Mobile deals: how to buy a smartphone for less
Prices for the same model regularly fluctuate between retailers. While manufacturers typically only sell their phones at the recommended retail price, third-party retailers can discount them depending on stock levels and age, so shop around and check multiple price comparison tools such as Google Shopping, Kelkoo, PriceRunner or Price Spy.
Beware of deals that look particularly cheap as they may not be UK models or not sold from the UK, which can have an impact on the warranty or after-sales support.
Paying for a phone upfront usually works out the cheapest way of owning it over the long term, but not always. Just-released models may be cheaper if bought on a contract with a phone operator, particularly if it is running a deal or if it includes other services, such as Spotify or Netflix, at a discount.
It is worth doing the calculations based on the total cost over the length of the plan versus the cost of the phone outright plus that of an equivalent, cheaper sim-only deal. Bear in mind that if you break the phone you will still be paying for it every month until your contract ends.
Buying a phone at the right time of the year can mean big savings. Bargains can usually be had in the traditional sales such as Black Friday, Christmas and Boxing Day, around Easter and during the back to school period in the run-up to September.
But individual manufacturers also discount their smartphones at different times depending on their yearly release cycles of new devices. Some manufacturers, including Samsung and Google, offer discounts and free gifts with very early preorders for their new phones before release, which can be worthwhile.
Samsung typically releases its top-of-the-range S-series smartphones in January, which are then
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