How to compare phone contracts to get the best deal
I don’t know how carefully you have looked at phones and phone contracts lately, but they are becoming very expensive!
I know everything is getting expensive, but new flagship smartphones are now well over £1,000. While the networks subsidise the phone to a degree, you still need to pay for it over the term of the phone contract.
Phone contracts that have gradually increased from 12 month contracts to 18, 24 and even 36 months!
Not all that long ago, you could go into a phone shop and get a new phone for £25 a month over 12 months.
Now you’re looking at £35+ over much, much longer!
When your contract is up, how can you make sure you get the best possible deal? How can you accurately compare your options knowing you’re signing up for the lowest price?
I’ll show you how.
Comparing mobile phone contracts
Comparison websites are great but you need to use them properly to get the best out of them.
They make comparing mobile phone contracts fast and simple, but there are a few things you should know.
Here’s my guide to comparing phone contracts, it includes:
- Assessing your needs
- Checking your current contract
- Checking monthly and total cost
- Using multiple comparison websites
Assessing your needs
The first step in making any contract decision is assessing whether your current contract fulfilled your needs.
Did you use all your data or minutes? Did you use all the features of that brand new flagship phone? Was the contract term short or long enough for you? Are there new phone or contract features you would benefit from?
Looking at your previous phone and phone contract should tell you all these things and provide guidance on whether you want the same again, more, or less.
Do this for both the phone and the contract.
There’s a lot to choosing a new phone. Those of a certain age must contend with phone features and peer pressure, FOMO and the feeling of inclusion having the latest phone brings.
Those of us a little older have less to worry about.
Do you need the fastest phone? The latest camera? The newest software?
- Do you need a new handset or will the current one still work?
- Do you need a contract at all or will SIM-only be okay?
- Are there features you wish your phone or phone contract had?
- Do you need faster 5G access and don’t have it now?
- Does 2 or 3 years sound too long to have the same phone or phone contract?
Only you can answer those questions, but I recommend doing it nice and early as it will frame the rest of your search.
Checking your current contract
Every journey begins where you are right now. In this case, saving money on a phone contract begins by checking your current situation.
This means answering some more questions I’m afraid:
- How long do you have left on your current contract?
- Were you happy with the coverage you experienced?
- Did you use all your minutes, messages or data?
- Do you need to buy a new phone or just need a new contract?
- Do you need a new phone at all or just want a change?
- Were you satisfied with the quality of service you received with your current provider?
Again, the answers to these questions will frame the rest of your search for a cheap phone deal.
For example, if you have 6 months left on your contract, that’s too early to begin looking for a new one. A lot can change in six months!
If you’re a month or so from the end, that’s the perfect time to shop around for a cheap phone deal.
If you were happy with your current coverage and provider, you can include them in your search. If you weren’t happy, you shouldn’t.
If you didn’t use all your data, you don’t need to pay for more. Most contracts now come with unlimited messages and minutes, but data is still part of the incentive.
If you need a new phone, you’ll probably need a monthly contract. If you just want a change, you could buy a phone for cash and go SIM-free for much less.
This is why I’m asking all these questions.
Checking monthly and total cost
Checking monthly and total cost is essential to make sure you’re not paying over the odds. If your contract has a ‘free’ gift, checking the total cost will also show you whether that gift is truly free or not.
Many mobile and broadband providers use free gifts as incentives to sign up to a contract. Sometimes, the cost of those ‘free’ gifts are rolled into the price so they aren’t free at all.
Some comparison websites will show the monthly cost and overall cost front and centre while others will show the monthly cost and total cost somewhere else.
I strongly recommend checking both so you can get a crystal clear picture of what you’ll be paying over the terms of the contract.
Using multiple comparison websites
Not all comparison websites will show all possible deals. Some websites have arrangements with providers they feature while others won’t feature all providers for other reasons.
Most of the larger comparison websites have a good spread but I strongly recommend checking 2-3 comparison websites.
It should only take a few minutes yet could give you a much more accurate view of the market and what’s available.
Comparing phone contracts to get a good deal
So that’s the general advice over with, now let’s get down to specifics. How do you compare phone contracts so you get the best deal?
- First, perform all the checks above. Assess if your current contract delivered what you need or you need more or less.
- Assess whether you really need a new or flagship phone
- Decide whether you would like to change carrier or stick with them
- Use your answers to the above to see if a contract or SIM-free option would work best for your needs
- Use a comparison website to check for the best deals using your specific criteria (contract length, carrier, allowances, new phone, contract type)
- Set the start date for your new contract for the same day as your old one
Once you have identified a deal, double check all the contract details, make sure you know what you’re signing up for and sign on the line.
You have 14 days to change your mind as part of the cooling off period, so don’t worry too much if you later get buyer’s remorse!
Comparison websites to try
There are probably more comparison websites than you realise. I recommend checking a few of the main ones as between them, they should have the market tied up.
Try:
There are other websites of course, but these 6 are some of the best. They also seem to have the wider market spread, so more deals from more networks.
Common questions around phone contracts
While I have tried to give you as much information as possible in the main post, there is some extra information you’ll need.
Should I stick or switch and upgrade my contract or get a new one?
Only you can answer this question, but it’s why I asked so many questions earlier. The main one being, how happy were you with the coverage you experienced and the quality of service you received with your current provider?
If you were happy with both, you can consider sticking and upgrading.
If you weren’t happy, I would consider switching to a new provider and new contract.
Monthly contract vs. SIM-only
The question of whether to get a monthly phone contract or a SIM-only contract is one that’s been around forever.
Monthly contracts usually let you access the latest flagship phones with very little upfront cost.
SIM-only contracts don’t. You’ll either need to keep your current phone or buy a cheaper phone for cash.
Not all that long ago, it was only monthly contracts that offered unlimited calls and texts and generous data allowances.
Now, upstarts like Voxi (part of Vodafone) have introduced hybrid contracts. Pay every month like usual, but you’re not tied into a 12, 18. 24 or 36 month contract.
In return, you’ll get unlimited calls and texts and some impressive data allowances.
But you’ll need to provide your own phone.
With companies offering very good phones for less than £250, that’s definitely a cheap way to have a phone.
It’s just not so good if you want or need the latest handsets and don’t want to be the £1,000+ to buy one.
