Check Your Options Before You Buy

Make sure you compare the best mobile phone deals before you buy, new tariffs are released on a regular basis.

Mobile phone bills can get expensive so it is important to shop around before purchasing a deal, to ensure that you are not paying over the odds. Cashback deals can work out very cheap over the length of your contract, but you do have to remember to send in your bills at the correct time throughout your contract. If you don’t have a good memory, or have a tendency to misplace your monthly bills you will be better off opting for a standard deal.

For customers who want to keep their monthly line rental down, there are now lots of £15 tariffs on the market that can offer you a free handset including anything from 50 minutes per month (T-Mobiles U Fix Talk, 12 month contract, £15 per month) to 300 minutes per month (Threes Mix and Match 300, 18 month contract, £15 per month).

For higher users monthly line rental can increase to £35 to £40 per month. For example Orange offers the Dolphin £35, 18 month plan including 600 minutes and unlimited text messages for £35 per month. An added bonus to this tariff is the unlimited text messages, but make sure you actually use a large amount of text messages before being swayed by unlimited text message deals. O2 offer 600 anytime cross network minutes and 500 text messages for £35 per month.

If you are currently looking for a new mobile phone contract it may be worth waiting a week or so before purchasing your deal, as Three are releasing some very competitive deals. The deals have been dubbed the ‘Unlimited Texter’ tariffs and as the name says the tariffs will include unlimited text messages. The deal that has been leaked is a £25 plan that includes 500 minutes plus unlimited text messages. It is rumored that more tariffs will be released with varying amounts of minutes. Three will be offering the Nokia 6500 or the Sony Ericsson W880 with the new tariffs, with more handset thought to be made available in the upcoming months.

Compared to the other networks £25 tariffs, Three comes out the winner with the most minutes and texts messages. Orange offer 100 minutes and 300 sms for £25 per month, Vodafone offer 150 minutes and 500 texts, O2 offer 200 minutes and 200 sms, but T-Mobile come closest to Three’s new tariff offering £90 credit on the Flext £30 (which is currently on a promotion for £25 per month) which is the equivalent of 450 minutes or 900 text messages (or any combination of the two).

Whichever deal you opt for, make sure you compare all the deals available!