iPhone 7 contracts on EE, O2, Vodafone and Three: which is best?
Breaking down the top deals in the UK.
For many smartphone fans, today is Christmas morning. Apple unwrapped the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus earlier this week and now, they're available to pre-order. Both smartphones are an upgrade over their 6s predecessors, boasting better cameras, processors and water-resistant shells. The lack of a headphone jack is...divisive to say the least, but hey, at least you get an adapter and some Lightning headphones in the box. If you're ready to take the plunge with one of the new models, here are your best options.
Apple
First and foremost, there's the Cupertino company itself. Apple is selling both models with three storage options: 32GB, 128GB and 256GB.
Model | 7 32GB | 7 128GB | 7 256GB | 7 Plus 32GB | 7 Plus 128GB | 7 Plus 256GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | £599 | £699 | £799 | £719 | £819 | £919 |
If these prices seem a little steep, it's worth considering Apple's new iPhone upgrade programme. You'll be signing up for a long-term plan with (sort of) low monthly payments -- they start at £33.45 per month, with a £49 upfront fee, for the iPhone 7 with 32GB of storage. Just be aware that the phone doesn't come with a SIM card or any kind of cellular plan, so you'll need to pick one up elsewhere. The scheme does grant you instant upgrades to the latest model, however, so if you're the type that buys a new iPhone every year, this is one way to fund an expensive habit.
Contracts
Prefer to deal with your carrier? It's a minefield out there. Networks are always tweaking their plans and it's notoriously hard to compare them. You have to consider the phone, the upfront cost and the monthly instalments, as well as the number of calls, texts and megabytes you'll be getting each month. To help you out, we've broken down the plans that will put the smallest dent in your bank account each month. As a consequence, however, you will be forking out more up front.
Cheapest Monthly Cost | 7 32GB | 7 128GB | 7 256GB | 7 Plus 32GB | 7 Plus 128GB | 7 Plus 256GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vodafone | £28pm, £400 up front | £32pm, £400 up front | £37pm, £500 up front | £32pm, £400 up front | £37pm, £400 up front | £42pm, £500 up front |
O2 | £38pm, £180 up front | £43pm, £180 up front | £48pm, £170 up front | £43pm, £190 up front | £48pm, £190 up front | £53pm, £180 up front |
EE | £46pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £100 up front | £56pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £130 up front | £61om, £130 up front | £66pm, £130 up front |
Three | £36pm, £149 up front | £43pm, £149 up front | £50pm, £149 up front | £44pm, £149 up front | £51pm, £149 up front | £58pm, £149 up front |
BT | £44pm, £120 up front | £44pm, £240 up front | £44pm, £290 up front | £44pm, £240 up front | £44pm, £290 up front | £44pm, £380 up front |
iD | £42.50pm, £340 up front | £42.50pm, £440 up front | £42.50pm, £540 up front | £42.50pm, £440 up front | £42.50pm, £540 up front | £42.50pm, £640 up front |
Carphone Warehouse | £33.49pm, £230 up front | £33.49pm, £330 up front | £33.49pm, £430 up front | £33.50pm, £320 up front | £33.50pm, £420 up front | £33.50pm, £520 up front |
If you're tight on cash right now and would prefer to spend a little more each month, we've got you covered. Below, we've listed some of the cheapest plans if you want to spend the absolute minimum up front.
Cheapest Upfront Cost | 7 32GB | 7 128GB | 7 256GB | 7 Plus 32GB | 7 Plus 128GB | 7 Plus 256GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vodafone | £53pm, £30 up front | £58pm, £50 up front | £68pm, £50 up front | £63pm, £50 up front | £68pm, £50 up front | £73pm, £90 up front |
O2 | £43pm, £60 up front | £48pm, £60 up front | £53pm, £50 up front | £48pm, £70 up front | £53pm, £70 up front | £58pm, £60 up front |
EE | £46pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £100 up front | £56pm, £100 up front | £51pm, £130 up front | £61pm, £130 up front | £66pm, £130 up front |
Three | £72pm, no upfront cost | £79pm, no upfront cost | £86pm, no upfront cost | £72pm, no upfront cost | £79pm, No upfront cost | £86pm, no upfront cost |
BT | £59om, £90 upfront cost | £59pm, £120 up front | £59pm, £170 up front | £59pm, £90 up front | £59pm, £120 up front | £59pm, £170 up front |
iD | £49.50om, £120 up front | £49.50pm, £220 up front | £49.50pm, £320 up front | £49.50pm, £220 up front | £49.50pm, £320 up front | £49.50pm, £420 up front |
Carphone Warehouse | £57pm, No upfront cost | £85pm, £10 up front | £90pm, £40 up front | £85pm, £10 up front | £90pm, £40 up front | £90pm, £140 up front |
