For Orange,O2,Vodafone the 18 month £30/month contract was always the cheapest (ignoring data/text/minutes usage)
For T-mobile the 24 month £25/month was the cheapest
I took the Carphone Warehose tariff comparison worked out the overall cost until the contract ends and you own the phone.
I then figured out how much they’re actually charging you a month versus just buying the thing yourself.
The actual cheapest total cost was the Vodafone 3GS 18 month £30/month deal at £670.
| iPhone UK mobile tariff comparison (13 Jan 2011) | N.B. | 1st | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||||
| (from the carphone warehouse) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Apple UK | O2 | O2 | O2 | O2 | O2 | Orange | Orange | Orange | Orange | Orange | Orange | Orange | vodafone | vodafone | vodafone | vodafone | T-mobile | T-mobile | T-mobile | Three | ||
| Tariff | 0 | £25.53 | £30.64 | £30.64 | £35.74 | £35.74 | £30.64 | £30.64 | £35.75 | £35.75 | £35.75 | £35.75 | £25.54 | £30.65 | £30.65 | £35.75 | £35.75 | £25.54 | £30.64 | £35.75 | £35.00 | |
| Contract | 0 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | |
| iPhone3GS | 8GB | £428.00 | £223.66 | £152.17 | £121.53 | £121.53 | £60.26 | £139.99 | £59.99 | £139.99 | £139.99 | 0 | 0 | £119.00 | £119.00 | £59.00 | £59.00 | 0 | £189.99 | £79.99 | 0 | 0 |
| iPhone4 | 16GB | £510.00 | £305.36 | £233.87 | £203.23 | £203.23 | £141.96 | £229.99 | £169.99 | £229.99 | £229.99 | £119.99 | £119.99 | £269.00 | £269.00 | £199.00 | £199.00 | £139.00 | £279.99 | £179.99 | £99.99 | x |
| iPhone4 | 32GB | £612.00 | £350.30 | £336.00 | £305.36 | £305.36 | £244.09 | £319.99 | £269.99 | £319.99 | £319.99 | £219.99 | £219.99 | £329.00 | £329.00 | £299.00 | £299.00 | £239.00 | £329.99 | £269.99 | £219.99 | x |
| UKMinutes | 100 | 100 | 300 | 300 | 600 | 150 | 150 | 600 | 400 | 600 | 400 | 75 | 75 | 300 | 300 | 600 | 100 | 300 | 600 | 900 | ||
| UKTexts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 250 | 250 | 500 | 500 | Unlimited2 | Unlimited2 | 250 | 250 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5000 | ||
| UKData | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 750MB | 500MB | 750MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 500MB | 1GB | ||
| UKWiFi | unlimited3 | unlimited3 | unlimited3 | unlimited3 | unlimited3 | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB | 3GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB | 1GB | N/A | N/A | N/A | NONE | ||
| Tariff x Contract | 0 | £612.72 | £551.52 | £735.36 | £643.32 | £857.76 | £551.52 | £735.36 | £643.50 | £643.50 | £858.00 | £858.00 | £612.96 | £551.70 | £735.60 | £643.50 | £858.00 | £612.96 | £735.36 | £858.00 | £840.00 | |
| Total = (Tariff x Contract) + iPhone3GS | 8GB | £428.00 | £836.38 | £703.69 | £856.89 | £764.85 | £918.02 | £691.51 | £795.35 | £783.49 | £783.49 | £858.00 | £858.00 | £731.96 | £670.70 | £794.60 | £702.50 | £858.00 | £802.95 | £815.35 | £858.00 | £840.00 |
| Total =(Tariff x Contract) + iPhone4 | 16GB | £510.00 | £918.08 | £785.39 | £938.59 | £846.55 | £999.72 | £781.51 | £905.35 | £873.49 | £873.49 | £977.99 | £977.99 | £881.96 | £820.70 | £934.60 | £842.50 | £997.00 | £892.95 | £915.35 | £957.99 | #VALUE! |
| Total = (Tariff x Contract) + iPhone4 | 32GB | £612.00 | £963.02 | £887.52 | £1,040.72 | £948.68 | £1,101.85 | £871.51 | £1,005.35 | £963.49 | £963.49 | £1,077.99 | £1,077.99 | £941.96 | £880.70 | £1,034.60 | £942.50 | £1,097.00 | £942.95 | £1,005.35 | £1,077.99 | #VALUE! |
| Actual tariff = (Total – Apple)/Contract | 0 | £17.02 | £15.32 | £17.87 | £18.71 | £20.42 | £14.64 | £15.31 | £19.75 | £19.75 | £17.92 | £17.92 | £12.67 | £13.48 | £15.28 | £15.25 | £17.92 | £15.62 | £16.14 | £17.92 | £17.17 | |
| Actual tariff = (Total – Apple)/Contract | 0 | £17.00 | £15.30 | £17.86 | £18.70 | £20.41 | £15.08 | £16.47 | £20.19 | £20.19 | £19.50 | £19.50 | £15.50 | £17.26 | £17.69 | £18.47 | £20.29 | £15.96 | £16.89 | £18.67 | #VALUE! | |
| Actual tariff = (Total – Apple)/Contract | 0 | £14.63 | £15.31 | £17.86 | £18.70 | £20.41 | £14.42 | £16.39 | £19.53 | £19.53 | £19.42 | £19.42 | £13.75 | £14.93 | £17.61 | £18.36 | £20.21 | £13.79 | £16.39 | £19.42 | #VALUE! |
Ian Channing 
Leave a comment