[davyk31]

Thinking of upgrading to an Iphone 5S for both myself and wife.

We currently have the Iphone4 which can be sold for £100 each or more. We went last time to purchase the phones SIM free and went O2 PAYG which for £10 a month we get loads of texts, calls and data, all we need.

This time may do the same again as it seems the cheapest option, buy phone for about £540 and then £240 for say 24 months subscription. The thought of going for a contract is worth considering but I'm not clear on what happens at the end of the 24 months, can you upgrade and get a new set cheaper than if you were starting new. Is the old handset then still mine to sell?

If you can upgrade and get a subsidised new handset then this might skew the figures again as at the minute the option I was looking at was £170 for set and then £32 per month for set and network. This option works out at £160 more per set for the 24 months use so unless there is something that makes the next set cheaper as an upgrade it doesn't seem to make sense.

[Kerr]

The phone is yours to sell.

Get the phone from Apple so it's not locked to a network. Worth more that way.

At the end of the 24 (you can upgrade early but they add that on to next contract) you can upgrade. Sadly existing customers don't get a better deal. New subscriptions get a better deal and to the top of the queue for in demand new phones.

[davyk31]

I think the 5s and 5c lock themselves to whichever network the first SIM card is.

[225_AB]

The benefit of an unlocked phone is that you are free to negotiate a cheaper and shorter contract. For example my wife is on the 3 one plan which cost £15, with a subsidised hand set the same plan would be £41 as you are paying for the network to subsidise the handset. Do your sums with a sim only plan + full price handset v monthly cost with subsidised phone if you are in a position to pay upfront for phone.
I bought a 4s at full price and by negotiating I have 300mins, lots of texts, 2.5gb data and 2000 3 to 3 mins for £5!

[dxb335d]

Remember the 4g tariffs are more expensive.

[will1968]

Originally Posted by davyk31

I think the 5s and 5c lock themselves to whichever network the first SIM card is.

If you buy them from apple their unlocked. If bought from anywhere else they are sold as sim free which will lock themselves to the first network sim which is inserted into the phone.

[225_AB]

Originally Posted by dxb335d

Remember the 4g tariffs are more expensive.

Except on 3 who will have 4g when they provide it without a surcharge. Depends if you have decent coverage in your area on 3.

[scooba0010]

Originally Posted by will1968

If you buy them from apple their unlocked. If bought from anywhere else they are sold as sim free which will lock themselves to the first network sim which is inserted into the phone.

Thanks I never new this , you live and learn something new every day.So the thing to do is buy it from Apple If you want to easily swap networks

[gangzoom]

I think the contracts work if u use a lot of talk time, but for me it always work out cheaper to buy the phone outright and than get a cheap sim only contract.

For example the cheapest contract option on the 5S on 3 works out at £988 over 2 years. Where as my sim only contract only costs at the most £309 over 2 years, that's a difference of £678, so I would save over £100 by buying the phone outright.

Actually have bought my last 2 iPhones when I've been over in the states. There the 32 Gig sim-free 5S costs about £470ish...compared to £560 for the 16 gig model we pay here in the UK.

[davyk31]

I have always worked out buying outright was the way for me, just means a big outlay at start. Having said that my current 4 is nearly three years old so that pushes the argument even more towards the non contract option.

Just heard people on contracts talk about upgrades and wondered did that give any financial advantage but appears not.

Buying in jersey when on holidays seemed an option as no VAT but the apple authorised dealer there can't sell iPhones. They do however shift masses of iPads, person in front of me in the queue bought 8!

[MrPogle]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

Actually have bought my last 2 iPhones when I've been over in the states. There the 32 Gig sim-free 5S costs about £470ish...compared to £560 for the 16 gig model we pay here in the UK.

Big caution required here. Unless you really know what you are doing, buying abroad is not possible with the 5s and 5c if you want 4G.

[m@rk]

Originally Posted by MrPogle

Big caution required here. Unless you really know what you are doing, buying abroad is not possible with the 5s and 5c if you want 4G.

As he said, there are SIX different versions of the 5S as shown here

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3939

Within each variant there are then 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions in grey, white and gold.

You need to be very sure (especially when buying of an international seller on eBay) that the phone will work at all in the UK never mind work on 4G

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by MrPogle

Big caution required here. Unless you really know what you are doing, buying abroad is not possible with the 5s and 5c if you want 4G.

It is very confusing, I bought the Sprint version of the 5 which should work in the UK. Not looked into the new 5S though.

[m@rk]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

It is very confusing, I bought the Sprint version of the 5 which should work in the UK. Not looked into the new 5S though.

The Sprint 5 will only work on EE 4G (if you are lucky). There is no version of the 5 that works on Vodafone, O2 or Three 4G (and of course never will be)

[gangzoom]

Originally Posted by m@rk

The Sprint 5 will only work on EE 4G (if you are lucky). There is no version of the 5 that works on Vodafone, O2 or Three 4G (and of course never will be)

The iPad mini I bought for the parent-in laws was Sprint and they can get LTE on EE with it so I think my iPhone 5 will be fine. But more importantly I ready get 10mg+ download on 3 with normal 3G with unlimited data for £12 so cannot see any reason to switch to EE for 4G.

[AdzC]

Originally Posted by gangzoom

Actually have bought my last 2 iPhones when I've been over in the states. There the 32 Gig sim-free 5S costs about £470ish...compared to £560 for the 16 gig model we pay here in the UK.

Funny you should mention that. I am off to New York in December and I was considering picking up a 5S whilst over there.

I take it there are no differences in terms of hardware and I would just need a UK charger for the phone?

[m@rk]

Originally Posted by AdzC

Funny you should mention that. I am off to New York in December and I was considering picking up a 5S whilst over there.

I take it there are no differences in terms of hardware and I would just need a UK charger for the phone?

See the link above

There are different radios in each variant. Buy the wrong one and you will have a brick when you get back to the UK or a phone that will only work on "some" of your carriers frequency bands thus resulting in much reduced coverage

Also note that Three have yet to confirm that the 5S and 5C will work on their 4G data network at all moving forward. O2 haven't yet been certified for 4G on this phone but as they are sharing 4G networks with Vodafone, this shouldn't be an issue

The CDMA variants on the other hand (which I think are used by Verizon) don't even have a SIM card slot such is the difference in technology and won't work at all

This table should be of use to you. The A1457 in bold is the standard issue UK model. In the US, AT&T, T-Mobile & Verizon use the A1533 (GSM or CDMA accordingly). Sprint use the A1453

Model A1533 (GSM)*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)

Model A1533 (CDMA)*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25)

Model A1453*: CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26)

Model A1457*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20)

Model A1530*: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); FDD-LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20); TD-LTE (Bands 38, 39, 40)

[c76jon]

Be very careful buying phones abroad and expecting 4g coverage in uk

EE are using 1800 frequency for 4g

They have loads of spare capacity on their 1800 network

02 and voda use 1800 for 2g overspill with g900 being used initially unless there are not enough carriers on certain sector of a cell where 1800 takes up the slack

Voda have rights to 2600

O2 have rights for 800

Both for 4g

But

Telefonica who own o2 are to control sites in east

Voda will control sites in west

So in short a voda or 02 sim/phone will have to be able to run 800 and 2600 to use 4g

These two operators are sharing equipment to give coverage

But will control certain areas.

And to add more issues different manufacturers of the bts equipment are being used

For example in north west all kit will be ericssson

North west is huawei

South east and m25 north area nokia siemens

With inner london being nsn flexi kit

You need a phone that will function between 800-2600 to ensure coverage on 4g for voda and 02

John

[c76jon]

To add

Voda are using 800 as initial roll out

2600 is to be rolled out after initial key cities

[225_AB]

M@rk the 3 website states the list of phones which will work on their 4G network and it includes the iphone 5, 5s and 5c.