Carrier UK Carrier Price Comparison

[robbieduncan]

I am looking to upgrade to an iPhone 5S and am trying to gauge the likely price of a top-range iPhone 5S across the 2 years contract with at least 1Gb of data a month. Calls are less important to me. I don't even use 500 texts a month. So with that in mind I have the table below. This may be helpful to others...

Provider	Calls		Texts		Data		Contract Term	Phone Cost	Monthly Cost	1 Yr		2Yr
EE		Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		24		460		31		832		1204
GiffGaff	250m		Unlimited	Unlimited	0		699		12		843		987
Vodaphone	Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		24		209		42		713		1217
Vodaphone	Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		12		379		47		943		1507
O2		Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		24		269.99		37		713.99		1157.99
O2		Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		24		349.99		32		733.99		1117.99
O2		Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		24		449.88		27		773.88		1097.88
EE(SIM Only)	Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		12		699		26		1011		1323
Vodaphone (SIM)	Unlimited	Unlimited	1Gb		12		699		21		951		1203
Three		500		5000		Unlimited	24		199		31		571		943

Notes: GiffGaff runs on the O2 network. Tesco SIM only deal is similar to GiffGaff £10 option (1Gb data) but does not offer unlimited calls or texts and also runs on O2. Asda Mobile runs on Vodaphone but is very expensive for data.

Note network coverage is probably important and it varies based on your own location. I've personally been with GiffGaff running on the O2 network and seen a lot of data black spots and am looking to jump ship.

 

[bp1000]

Thanks for posting

Can't see any reason for the prices to change. Wonder if the top of the range iphone will be 64Gb or 128Gb, i reckon still 64Gb.

O2 has been spotty for me too, especially outside cities. Three have blown the competition away on DC-/HSDPA+ coverage. I would consider them but maybe get a three payg sim (note that sometimes these are speed limited in congested areas to give priority to AYCE / one plan customers) to check out signal where you commonly go.

EE are probably slightly more advanced on coverage but you have the data caps and a premium for 4g.

Three will be getting a further 4-6k masts i believe through the next 12 months. These are a mixture of old decommissioned orange masts that are being upgraded to 3g/4g MBNL and some existing masts with equipment upgrades too. I'm not sure if they are installing brand new mast sites, they might be too as part of that number... if they do it might be in congested areas to add capacity.

 

[Steve121178]

If you sign up for Vodafone 4G, they are giving you 4GB per month on top of whatever contract you go for until the end of October.

 

[robbieduncan]

If you sign up for Vodafone 4G, they are giving you 4GB per month on top of whatever contract you go for until the end of October.

4Gb until the end of October of 4Gb for the whole contract if you sign up before end of October. The 4G contracts are quite a bit more expensive though

 

[Steve121178]

4Gb until the end of October of 4Gb for the whole contract if you sign up before end of October. The 4G contracts are quite a bit more expensive though

No more expensive than EE or O2 and the extra 4GB per month makes the contract good value compared to the rip off deals EE are offering.

Of course 3 offer the best deals and won't charge extra for 4G...

 

[robbieduncan]

No more expensive than EE or O2 and the extra 4GB per month makes the contract good value compared to the rip off deals EE are offering.

Of course 3 offer the best deals and won't charge extra for 4G...

Sure. I was comparing to the 3G pricing. Personally I don't see the need for the speed of 4G just yet

 

[dumastudetto]

If you sign up for Vodafone 4G, they are giving you 4GB per month on top of whatever contract you go for until the end of October.

Vodafone have the worst mobile data network in the UK. Nothing they could offer would tempt me if I needed service in the UK on an ongoing basis. I personally like Three when I'm in the UK, but EE and O2 are also far ahead of Vodafone.

 

[Steve121178]

Vodafone have the worst mobile data network in the UK. Nothing they could offer would tempt me if I needed service in the UK on an ongoing basis. I personally like Three when I'm in the UK, but EE and O2 are also far ahead of Vodafone.

Everyone will have a different perception of a network depending on their location.

I have two contracts, one with 3 and another with Vodafone. I have previously had contracts with O2, Orange & T-Mobile and they were all awful. I struggled to get 3G where I live with O2, Orange & T-Mobile but 3 and Vodafone are brilliant.

At my place of work O2 is non-existent and everyone on T-Mob/Orange/EE struggles to get 3G in the building. No problems at all with Vodafone & 3.

When I am in London Vodafone can sometimes drop to 2G but I never fail to connect when I need to make a call. Likewise with 3.

With Vodafone I can use my call, text & data allowance abroad. None of the other networks allow this.

See how my view of Vodafone differs to yours? What works for one person does not necessarily work for another.

 

[dumastudetto]

With Vodafone I can use my call, text & data allowance abroad. None of the other networks allow this.

3 now does at no extra charge.

 

[JaySoul]

I've been with GiffGaff for a year since buying my iPhone 5 SIM-free.

Very happy with price/data, but over the last month have definitely noticed blackout areas where I'm only getting Edge. Not a massive deal-breaker, but...

I'm considering 3 and their SIM-only deal with 4G. Let's see, might be worth a shot for a month before porting my number over.

 

[Steve121178]

3 now does at no extra charge.

Only to 7 countries:

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...-use-your-phone-abroad-in-7-countries-1176799

Republic of Ireland, Australia, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark

Vodafone allows all of the EU and gives cost savings for rest of the world:

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/travelling-abroad/index.htm

 

[weckart]

It is less than 1GB of data but if anyone is strapped for cash then Ovivo deserves a mention. £15 upfront cost for the sim and then nothing more to pay as the service is ad supported. That gives you 150min/250txt/500MB monthly at no additional cost or 750MB for a data only sim. Perfect for a low user/ spare phone.

 

[skoldpadda]

These prices will most definitely not reflect the iPhone 5s at launch.

Take 3 for example, 64GB iPhone 5:

Launch - £40 a month / £109 upfront / 24 Months / 500mins / 5000 Texts / Unlimited Data.
Current - £31 a month / £199 upfront / 24 Months / 500mins / 5000 Texts / Unlimited Data.

Prepare to pay more on launch

 

[robbieduncan]

These prices will most definitely not reflect the iPhone 5s at launch.

Take 3 for example, 64GB iPhone 5:

Launch - £40 a month / £109 upfront / 24 Months / 500mins / 5000 Texts / Unlimited Data.
Current - £31 a month / £199 upfront / 24 Months / 500mins / 5000 Texts / Unlimited Data.

Prepare to pay more on launch

Sure. The launch price is still pretty competitive...

 

[skoldpadda]

Sure. The launch price is still pretty competitive...

True, average it all out and you only end up paying £5.25 more/less a month over the duration of the contract. Not bad.

 

[dumastudetto]

Only to 7 countries:

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...-use-your-phone-abroad-in-7-countries-1176799

Republic of Ireland, Australia, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Sweden and Denmark

Vodafone allows all of the EU and gives cost savings for rest of the world:

http://www.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-monthly/travelling-abroad/index.htm

Yep but Vodafone does cost £3 extra a day whereas Three is free. Three are also rolling this service out to more countries in due course.

 

[paulcdb]

Also use sites like Quidco to get cash back when signing up!

I had no plans to buy the 4S when it came out until quidco sent an email offering cash back when signing up and since i was already looking at switching to 3 for the AYCE data then it was a better deal to sell the iPhone 4 and between that and the cash back i was actually better off than if i'd kept the 4... plus I was now on unlimited data with tethering!

Always worth checking and working out what deals are out there.