Want a 3G iPhone? Get it the cheapest way

Former_MSE_Lawrence

This week, the much-hyped Apple iPhone 3G is released. One thing it isn't is cheap; after all, paying for a handset on contract's hard to take nowadays. Still, if you've decided nothing else will do, you can eke out a (slightly) better deal.

How?

o2 will let you downgrade a tariff after 9 months, meaning that if you opt for a tariff higher than the one you want when buying, you'll save on the handset cost. Then downgrade after nine months and you'll come out £10 up, having enjoyed 9 months with twice as many free minutes.

Furthermore, order online and you can grab a possible £35 cashback on your contract with o2, or £20 if you buy via Carphone Warehouse.

Examples:

• 16 GB iPhone 3G. £159 on £35/month, £59 on £45/month
  
  If you want the 16GB version, and you're organised enough to cancel in time, take out the £45/month contract when you buy the phone so you get it for £59 outright. Add the date in 9 months time to the tart alert, and the phone's calendar when you receive it to be sure you'll remember.
  
  Over 9 months you'll spend £90 more than you would have on the £35 tariff, but you'll have got the phone £100 cheaper, so you'll save £10 before cashback. What's more, you'll have 1200 cross network minutes for 9 months, then 600.

• 8GB iPhone 3G. £99 on £30/£35/month, Free on £45/month
  
  If you want to take the £30/month contract, which is the cheapest but only includes a miserly 75 cross network minutes and 125 texts per month, this method doesn't work out cheaper. If you want the same £35 tariff as above, you'll save £9 after 9 months of 1200 mins before cashback by buying the £45 tariff at first.

Get Cashback too:

Buy the contract at o2 via TopCashback or Quidco and you can get £35 cashback too, bringing the overall saving to £44/45 depending on which size you opt for. If you don't already have a Quidco account, it's better to use TopCashback, as it doesn't take a cut of your cash (Quidco takes the first £5 you earn).

That's as much as I managed to get off the cost of one. If you've worked out a cheaper way, do please post below, as I'm planning to get one (terrible, I know!).

-Lawrence

baronbuzby

£60 cashback at CPW. Mine has tracked.

mcwarre

!!!!!! the iPhone. Get the HTC Touch Diamond much much better.

arfster

mcwarre wrote: »

!!!!!! the iPhone. Get the HTC Touch Diamond much much better.

You mean apart from the miniscule screen? Iphone's is 56% bigger.

I won't even mention Windows mobile.....

BlueICe_2

save another £10 by buying any one of these £9.99 phone from argos and use it as a trade in as trade in price is £20.00

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Browse?pp=20&s=Price%3A+Low+-+High&storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001001&langId=-1&c_2=2%7Ccat_9555804%7CMobile%2Bphones%7C9555929&c_3=3%7Ccat_9555929%7CVirgin%2Bmobile%2Bphones%7C9555940&c_1=1%7Ccategory_root%7COffice%252C%2BPC%2Band%2Bphones%7C9555804&x=29&y=12

arfster

baronbuzby wrote: »

£60 cashback at CPW. Mine has tracked.

Mine also. Highly unlikely we actually get that though, since that's just quidco's screwup surely.

mcwarre

arfster wrote: »

You mean apart from the miniscule screen? Iphone's is 56% bigger.

So get a laptop. Checkout the screen resolution - iPhone is 320x480 whilst Diamond is 480x640. Eat. My. Shorts.

arfster wrote: »

I won't even mention Windows mobile.....

Does the iPhone support many third party apps? Get tomtom?

Windows mobile phones are what the iPhone always should have been. IF it had been that from day one then there would have been a challenge. Form over function is the simple argument. A lot of money for not a lot.........................

Look here

How much does the iPhone cost? My HTC touch was free

bilbo_2

can anyone tell me if there is a cheap way of getting a wifi phone on a free contract or low cost

thanks

just want it for the wifi other features not important

mcwarre

bilbo wrote: »

can anyone tell me if there is a cheap way of getting a wifi phone on a free contract or low cost

thanks

just want it for the wifi other features not important

If you use wifi you will probably want either a music player, internet or email - else wise why do you need wifi? You are probably better off getting a windows mobile based phone as, if you are not a teccie or a gadget freak, it will be easier to set up with your wifi.

Jeezeypeeps

BlueICe wrote: »

save another £10 by buying any one of these £9.99 phone from argos and use it as a trade in as trade in price is £20.00

Who takes the trade in? O2 or CPW? Can't see it on either site.

Jeezeypeeps

mcwarre wrote: »

So get a laptop. Checkout the screen resolution - iPhone is 320x480 whilst Diamond is 480x640. Eat. My. Shorts.

Look here

Good link! This was the best bit...

"iPhone: I have a user interface that people can easily understand and use. No more going through lots of menus and trying to access simple functions. Plus, I’m beautiful and people actually want me. Windows Mobile: Uh…
iPhone: People stood in line to get me when I first showed up. How many stood in line to get you?
Windows Mobile: Uh…
iPhone: I have a real internet browser, not one won’t access most sites.
Windows Mobile: Look, I, uh…
iPhone: And widescreen movies look great on my higher resolution screen.
Windows Mobile: Enough. I’m going o home and wait for some mail to get pushed to me. Bwwwaaaa! Gates, why can’t you copy the iPhone like you did the Mac?"