Pocket-lint reveals cheapest way to get 32GB iPhone 3G S

New handset could cost you £1761.84

10 June 2009 18:04 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

The cheapest way to get a 32GB iPhone 3G S - in the long run - is with O2's lowest tariff, the 18-month option that's around the £30 mark, and paying £275 up front for the handset.

The £29.38 contract (just shy of £30 'cos of the VAT reduction, but the equivalent to your old £30 level) and coughing up that painful £274.23 for the phone up front will have set you back a total of £803.07 by the time your contract ends.

In contrast, the most expensive way to pick up the top-end new Apple mobile is to go for the option that, on the face of it, appears to give you a "free" phone.

O2's 24-month £73.41 contract - and the only one that does offer the 32GB iPhone 3G S for nothing up front - will have cost you a staggering £1761.84 when the 2 years are up.

Although obviously O2 offers more inclusive minutes the more expensive the contract is, the text message allowance jumps to 500 after the £30 contract and stays at that level despite your spend. In the middle ground, the following applies:

18-month contracts:
£34.26 monthly, £274.23 for handset = £890.91
£44.05 monthly, £175.19 for handset = £968.09
£73.41 monthly, £96.89 for handset = £1418.27

24-month contracts:
£34.26 monthly, £175.19 for handset = £997.43
£44.05 monthly, £96.89 for handset = £1154.09

Alternatively, O2 is offering the 32GB model for £538.30 (sans visual voicemail and tethering), but, over a 2-year period, including your year's free unlimited mobile internet, assuming you'd spend £20 a month topping up, you're still looking at an overall cost of £1138.30.

Full tags
Phones, iPhone, O2, Tariffs, Apple
UK Shopping
mobiles.co.uk, three.co.uk, carphonewarehouse.co.uk, Nokia.co.uk, o2.co.uk, orange.co.uk, phones4u.co.uk, t-mobile.co.uk, vodafone.co.uk, ebay.co.uk
US Shopping
bestbuy.com, ebay.com

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Comments

  • Actually, the cheapest way is this way in the long run PROVIDED you have some cash upfront, (sorry for long post).....

    Buy a PAYG iphone 3G S 16GB for £440.40 then change the sim card and get a £19 p/m simplicity sim card (online) instead which comes with 800 Mins and 1600 Texts + a choice of unlimited wi-fi or web bolt on etc. (12 month) or for rolling 1 month contract its 600 MINS + 1200 TEXTS + a choice of unlimited wi-fi or web bolt on etc.

    The 'Simplicity way' for 2 yr = £910.32 as opposed to £909.35 for the 2 yr £34.26 p/m and £87.11 for the iPhone 3G S 16GB contract way, so for 97p more the 'Simplicity way', you get as much as 200 more mins and 1100 more texts and unlimited wi-fi bolt on or web bolt on etc. and NO lengthy 2 yr contract!!!!

    So after a year when a new iphone will enevitably be available, you could sell your iphone on an online auction site for say £350 (iphones hold their value well) and do the same thing again, though I would advise sticking with your iphone for 2 years anyway.

    Hope that all made sense.

    Cheers
    Posted by minantra, UK
  • Or just buy one from Italy/Holland where they have to sell them unlocked. Posted by adrianaitken, United Kingdom
  • "Buy a PAYG iphone 3G S 16GB for £440.40 ...."

    This article is regarding the 32GB model, which is £538. The writers method remains cheaper.
    Posted by Joseph, UK
  • True, this article is cheaper over 18 months, but the best value is the 2 year 'simplicity' way as I have detailed above. Cheers. Posted by MINANTRA, UK
  • .....forgot to say that what this Pocket-Lint article doesnt tell you is that you only get a PITIFUL 75mins and 125 texts!!!!
    The 'simplicity' way over 2 yrs you get 800 mins and 1200 texts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Easy innit :)
    Posted by MINANTRA, UK
  • Response to Minantra,
    If you just changed SIM, you would not get the iPhone Bolt-On included - would you? Therefore no data.
    I'm pretty sure O2 detect the SIM card's compliance.
    Posted by Glebham, UK
  • Response to Glebham, in fact you are incorrect, the simplicity sim card you can buy online from O2's store gives you the option to choose a FREE bolt on.

    A few of my friends now use a Simplicity sim in their ver1 and ver2 iphones with no probs, I use an iphone PAYG sim card in my O2 broadband dongle with no probs and I have a year of FREE web and wifi with it!!!

    Cheers.
    Posted by MINANTRA, UK

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