4G Deals- SIM Only Vs. Contract

4G Deals- The Difference Between SIM Only and Contract You can find out more about 4G here, but essentially you are looking at getting faster mobile Internet speeds if you are looking into getting 4G deals. You will have a choice of either a SIM only or an incentive contract, however. The difference is very simple: a SIM only contract gives you service, whilst an incentive contract gives you service and a phone. If you go with a SIM only deal then you are going to need to buy the phone yourself, which some people may find difficult to do, with the amount of new, super handsets available nowadays.

How do we evaluate which plan is cheapest for you? First we choose a phone, then an incentive contract with that phone. By multiplying the monthly cost of the contract by the number of months which are in the contract you get the total amount you will be paying over the contract. We then choose a SIM only contract which has the same calling plan as the incentive contract, again multiply the monthly price by the number of months, but this time add the retail price of the same phone. We can then compare the two numbers to see which the better deal is.

Of course, we need some phones to provide an example, so we have picked a few of the most popular 4G models. We will be looking at prices on the iPhone 5S (which retails for about £550), the Samsung Galaxy S4 (which also retails for around £550), and the Sony Xperia Z1 (again, you will pay about £550 SIM free). By doing this we just might make it a little easier for you to choose the perfect phone.

With EE... EE is the premiere 4G provider in the UK, with the largest coverage area and the fastest 4G speeds. Are you better off choosing an incentive contract or a SIM only plan though?

For the iPhone 5S, EE will charge you £45 per month on a contract including unlimited calling minutes, unlimited text messages and a hefty 5 GB monthly data allowance. That gives us a total of £1,080 over twenty four months. The same calling plan SIM only will cost you £36 per month, plus the cost of the phone, giving you a total of £1,414, a difference of over £300, so going for the incentive contract for the iPhone 5S with EE is going to save you a massive £334!

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is going to cost you £44 per month with EE on a contract which again includes unlimited calls and texts, but this time a 4 GB data limit. That gives you a total of £1,056 over twenty four months. The same SIM only calling plan will cost you £33 per month, plus the phone cost, giving you a total of £1,341.

Again, going for the incentive contract for the Galaxy S4 is going to save you £285. Finally, the Sony Xperia Z1will cost you £41 per month on a calling plan with unlimited calling minutes, unlimited texts and a 2 GB data limit. That is a total of £984. The same SIM only plan is only £28 per month, and if we add the phone cost that is a total of £1,222.

Again, you are saving £238 going with the incentive contract. Clearly, EE offers better prices on incentive contracts than on SIM only plans but, ultimately, it is your choice.

With O2 Let us try another operator, this time O2, one of the largest mobile service providers in the country, offering 4G services since last year.

For the iPhone 5S with O2 you can pay £47 per month on a calling plan with unlimited minutes and texts and an 8 GB data cap. That is a total of £1,128. The same SIM only plan costs £31 per month, plus the phone, for a total of £1,294.

Going for the incentive contract is going to save you £166 on the iPhone 5S.

For the Samsung Galaxy S4 you are looking at £42 per month on a contract with unlimited minutes and texts and a 5 GB mobile data limit. That comes to a total of £1,008. The same SIM only plan goes for £26 per month, plus phone cost, for a total of £1,174.

This time the incentive contract is going to save you £166 again for the Galaxy S4. Lastly there is the Sony Xperia Z1. This time you will pay £42 per month for that unlimited minutes and texts and 8 GB of data contract, giving you a total of £1,008. The SIM only deal is £31 per month, which along with the retail price of the phone gives you a total of £1,294.

The incentive contract on the Sony Xperia Z1 will end up saving you £286 this time, so once again, incentive contracts for 4G plans are cheaper than SIM only deals.

Clearly, if you are shopping for 4G deals then opting for that incentive contract is going to be a good idea. You will be able to get a high end 4G capable phone as well as a large calling plan and you are going to save yourself plenty of cash over going for a SIM only deal with either EE or with O2.

Phil Turner was keen to get faster mobile Internet speeds on his phone so he checked out all 4G deals online before selecting a package. AAA

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