Cheapest iPhone Comparison and tips for all tariffs including iPhone 4S

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iPhoneFourThe must-have mobile for many is the must-pay-more mobile for all. iPhones cost more and have weaker tariffs, so amid the iPhone 4S hype, it pays to carefully consider which the right deal is.

This detailed guide includes a unique iPhone tariff comparison tool, how to ditch costly iPhone tariffs while keeping your handset and a host of other tips. Yet before you begin, do ask yourself whether you need and can afford it, if you're looking for something a little more wallet-friendly, read the Cheap Mobiles guide.

The iPhone 4S comes in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models. Since it's launch in October last year, prices for the new phone have already dropped dramatically, and it's likely that prices for the older iPhone 4 and 3GS models will drop further.

Plus other manufacturers such as HTC, BlackBerry, Nokia and Samsung are cutting handset costs too. So think carefully about whether you need an iPhone 4S at all.

Option 1: Cheap iPhone contracts

Signing up for a contract is by far the most cost-effective option for getting an iPhone 4S if you don't have the money to buy the phone directly from Apple.

And when it comes to saving on contract deals, the key is to get out as early as possible, as iPhone contracts are usually more expensive than their non-iPhone counterparts. So...

"Though it's more per month, a 12-mth contract means you can switch to a far cheaper non-iPhone tariff sooner."

Key tips on choosing a contract

  • Shorter is cheaper. Signing up for a 12-month contract works out cheaper overall, and gives you the freedom to switch sooner, but comes with a hefty upfront cost.
  • Spread the cost of the handset. If you can't stump up the cash now, then a longer contract means lower upfront costs. Do look at overall value though (and if you don't have the cash, should you really be getting an iPhone?).
  • Focus on the tariff. It's crucial to analyse how many minutes, texts and data you're likely to use to get the right tariff. Aim to match your usage to the free allocation. Get too much free and you're overpaying on the contract, too little and the over-quota is costly. If you're new to smartphones, expect to use much more data than previously.
  • Do you need the latest iPhone? iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 prices are already falling, and industry insiders say they will fall even more once the iPhone 4S becomes more popular. As the iPhone 4 and the 4S aren't that disimilar, the iPhone 4 may be perfect for your needs, at a cheaper price.
  • Refurb or second-hand? Don't forget to check out second-hand models on eBay* and refurbished ones directly from your network too. Ensure it's unlocked though, as then you can use the super-cheap non-iPhone Sim-only tariffs.

Best Buys | The Top iPhone Deals

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Warning! This table is automatically generated. Please double check prices before signing up – email us with any problems, suggestions or missing tariffs.

This table updates daily, so any middle-of-day price changes will be missed

If you're not sure what to get, we’ve picked out some of the best value deals across the networks below. For a bespoke search of many tariffs, use the other tab. If you think we've missed any deals, let us know.

Cheapest iPhone 4S with no upfront cost: Vodafone £41/month

Package
Details
Contract
Length
Upfront
Cost
Monthly
Cost
Avg Cost Per Mth Overall Cost Black or
White
Mins: 600
Texts: 3000
Data: 500MB
Vodafone 18 months FREE Upfront £41 Monthly £41.00 Avg mthly £738 All in Black iPhone Go*

If you want an iPhone 4S 16GB but haven't got the cash to pay for it upfront, you can spread the cost of the handset over a contract (though this is not the cheapest way to get the phone). The best "no upfront cost" deal is from Vodafone via Mobiles.co.uk*, and costs £41/month.

For this you'll get 600 minutes, 3,000 texts and 500MB of mobile data per month, on an 18-month contract.

Cheapest iPhone 4S overall: GiffGaff PAYG and Apple

Package
Details
Contract
Length
Upfront
Cost
Monthly
Cost
Avg Cost Per Mth Overall Cost Black or
White
Mins: 250
Texts: Unltd
Data: Unltd
GiffGaff & Apple 12 months £499 Upfront £10 Monthly £51.58 Avg mthly £619 All in Black iPhone Go*

If you're willing to play, the cheapest way to get a new iPhone 4S is to buy an unlocked 16GB version direct from Apple* for £499. Team this with a Pay As You Go Sim card from GiffGaff* and for £10/month you'll get 250 mins, unlimited texts and unlimited data on a one-month rolling contract.

GiffGaff does not issue micro Sims itself due to the cost of production, however the provider now offers Microgaff - an "online community-powered micro Sim dispatch system." When you order a micro Sim on GiffGaff, a randomly selected member of the community will send your Sim, after trimming it down to size. For more info on this, read Resizing your Sim.

Best value iPhone 3GS: Three Mobile £20/month

Package
Details
Contract
Length
Upfront
Cost
Monthly
Cost
Avg Cost Per Mth Overall Cost Black or
White
Mins: 100
Texts: 5000
Data: 500MB
Three 24 months FREE Upfront £20 Monthly £20.00 Avg mthly £480 All in Black iPhone Go*

Getting an iPhone 3GS is the cheapest way to get your hands on one of Apple's smartphones, and comes at a fraction of the price of an iPhone 4 or 4S.

For £20/month and no upfront cost, you can get an 8GB iPhone 3GS with 100 minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of data from Three Mobile* on a 24-month contract.

There are a few other slightly cheaper options, but these don't offer enough data to make them worthwhile.

It is possible to get a refurb iPhone 3GS too, though we don't list these. Speak to the network providers and see what they can offer you as an existing customer upgrading or a new customer.

Cheapest iPhone 4S 12-month contract: Tesco £25/month

Package
Details
Contract
Length
Upfront
Cost
Monthly
Cost
Avg Cost Per Mth Overall Cost Black or
White
Mins: 250
Texts: 5000
Data: 1GB
Tesco 12 months £335 Upfront £25 Monthly £52.92 Avg mthly £635 All in White iPhone Go

A shorter contract gives you the freedom to switch sooner, so you can get a cheaper contract once the contract ends. The best value for money 12-month contract is from Tesco*. For £25/month and £335 upfront, you can get the 16GB model with 250 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of data a month. This works out to £635 over the year, or £52.92/month.

It's important to note that Tesco Mobile does not currently offer Call Waiting, Call Forwarding or tethering to iPhone customers.

Cheapest iPhone 4S monthly contract: Orange £20/month

Package
Details
Contract
Length
Upfront
Cost
Monthly
Cost
Avg Cost Per Mth Overall Cost Black or
White
Mins: 50
Texts: 50
Data: 100MB
Orange 24 months £300 Upfront £20 Monthly £32.50 Avg mthly £780 All in Black iPhone Go*

The cheapest monthly tariff (not factoring in the upfront cost of the handset) is from Orange via Buy Mobile Phones* at £299.99 upfront plus £20/month on a 24-month contract. This works out as £32.50/month all-in over the two-year contract.

For this you'll get a pretty meagre 50 minutes, 50 texts and 100MB of data each month. Because the allowances are so low, it may be worth going for a slightly more expensive monthly contract, or consider the 12-month deal from Tesco Mobile above.

Spotted a problem with this table? Email iphone@moneysavingexpert.com and we'll fix it.

Option 2: Pay As You Go deals

Pay As You Go (PAYG) deals are great if you don't want to be tied into a long contract and to only pay for what you use, though handsets come with a hefty upfront cost.

As there's no contract (where the networks make their money) attached to PAYG handsets, the difference in price is pretty slim. The key detail if you're planning to grab one with a Sim-only deal is how much it'll cost to "unlock" your handset from its set network provider.

PAYG offers for the iPhone 4S aren't as widely available as contract deals at the moment. Below is a table of what's available for the 16GB versions of the 4S and 4 and the 8GB 3GS; it'll be updated when we get more info:

Network Handset cost Best PAYG tariff for iPhone users
4S 16GB 4 16GB 3GS 8GB
Apple* (unlocked) £499 - £319 GiffGaff* offers 250 mins, unlimited texts and unlimited data for £10/mth.
T-Mobile* £489.99 £499.99 £299.99 Top-up £10/mth and get 100 mins plus 500MB data per month.
Three Mobile* £499.99 - £299.99 Top-up £15/mth and get 3000 texts, 300 mins and unlimited data per mth.
Vodafone* £499 £415 £315 Top-up £20/mth and get 3000 texts, 300 mins and 500MB data every mth.
Orange* £489.99 - £299.99 Get 400 texts and 100MB of mobile internet/mth, if you top-up £10/mth.
Tesco Mobile* - - £396 Each month you top-up you'll triple your credit, eg, £10 becomes £30.
O2* - £504.99 £319.99 Top-up £10+/mth and get 300 texts and 500MB data per month.

Option 3: Already have a handset? Go Sim-only

Got an iPhone 3GS or 4? If you're out of contract you could stand to make serious savings by switching to a Sim-only tariff.

The main benefit of switching to a Sim-only tariff is the fact that you won't pay an extra monthly cost for a handset - so your tariff price and overall costs will drop significantly.

This is the ideal option if you've got an iPhone 3GS or 4 and aren't fussed about upgrading to the 4S. Though you may still be tied into an 18- or 24-month contract, you'll be free to switch your handset whenever you want.

Below are the networks' best Sim-only offerings. Remember the iPhone 4 and 4S use a micro-Sim, so you might need to buy these in-store, online or over the phone to ensure you get one:

GiffGaff: £10/month Sim-only deal

GiffGaff

Our top pick Sim-only deal, GiffGaff*, offers a £10/mth Pay As You Go option with 250 anytime, any network minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data. GiffGaff uses O2's network, so is available in most of the UK.

It's important to note that GiffGaff does not offer a micro-Sim, so you will have to cut the Sim card down to size - read GiffGaff's guide to trimming your Sim. Alternatively, you can order through the MicroGaff site, and you will be sent a trimmed down Sim card by one of the MicroGaff community members.

T-Mobile: £10.21/month Sim-only deal

T-Mobile

T-Mobile's basic £10.21/mth Sim-only* deal gets you 300 mins and 300 texts on a 12-month contract, plus gives free internet for 12 months on a fair usage policy.

Three: £15/month Sim-only deal

Three Mobile

The Three* network has a competitive Sim-only deal. For £15/month on a one-month rolling contract, you get 300 anytime, any network minutes, 3,000 texts and All-you-can-eat data.

O2: £16.50/month Sim-only deal

O2

If you've a handset locked to O2, its Sim-only Simplicity packages are worth a look. For £16.50 a month, its iPhone one-month* deal gets you 100 minutes and 500 texts, and 500MB data.

The beauty of these packages is if you've an O2 phone you needn't unlock or change number to get them, and they'll switch you over instantly, no notice required.

iPhone Q&As

Grab cashback on top of your new contract

It's often possible to grab extra cashback on top when you sign-up for a mobile phone contract. Yet, to get it you need to sign-up via a specialist cashback website rather than via the network provider directly. Cashback websites use affiliate links to generate revenue, so if they get paid when you sign-up, you'll get paid.

Unfortunately this cash is never guaranteed, as sometimes cashback sites don't "track" deals in progress, therefore it's generally best to pick the right tariff first and view any cashback as an added extra. To find out more about how these sites can pay you, and how you can make the most of them, read the full Cashback Sites guide.

Here's a round-up of top cashback deals for the iPhone 4S from the major network providers and mobile retailers:

  • Three Mobile: Get £150 cashback for ordering the new iPhone 4S on Three Mobile's "One Plan", via Quidco*, or £110.09 cashback for the same tariff via TopCashback*.

  • T-Mobile: Get £50.50 cashback for iPhone 4S orders on T-Mobile via TopCashback*, or £50 cashback by ordering via Quidco*.

  • Apple Store: Get the new iPhone 4S handset, Sim-free and unlocked direct from the Apple Store and get 3.5% cashback from Quidco*, or 2.02% cashback from TopCashback*.

In some cases, you may earn more cashback by getting the same deal from a retailer than going via a cashback site; eg, a tariff on Orange may get you £50 cashback by signing up via Quidco, but the same Orange tariff may be available through Carphone Warehouse, and pay more cashback.

Selling your iPhone

There is a huge demand for secondhand iPhones too, so it's very much a seller's market. Therefore, perhaps unsurprisingly, eBay* should be your first port of call if you're willing to put in a bit of (virtual) legwork. At the time of writing, a 16GB iPhone 4 in decent nick could fetch around £250, with 32GB models going for upwards of £300.

The simple route:

If you want a guaranteed amount of cash to put towards your next handset (or something else entirely), mobile recycling sites are the easiest option. To save you the hassle of going door-to-door, the following links take you straight through to our MobileValuer tool's iPhone results: just click on the model below to get the current prices from all the top payers.

Join in the Forum Discussion:
Cheapest iPhone 4s

What the * means above

In the main body of the article two types of links are listed. The first, which all have a * within the main body of the articles, help MoneySavingExpert.com stay free to use, as they're 'affiliated links' which invisibly take you usually via affiliate linkage or commercial money sites, which then pay this site. It's worth noting this means the third party used may be named on any credit agreements.

The second type doesn't help and therefore doesn't have a *. You shouldn't notice any difference, the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by the revenue - we aim to look at all available products. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it is still included in exactly the same way. For more details read how this site is financed.

The following are duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of transparency (so you can see it's the same thing) but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com:T-Mobile, Mobiles.co.uk, Phones4U, Vodafone, Tesco Mobile, O2, Three Mobile, TopCashback, Quidco

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