The best mobile phone deals for Easter and the Bank Holiday weekend
Shopping for the best smartphone deals can be complicated. With different networks offering similar-looking contracts at wildly different rates it can often feel like you are missing out on the best offers.
But there are ways to pick out a bargain and key things to look for when considering a mobile phone contract.
We have picked some of the best mobile phone deals for the top of the range for April. With the launch of the new iPhone 8 and the iPhone X last year and the upcoming release of the new Samsung Galaxy S9, these are some of the best phones you can buy now at the best rates.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ best deals
Samsung has released its new Galaxy S9 and larger S9+ smartphones. The 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch smartphones have high-end camera technology, with a dual aperture camera, plus an alternative to Apple's Animoji in AR Emoji, and super-slow motion cameras.
They are also not cheap, at £739 and £869. Some of the best deals you can get on a network see the phone available for around £900 plus over two years from Mobiles.co.uk or iD. You can read the Telegraph's full review of the five star Samsung Galaxy S9 here.
Samsung Galaxy S9 deals compared
Samsung Galaxy S9+
Best iPhone deals
iPhone X
Apple's high-tech new iPhone X comes with some of the top features you can find on a phone - for a price. It went on full sale in November, starting at £999. The iPhone X comes with the lightning fast A11 Bionic chip, a gorgeous super retina display and, for the first time on an iPhone - Face ID. Check out our first thoughts on the new device here.
Deals for the iPhone X aren't easy to come by, and this month we have noticed some providers inching up their prices, particularly on 64GB handsets. In fact, most network prices have skyrocketed on the iPhone X. One deal we have found, however, is with MobilePhonesDirect, which offers the iPhone X for £149 upfront at £51 per month with 16GB of data with Vodafone.
iPhone X deals
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
The new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are now on sale and, although a lot of networks have hefty prices on the new devices there are a handful of deals for the phones. It seems for now the New Year sales are over and prices have upticked slightly on several deals out there.
The iPhone 8 features wireless charging, an incredibly fast processor and Apple's new iOS 11 software. You can get the 4.7-inch version from as low as £28 per month on Virgin with 1.2GB of data, although this is on a 36 month credit deal, so you are locked in.
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus deals
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
This month's best deal: The iPhone 7 has become better value and now you can find this year's latest phone from £125 upfront on Mobiles.co.uk, with prices falling to £23 per month for a 4GB data allowance, costing £677 over two years.
iPhone 7 Plus and 7 Plus deals compared
iPhone SE
This month's best deal:There are a lot of great deals for Apple's 4-inch iPhone offering, making it easily the cheapest iPhone you can buy. Plenty of the monthly rates are now well under £20. However, the prices have gone up slightly from the £14 per month we found recently. The best deals are with Carphone Warehouse, where you can pay from £15.99 per month with ID Mobile or £18 per month with Vodafone at no upfront cost.
iPhone SE deals compared
Best Android deals
Samsung Galaxy S8
This month's best deal:Prices have snuck up recently on the Samsung Galaxy S8 following the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S9. This phone comes with an infinity display and a super fast processor and one of the best smartphone cameras available. You can find it from £30 per month for £100 upfront with the code BIG100 on Mobiles.co.uk. With this deal you get 16GB of data for £820 over two years.
Samsung Galaxy S8 deals compared
Google Pixel 2
This month's best deal: Google's excellent Android-powered flagship the Pixel 2 comes with its most powerful camera to date, smart AI from Google Assistant and can link up with other products like the Google Home or the virtual reality Daydream View. The Pixel 2 is now available for one of the cheapest prices we have seen, although more expensive than in the last month, at just £30 per month and available £25 upfront, via Mobiles.co.uk. This gives you 4GB of data for £745 total cost over two years.
OnePlus 5 T
This month's best deal: The new OnePlus 5T is only available on O2 in the UK, meaning its price is largely quite static and there are not too many offers. It's a brilliant phone, with an almost full screen display, facial recognition and lightning fast processor. One of the best deals from O2 on this phone is £9.99 upfront with an improved 4GB of data for £38 per month. It is also available on pay as you go contracts, which if you can afford the upfront price might be a better offer.
HTC U11
This month's best deal: HTC's flagship "squeezable" smartphone is available now on several networks in the UK. The HTC U11 combines its stunning glass back design with a brilliant screen and a 12MP camera. It has a 5.5-inch screen and all day battery life.
The price has come down for this model, and you can find the HTC U11 with 15GB of data with Carphone Warehouse for £9.99 upfront at £38. This price is slightly more than our best deal last month on the HTC U11.
How to pick a good mobile phone deal
Trying to find the very best smartphone contracts is overwhelming. Many providers only offer deals for a limited time and there can be huge price disparities between different networks.
Right now, some of the best value deals you can find are on EE and Three, although O2 and Vodafone both have deals on larger data packages. Some of the best sim only deals can be found with iD, Plusnet, Three and Virgin. The best iPhone X deal around right now can be found by shopping on Mobiles.co.uk.
Mobile phone buying | Checklist
Another challenge is working out just how much a contract will cost in total, considering the upfront fee and monthly costs. It can be helpful to add together these two prices together when comparing rates.
It is also worth shopping around and comparing contracts or asking your provider to try and match a better deal you have found online.
You should also consider how much data you plan to use, as this can often add to the final cost of the phone. Many providers may want you to take out 10GB or 20GB of data and pay more cash per month, but will you actually use it?
Where can I find the best mobile phone contracts?
While you might prefer to buy a phone through one of the major providers, many of the best deals are actually available through third party retailers. Websites such as Mobiles.co.uk, which is part of Dixons Carphone, and retailers such as Carphone Warehouse are safe to use and offer exclusive prices that you won't find on the main networks.
Several of the main carrier providers don't market all handsets on their websites, in these cases discount retailers are the best place to find them.
For a more flexible option, GiffGaff allows you to pay for your phone by buying packages of data and minutes each month. It lets customers switch or downgrade their data plan more easily than with other providers.
Negotiate a deal
In many cases it's worth calling up your current carrier to see if you can negotiate a better deal before upgrading. Almost all don't want to lose valued customers or will price match better offers. On the other hand, it is rarely worth attempting to negotiate in store, as sellers will often not have the power to offer you an exclusive deal.
Alternatively, buying a phone outright and then opting for a sim only deal is almost always a better deal than a smartphone contract.
What should you look for in a mobile phone contract?
Minutes: Most mobile phone deals come with unlimited calls and texts, but make sure you check as some cheaper deals have limited minutes.
Data: If your only data usage is rarely checking emails you may need as little as 1GB of data. Most people will require 2GB or more, particularly if you are a regular user of Facebook, Snapchat or Instagram. Significantly more will be required for those who want to stream videos or music.
Roaming charges: Following changes to roaming charges, you are now billed in the same in any EU country as you would in the UK. Some providers offer global roaming packages, which provide better international rates across continents.
Benefits: Mobile networks often include added perks in their packages, such as discount cinema tickets or priority for music events. O2 Priority offers tickets, entertainment and food discounts, EE has six months of Apple Music, while with some Vodafone deals you can get discounted access to apps such as Spotify.
Cashback deals: Some third party providers use cashback offers to cut monthly phone bills. This requires the buyer to claim back some of their money in several installments across the life of the contract to secure a lower price.
This month's best SIM only deals:
Instead of picking up a smartphone contract on its own, you could consider buying the handset outright and turning to a cheap sim card deal instead. These can provide you with more minutes and data, while adding the flexibility to choose your own own.
Right now there are some big New Year offers on sim only deals for users happy to buy their phone outright. However we have taken recent offers from EE off of this chart, as we don't feel they offer the same value for money.
iD: 1GB of data with 500 minutes and 5,000 texts from £5 per month.
Plusnet: 3GB of data, 2,000 minutes and unlimited texts from £8 per month.
Virgin: 5GB with 2,500 minutes and unlimited texts from £10 per month.
Three: 12GB of data with all you can eat minutes and unlimited texts from £15 per month.
Vodafone: 25GB of data with unlimited calls and texts with Spotify, Sky Sports and NowTV for £25 per month.
GiffGaff:Unlimited data with unlimited calls and text from £20 per month.
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