Apple’s line of iPhones is the most popular mobile phone that the world has ever seen. With millions of sales under their belt, Apple release a new iPhone once a year, generally in the autumn time, just in time for the huge Christmas market. An iPhone is certainly a great device. They’re sleek, fast, great looking and easy to use too. Your phone experience on an iPhone is sure to be great. But iPhones are expensive. They’re far more expensive than comparable Android models. But if iPhones are your thing, then there are ways that you can get savings on your new phone. Today we’re talking about how you can get the iPhone that you want at a budget price. So, if you’re looking for cheap iPhone deals, then look no further, we’ve got everything that you need to know.
Cheap iPhone Deals on Contracts…
Mobile service operators offer things called incentive contracts. These are the contracts that give you a free or low cost mobile phone when you sign up for a calling plan, as opposed to SIM only contracts that give you just a calling plan. Incentive contracts do have more expensive monthly costs than SIM only contracts, since this is how the operator finances the cost of the phone that you’re given. And you quite often end up spending more than the retail cost of the phone during the course of your contract. However, due to the high price of iPhones, many people who are looking for cheap iPhone deals turn to incentive contracts to avoid spending huge amounts of money all at once. The best contract deals on iPhones are for older models. Orange offers great deals on the iPhone 4S for contract signers, and Vodafone has the best bargains on the iPhone 4 on contract. If you’re looking for the iPhone 5, signing an incentive contract isn’t going to be your best bet, since you’ll end up spending a lot more. However, if an incentive contract is the only way you’re going to get that iPhone 5, then O2 tends to have the best prices.
Go Older for Better Prices…
When buying an iPhone, it is tempting to go for the newest model. In this case, the newest device is the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 does have a couple of clear advantages over the older iPhone 4S. It has a bigger screen, and it also has a little more processing power, though that’s not really noticeable to the average user. However, in every other respect the iPhone 4S is identical. You get the same build quality, the same camera, even the same software, so the iPhone 4S has all of the user features that the iPhone 5 has. And you get an iPhone 4S for a much cheaper price than the iPhone 5. If you want a bargain on an iPhone, you’re much better off going for the older model. An iPhone 5 is a high demand device, so retailers don’t have much need to offer discounts and special offers. On the iPhone 4S, however, you can get some good deals.
Look at Apple’s Web Site…
Strangely, you can often find the best prices on iPhones direct from the Apple web site. Apple does sell refurbished iPhones. These are phones that have been bought and then returned. They’re usually unused and returned only because the buyer changed his or her mind. Apple do subject the returned phones to a thorough technical inspection, as well as cleaning and rebooting them. You will be absolutely unable to tell the difference between a refurbished iPhone and a brand new one, in look and functionality they will be exactly the same. You even get the full two year Apple warranty on a refurbished phone.
Alternatively, you can occasionally find reconditioned iPhones on the Apple site. These are phones that have been used, and are essentially second hand, but they’ve been thoroughly inspected by Apple engineers, so there should be no problems. Reconditioned phones sometimes also have worn parts replaced, and will get software updates if they’re necessary. You might find that there are some cosmetic flaws, such as scratches, on reconditioned models, but there will be nothing that affects the functionality of the phone. Reconditioned prices are even lower than refurbished prices.
Buying a Second Hand iPhone…
You can, of course, buy a second hand phone, but that is a riskier purchase than a refurbished or reconditioned phone, since it probably won’t have been inspected by a professional. If you want to buy second hand it’s a good idea to check the phone out yourself before buying it. You should look at the casing for any dents or scrapes, and check out the screen for any scratches or dead pixels. Take your SIM card with you so that you can turn the phone on and make a call, checking for call quality, send a text message and connect to the internet, to make sure everything works as it should. Another good tip is to take a picture and then examine the photo for any signs of blurs or defects. If a phone is dropped the delicate camera lens is often the first thing to break, and this will be visible in pictures taken with a damaged phone. You should be able to see from the photo whether or not the phone has been dropped. Finally, examine the back of the phone and make sure that it is a genuine Apple product. You can access the phone’s serial number from the settings menu, just hit settings, general and then about. If you go to Apple’s web site you can enter the serial number of the phone and they will tell you both if it’s an original Apple product and what its warranty status is. Try to avoid buying second hand online, since you won’t be able to look at what you’re getting. If you do need to buy online then make sure that the site you’re using is reputable, and that they have a return policy if your phone turns out to be defective.
Sam Jones needed to find cheap iPhone deals for his daughters. He managed this in just a few minutes by spending time on comparison sites such as uSwitch and saved plenty of money too.
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