Trying to do the math around a new Tesco Mobile contract vs staying with EE and buying the handset.

tetsuobodyhammer

Hello All,

I'm trying to figure out whether it would be better for me financially in the long run to move to Tesco mobile from EE on a new contract in order to get the handset that I am after, or to stay with EE, purchase the handset outright and downgrade the airtime/data contract with them.

It's highly likely that I am being dense about this, but i wanted to ask the question here just in case I am missing something that someone else may be able to identify at the outset. I am not very skilled when it comes to numbers, unfortunately.

In a nutshell, i am looking for an iPhone 13 Pro Max at the lowest possible monthly cost of no more than £50 per month and with the lowest possible upfront cost (as close to £50 as is possible).

Tesco seem to have a reasonable offer which can be built on their website which is essentially the following:

Pay monthly contract

128Gb handset

25GB data (£20)

Free calls, texts

Upfront cost (£60) - the total cost of the handset on tesco's website is £1134, which is £85 more expensive than Apple's price

36 month contract

The total cost of this contract is £49.82 per month for 36 months.

I currently pay EE £25 per month - this is a pay monthly contract although I do not know how long for and i believe i can terminate it with one month's notice unless I am incorrect - for which i get the following:

120GB data (of which i use a maximum of 18GB per month)

Free calls, texts

The total cost of my current contract is £25 per month.

If i were to go to Apple and buy the handset at £1049 outright or finance it with 0% APR for £43 per month, i would save £85 over the cost of the handset through tesco. But there is no option for me to downgrade my EE contract to the point where i would be paying the £43 for the handset through apple and then to be able to also get a workable airtime contract through EE for £7 - so that the total monthly cost would be £50 per month.

Am i overthinking this? The most obvious solution would be to switch over to tesco. I am not really interested in coverage statistics, 5G, 'best rated network' or anything like that - at this point i need a new handset, i want this particular piece of hardware and my ideal outcome is the montly cost (plus a bit up front). I can't quite see if i've not factored anything in here or i am completely missing something.

Any advice would be a real help.

PZ19

Can’t you buy handset outright and then get cheap sim only deal.  Look on uswitch. Check coverage in your area if switching provider.  You may not even have to switch. 30gb sim with 3 is £8pm for example. Vodafone 40gb for £10.

advantage of buying it from apple on 0% finance is when they bring a new phone out in future you can go and trade in and I think they trade in at whatever you have outstanding, so you get new phone every time they bring one out if you want to 

have a look at sites such as mobiles.co.Uk they got one at £35pm for 2 years on Vodafone 100gb plus £388 upfront so total cost £1228 over 2 years

cheapest_electrical store on eBay aswell, especially if you get an eBay code with 15-20% discount worth a look 

HaroldWren5

tetsuobodyhammer said:

Hello All,

I'm trying to figure out whether it would be better for me financially in the long run to move to Tesco mobile from EE on a new contract in order to get the handset that I am after, or to stay with EE, purchase the handset outright and downgrade the airtime/data contract with them.

It's highly likely that I am being dense about this, but i wanted to ask the question here just in case I am missing something that someone else may be able to identify at the outset. I am not very skilled when it comes to numbers, unfortunately.

In a nutshell, i am looking for an iPhone 13 Pro Max at the lowest possible monthly cost of no more than £50 per month and with the lowest possible upfront cost (as close to £50 as is possible).

Tesco seem to have a reasonable offer which can be built on their website which is essentially the following:

Pay monthly contract

128Gb handset

25GB data (£20)

Free calls, texts

Upfront cost (£60) - the total cost of the handset on tesco's website is £1134, which is £85 more expensive than Apple's price

36 month contract

The total cost of this contract is £49.82 per month for 36 months.

I currently pay EE £25 per month - this is a pay monthly contract although I do not know how long for and i believe i can terminate it with one month's notice unless I am incorrect - for which i get the following:

120GB data (of which i use a maximum of 18GB per month)

Free calls, texts

The total cost of my current contract is £25 per month.

If i were to go to Apple and buy the handset at £1049 outright or finance it with 0% APR for £43 per month, i would save £85 over the cost of the handset through tesco. But there is no option for me to downgrade my EE contract to the point where i would be paying the £43 for the handset through apple and then to be able to also get a workable airtime contract through EE for £7 - so that the total monthly cost would be £50 per month.

Am i overthinking this? The most obvious solution would be to switch over to tesco. I am not really interested in coverage statistics, 5G, 'best rated network' or anything like that - at this point i need a new handset, i want this particular piece of hardware and my ideal outcome is the montly cost (plus a bit up front). I can't quite see if i've not factored anything in here or i am completely missing something.

Any advice would be a real help.

I think what you've suggested sounds reasonable. These seem like your best options:

1.Tesco Mobile - 128GB iPhone and 25GB Data Contract
36 month contract
£60 upfront cost
£49.82 a month (£29.82 for the iPhone and £20 for Airtime)
Uses O2 network

2. ID Mobile - 128GB iPhone and Unlimited Data Contract
24 month contract
£49 upfront
£52.99 a month
Uses Three Network

3. Apple 128GB iPhone and TalkMobile 30GB Data Contract
Apple Financing for 24 months (£43 a month)
£10 a month for Airtime contract with 30GB Data (Rolling 30 day contract), £5 a month for first 3 months
£53 a month (£48 a month for first 3 months)
Uses Vodafone network

tetsuobodyhammer

PZ19 said:

Can’t you buy handset outright and then get cheap sim only deal.  Look on uswitch. Check coverage in your area if switching provider.  You may not even have to switch. 30gb sim with 3 is £8pm for example. Vodafone 40gb for £10.

advantage of buying it from apple on 0% finance is when they bring a new phone out in future you can go and trade in and I think they trade in at whatever you have outstanding, so you get new phone every time they bring one out if you want to 

have a look at sites such as mobiles.co.Uk they got one at £35pm for 2 years on Vodafone 100gb plus £388 upfront so total cost £1228 over 2 years

cheapest_electrical store on eBay aswell, especially if you get an eBay code with 15-20% discount worth a look 

That SIM only option was exactly what I am looking for, thanks.

Bit frustrated that ee did not make much of any effort to offer me something like this - i said i was looking around and their response was just oh well, we're not going to give you anything near to what you want. But if i go for the Three 30GB SIM for £8 then the phone is £43 through Apple which comes in at just over £50, and as you mentioned there might be the option to upgrade later.

PZ19

tetsuobodyhammer said:

PZ19 said:

Can’t you buy handset outright and then get cheap sim only deal.  Look on uswitch. Check coverage in your area if switching provider.  You may not even have to switch. 30gb sim with 3 is £8pm for example. Vodafone 40gb for £10.

advantage of buying it from apple on 0% finance is when they bring a new phone out in future you can go and trade in and I think they trade in at whatever you have outstanding, so you get new phone every time they bring one out if you want to 

have a look at sites such as mobiles.co.Uk they got one at £35pm for 2 years on Vodafone 100gb plus £388 upfront so total cost £1228 over 2 years

cheapest_electrical store on eBay aswell, especially if you get an eBay code with 15-20% discount worth a look 

That SIM only option was exactly what I am looking for, thanks.

Bit frustrated that ee did not make much of any effort to offer me something like this - i said i was looking around and their response was just oh well, we're not going to give you anything near to what you want. But if i go for the Three 30GB SIM for £8 then the phone is £43 through Apple which comes in at just over £50, and as you mentioned there might be the option to upgrade later.

I got that about apple upgrades from guy who runs a phone business. You basically end up with new phone every year. Trade in to new phone and they offer you whatever is outstanding on the phone apparently.  I hasten to add I have not done this personally, as I’m a Samsung man, but have no reason to doubt this guy.  I guess over the 2 years this would work at £1049 phone plus £192 sim so £1,241, a few pounds more than that Vodafone deal on mobiles.co.uk, but you get ability to trade in with apple, if you go direct with them

tetsuobodyhammer

PZ19 said:

tetsuobodyhammer said:

PZ19 said:

Can’t you buy handset outright and then get cheap sim only deal.  Look on uswitch. Check coverage in your area if switching provider.  You may not even have to switch. 30gb sim with 3 is £8pm for example. Vodafone 40gb for £10.

advantage of buying it from apple on 0% finance is when they bring a new phone out in future you can go and trade in and I think they trade in at whatever you have outstanding, so you get new phone every time they bring one out if you want to 

have a look at sites such as mobiles.co.Uk they got one at £35pm for 2 years on Vodafone 100gb plus £388 upfront so total cost £1228 over 2 years

cheapest_electrical store on eBay aswell, especially if you get an eBay code with 15-20% discount worth a look 

That SIM only option was exactly what I am looking for, thanks.

Bit frustrated that ee did not make much of any effort to offer me something like this - i said i was looking around and their response was just oh well, we're not going to give you anything near to what you want. But if i go for the Three 30GB SIM for £8 then the phone is £43 through Apple which comes in at just over £50, and as you mentioned there might be the option to upgrade later.

I got that about apple upgrades from guy who runs a phone business. You basically end up with new phone every year. Trade in to new phone and they offer you whatever is outstanding on the phone apparently.  I hasten to add I have not done this personally, as I’m a Samsung man, but have no reason to doubt this guy.  I guess over the 2 years this would work at £1049 phone plus £192 sim so £1,241, a few pounds more than that Vodafone deal on mobiles.co.uk, but you get ability to trade in with apple, if you go direct with them

It turns out I was missing something - apparently I am tied in to an EE 'SIM only' something or other until february which i totally did not realise. Almost tempted to buy out the remainder for £180 as credit and payment plan the phone from apple, then just switch to 3 in february for the £8 SIM only option.Trade in is definitely an option with an apple store purchase.

PZ19

tetsuobodyhammer said:

PZ19 said:

tetsuobodyhammer said:

PZ19 said:

Can’t you buy handset outright and then get cheap sim only deal.  Look on uswitch. Check coverage in your area if switching provider.  You may not even have to switch. 30gb sim with 3 is £8pm for example. Vodafone 40gb for £10.

advantage of buying it from apple on 0% finance is when they bring a new phone out in future you can go and trade in and I think they trade in at whatever you have outstanding, so you get new phone every time they bring one out if you want to 

have a look at sites such as mobiles.co.Uk they got one at £35pm for 2 years on Vodafone 100gb plus £388 upfront so total cost £1228 over 2 years

cheapest_electrical store on eBay aswell, especially if you get an eBay code with 15-20% discount worth a look 

That SIM only option was exactly what I am looking for, thanks.

Bit frustrated that ee did not make much of any effort to offer me something like this - i said i was looking around and their response was just oh well, we're not going to give you anything near to what you want. But if i go for the Three 30GB SIM for £8 then the phone is £43 through Apple which comes in at just over £50, and as you mentioned there might be the option to upgrade later.

I got that about apple upgrades from guy who runs a phone business. You basically end up with new phone every year. Trade in to new phone and they offer you whatever is outstanding on the phone apparently.  I hasten to add I have not done this personally, as I’m a Samsung man, but have no reason to doubt this guy.  I guess over the 2 years this would work at £1049 phone plus £192 sim so £1,241, a few pounds more than that Vodafone deal on mobiles.co.uk, but you get ability to trade in with apple, if you go direct with them

It turns out I was missing something - apparently I am tied in to an EE 'SIM only' something or other until february which i totally did not realise. Almost tempted to buy out the remainder for £180 as credit and payment plan the phone from apple, then just switch to 3 in february for the £8 SIM only option.Trade in is definitely an option with an apple store purchase.

If you are sim only, doesn’t stop you buying the phone and using existing sim. I know that takes you over your £50 limit though

tetsuobodyhammer

PZ19 said:

tetsuobodyhammer said:

PZ19 said:

tetsuobodyhammer said:

PZ19 said:

Can’t you buy handset outright and then get cheap sim only deal.  Look on uswitch. Check coverage in your area if switching provider.  You may not even have to switch. 30gb sim with 3 is £8pm for example. Vodafone 40gb for £10.

advantage of buying it from apple on 0% finance is when they bring a new phone out in future you can go and trade in and I think they trade in at whatever you have outstanding, so you get new phone every time they bring one out if you want to 

have a look at sites such as mobiles.co.Uk they got one at £35pm for 2 years on Vodafone 100gb plus £388 upfront so total cost £1228 over 2 years

cheapest_electrical store on eBay aswell, especially if you get an eBay code with 15-20% discount worth a look 

That SIM only option was exactly what I am looking for, thanks.

Bit frustrated that ee did not make much of any effort to offer me something like this - i said i was looking around and their response was just oh well, we're not going to give you anything near to what you want. But if i go for the Three 30GB SIM for £8 then the phone is £43 through Apple which comes in at just over £50, and as you mentioned there might be the option to upgrade later.

I got that about apple upgrades from guy who runs a phone business. You basically end up with new phone every year. Trade in to new phone and they offer you whatever is outstanding on the phone apparently.  I hasten to add I have not done this personally, as I’m a Samsung man, but have no reason to doubt this guy.  I guess over the 2 years this would work at £1049 phone plus £192 sim so £1,241, a few pounds more than that Vodafone deal on mobiles.co.uk, but you get ability to trade in with apple, if you go direct with them

It turns out I was missing something - apparently I am tied in to an EE 'SIM only' something or other until february which i totally did not realise. Almost tempted to buy out the remainder for £180 as credit and payment plan the phone from apple, then just switch to 3 in february for the £8 SIM only option.Trade in is definitely an option with an apple store purchase.

If you are sim only, doesn’t stop you buying the phone and using existing sim. I know that takes you over your £50 limit though

Possibly a bit of overtime to lump sum the remaining contract and then just the cost of the hardware until next year, yeah.