[UK] List of best value for money iPhone data plans.

[Expelliarmus]

So next week probably I will be getting my first ever iPhone and it will be my first ever smartphone too. I'm trying to find best possible smartphone data plan available but I'm not too keen on getting a contract (I'm buying sim-free iPhone4) however I might consider something like O2 Simplicity 12-months contract. I've done some research and I thought I might share it with you. Maybe someone will find it useful. Here are, what I think, best possible deals for iPhone users, O2 has to offer(max £25/month):

Simplicity:

£15/month (12 months contract): 300 min, Unlimited any network text, 500MB UK Data and Unlimited Wi-Fi (BT Openzone and the Cloud hotspots)

£20/month (30-day rolling contract): 300 min Unlimited any network msg, 500MB UK Data and Unlimited Wi-Fi (BT Openzone and the Cloud hotspots)




Pay&Go Text and Web(tariff)

Top-up £10–£14/month: 300 UK texts, 500MB UK data & unlimited Wi-Fi

or

Top-up £15–£29/month: 500 UK texts, 500MB UK data & unlimited Wi-Fi


with one of these Bolt Ons:

Your Family Bolt On £7.50/month: Unlimited calls, texts and picture messaging between 5 O2 people. (This one is really cool if you've got friends and/or family in O2. Only one of you pay £7.50 and all five people get unlimited calls, texts and picture messages to everyone in the group)

O2 Home 100 £9.99/month: 100 anyone, anytime minutes each month from chosen post code to UK fixed lines and all UK network mobiles.

O2 Home 250 £4.99/month: 250 off peak minutes to fixed lines and other O2 mobiles each month from chosen postcode.

Call 50 £7.99/month: 50 anyone, anytime minutes each month to UK fixed lines and all UK network mobiles.




Pay&Go Favourite Place(tariff)

Top-up £10/month and get 500 free minutes to O2 mobiles and standard UK landlines from your chosen postcode

Top-up £15/month and get 1000 free minutes to O2 mobiles and standard UK landlines from your chosen postcode


with one of these Bolt Ons:

O2 Web £7.50/month: 500MB UK Data (no WiFi data)

O2 Web & Wi-Fi £10/month: 1GB UK Data and Unlimited Wi-Fi


For someone who doesn't understand how Bolt Ons work let me shortly explain: cost of your chosen Bolt On is deducted from your phone balance, so if you have topped up £15 and you're on Pay&Go Text and Web tariff with Family Bolt On - £7.50 is taken off your balance and you're left with £7.50 to spend on anything outside your allowances i.e. calls and/or text to other networks, international calls, etc.

Hope this helps. If I made any errors and please feel free to point it out and I'll change it.

 

[dolinc]

I am also considering purchasing an iphone 4. The o2 deals that you list seem to be very good value for money, but 3's plans provides some food for thought:

£10 - 1 month rolling contract, 100 minutes (to any network), 3000 texts, 3000 3 to 3 minutes, and 1 GB internet (!)

£15 - ibid., but 300 any-network minutes

If I understood the woman in the store correctly, the plan includes a micro SIM. But this is a non-issue as a regular SIM can easily be cut down to a micro SIM dimensions. My only concern is 3's real world network coverage/performance. I live in central London, so any first hand experience with the network would be duly appreciated!

 

[Expelliarmus]

£10 - 1 month rolling contract, 100 minutes (to any network), 3000 texts, 3000 3 to 3 minutes, and 1 GB internet (!)
£15 - ibid., but 300 any-network minutes

£10 - 1 month rolling contract sounds really good, however I'm just not really sure about 3. My only experience with 3 was when I had their Pay As You Go USB Dongle and to be honest 3G coverage wasn't really good, and now and then I hear stories about them not being really good network in general. But let's wait for someone else to comment on that.

I was also looking at T-Mobile's sim only deals and they are pretty impressive too. Everything from £15+ a month (on 30 day rolling contract) blows everything else out of water and you can choose inclusive flexible booster to go with it and obviously in our case that would be Unlimited Internet booster (1GB if I'm not mistaken).

And there is an iPhone on Pay and Go tariff. £499.99 + £20 top up and that includes 12 months free internet (500MB a month) and Unlimited text to any network when you top up £10. This is another pretty good deal IMO. And I think there's more to come since Orange and T-Mobile merged.

But since you live in London, access to BT Openzone and The Cloud hotspots, inclusive in the tariff (O2), could be a winner for you, I think. And if their WiFi coverage in London is as good as I assume it is then it could help you save some of that 3G allowance. But this is yet another thing that could use opinion of someone that have personal experience with it.

 

[ssmed]

Do your really want to go O2

I have an O2 iphone in the UK and the reception is shocking at many of the places I visit. Whereas Vodafone seems to be very much better for my colleagues phones and my other 'normal' Vodafone mobile. I have a Vodafone USB stick for my Mac as a result of this experience. Caveat emptor.

 

[george6000]

giffgaff is great its the network that im curently on and have never looked back.

giffgaff runs on the back end of o2's towers so you will get good signal every where.

they also offer unlimited internet! ITS COMPLETELY UNLIMITED WITH NO CAPS OR RESTRICTIONS. as long as you use the sim card in a phone and not for tethering.

their plans are:



£10 unlimited texts, unlimited internet, 150 mins calls
£15 unlimited texts, unlimited internet, 300 mins calls
£20 unlimited texts, unlimited internet, 600 mins calls
£30 unlimited texts, unlimited internet, unlimited calls
(each deal lasts a month)



the reason why there so cheep compared to other networks is they don't have any call centres for customer support and pass the savings on to the customer. all the support is done online through forums and all most all questions are resolved within 15 mins and is very efficient.

you can even make money by participating and helping others in the forums and inviting your friends to the network.

i have only been with giffgaff since june however i just love the network its the best ive found

 

[Zcott]

Big fan of 3 here. Great coverage, great prices, tethering enabled by default and no trouble at all.

 

[milamber]

Gotta give another vote for GiffGaff.

They have no fair use policy so unlimited is really unlimited! They have a really good community and their by far they are the cheapest and as they are pay as you go you can just use as much or as little as you need.

 

[Expelliarmus]

giffgaff is great its the network that im curently on and have never looked back.

Gotta give another vote for GiffGaff

That's two votes for GiffGaff already. I'd really like to hear bit more opinions about this network.
There was a similar network in country where I'm originally from, that started out as really small company, now they offer way better deals that any other network. However, even though they are running using other network's towers, coverage is somehow worse. Any similar problems with GiffGaff?

 

[milamber]

That's two votes for GiffGaff already. I'd really like to hear bit more opinions about this network.
There was a similar network in country where I'm originally from, that started out as really small company, now they offer way better deals that any other network. However, even though they are running using other network's towers, coverage is somehow worse. Any similar problems with GiffGaff?

GiffGaff is actually part owned by O2 and was started by senior O2 staff and having come from O2 iphone to GiffGaff iphone i can attest that it actually is the same.

 

[J400uk]

Another vote for GiffGaff here, gives you the best of both worlds as you get a fixed number of minute and unlimited internet/ texts like you would on a contract... but with the flexibility of pay and go and not having to worry about getting a bill with charges you didn't expect. Superb value for money.

Alternatively Tesco Mobile offer good 1-month rolling contracts:
£10 - 500 mins / Unlimited Texts (3000) / Unlimited Data (500mb)
£15 - 750 mins / Unlimited Texts (3000) / Unlimited Data (500mb)

Both networks run of O2 / Telefonica, the iPhone will actually say "O2-UK" so you won't even be able to tell its running on a low cost MVNO.

 

[salmacis3]

I switched from O2 to take advantage of Three's £10 a month offer. So far I am very impressed with Three's coverage - knocks spots off O2 for me. The only thing you lose is the visual voicemail, but for me, I'm glad I switched. Depending where you are of course, your mileage might vary.

 

[dolinc]

Thanks for all the advice!

I've decided to go with 3 - and if the network turns out to be rubbish, there is a 14 day return policy and I'll check out Giffgaff. If that's no good, then T-mobile, and that isn't good....

 

[george6000]

Another vote for GiffGaff here, gives you the best of both worlds as you get a fixed number of minute and unlimited internet/ texts like you would on a contract... but with the flexibility of pay and go and not having to worry about getting a bill with charges you didn't expect. Superb value for money.

Alternatively Tesco Mobile offer good 1-month rolling contracts:
£10 - 500 mins / Unlimited Texts (3000) / Unlimited Data (500mb)
£15 - 750 mins / Unlimited Texts (3000) / Unlimited Data (500mb)

Both networks run of O2 / Telefonica, the iPhone will actually say "O2-UK" so you won't even be able to tell its running on a low cost MVNO.

lol how can you call it unlimited data its 500 mb

 

[george6000]

Thanks for all the advice!

I've decided to go with 3 - and if the network turns out to be rubbish, there is a 14 day return policy and I'll check out Giffgaff. If that's no good, then T-mobile, and that isn't good....

good luck with trying to cancel from three when the time comes!

WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!!!!!!!!