Pay as you go with an iPhone?

altyfc

My Mum currently has a PAYG contract with Virgin and ends up with a very modest monthly bill of usually just 1 or 2 pounds.

I gave her an iPod touch which we had kicking around and she really likes that and is wondering about an iPhone.

Is the only way to get an iPhone these days to be on a contract? (I know mine is with Tesco and around £15 a month). Or are there ways to have an iPhone on a PAYG basis? She is not averse to paying the upfront cost for the phone if it means she can be on a better monthly deal.

Any advice on the best deals for her situation would be appreciated. Thank you.

grumbler

Official Apple Store UK

I don't think that you'll find a much better deal on PAYG, but ebay is worth checking (I would consider only brand new unopened and unlocked from ebay).

For a sim it is worth considering free Ovivo (200m+500Mb).

Buzby

I've purchased all my iPhones s/h on eBay, (Five so far) all without issue and at savings of £150-£100 on the prices available from the Apple Store and mobile retailers. A 3UK iPhone SIM on PAYG also provided a reasonable deal at £5pm for data and free incoming calls.

The 3GS will be the cheapest, however the prices for these will drop considerably next month, as these will not take the latest iOS 6 to be launched around the same time.

faultylightbulb

I think the only way to do is to buy the phone directly from an Apply store.

This is the only way to ensure that it is sim free as opppsed to the ones from phones for you ect which lock on the first sim you put into it.

That way you can put any PAYG sim in if you wanted to.

HelenR1987

I would check Ebay or Cex (or other secondhand electronics stores) for a reasonably priced sim free iPhone.

Many mobile phones shops will unlock your phone for £5-£10 but it saves all the hassle buying it already unlocked.

grumbler

HelenR1987 wrote: »

Many mobile phones shops will unlock your phone for £5-£10

Not iPhone.

jayme1

I bought my iPhone from CEX, whacked in my PAYG 3 sim card and that was it, every 30 days I buy the £5 data add-on so I can use the internet out and about,
but you don't have to buy an add-on in the Settings you can turn off 'Data' you can still use it just like any other phone and still surf the internet while on WiFi, total cost per month would be the same as she spends now.

if she doesn't want 2nd hand then you can buy the iPhone sim free from Apple, although the brand new iPhone is set to come out next moth so I would wait if you are looking to buy the latest one.

Humphrey10

I'd always recommend buying direct from Apple in store, then you can check for dead pixels or any other problems and get it replaced then and there.