Clare's consumer finance advice

Every week Clare Francis, financial journalist and editor of comparison site moneysupermarket.com will offer tips and advice on all things money-related to help iVillagers make the most of their hard-earned cash. From energy bills to car insurance; credit cards to children’s savings accounts; mortgages to discount vouchers Clare will show you how to make sure you’re getting the best deal

The arrival of the iPhone 4S – will you be joining the party?

By Clare Francis on 13 Oct 2011 No comments

Firstly I must confess that I don’t own an iPhone but despite being rubbish with gadgets and technology I am a smartphone addict. I have a Blackberry, two in fact, one work and one personal. It’s not been great over the last few days, in fact it’s been rubbish because of the IT issues plaguing RIM, Blackberry’s owner, but on the whole it’s helped bring me into the era of modern technology.

And on Friday we’ll see the latest smartphone, the iPhone 4S arrive in the shops. When the details of Apple’s new phone were announced many were disappointed because it was the arrival of the iPhone 5 that had been expected, not a souped-up version of the existing iPhone 4. Nevertheless tweaks and improvements will no doubt make the new model hugely popular with gadget lovers and those ready to be converted to the new generation of mobile phone.

So what’s new?

The iPhone 4S looks like the iPhone 4 but it’s apparently quite different on the inside. A new chip, A5, will give a longer battery life and ensure that the phone is twice as fast as its predecessor which will be good news for those who regularly use apps and browse the internet.

When the first iPhone was launched, it was heavily criticised because of the poor camera. As a result each subsequent handset has boasted a better camera and the iPhone 4S is no different – it has been upgraded from a 5-megapixel camera to an 8-megapixel camera meaning higher-quality photos. You’ll also be able to edit and crop photos on the phone.

Perhaps the most exciting development is the introduction of a voice control function called Siri. But this isn’t any old voice control – as well as instructing your phone to ‘call Mum’ you can ask your iPhone any question or give it an instruction and it will oblige.

For example, you could ask what the weather will be like in your area this weekend and not only will it show you on the phone's display but it will actually tell you as well. You can also give it tasks such as setting up meetings with friends or even sending a text message.

So are you tempted?

If you’re thinking of getting the new iPhone 4S, it’s worth looking into the different tariffs available and making sure you get the best one for your needs.

Savvy

Three's 'SIM only' iPhone deal will cost you £15 a month for 300 minutes, 3000 texts and unlimited data usage.

You have to buy the phone up-front though, and the 16GB handset will set you back £499. The prices for the 32 and 64GB models are £599 and £699 respectively.

Once you factor in the monthly charges (based on owning the phone for 12 months), the real cost of the handsets are £679 for the 16GB, £779 for the 32GB and £879 for the largest memory 64GB model.

The great thing about Three's deal is that you're not tied down a contract, so you can get out whenever you like.

If you're the sort of person who upgrades each time Apple brings out a new model, this tariff might be for you - as you won't be tied into a contract when the iPhone 5 is inevitably released.

Orange

Orange's iPhone 4S deals work on a sliding scale whereby the more you are willing to pay each month, the less you'll have to pay up-front for the handset.

For example, on the £20 a month tariff (over two years), the 16GB model will cost you £309.99, whereas you can get the handset for free if you are willing to pay more than £46 each month.

Of course the more you pay, the more you get in return. The £20 a month contract only gives you 50 minutes, 50 texts and 100MB data allowance, while the £61 a month tariff, for example, gives you unlimited minutes and texts and up to 2GB data allowance.

Vodafone

Vodafone operates its tariffs in a similar way, which means you'll need to spend at least £46 a month to get the handset for free. The network is a little more generous with its data allowances, as the lowest tariff (£26 a month) gives you a 250MB allowance.

Vodafone's monthly charges range from £26 to £67 a month, and contracts are available in 24 month, 18 month and even 12 month deals, though you can expect to pay more for a shorter contract.

T-Mobile

Horrendous puns aside, all of T-Mobile's 4S tariffs come with unlimited texts, so if you mainly use your phone for texting it might be a good fit.

Tariffs start at £25.54 a month with a handset cost of £239 and go up to £61.27 a month with a free handset. All of T-Mobile's 4S tariffs are for 24 months.

Three

Three's tariffs come in 5 simple flavours, ranging from £30 a month to £43 a month, and with the 16GB handset costing between nothing and £129. Data allowances are fairly generous, with the lowest tariff giving you 500MB a month.

O2 has the widest range of tariffs to choose from, starting from as low as £18.50 a month with a handset cost of at least £299.99 on a 24 month contract.

If you want a free handset then you'll fall into one of two camps. If you're an existing O2 customer you can start getting the handset free at £39 a year. If you're new to O2 then you'll have to spend at least £44 to get the 16GB for free.

O2 has too many tariffs to mention here, but as long as you're spending at least £24 each month, you'll get unlimited texts. Again there are 18 and 12 month tariffs available, but you can expect to pay more for the privilege.

For more information on the iPhone 4s tariffs click here.