · 05/02/2022 12:26

£5 a month to buy a bundle with unlimited calls and texts. I use wi-fi mostly, though data is capped at a charge of £1 or two a day if I'm out of range. Tend to buy my own handsets and use them until they stop working.

In the early days of mobile phones I used to get a new contract including the latest new phone every year, but the novelty usually wore off before the first overinflated bill arrived.

ThinWomansBrain · 05/02/2022 12:57

ID (carphone warehouse/currys) £6 a month for unlimited minutes and texts, and 4gb of data - and unused data rolls over.
I've never needed to, but you can buy bundles of data cheaply if you get near the limit.
It's SIM only - I've currently got a Motorola G7 that was about £70 - my Motorola before that lasted for ages and wouldn't have replaced it if I hadn't dropped it in the loo.

Keep your current phone and move providers - saving of £25+ monthly easily acheivable on what you're paying now - let alone the proposed price hike.

ConsuelaHammock · 05/02/2022 13:31

Phone cost about £350 about 3 years ago. Maybe 4? It’s a IPhone 7 Plus. I’ll keep it until it dies. Sim only deal has always been £8 but it recently went up to £10 a month when I added more monthly data.
Go into all the price comparison websites and find the best deal . Then approach your current network and ask them to match it . If they don’t then walk. You shouldn’t be paying anymore than £25/30 a month

ConsuelaHammock · 05/02/2022 13:32

Try mobile phones direct for some good deals.

YetAnotherWalk · 05/02/2022 13:34

£8 with giff gaff with a Samsung phone bought outright for under £150. Does everything I need it to do.

freecuthbert · 05/02/2022 13:37

Bought phone up front, SIM only is £13 a month (unlimited texts and calls, 36GB a month and can roll over data to the next month). I could have gone for a cheaper one but I needed the data! But it's still a lot cheaper each month than a phone contract.

Piglet89 · 05/02/2022 13:39

Plusnet SIM only £6pm, 12 month contract. 4GB data, unlimited calls and texts.

I have an ancient iPhone XR tho, which I bought upfront. I don’t care about having latest model as long as phone does what I need it to, which it does.

Very pleased with Plusnet’s SIM only mobile deal and wish I’d changed from o2 much sooner than I did! Used to pay £20PM for much less data.

eldora · 05/02/2022 13:40

Have had the same iPhone since 2012. Pay £3 per month for unlimited calls, texts and 1GB of data. Hardly use the data due to wifi so accumulated a lot of data.

eldora · 05/02/2022 13:42

@boringbertha1

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!

They work on commission, I treat them as coldly as they treat me.
ConsuelaHammock · 05/02/2022 13:48

www.mobilephonesdirect.co.uk/handset/apple/iphone-11?upfront_cost=0
Iphone 11 for £29 a month . No upfront cost

ConsuelaHammock · 05/02/2022 13:51

And don’t forget to go through a cashback website such as topcashback or Quidco

To ask what you pay for your phone?
sorryforswearing · 05/02/2022 14:03

I recently bought a refurbished IPhone from The Big Phone Store. It was labelled as being in good condition but was actually pristine . I know several people who have bought from them and have been very happy. I have very good sim only contract with EE. Started off about £10 month but currently costing me £2.50 . Don’t know why but I’m keeping my head down.

Ireolu · 05/02/2022 14:07

10/month SIM only. Only ever go over when I am abroad and forget to buy an appropriate data bundle.

FuzzyPuffling · 05/02/2022 14:07

£5 pm, SIM only. Phone ( Nokia 7) is now 2.5 years old and doing perfectly well.

Lightning020 · 05/02/2022 14:07

I am not into gadgets so buy my handsets reconditioned. £7.50 a month to Tescos mobile.

Lightning020 · 05/02/2022 14:10

I really dont need an all singing all dancing latest handset. It doesnt need to make toast lol.

mandajmo · 05/02/2022 14:13

I've just sorted my mum a new iPhone out and Sky were unbeatable. I have EE, hubby and son Sky. Piggy bank is great for rolling over unused data if you don't want an expensive unlimited deal.

Gizacluethen · 05/02/2022 14:15

I have a Samsung S20 FE. I bought it, I pay 10 quid a month for voxi which is vodaphone.

Wingedharpy · 05/02/2022 14:16

£20 a year with 1p mobile pay as you go.
Phone bought new but I can't use it.
I need a course.Confused

HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime · 05/02/2022 14:18

Do you have to have an iPhone? I bought Dd a midrange Nokia for £150 and a sim only Id mobile contract for £3.99, its perfectly good for all normal smart phone apps and has a great camera.

I pay £20 a month x 36 months for my Sony Xperia (£14 phone and PS4 + £6 sim). I'm due to renew soon and tempted to get what Dd has once my current phone dies.

Champagneforeveryone · 05/02/2022 14:19

Ours is a shade under £150 a month, that's for two iPhone 13's and the latest Google Pixel (the 6 possibly?)

We live rurally and often rely on mobile data so have quite a hefty data allowance on my phone which I gift to DH and DS.

Nevertheless I'm always slightly mortified when the monthly DD comes out as it is such an extravagance. I justify it by considering all the ways in which we all use our phones and overall it's a low cost per hour.

Still appalling though Confused

Svara · 05/02/2022 14:21

I bought my phone for £120 and sim only contract is £9 a month, same for DS except he bought a better second hand phone for the same cost instead.

44PumpLane · 05/02/2022 14:30

I bought a new phone and changed sim yesterday- £849 for the Google Pixel 6 Pro (and I'll get 10% store credit back which I shall use to buy a nest doorbell) and £10 per month for a three sim only deal.... 100Gb data, unlimited calls and texts. 12 month tie in to the three sim.

I use billmonitor to compare deals.

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