Samsung Galaxy S4 best contract deals compared: O2, Three, Orange, Vodafone, EE, T-Mobile, Tesco
The Samsung Galaxy S4, the long-awaited smartphone successor to the company’s world-beating Galaxy S3, finally goes on sale this weekend.
The flagship handset looks set to go up against the impressive HTC One handset, with the Galaxy S4 packing in 4G connectivity, a 5-inch 1080p screen and 13MP camera, it’s set to be one of the best-selling phones of the year.
We’ve pulled together all the best deals for UK smartphone fans looking to pick up the Galaxy S4. Check them out below.
EE
The only provider offering 4G connectivity, EE is the way to go if you want the fastest mobile broadband available. But it will cost you. Two year, £31 a month deals with the handset at £269.99 gets you 500MB of data usage per mont. But you’ll burn through that on 4G speeds. Cough up £46 a month and the up-front handset cost drops to £29.99 and the data usage goes up to a more reasonable 3GB.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile have popped the Galaxy S4 on their “Full Monty” plans, offering the phone on two-year deals. £36 a month gets the handset for £99.99 and bags you 2,000 voice minutes, unlimited data and texts. £61 a month gets you the handset for £19.99 and offers unlimited minutes as well as unlimited data and texts.
Orange
Orange are offering the Galaxy S4 on all their current plans, with the cheapest up-front option being “The Works 51” plan, which bags you the phone for just £19 on a two year, £51 a month contract. That gives you unlimited calls and texts, and a sizeable 8GB of data.
For £26 a month on a two year Orange deal, you’ll see the handset jump to £269.99, with 500MB of data. Orange’s Panther, Canary and Dolphin plans also offer the handset, but you’ll have to look elsewhere for a free-phone contract.
Vodafone
To get the Galaxy S4 for free on Vodafone, you’ll have to sign up for a two-year deal at £42 or £47 a month. Opt for the £37 a month option and you’ll have to pay £69.99 for the handset. Vodafone are also offering a free phone on the £37 a month option providing you trade in select older handsets.
Unlimited calls and texts go across the board on these plans, with only data varying. £37 a month gets you 1GB, £42 bags 2GB and £47 gets you 4GB.
Three
Two year deals from Three start at £35 a month with a £49 upfront cost. That’s for the “Ultimate Internet 500” plan, which offers unlimited data, 500 minutes and 5,000 texts. “The One Plan” is probably the contract to go for from Three, upping the monthly cost by just £2 to £37 a month with the same £49 upfront cost, offering unlimited data, 2,000 minutes, 5,000 Three-to-Three network calls and 5,000 texts.
Three also sell the handset on Pay As You Go plans. The handset costs £549 this way, with a £10 or £15 add on offering 500MB or unlimited data, 100 or 300 minutes respective of the add-on cost. 3000 texts are offered across each.
O2
Due to high demand, O2’s are now warning that pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S4 have now run out for a guaranteed arrival on launch day, meaning you may have to wait a little now to get the handset from the network. They’re still honouring the double data offer for all who signed up early however, providing 2GB of data for the price of 1GB on a 24 month contract. That costs £37 per month with an up-front charge of £69.99.
O2 are offering a “free upfront” option with each of its tariff levels, nearly all of which offering unlimited texts and calls, making data pretty much the only variable for the price.
For example, a 2GB option puts you at £47 a month, while £37 a month gets you 750MB of data. Keep in mind there’s the newly-revealed O2 Refresh tariff too, if you’re looking to split the cost of the handset away from the service and be eligible for early upgrades.
Tesco
Tesco, using O2’s network infrastructure, have quite a fairly cheap option on offer. You can get the handset for free from them on a two-year deal for £30 a month, bagging 250 minutes of calls, 500MB of data and 5,000 texts. Going up in £5 increments for each contract beyond that entry level, Tesco top out at a £45 a month deal that offers 3,000 minutes of calls, 5,000 texts and 3G of data.
SIM-free
SIM-free, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is hovering around the £580 mark from the likes of Amazon and Clove. It’s a fair whack of money to lay out all at once, but paired with the right SIM-Only network deal can prove the cheapest option over the entire course of a phone’s lifetime.
