Hi All,

I want to order an iPhone 4 fairly shortly but there are so many deals out there I'm not sure which is best so I am after advice and recommendations. I will use the phone mainly for internet and applications. I am not an excessive texter or caller. I have considered buying an iPhone 4 directly from Apple and then getting a SIM only deal but I'm not sure exactly how this works and whether the data limit would be sufficient for my useage. Orange seems to have the best signal where I live from past experience so am considering staying with them but their contracts seem to be quite high for what I would use. The Tesco deal looks good but every time I go to their website it says out of stock and there aren't any Tesco mobile phone shops close to where I live.

If anybody could please advise me further I would be very grateful. Many thanks in advance.

The Tesco Mobile deals seem to offer the least tie-in (12 month contracts) and more texts than others + 1GB of Data.

Well worth holding off for those deals.

With reference to the data allowances, can I add that I am not a particularly heavy user of mobile data but since the 1st Oct I have racked up 510MB (up and down)
My phone checks 2 mail accounts hourly and I browse this forum, post to it and read the online news. When I'm at home the phone uses my wifi connection.
I was quite surprised at the amount of data I use although I don't get near the 3GB limit that I have.

@ OP - Because you aren't a heavy caller/texter you might choose a tariff that gives a smaller allowance of these services? But doing that you usually get a smaller data allowance, which may not be enough for your needs.
I think my advice would be to buy the phone and then use giffgaff as your provider. OK, I know it's a pain to top up but I think it may well work out the cheapest way for you.

The other option is to go with tesco mobile who currently have a 500min, unlimited text and web deal on a 30 day rolling contract for £10/month. I'm not sure what the limit is on their 'unlimited' offer though.

Many thanks for the replies.

Appleseed, with regard the Tesco 30 day rolling contract for £10, is this an example of where I would need to buy a micro-sim from Tesco and buy the phone directly from Apple?

If you are purchasing the iPhone from Apple then do have a look at the Sim Only Plans from Three. Also have a look on the Threestore for Non iPhone sim only plans.

You can then simply go to a local Three store and they'll swap it onto a Micro Sim, or you can cut it down yourself

Thanks for the advice.

Does anybody know if you can keep the same mobile number if you are on a Sim Only Plan?

Also if it is Sim Only, is it basically pay as you go but you have to top up your phone so much a month in order to get your texts, calls, data allowance etc? Sorry if this is a silly question but I am not that familiar with Sim Only deals.

SIM only are a rolling 30day contract or you can sign up for 12 months. No topping up required.

You can transfer your number in with a PAC



No, you pay monthly through Direct Debit etc

Thanks everyone for your help.

Does anybody know if Tesco are any nearer to having any stock?

Might be worth calling them and speaking to a human. They ought to know when they are expecting stock. One would have thought they'll be getting deliveries soon to cover Xmas and prior to the rise in VAT.

Tesco's website seems to be permanently out of stock of the iphone 4. When my friend called them a while back, they took her number and told her that they would call when they were back in stock. She got a call the same day saying that new stock had arrived. She was expecting to wait weeks. She was lucky I guess. So just give them a call, you never know...

Three has the best deals. Ive gone for the 24 month contract, works out at £12-14 just for the SIM / network usage.
1GB is plenty as long as u connect to your home wifi for the biggest downloads.
Only 1 bad thing about Three, they block all porn websites when connected to their cell network

yes I recently got an iphone 4 from 3 and it seemed the best deal even though I had to pay some money upfront.

lol just look at them sites through your home wifi.

leave a comment on three blog http://blog.three.co.uk/2010/07/30/l...ne-4-on-three/ saying your not happy about the adult content block and you'll be phoned up by 3 and given the porn add on normally £5 for free and it includes another 2gb allowance

i got my phone from apple and went on 02 £20 a month simplicity
you get unlimited texts. 300 minits and 500mb internet.
free wifi
and good coverage!!

I'm thinking of getting an Orange contract phone now for £30 per month (£229 upfront for phone) and you get 150 minutes, 250 texts, 500mb mobile internet and 2GB Wifi. I rang up Tesco today and they said they haven't got any in stock at the moment which is the answer I get every time I ring so I think I'm going to give up on that one.

that deal doesn't seem all that good and i went to 3 got internet texter 500 30 a month for

500 any network mins
5000 text messages
5000 3to3 mins
1gb internet
175 picture messages
189 upfront cost for 32gb iphone 4

That is a good deal. I'm not sure how reliable the network is for 3 in my area though as I live in a small village. Was it a two year contract?

Yes, It is.

Carphone Warehouse have been advertising a service where you can change your phone/network if you don't get a good signal at home. Worth investigating that with the 3 deals, perhaps.

FWIW, I've been in remote places with full strength 3G signal on 3 and there being nothing on Orange. OTOH, the 3 coverage at my desk in London can be ropey.

yeah 24mths. the signal is very good in my area but it should be good everywhere as 3 had combined masts with t-mobile and the orange masts too due to the merger should make 3g available pretty much everywhere.

you could get a free sim pay as you go to try out maybe ?

Yes that's a good idea. I did try the mobile signal coverage website and 3 didn't come out that good for where I live. It could be due to the fact that there is a big hill behind my house. Tesco was about the same as Orange, which is good but not the best signal possible.

It amazes me that anyone could sign a 24 month contract, but each to their own. Apple sell the iPhone over six months interest free. Or, buy one with a credit card on interest free for 12 months...Then the world is your oyster as they say....Cheap, Cheap tariffs....

I was in a similar dilema, forever checking the website to no avail. I ended up calling, they took my number and promised to call when they were back in stock. 4 days later i got my call and 2 days after that i had my phone. My friend did the same last week, i think he waited 5 or 6 days for a call.

I ordered a Tesco pay as you go SIM recently and tried it in my current phone and the signal where I live is terrible so I'm so glad I didn't order the Tesco deal, even though it is really good offer. There is not much point having a good phone deal if the reception is rubbish though as I won't be able to use it. So its back to the drawing board now. I'm not really sure what to do for the best. I probably should stay on Orange but the contracts they offer are too high for my usage.