The best iPhone deals: EE, O2, Three, Vodafone and the 5 best plans on Apple’s major handsets

Apple’s handsets rarely come cheap – and with the current flagship an eye-watering£619 alone (£40 p/m on contract) – consumers will have to shop smart to lock in the best possible deal.

iPhone sales are incredibly rare – even on Black Friday – however in previous years,networks have been seen to crash prices ahead of a new release – the next model, according to leaks, will be the iPhone 7 – however no hints have been dropped by Apple itself .

For those in the market for a glossy new Apple smartphone, we’ve researched all the best value for money deals from the big phone networks – EE, Vodafone, O2, iD and Three below, to help narrow down your search.

If you’re locked in contract, or your plan is coming to a close, scroll down for our tips on where to switch – or stay, and don’t forget to haggle, as loyalty can hold big rewards – and you could lock in a pretty nifty deal.

If you’re worried about over-spending, or finding the right deal for your usage, we’ve also got some money-saving tips on how to switch, how to find a package for you – and how to sell your current phone for the best price .

For iPad deals, see our guide on the cheapest iPads , or see the best phone and broadband deals and smartphone deals here .

5 cheapest iPhone deals this week

1. iPhone SE 16GB – Three – £14 a month, £99 upfront, with 500MB data data, 300 minutes and 600 texts – total spend £435.
2. iPhone 6 16GB – iD – £25.50 a month, £49.99 upfront, 500MG data, 600 minutes, 5,000 texts – total spend £661.99.
3. iPhone 6 Plus 16GB – O2 – £37 a month, £9.99 upfront, 500MB data, 500 minutes, unlimited texts – total spend £897.99.
4. iPhone 6S 16GB – iD – £27.50 a month, £49.99 upfront, 500MB data, 600 minutes, 5,000 texts – total spend £709.99.
5. iPhone 6S Plus 16GB – Three – £33.50 a month, £99 upfront, with 1GB data, unlimited calls/texts and a total spend of £903.

iPhone SE 16GB contract deals

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• Three – £14 a month, £99 upfront, with 500MB data data, 300 minutes and 600 texts – total spend £435.
• iD – £21.50 a month, 500MB data, 300 minutes, 5,000 texts – total spend £516.
• Vodafone – £30 a month, £10 upfront, 2GB data, unlimited calls/texts – total spend £730.
• O2 – £31 a month, 1GB data, unlimited calls/texts – total spend £744.
• EE – £30.99 a month, £99.99 upfront, unlimited calls/texts – total spend £843.75.

iPhone 6 16GB contract deals

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• iD – £25.50 a month, £49.99 upfront, 500MG data, 600 minutes, 5,000 texts – total spend £661.99.
• Three – £25 a month, £99 upfront, with 500MB data data, 300 minutes and unlimited texts – total spend £699.
• EE – £33.49 a month, £49.99 upfront, 500MB data, 500 minutes, unlimited texts – total spend £853.75.
• O2 – £36 a month, 1GB data, unlimited minutes/texts – total spend £864.
• Vodafone – £32 a month, £120 upfront, 500MB data, 500 minutes, unlimited texts – total spend £888.

iPhone 6 Plus 16GB contract deals

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• O2 – £37 a month, £9.99 upfront, 500MB data, 500 minutes, unlimited texts – total spend £897.99.
• Three – £39 a month, £49 upfront, with 1GB data data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts – total spend £985.
• EE – £45.99 a month, 2GB data, unlimited calls/texts – total spend £1,103.76.
• iD – £29.50 a month, £419 upfront, 1GB data, 600 minutes, 5,000 texts – total spend £1,127.99.
• Vodafone – £57 a month, £15 upfront, 12GB data, unlimited calls/texts – total spend £1,383.

iPhone 6S 16GB contract deals

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• iD – £27.50 a month, £49.99 upfront, 500MB data, 600 minutes, 5,000 texts – total spend £709.99.
• Three – £25 a month, £149 upfront, with 500MB data, 300 minutes and unlimited texts – total spend £749.
• Vodafone – £32 a month, £200 upfront, 500MB data, 500 minutes, unlimited texts – total spend £968.
• O2 – £41 a month, £9.99 upfront, 1GB data, unlimited calls/texts – total spend £993.99.
• EE – £40.99 a month, 2GB data, unlimited calls/texts – total spend £1,103.75.

iPhone 6S Plus 16GB contract deals

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• Three – £33.50 a month, £99 upfront, with 1GB data, unlimited calls/texts and a total spend of £903.
• iD – £33.50 a month, £189.99 upfront, 500MB data, 300 minutes, 5,000 texts and a £993.99 total spend.
• O2 – £46 a month, £9.99 upfront, 1GB data and unlimited calls/texts. A total spend of £1,113.99.
• Vodafone – £42 a month, £180 upfront, 500MB data, 500 minutes, unlimited texts and a £1,188 total spend.
• EE – £50.99 a month, 2GB data, unlimited calls/texts and a total 24-month spend of £1,223.76.
  

  How to buy a refurbished device

  If you want to buy a second-hand iPhone, always make sure you purchase from an established retailer, and request a receipt for reference.

  Make sure you enquire about a warranty as this will protect and your rights, should the unexpected happen – or your item fails to arrive.

  How to sell your current phone for the best price

  

  If you do decide to switch to a new phone, you might be able to make money on your old one.

  Online companies such as Mazuma Mobile , Envirofone , Fonebank and MusicMagpiewill give you cash in return for your old handset. You can find out what it’s worth by entering the model or IMEI number (this is the 15-digit code on the phone’s box. You can also find it by texting #06# ).

  If your phone is damaged or broken, it may be worth investigating whether it’s worth fixing your phone and then selling it. Phone recycling companies pay their best prices for full working condition handsets, so if it’s got a cracked screen, you’re profits could suffer.

  eBay.co.uk and Amazon are also good places to sell, as competitive auctions and the ability to set your own price means you could get even more out of your device.

  O2 Recycle

  If you’re looking to upgrade your current handset, you can recycle your current mobile phone to get hold of the latest must-have device through O2 Recycle .

  The mobile phone retailer and exchange service will pay out the following for your device, but there’s a catch – you have to trade it for an O2 handset. Your phone must be in working condition. O2 also offers a price match promise and immediate payment in store or bill credit.

  5 questions to ask yourself when taking out a new contract

  1. How much data do you need? AVOID overestimating how much you’ll use
  2. ALWAYS haggle for a better deal – don’t settle if you think you can get it for less
  3. How much will you use your device? Is it cheaper to buy on auction and invest in a sim-only plan?
  4. How reliable are you? Is insurance necessary? If that’s a yes, look into third parties or your bank for a good deal

  4 things you need to know before you switch

  There are plenty of secrets to landing a cheaper phone deal – you just have to know what to ask for .

  1. Grab your current bill

  Your current bill will show you how many minutes, texts and data you use in a typical month, so use this as your guide.

  If you have a smartphone, pay close attention to your data usage. Every year, Brits spend around £885million on out-of-tariff data charges, according to uSwitch.com. One in four of us regularly exceed our data – you could be one of them.

  2. Check if you’ve paid off your handset

  Most of us opt for mobile deals that come with ‘free’ handsets, rather than forking out for a phone upfront. It’s not free, of course. But it means we can spread the cost of a pricey smartphone over a longer period, rather than having to pay a big sum upfront.

  But once your contract has ended, if you don’t switch to a new deal, you are effectively continuing to pay for a handset you’ve already paid off in full. Your mobile network won’t automatically discount your bill – it’s up to you to find a new deal.

  3. Consider SIM-only

  If you have paid off your phone, a simple answer is to switch to a SIM-only deal. That’s so long as you’re happy with your current handset, and it’s still in good working order.

  4. Explore flexible tariffs

  A more flexible tariff allows you to pay for your phone separately to your tariff.

  Once you’ve finished paying for the handset at the end of a certain period, your monthly cost will reduce so you pay only for your airtime. A few of the mobile providers offer these types of tariffs including Virgin Media’s Freestyle and O2’s Refresh.

  I’m still locked into a contract. Can I escape?

  

  YES. If there is something seriously wrong with your phone service, you have everything to gain by asking to leave.

  Already own an iPhone? Here are 7 amazingly useful tricks you never knew it could do .

[Source:-Miror]