Dithering - Which iPhone4s deal to choose - advice please!?

Kat2

Please help!

I'd like a new iphone4s & don't know which deal to go for.

Please note, I've copied this from the 'cheap iphones thread' as I'm not sure it was getting many views or was in the right place! Aplogies for the long post - I'm a regular browser of MSE but have not contributed in some time & am a bit out of practice!

After reading the 'cheap iphones' article, I have come up with several options for getting a new iPhone 4S 16gb.

I am currently on O2, am 6 months out of contract, have an iPhone 3gs 8gb which I want to upgrade. I have worked out I have paid way too much (£90+ over last 6 months) since my contract ended for 600 mins, unlimited texts and 500mb data on O2. My usual monthly usage is around 200 - 300 mins, however there have been 3 months when I have used 379, 537 and 378 mins respectively (usually when ill in hospital). Data and texts sufficient for my needs.

I need some impartial advice as to the best deal out of:

Option 1 - Buy the phone outright for £499 (I can afford to do this) and get a 12-month Tesco mobile SIM only contract for either £10.00 or £12.50 per month. First needs me to cut the SIM to size (it's not a micro sim), offers 750 mins, 3k texts and 1gb data. Second is a micro sim offering 500 mins, 3k texts and 1gb data plus unlimited BT openzone wi-fi.

I have looked at GiffGaff but they don't offer quite enough minutes. Does anyone have any experience with Tesco mobile? Apparently they use the O2 network, only fly in the ointment being they don't offer visual voicemail or call forwarding (which I use to prevent being billed for calls whilst abroad). Quidco have I think 2% cashback on Apple iPhones so that's approx £10.

Total cost = £499 + (12 x 10.00) - £10 = £609
or £499 + (12 x 12.50) - £10 = £639

http://phone-shop.tesco.com/tesco-mobile/sims/

If assuming I can't get a cheaper SIM only deal after 12 months, then cost for 24 months works out at:

£499 + (24 x 10.00) - £10 = £729
or £499 + (24 x 12.50) - £10 = £789

I'm fairly tech savvy, so is cutting the SIM to size in any way risky? Have many people done it?

Option 2 - 24 month contract with O2 via Tesco Phone shop. 300 mins, 3k texts, 500mb data + 20 free mms for £32 per month. Phone is 'free'. Quidco doing £60 cashback.
Total cost = (£32 x 24) - £60 = £708

http://phone-shop.tesco.com/mobile-p...1-3a5df33ab25f

The downsides of this deal are that 300 mins might not always be enough and I assume charges will be high if I go over my inclusive minutes. Also 24 months is a long contract and I'm worried about the phone going wrong when it's out of 12 months warranty and being stuck paying for it for another year.... However I feel there is some security in having the phone linked to the contract as they would replace it immediately, especially if it was within the first 12 months.

I have accidental damage and 'all risks personal possessions on my home insurance, so I assume any handset I buy outright will be covered. I am just a bit nervous about getting it stolen and not having it replaced quickly as it's not linked to a contract.

Incidentally I have called O2 retentions twice and they could not offer me a better deal than the Tesco contract deal, despite some persistence on my part. Best they offered was:

£32 a month, 300 mins + 200 extra mins, 3k text and 500mb data plus £76 for phone, 24 months contract
Total cost = £76 + (32 x 24) = £844

or

£37 a month, 900 mins, 3k text and 1gb data, 24 month contract and free phone
Total cost = 37 x 24 = £888

Rubbish deals compared to what I have found myself

Anyway, I am sick of browsing and just want to make up my mind. I'd be really, really grateful if someone could cast an impartial eye to help me decide!

Many thanks,

Kat x

Buzby

Why? Don't get me wrong it's a great phone - but is over a year old and the iPhone 5 is expected out in the next few months. If you go contract, you will be tied in for 2 years and unable to get the latest model. In your shoes, either buy s/h then resell when the 5 comes out, or wait until it is launched, and then be ahead of the rest!

Kat2

Buzby wrote: »

Why? Don't get me wrong it's a great phone - but is over a year old and the iPhone 5 is expected out in the next few months. If you go contract, you will be tied in for 2 years and unable to get the latest model. In your shoes, either buy s/h then resell when the 5 comes out, or wait until it is launched, and then be ahead of the rest!

Hi Busby... I was told the '5' is not due out until November... Ive waited too long already and am fed up with the rubbish battery life and poor speakerphone on my iPhone 3gs.

I've waited too long already to get a new phone... but yes 24 months is a long time to be tied in to the 4s. I am not bothered about getting the 5 as soon as it comes out - just want a good working iphone with a better battery life! Daft question probably, but if I buy an iphone4s now, where is the best place to resell in say, a year's time? I feel I will not have saved if I sell it in a year's time, as it will have cost me £609 for one year plus SIM only airtime... I *know* overall it's cheaper to buy one outright rather than contract, but after one year the contract will only have cost me approx £354 and being tied in for 2 years means there's less temptation to upgrade to the latest whizzy iphone 5 just because I can! Regardless of buying the phone, I still need some airtime, so over 2 years the contract is actually slightly cheaper... (£708 vs £729 outright)...

Oh heck... don't know *what* to do. Hubby wants to take me to 'Phones 4U' on Friday to see what they offer. He is wedded to contracts but I'm sceptical, I just don't think they'll be able to offer me anything like as good a deal. Guess it might be fun seeing if whichever 'wide boy' I get to talk to wants to try to offer me a deal!

Kat x

robbies_gal

how is it over a year old thought the 4s came out around last october?

Buzby

Why not get the battery replaced in your 3GS? It cost me £35 at my local dealer and it is as good as new again. I've a 4, but there's not enough ub the 4s to make it a 'must have' upgrade, from a 3GS absolutely, but not if a new model is barely 4-6 months away, and you;ll be stuck with a contract for another 18 months. Depending on which rumour you listen to the 5 will be out any time from July, this same source also said March for the iPad 3 and that seems to be holding up.

As for the 'over a year' I was talking generationally, as the 4 and 4s are visually identical and I remain of the opinion that the 4s was simply a refresh, nothing more.

Gordon_Hose

Why does it have to be an iPhone?

There are comparable, even better, phones out there for a fraction of the price.

Kat2

Hi Gordon - That's kind of missing the point of this thread... but yes, it does have to be an iPhone as I really like the UI and having loved my 3gs since I got it, I can't imagine using anything else. I *know* I'm paying over the odds compared with Android, hence trying to get the cheapest deal on a new 4s phone.

Also, hubby has an HTC and he's forever on my iPhone instead (no wonder the battery drains so fast!)... I've tried my best to love his HTC but it just doesn't compare to the iPhone

So thanks, but an iPhone it is!

Kat x

Gordon_Hose

I recently moved away from Apple (last week). Wish I'd done it sooner.

owen1978

just buy the phone and choose a sim only option!
Have 02 retentions spoken to you yet?
Did you tell them you want to so sim only? you might have a lot of loyalty built up so they might give you a good sim only offer?

jb66

Best option with the iPhone is to buy outright, apple via quidco and a sim deal via quidco, have you looked at the 4 not the 4s?

Kat2

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the feedback.. I have called O2 twice and chosen the option for 'leaving O2'... assumed I was put through to retentions but did not ask for this department specifically. On both occasions they were unable to offer me a better deal than what was freely available to anyone online! I did tell them I was thinking of going SIM only and they offered the bog standard £16.50 deal, again available to anyone online... So much for loyalty

I think it's probably a no-brainer... I just need to have the confidence to leave the security of a contract. I have looked at at iPhone4 but decided that seeing as I'm going to need to have it for a while to get my money's worth, it makes sense to get the latest model ie: the 4s rather than the 4. I will go via quidco however sadly the cashback is only 2% not 3% as quoted on MSE.. There's no cashback that I can see on the Tesco SIM only deal. I think I want to stay with the O2 network rather than Vodafone, so will go for this unless anyone's aware of a better SIM-only deal for 500 mins, unlimited text and 500mb data (Tesco is £10.00 or £12.50 micro-sim).

All advice gratefully received.

Kat x