Best iPhone deals

Brilliant touchscreen user interfaces, sleek designs and thousands of applications to choose from make Apple iPhones the most sought-after, most cutting-edge mobile phones around.

With all the major UK networks now ranging the latest iPhones, ensuring greater competition and lower prices, there’s never been a better time to shop around for an iPhone deal.

Compare all the latest models of iPhone or get the latest news, deals and information about iPhone 4S deals

Why choose an iPhone?

iPhones have sold tens of millions of units across the globe as consumers flock to get their hands on the most desirable mobile phones around. Here’s a few of things that make them so in-demand:

Multi-touch user touchscreens

A multi-touch user interface lets you interact with the phone by placing two or more fingers onto its surface. This makes for a superbly intuitive user experience and means that flicking through menus, zooming in content and finding things is quicker and more efficient than ever before.

Applications

The term 'applications', or 'apps', refers to software that can be downloaded onto a phone, with the definition taking in everything from games to more practical applications such as business tools. The iPhone has more apps available than any other mobile device – many of which are free to download. This means that you can change the functionality of your phone every day and choose from brand new software that is being added to the collection every day.

Great design

The iPhone is one the best looking mobile phones ever created. It’s sleek, slim and stylish and has been lavished with design awards.

Convergence

iPhones combine an iPod, video player, camera, email, web browsing and more in one handy device. They therefore bring to an end to the days of carrying around separate digital cameras and music players.

What’s the difference between the iPhone models?

Since the launch of the very first iPhone, every year has so far has seen a brand new updated model go on sale. Here we’ll explain the differences between the different editions and outline their key specifications.

iPhone 2G

The original iPhone went on sale in 2007. It instantly revolutionised the mobile phone market and was named the Invention of the Year by Time magazine.

The phone brought touchscreen user interfaces to the sector for the first time ever. Other features included GPS for easy location finding, 2G mobile internet compatibility and a two-megapixel camera. The 2G model was withdrawn from sale in 2009.

Key Specifications:

Dimensions: 115mm high, 61mm wide and 11.6mm thick

Weight: 135g

Screen: 480 x 320 3.5" multi-touch display

Storage: 4GB, 8GB and 16GB editions

Camera: Two-megapixel

iPhone 3G

Landing in 2008, the iPhone 3G added 3G support to enable users to surf the internet and download content and applications faster than the original. Also new to the phone was the addition of assisted GPS, which improved its location finding capabilities.

Apple also boosted the handset's onboard memory to 8GB for the standard edition and to 16GB for the most expensive version – thus allowing users more oom to grow their apps, music and movies collection.

Key specifications:

Dimensions: 115mm high, 61mm wide and 11.6mm thick

Weight: 133g

Screen: Size 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches

Storage: 8GB and 16GB editions

Camera: Two-megapixel

iPhone 3G S

The iPhone 3G S was launched in 2009. The ‘S’ in its title stands for speed, to reflect the faster performance and web browsing experience it brought.

Other improvements included a better camera with video recording capabilities and the ability to make calls by just using your voice.

Key specifications:

Dimensions: 115mm high, 62mm wide and 12mm thick

Weight: 135g

Screen: 320 x 480 pixels, 3.5 inches

Storage: 16GB and 32GB versions

Camera: 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording

iPhone 4

The iPhone 4 landed in the UK on June 24th 2010. The iteration's main selling points included a powerful processor for faster, more efficient multitasking, HD video recording, a gyroscope for enhanced motion-controlled gaming, a secondary camera for video calling and an industry-leading super high resolution screen called the Retina display.

At 9.3mm thick, the fourth version of the iPhone was the thinnest smartphone ever at the time of release and is available in a choice of black or white.

Key specifications

Dimensions: 115.2mm high, 58.6mm wide and 9.3mm thick.

Weight: 137g

Screen: 960 x 640 pixels, 3.5-inches

Storage: 16GB and 32GB versions

Camera: Five-megapixel camera with HD video recording, plus secondary camera for video calling

iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S launched in October 2011, shortly after the death of Apple’s charismatic co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs.

The 4S retained the exterior of its predecessor but also brought a number of hardware upgrades, including a faster A5 processor and an eight-megapixel iSight camera that records videos at full HD.

It also introduced Siri, a personal digital assistant that’s able to perform queries based on voice commands and a cloud storage service called iCloud that automatically syncs data and files between all of Apple’s key devices.

The iPhone 4S is available in black and white in storage variants of 16, 32 and 64GB.

Key specifications

Dimensions: 115.2mm high, 58.6mm wide and 9.3mm thick.

Weight: 140g

Screen: 960 x 640 pixels at 326 ppi, 3.5-inches

Storage: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions

Camera: Eight-megapixel camera with full HD video recording, plus secondary camera for video calling

iPhone 5

The iPhone 5 was released in the UK on September 14th 2012. This is said to be the last iPhone to have had input from the late Apple co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs.

This latest iteration sheds the ageing design of the iPhone 4 for a thinner and lighter anodised aluminium casing and increased the screen size for the first time since the original iPhone landed to four inches.

Additionally, the iPhone 5 features an improved iSight camera, a new 8-pin dock connector called Lightning and an even brawnier A6 processor.

The iPhone 5 is also the first iPhone to offer 4G LTE capabilities, offering blazing quick browsing and download speeds on networks that offer the superfast service.

Key specifications

Dimensions: 123.8mm high, 58.6mm wide and 7.6mm thick.

Weight: 112g

Screen: 1136 x 640 pixels at 326 ppi, 4-inches

Storage: 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions

Camera: Eight-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video recording, plus front-facing camera with 720p HD recording and video calling

Which networks offer iPhone deals?

O2 was initially the iPhone’s exclusive network carrier in the UK. However, that changed in late 2009 when Orange entered the market, setting the scene for further networks to join them.

Now the latest iPhones are available on all the major networks, with each working harder and harder for your money. As a result, almost all the carriers have added a host of extra incentives and perks to get buyers to choose their iPhone contract deals over their competitors. All this means that there’s never been a better time to pick up a great iPhone deal.

Which iPhone deals are the best?

Below, we take a look at the biggest UK networks offering iPhone deals and outline their key advantages.

iPhone deals on Orange

Orange iPhone buyers benefit from a range of great incentives. These include:

• Orange Wednesdays gets you 2 for 1 cinema tickets and pizzas at Pizza Express
• Access to Orange ‘Swappables’, which are free subscriptions to things like Sky Sports Mobile and music streaming from Deezer
• Excellent customer service

Compare Orange iPhone deals at uSwitch: Orange iPhone

iPhone deals on O2

Advantages of choosing an O2 iPhone deal include

• Priority tickets at venues nationwide – get early access to concert tickets up to 48 hours before general release
• 10 per cent off tickets at other O2 venues
• Priority Moments offering 40% off cinema tickets, £30 off grocery shopping and more

Compare O2 iPhone deals at uSwitch: O2 iPhone

iPhone deals on EE

The perks of choosing an iPhone deal from EE include

• Access to EE Film, which offers blockbuster releases to watch on the move
• 2 for 1 cinema tickets every Wednesday at cinemas nationwide
• Superfast browsing and downloading speeds on EE’s 4G network

Compare EE iPhone deals at uSwitch: EE iPhone

iPhone deals on Three

Some of the reasons to choose an iPhone deal on Three include

• The UK’s most extensive 3G network
• All-you-can-eat mobile internet
• Unrestricted tethering at no extra cost on unlimited data plans

Compare Three iPhone deals at uSwitch: Three iPhone

iPhone deals on T-Mobile

The benefits of picking up an T-Mobile iPhone include

• Full Monty Plans offering unlimited mobile internet
• Great for heavy users and bargain hunters alike

Compare T-Mobile iPhone deals at uSwitch: T-Mobile iPhone

iPhone deals on Vodafone

Pick up an iPhone deal with Vodafone and you’ll receive

• VIP perks, such as free tickets to fashion shows, festivals, Formula 1 racing and more
• Data Test Drive for unlimited mobile internet for the first three months of pay monthly tariffs

Compare Vodafone iPhone deals at uSwitch: Vodafone iPhone