Please help us test the updated iPhone tool!

Former_MSE_Becca

Help us test our new iPhone comparison tool.

The new iPhone 5S and 5C are now available, and we’ve updated our tool to include the two new phones.

It would be great if you could spare 5 minutes to help us test it, and report back on what you find.

What we’d like feedback on

Anything and everything about the tool's functionality. What works for you? What doesn't? Have you spotted any glitches or bugs? Are there any other features you think should be included?

We've also got a "What can I afford?" tool, which lets you find an iPhone for your budget. Would be great to hear what you think of this.

What’s not finished?

We're still working on a number of things, including:

• There's a slight problem with Carphone Warehouse data, where we're showing some tariffs as 0MB, when they should actually have data included with the tariff
• We haven't got data from Tesco Mobile yet, so there are no results for the 5S or 5C from Tesco - we hope to add these soon, as Tesco are usually one of our top picks.

Click reply to post your feedback. For any bugs etc, please include the browser you're using the tool in, and the version of that browser (if you know it).

Thanks in advance,
MSE Becca


www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-iphone

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

NFH

Why are one-month contracts not listed? It's possible to select only 12, 18 or 24 months.

MSE has neglected to include the cheapest option of all which is to pay full price for a SIM-free iPhone from Apple and get a SIM-only contract (starting at one month). Why does MSE insist on promoting bundled iPhones and service contracts?

Bundled handsets and service contracts whereby handsets are subsidised through inflated monthly service charges:

• Encourages consumers to acquire handsets they cannot truly afford through an unhealthy "buy now pay later" consumer debt culture.
• Distorts competition by disguising the true price of the handset and of the service, as opposed to a SIM-free handset and SIM-only service.
• Encourages wasteful acquisition of new handsets because consumers mistakenly believe they are receiving the handset for free or for very little.
• Necessitates long contract durations in order to spread the cost of the handset, which inhibits competition by preventing consumers from switching networks.
• Causes consumers to continue paying the inflated monthly charge even after they have paid off the subsidy of the handset, unless they remember to take action at the end of the minimum contract period.

These subsidised handsets are usually SIM-locked which:

• Inhibits competition as it makes it more difficult to switch networks.
• Prevents consumers from using local SIM cards abroad, allowing UK networks to impose unreasonably high roaming charges by excluding foreign competition.

In the spirit of money saving, MSE should be promoting the cheapest option and not promoting this financially unhealthy "buy now pay later" method of acquiring an iPhone.

Nevertheless, having said all this, if consumers really don't want to save up in advance for their new iPhone and prefer to pay for it in arrears, they can get a 14.9% APR loan from Apple, which will usually be cheaper than the disguised loans from the mobile networks.

Frozen_up_north

NFH I totally agree with you! In addition, the "cheapest deal overall" only has 250 Mb per month... which is totally useless on a smart phone, let alone a top of the range one.

With the very patchy 4G rollout and lousy amounts of data on some deals, the best option has to be the outright purchase of a SIM free phone (beware that iPhones from some high street shops lock to the network of the first SIM inserted -Carphone Warehouse and others) then go for a 30 day SIM only contract which makes for relatively painless network swapping if you find a better deal or better coverage.

Savvybunny2009

Great tool, there are often deals posted here and there so it's good to have somewhere that you can properly compare your iPhone options.

I disagree NFH, 1 month contracts are not available for iPhones, only sim-only, and if you scroll it has the pay as you go prices listed too.

Some users may need very high data plans but many have unlimited wifi at home, it really depends on how you use your phone on what your needs are, when I am out and about, I may want to check my emails, or mse when I'm out shopping but there wont be many situations I would need to use a high amount of data.

I could pay for the phone sim free for £549 but, it would have no sim, and it locks to the first sim you use anyway, on their cheapest deal you would be paying £38 extra for 24 months on that tariff, working out circa £1.58 per month solely for the tariff, which is good for 50 mins, 100 texts, 250mb data. Like I say, it wont certainly wont be for everyone but good for those who can afford the handset cost and want a basic contract because they have unlimited wifi.

NFH

Savvybunny2009 wrote: »

I disagree NFH, 1 month contracts are not available for iPhones, only sim-only, and if you scroll it has the pay as you go prices listed too.

My point is that SIM-free/SIM-only should be the most prominent option, as it's usually the cheapest. This option should be within the comparison tool, not hidden away in a paragraph at the end of the page.

Savvybunny2009 wrote: »

I could pay for the phone sim free for £549 but, it would have no sim, and it locks to the first sim you use anyway

That is not true. If you buy an iPhone SIM-free from Apple, it never locks to any network. What you're saying happens only with the Carphone Warehouse's stock of iPhones, because they use most of their stock for network-subsidised "buy now pay later" iPhones, and the minority of iPhones that they sell SIM-free also suffer the SIM-locking to the first SIM card inserted. I have an Apple-supplied iPhone and I've used lots of different SIM cards in it, for example when I travel abroad.

Frozen_up_north

Savvybunny2009 wrote: »

I could pay for the phone sim free for £549 but, it would have no sim, and it locks to the first sim you use anyway

Not correct, if the phone is bought directly from Apple, it is SIM free and does not lock to any network.

Former_MSE_Andrea

Thanks for your help so far, keep them coming