Everyone's familiar with the basic set-up for getting an iPhone. You commit to a two year service contract with one of the major networks, then pay an upfront fee ranging from a few hundred pounds down to nothing, depending on the monthly package you select. At the end of the two years, there's a good chance you'll simply upgrade to a new handset.
But this is far from the only way to get an iPhone. Here are some of the basics on how else you can get hold of the hottest smartphone.
Shorter Contract
Most of the major networks now offer an 18 month or 12 month deal, following the lead of Tesco which offers similarly short deals on its own phone service (albeit with a few key features such as Call Waiting missing.) It means paying more up front but in some cases the monthly package is better, and it reduces the time before you effectively own the phone outright and can then shop around for service packages.
Older Models
While not everyone can afford the latest iPhone, the frequent releases of new models mean that older models drop in price. As a very rough summary, the iPhone 4 costs up to a couple of hundred pounds on contract deals (and the monthly packages with which the phone is free are much cheaper), while in most cases you'll get an iPhone 3GS without any up front fee on a monthly package.
Pay As You Go
Most of the networks sell iPhones on a pay-as-you go basis, with costs ranging from around £300 for the 3GS to £500 for the 4S. You can then choose from the network's tariffs, most of which are good value if you don't intent to use huge amounts of data.
Buying Second-hand
There are plenty of places to buy used iPhones, though the price reduction isn't necessarily as great as you'd expect. It's something of a minefield in terms of quality and reliability, so you may want to stick to sales from established businesses such as the Smartphone Store rather than individuals, and to look for models listed as either checked for quality or refurbished, preferably with a guarantee.
Unlocking
Once you've got your hands on a handset that's tied to a particular network, you can usually get it unlocked by the operator upon request for a small fee, up to around £15. (Remember that this doesn't get you out of paying for any minimum contract period you've agreed to.)
You can then run any SIM card in the phone, thus offering your more choice and options to get cheaper deals. One important point to remember is that officially only special micro-SIM cards will work, which means you'll need to look for a micro-SIM tariff. Unofficially, it's possible (if a little fiddly) to cut an ordinary SIM card down to size. By doing this you can access deals as low as £10 a month with unlimited text and data.
