Christmas deals on mobile phones
A mobile phone as a Christmas present, or a Christmas deal for yourself? Choosing a phone for someone else involves different considerations than choosing one for yourself, and further down this page you’ll find what to look out for. Click on a handset to see the price trends and prices from all providers side by side, compared independently.
How do you work out a Christmas discount?
An advertised discount is compared with the lowest price over the previous thirty days, and for almost the whole of December, the week of Black Friday still falls within that window. The ‘from’ price is often a promotional price in itself. So you can only really see what a Christmas price is by comparing it with the prices over the preceding weeks.
Sometimes it’s not a price reduction, but a handset bundled with an accessory. Those offers are listed below.
A mobile phone as a Christmas present: what should you look out for?
When choosing for yourself, you go by what you want; when choosing for someone else, you go by what that person is used to. These points make all the difference.
How do these phones differ as gifts?
- Android or iPhone: anyone switching from one system to the other will need to set up apps, backups and payment cards all over again.
- Years of updates: the number of years a device receives updates varies greatly by brand and model and is listed in the specifications.
- The user: whether it’s for a child, a student or an older family member, requirements vary widely, from a simple handset with large text to a camera that can do everything.
- Unlocked or on a contract: a contract remains in the name of the person who takes it out; an unlocked handset belongs to the recipient straight away.
Virtually every phone in this overview makes calls, sends messages and takes photos without any problems. The difference lies in how many more years the handset will last and whether it suits the person unwrapping it.
Choose based on the number of years of updates if you want the gift to last for years.
Choose the same operating system as the old handset, so the recipient doesn’t have to learn anything new.
Choose a unlocked handset if you’re actually giving it away; a contract remains in the name of the person who takes it out, with the associated monthly charges and credit check.
If you’re not sure which phone someone wants, it’s wiser to find out together rather than spring a surprise. People use a phone for years, and the wrong choice will cost more than the surprise is worth.
