Want to sign up for a new mobile phone contract? You’ve certainly got an awful lot of options out there. With so many mobile service operators on the market, and each of them offering multitudes of different contracts, there are tons of choices. Today we’re looking at how you buy a new mobile contract, and what some of the best deals are out there. So if you’re in the market for a new service provider, then read on to have all your questions answered…
Mobile Coverage…
Before you even start shopping around for contracts, you need to check out the mobile coverage in your area. Different operators have different coverage in different areas. If you go with an operator that has bad coverage where you live, you’ll find that you get poor mobile phone reception. This can mean that your phone doesn’t work at all, or that you get slow internet speeds or bad call quality. Checking out coverage is pretty easy. Every operator details their coverage on their web site; you just have to enter your post code. Alternatively, if you got to the OFCOM web site they keep an up to date map that compares coverage with all networks in all areas of the country.
The Kind of Calling Plan You Need…
Whichever kind of contract you end up signing, you’re going to have to choose a calling plan. This is important, because the wrong kind of calling plan is going to end up with you paying a lot of extra money. A calling plan is composed of three parts: a monthly limit for the amount of text messages you can send, a limit for the amount of calling minutes you can use, and a limit for the amount of mobile data you can use. If those limits are too high for you, you’ll pay a monthly fee for services that you’re not even using. But if the limits are too low for you, you’ll have to pay expensive extra fees for using extra services outside of your calling plan. The easiest way to decide what kind of calling plan you need is to look at some of your old bills to see what your average monthly usage looks like. If you can’t do that, then think about getting a pay as you go plan for a month to see how you use your phone before deciding on a calling plan.
Incentive or SIM Only Contracts…
Mobile service operators offer two kinds of contracts: incentive and SIM only. Both of these contracts give you a calling plan, but an incentive contract also gives you a free or low priced mobile phone, whereas a SIM only contract doesn’t. SIM only contracts have cheaper monthly fees, but you will need to buy your own phone, or already have one. Incentive contracts are more expensive, but you get the phone that you want immediately whilst paying little to no money up front. It’s up to you which one you go with, and it really depends on whether you need a phone and how much you can afford to pay.
Length of Contract…
Finally, you’ll need to decide how long you want your contract to be. A longer contract will have cheaper monthly payments, but will also mean that you get stuck with one operator and one calling plan for a longer period of time. Contract lengths are usually twelve or twenty four months, but some operators also have eighteen month contracts. If you want to sign a SIM only contract you might be able to get a thirty day contract period. This will automatically renew every month until you tell the operator to cancel your service.
The Best iPhone 4 Deals for Incentive Contracts…
If you’re looking to sign an incentive contract, then the best iPhone 4 deals are probably going to offer you the best phone for the best price. The iPhone 4 isn’t a top end device, but it is a great mid-range smart phone that’s perfect for the average user. And prices for the iPhone 4 are cheap, so you get an incredibly deal. The best iPhone 4 deals right now are offered by Vodafone, and you can pay as little as ten pounds a month for service, and you get the phone for free. As far as value for money goes, these are probably the best incentive contract terms that you’ll find.
The Best Deals for SIM Only Contracts…
SIM only contracts are cheaper than incentive contracts, and their prices really depend on how big you want your calling, texting and data limits to be. In general, you’re going to get the best SIM only deals from Orange or Vodafone, since they tend to offer the best prices. However, there are a couple of exceptions. If you’re looking for lots of mobile data, then you should take a look at deals with Three, since they have the lowest mobile data prices around, though their calling minutes can get pricey. And if you’re looking for totally unlimited plans, with no limits on calling, texting or data, take a look at T-Mobile. T-Mobile currently offers the cheapest totally unlimited calling plan on the market.
The Best Short Term Contract Deals…
If you’re uncomfortable signing long term contracts then you are going to end up paying a little more per month, particularly if you’re signing a short term incentive contract. The shortest incentive contract that you can sign will be twelve months, and both T-Mobile and Vodafone offer good prices on twelve month incentive contracts, though prices vary depending on which mobile phone model you choose to go with. For SIM only contracts you can get the aforementioned thirty day contract period, and again you should look to T-Mobile for the best prices on that. In general, should you want to sign a short term contract you really should consider going SIM only and buying a phone yourself, as you’ll get a much cheaper plan that way. Short term incentive contracts tend not to be great value for money.
Sam Jones wanted the best iPhone 4 deals as he wanted to buy gifts for his children. He found some great offers online by using price comparison sites like uSwitch.com
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