Those on the look for a new mobile plan may want to think hard about the plan they opt for as Vodafone and Three prices could get more expensive – we’ve rounded up best deals to help
It’s spring which for avid tech fans will ring huge reminder bells, the time to scour around your broadband, phone, TV, and streaming subscriptions ahead of April 2024 price rises. Any mobile users looking to get a cheaper deal may face higher prices if they’re with Vodafone or Three, according to a warning from the watchdog.
That’s according to the CMA, the Competition and Markets Authority, which has highlighted concerns about the upcoming merger between the two providers, with worries that it could rack up prices for consumers. The CMA stated it could bring “higher prices and reduced quality”.
The investigation into the joining Vodafone and Three Mobile forces also showed concerns towards virtual networks, like Lebara and Lyca Mobile who piggyback off of bigger providers to offer deals. While this is just a concern it may be worth considering if you’re currently looking for a new mobile plan.
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And if that’s you, we’ve scoured the retailers to pick what we think our deals that are worth going for in the spring of 2024, whether you need a mobile upgrade or a simple pay-as-you-go SIM. Starting with outright deals, John Lewis has taken £100 off Apple’s new iPhone 15.
The retailer’s deal means that you can buy the standard 128GB device for £699 instead of its usual £799 starting price. But it’s also available on bigger storage models, essentially giving you a bigger device for free – for instance, you can now get the 256GB iPhone 15 for £799, the price that the 128GB model usually costs.
It’s a no-brainer offer and if you can afford to go contract-free we’d certainly recommend it as the best option right now, once you have your handset you can then opt for a flexible SMARTY SIM for all of your data, calls, and text needs.
Next up, we’ve picked out a contract deal through the retailer Mobiles.co.uk, who’s offering a Google Pixel 8 contract from £19.99 a month, and anyone who buys it will get £100 to spend at Currys.
We’d also recommend Uswitch as a place to start comparing contract deals, a source we refer to ourselves to find the competitive deals listed all in one place.
Flexible pay-as-you-go SIM
Like John Lewis, Amazon is another retailer with eye-catching deals on mobiles, with £194 cut off the Google Pixel 8 Pro, £100 off Apple’s flagship iPhone 15, and £118 off Samsung’s budget-friendly A34 5G. A chance for shoppers to pay one of the cheapest prices on the latest flagship devices, but of course you’ll need a decent SIM for this.
Which is where we move onto SMARTY, a provider that offers flexible SIM-only plans. With unlimited data for just £20 a month these are all contract free which means you won’t be tied in if you want to move to a potentially cheaper provider down the line.
You can browse all of its SIM plans here, and quickly find out why we love the provider, with one-month plans you can cancel after 30-days, get unlimited UK calls and texts, use up to 12GB of your allocated data plan in the EU 9under its fair use policy) and get access to speedy 5G.
Mobile providers with no mid-contract price hikes
Of course with rising bills and prices expected in April 2024, coinciding with the recent Vodafone and Three Mobile merger news and the thought that it may increase prices (not officially as yet) it’s certain a lot of shoppers will be looking at going with providers who won’t up their prices mid-contract.
So, we’ve done some legwork below with a list of mobile retailers that won’t up their prices for existing customers, you’ll only face a bigger bill if you’re out of contract and at this time you are free to leave without paying an exit fee:
