Buying a Phone in the UK: SIM-Free vs Contract, VAT, Networks and Your Rights
The UK is one of the easier places in the world to buy a phone: prices include tax, phones are sold unlocked, and you can switch networks without much fuss. The tricky part is choosing how to pay. A phone on a long contract and the same phone bought SIM-free can end up costing very different amounts. This guide covers what is specific to buying a phone in the UK and the checks worth doing first. 1. SIM-free or contract? Do the full sum There are two common ways to get a new phone: SIM-free plus a SIM-only plan: you pay for the phone up front, then pick any SIM-only plan, often on a 30-day rolling term. A handset contract: the network spreads the cost of the phone over 24 or 36 months and bundles it with your airtime. Contracts look cheap because the upfront cost is low, but the honest comparison is the total: upfront cost plus the monthly price multiplied by the number of months. Many contracts also include yearly price rises written into the terms, so check how the monthly ...