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Top alternatives to the iPhone 4

Rebecca Rutt
by Lovemoney Staff Rebecca Rutt on 16 July 2012  |  Comments 18 comments

It's been two years since the iPhone 4 was launched so if your contract is about to come to and end, here is our pick of the best alternative deals.

Top alternatives to the iPhone 4

Two years ago, the iPhone 4 was dominating the headlines as eager Apple fans dashed to snap up the new model, and now the time has come for those on 24-month contracts to get an upgrade.

Although many Apple converts will stay loyal to the brand, there are lots of other options around in the smartphone market.

In fact, android phones, which have traditionally taken a back to seat to the likes of the iPhone and Blackberry, are gaining popularity - sales were up 8.5% in the UK last year, according to consumer insight company, Kantar Worldpanel.

If you’re one of the thousands looking to upgrade your iPhone 4, we have an in-depth comparison table of the best deals on the market, and here I’ve outlined the top brands and deals to keep your eye on.

Samsung Galaxy S3

After launching last month, the Samsung Galaxy S3 was the most popular model bought through uSwitch.com in June, knocking the iPhone 4S off the top spot. The main plus points of the new model include the ‘S-Voice’ functions which allow users to check the weather, open apps, take photos and turn the phone on and off with voice commands. These tools combined with a reasonable starting price, make it the UK’s most popular choice of smartphone.

Top deals:

Our top pick is a £33 deal on a 24-month contract with 3. It includes unlimited internet, 2,000 minutes and 5,000 texts and you’ll have to pay £29 for the handset.

If you don’t want to be tied into such a long contract, T-Mobile has an 18-month deal which will cost you £41 a month and includes 750Mb of data, 900 minutes and unlimited texts with an upfront charge of £19 for the handset.

Apple iPhone 4S

Most people I know with an iPhone say they would ‘never go back’ to any other brand, and sales are strong with a 5.4% rise in the UK in the last year. Apple fans will know a new model is launching in the autumn and may want to hang on until then to get the latest product. However, if you are looking for a new model right now, the iPhone 4S is the next best thing to the iPhone 4.   

Top deals:

For £34 a month, 3 offers a contract for 24 months which includes unlimited internet, 2,000 minutes and 5,000 texts and you’ll have to pay £49 for the phone.

If you want a shorter contract you’ll have to pay slightly more and Orange’s 18-month deal (via dial a phone) will cost you £36 a month and includes 300 minutes, 500 texts and 1GB of data.

HTC One X

Another popular android model, the HTC One X has been praised for being easy to use because of its minimalist design. What sets it apart from the top two options is the slightly cheaper price.

Top deals:

With a one-off handset cost of £29, 3’s 24-month contract is £29 a month and includes 500 minutes, 5,000 texts and unlimited internet data.

If you’re looking for a contract with more minutes, O2’s 24-month deal (through Tesco Phone Shop) includes unlimited minutes and texts with 2GB of data for £36 a month and a free handset.

Nokia Lumia 800

The main draw with the Nokia Lumia 800 is the price, with contracts starting at £15 a month on most providers. The phone might not be as popular as more expensive models, but because it’s the first Windows handset to be released following the Windows/Nokia tie-up, it includes mobile versions of all Microsoft Office packages and exclusive programs like the Nokia Drive sat nav.

Top deals:

When looking solely at price, Orange (via dial a phone) has a great 24-month contract priced at £15.50 with a free handset. It’s pretty basic though with, 100 minutes, unlimited texts and 100MB of data.

For a more well-rounded deal, Vodafone (via mobile phones direct) has a 24-month contract including 500Mb, unlimited texts and 300 minutes for £26 a month.

Samsung Galaxy Ace

Even cheaper than the Nokia Lumia, the Galaxy Ace model is the one to go for if you’re looking for a basic smartphone at a reasonable price. It has all the functions you would expect such as a camera, video, media player and pre-installed apps like Facebook and YouTube but at a starting price of just £7.50 a month.

Top deals:

One of the cheapest 24-month contracts of £7.50 a month comes from Talkmobile (via mobiles.co.uk) and includes 500Mb of data, 250 minutes and 5,000 texts.

With 3 (via mobiles.co.uk) you can also get a 24-month deal with unlimited internet data 5,000 texts, 100 minutes and a free handset for £25 a month.

How you can save even more money?

Choosing the right smartphone tariff is tricky and as a nation we waste £1.5billion each year by going over our allowances. To keep a check on how far you’re into your tariff, the Carphone Warehouse has a free ‘Bill Angel’ app which will track your call, text and data usage. It’ll even let you know when you’re close to your limit.

What to do with your old model

If you’ve decided to upgrade your phone for a newer version or opted for a completely different brand, you can make some money on your old model, either by selling it or recycling. Read our article on the best ways to make money from your old mobile to find out how.

More on smartphone deals

How your smartphone can save you money

Get the best deals on these smartphones

The smartphone app scam

Smartphones are a new source of debt worry

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Comments (18)

  • CaptainFlak
    Love rating 32
    CaptainFlak said

    Can't find the talkmobile deal for £7.5/m for Galaxy Ace including internet.

    Report on 22 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • khitb77
    Love rating 2
    khitb77 said

    The article really should be about the best Android alternatives, as the Samsung and HTC 'flagship' phones are so far beyond the outdated iPhone 4S!

    I doubt Apple will even better the Galaxy S3 and One X when they release the iPhone 5.

    The only thing that makes Apple as popular as they are is that they have by far the best PR in the world, so good most people ignore the limitations and/or the massively inflated prices being charged.

    Not a single product Apple make is the best in the market, there are always better alternatives out there.

    Report on 22 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  2 loves
  • culluding-fool
    Love rating 52
    culluding-fool said

    I got a 'free' iPhone 4 with a contract about a year ago , but after my Samsung G600 it felt like I was going backwards in usability, although the iPhone 4 has better hardware (apart from the battery and very poor signal strength). For practical use my old Samsung was far more user friendly despite not having a touch screen display, whereas the iPhone seems to be restricted all over the place. After a year of constant dropped calls when I'm lucky enough to get through in the first place, the battery now just about lasts eight hours, I really can't wait to get rid of it. My Samsung was bought in 2007 and the battery still lasts four days on standby with the alarm going off about five times each day. I chose the iPhone because friends had one and I have an iMac I am very pleased with. I should have compared phones in the shop for myself. I don't really want Samsung again because the hardware was poor. Will have to look into other options. Heard a lot about HTC but know nothing about them really.

    Report on 22 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • easygoing
    Love rating 157
    easygoing said

    Khitb obviously is an Apple hater and his sweeping statement that not one Apple product is the best in the market is dubious. 'Best' is always a matter of opinion and needs. What Apple has done is kick started a lethargic market in mobile phone and tablet design. I remember Nokia saying that they were not afraid of the first Apple iPhone and just about everyone saying that tablets would never sell and the netbook was the way forward. You cannot deny Apple its achievements and influence on the rest of the market.

    Also it is hard to deny that Apple have shown how to do retail with the kind of customer service that other retailers still don't quite get. Compare Apple stores with their hands on friendly approach to say PC World.

    Yes I am an Apple fan yet I wouldn't deny that not everything they do is right nor that all their decisions agreeable but they have pioneered things which are now standard.

    I am watching with interest the new super all encompassing patent that Apple have been granted for the iPhone. Could it be that Android's days are numbered?

    Report on 23 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • Hardtruth
    Love rating 66
    Hardtruth said

    No easygoing what khitb77 says has some foundation to it. As someone who works in the semiconductor industry (the builders of the chips that are the engine and brains of these beasts) I can assure you that Apple is not a leader in terms of what is under the bonnet in any of its products. I would probably still position Nokia as the engineering leader but they are as good as dead in smartphones. HTC and Samsung will continue to lead the way in Android (I recently visited two Samsung sites in Seoul and these guys are seriously impressive). Who knows precisely with RIM (Blackberry) but the signs are not good.

    Where Apple is the undisputed leader is in brand creation, UI and what we in the industry call "convergence" which is bringing all of the functions that people require (phone, visual/audio, internet, GPS, interconnectivity) onto a single platform. This is the thing they "pioneered" per se from a position of strength with iPod being a leader on top of renowned UI. Apple certainly did not pioneer mobile hardware, software or firmware. That has largely been done by the likes of Qualcomm, TI and ARM all of whom work closely with the system (mobile) OEMs.

    If you think "Android's days are numbered" then you do not really understand how things work in tech (especially how patenting works), markets and who has the power to legislate. Apple (across its products) operates a proprietary (closed) system, Android is an open-source (free for anyone to use/develop) system so it will continue to grow and outpace Apple's proprietary system. Apple is a winner and will continue to be so but they will never own the market and we should all be grateful for that. Legislators in the US and Europe in particular would never allow Apple to gain a monopolistic position that removed consumer choice.

    Personally the only Apple kit I own is an iPod. As a "techy" I find Apple a little too "dumbed down" and the other thing is I don't want to be a "fashion sheep" either.

    Report on 23 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  1 love
  • easygoing
    Love rating 157
    easygoing said

    Hardtruth - read what I wrote again with a more open mind! You attribute opinions to me that I never made.

    Maybe I don't understand the patent system but the question I raised has been raised elsewhere by people who do!

    Misinterpreting my writing just devalues your comments.

    "Anything you say will be taken down, twisted, and used in evidence against you"

    Report on 24 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • Hardtruth
    Love rating 66
    Hardtruth said

    easygoing I am not sure I understand your comment. What opinions did I attribute to you? In fact I acknowledged your point on Apple's achievements and impact on the market but for reasons that differed from your conclusions.

    You asked one question in your original comment "Could it be that Android's days are numbered?" prefaced by a comment about patents. I made a direct answer to that with reasoned thought.

    Regarding patents it is not possible to have them "all encompassing". Any patent application has to be specific and targeted and also has to be lodged per country (they all differ in what is acceptable). If a patent is too generic it will be rejected most likely by a concept known as "prior art". This is any previous application that has some original discovery, technique that is encompassed by a new application - the new application in this instance will be rejected.

    Report on 24 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • jaymie
    Love rating 18
    jaymie said

    Even if your contract has expired, you'd be foolish to consider getting a new smartphone now. In just a few short months there will be new offerings from Apple and Microsoft, as well as talk of Amazon building their own.

    I'd rather wait for the run-up to Christmas and choose then - no point spending up to two years on what might soon been fairly obsolete technology.

    Report on 26 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • kippermanbike
    Love rating 1
    kippermanbike said

    lol, good debate, Android all the way for me. Well, I want a phone that is mine, that I can do what I like on it. Not one that comes with a dictatorship that tells me what I can and can't do on it. I want a phone that is a phone, not a costly fashion accessorie. Henry Ford once said, You can have any color as long as it's black.

    One argument that I had with an iphone owner, He stated that he could not get a virius so did not need AntiVirus.... To which I replied, what do you think iTunes is?? He did not quite understand that!!! (For thos out there that do not understand it either, let me explain, You can not get a virus on iphone simply because, you can not get into the operating system on iphone unless you go through iTunes. To get software onto iTunes it is throught ripped appart and checked down to code level for any possible virus, only then can it be put on iTunes. So there is your Antivirus. As for those who have Jailbroken their iphones, well good luck to you!! Viruses and Malware are very much out there and iphone;s can get them just as easily aas Android or Windows phones.

    My boss swears by his iPhone, they are superior, so I said, well, Can I expect an imac on my desk next week.... Im sure you can guess his reply!! P£$£ oo!

    Report on 26 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • mesmorino
    Love rating 0
    mesmorino said

    jaymie, your advice isn't very helpful- If your contract has expired, you need a phone now, not two, three or four months down the line- The next great phone is always going to be around the corner after all, but if you need a phone now, you get the the best you can afford that's out now.

    It's the end of July now, and the run up to Christmas is still at least 3 months away. By the time that comes around, the next great phone will be around the corner.

    Report on 26 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • veritas
    Love rating 5
    veritas said

    whilst I appreciate the iphone 4s is a great fone, I was shocked to hear from my friend who recently bought one that he couldn't set any of his vast collection of music trax as a ringtone---he had to use one of the itunes pre-set by apple....!!

    So here is a fone costing £500 plus, which is a mini computer in effect and yet apple in their arrogance haven't even bothered to give users this choice. Astounding. Even though many users may not be particularly bothered about this I can't see how it can be justified. Even my little £10 nokia I bought many years ago allowed me to set my own ringtone from my music. Apple's customer service isn't just bad---it doesn't exist...

    I for one, vote with my wallet. My galaxy s2, 2nd hand at £200, and in pristine condition, with NFC and so much more will do fine, thank you, rotten Apple............

    Report on 26 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  1 love
  • Mike10613
    Love rating 600
    Mike10613 said

    I wonder if the rise in smart phone ownership over the past few years is connected to the rise in the number of pay day loan outfits springing up every where? I guess if you're going to end up in the bankruptcy court, you'll need to look good. You will need your diesel jeans, hoodie, smart phone and 80 quid trainers to convince the judge just how responsible you've been with money. Many smart phone owners will still be in debt to the likes of Wonga when they're as old as the Muppets in their advert.

    Report on 30 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  1 love
  • anonyy
    Love rating 17
    anonyy said

    I have iphone4,I'm using it now to type this message.

    My contract is up in september, I'm not sure whether I'll stick to iPhone or go android. Problem is I have over 800 apps I got for free. There are some brill apps I don't want to lose by having android. I need to knOw what can I do with it if I keep it and not sell it, and go android? I use wifi at home and out and about if I can get it.

    What about sim only deals, any good? My contract is with orange. Is pay as you go any good with smart phones?

    I do play alot of different types of games and use business and fitness apps, stream Internet music?

    Help

    Report on 30 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • electricblue
    Love rating 653
    electricblue said

    @Mike10613

    Have you considered living in North Korea? Seems like you are currently resenting anyone who can afford any new consumer product. Basic smart phones are now dirt cheap and incredibly useful for business and the often quite complex communication within families. I recently bought a Samsung outright and it's on THREE as a pay as you go. The phone has paid for itself many times over this past month and whilst I'll never buy an Apple product I certainly intend to make full use of smart phone technology from now on.

    Report on 30 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • thenikjones1
    Love rating 8
    thenikjones1 said

    Veritas - your friend is plain wrong! I use Fleetwood Mac's "the Chain" as my ringtone. Apple do not make it particularly easy to do - you need to do some sampling in iTunes - but I had to do this anyway to get the exact part of the song I wanted. This sounds tricky but hey, maybe iOS is not as dumbed down as you think ;-)

    To the person saying "buy now " - terrible advice for iPhone users! The next version is out in 2-3 months so buying iPhone 4s now on 2 year contract is daft.

    Report on 31 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • thenikjones1
    Love rating 8
    thenikjones1 said

    Anonymous - can't help with apps, but I'd you pay £12/£15 a month then THREE offers

    A rolling 30 day contract which gives 1GB/unlisted 3G data. If you can get good reception that is not bad. How much

    Mobile data do you named? If you do not stream then 1G is way more than you need.

    Report on 31 July 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • yh748964a
    Love rating 1
    yh748964a said

    Samsung Galaxy Ace

    Even cheaper than the Nokia Lumia, the Galaxy Ace model is the one to go for if you’re looking for a basic smartphone at a reasonable price. It has all the functions you would expect such as a camera, video, media player and pre-installed apps like Facebook and YouTube but at a starting price of just £7.50 a month.

    Top deals:

    One of the cheapest 24-month contracts of £7.50 a month comes from Talkmobile (via mobiles.co.uk) and includes 500Mb of data, 250 minutes and 5,000 texts.

    Please advise where to find this deal.

    yh748964a

    Report on 17 August 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves
  • yh748964a
    Love rating 1
    yh748964a said

    Please advise where to find the following deal which you advertise:

    Samsung Galaxy Ace

    Even cheaper than the Nokia Lumia, the Galaxy Ace model is the one to go for if you’re looking for a basic smartphone at a reasonable price. It has all the functions you would expect such as a camera, video, media player and pre-installed apps like Facebook and YouTube but at a starting price of just £7.50 a month.

    Top deals:

    One of the cheapest 24-month contracts of £7.50 a month comes from Talkmobile (via mobiles.co.uk) and includes 500Mb of data, 250 minutes and 5,000 texts.

    If (as I suspect) it is not available PLEASE CHECK YOUR Facts

    Report on 17 August 2012  |  Love thisLove  0 loves

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