Best iphone deal for a basic model?

domvics

I want to get an iphone but am not too fussed about the phone beingthe most up to date. I want to make calls use the email facility and maybe use it for the odd bit of internet searching. Also for music and as a camera. I usually have pay as you go and don't spend more that about £120 a year on calls. Could anyone help me source a good offer. I am happy to pay for the phone and go pay as you go again but think a contract may suit me better as long as it is not massivley expensive. I also need advice on the model I could go with I think that if I trade down to a 8GB 3G that I may get a better deal? All advice VERY gratefully received! Thx VLC

Exhortation

£29 will get you a 3GS with 8gb on Three. You then pay £30 pcm for 24 months and this gets you something like 500 minutes plus 1gb of internet, 5000 texts and 5000 mins of Three-2-Three calls. Voicemail is free but you have to pay for MMS (send and receive). If you can get a friend to recommend you then you'll both get a £45 credit once the contract has been running for 60 days. My wife got this deal but managed to get a 32gb model as she got in early but I don't think they have any left now.

liubeliu

or £129 for phone and then £25 per month for same mins, text and data

Oscar_The_Grouch

Hi there & wecome to the forum.

OK - You've said you want an iPhone, so I'm not going to go over the details of HTC phones, Blackberrys and the like; let's just focus on the iPhone.

I'd suggest NOT getting anything lower than the 3GS. The original iPhone is completely out of date and there have been reports by other forum members that the 3G works very slowly with the latest operating system.

So that leaves you with the 3GS or the 4.

The iPhone 4 has the superior processor and battery, as well as the better camera and screen. I'm not going to go into the antenna issue - you're probably aware of it and it has been well documented elsewhere.

The iPhone 3GS is now only available as the 8GB model, so if you want the 16Gb or 32Gb, you need to be looking to one of the original sellers of the phone, such as O2. One big advantage of the 3GS is that there are LOADS of extras, cases, attachments and the like as the phone's shape has been around for long enough to build up a supply of cloaned and copied items.

I do think a contract is your best bet, as you will need "data" (internet and e-mail) and this can be expensive on pay as you go. The tariffs from Three seem to be the best at the mo (clicky), but they are all 2-year contracts.

Your other option is to go for a second hand phone. O2 do sell on "reconditioned" iPhones, but I think they are only available on contract.

I'm not going to recommend eBay, but will suggest that if you are going to buy from there, go for someone with 99% feedback or better (100% if possible), who has been a member for a good couple of years and has feedback of over 500. Don't be afraid to contact the seller to get more information from them. Tell them that you'd like to take the phone to an Apple Genius Bar to have it checked over when you get it and will they provide a full refund, including your cost of posting the phone back, if Apple find any issues.

If you do buy an iPhone outright, I'd suggest avoiding PAYG and moving on to a "sim only" contract. You say you are spending about £120 a year on calls. You need to add "data" so that's going to bump up the price straight away. I'd suggest something like O2's Simplicity £15 tariff over 12 months (300 minutes, unlimited texts and 500Mb data per month) or Three's 1 month rolling plan for the same price which gives you double the data and allows you to "leave" if you are not happy with the service/coverage after just 30 days. You will need to get your phone unlocked if it is not already. Expect to pay £10 for this.

On this site, there is a "money saving apps" thread. Have a look at it, as it gives you details of some really useful apps including Skobbler - free sat nav.

One final suggestion: buy a clock radio.
I know this sounds stupid, but there's nothing worse than getting up in the morning to find that your iPhone is dead. Get a clock radio with an iPhone dock and get into the habit of plugging your phone in when you go to bed. You'll always know where your phone is, always have it charged up and ready and never have that awkward "my phone is dead" issue.