iPhone 6 Pay Monthly Pricing vs O2 Simplicity and Phone purchase

[Anonymous]

Hi All, This is more a question for the Sales Team.

I am currently on O2 Simplicity £21.00 and I get 1GB Data (4G ready- current not used),unlimited calls and texts on a 30 day rolling contract, this is quite ample for my uses as a personal phone.

Now my current phone, the Galaxy S3 has been working well over the last few years and I am sad to say it is coming to the end of its life:

• Batteries (yes I have more than one) are not holding the charge
• The OS is dated and no update in sight
• Handset is slow and unresponsive at key times (such as trying to answer a call, the phone freezing and I then proceed to miss the call)
• I can go on and on...
  

Now I was interested in getting the iPhone 6 (or plus) and the tariffs on offer are pretty pricey (now this is common across all networks and not just O2).
So I went to the Apple website - there I can buy the phone outright (starting from £539 for the 6 with 16GB) which is unlocked.

The nearest Contract (price wise) to my current Simplicity plan is the 2GB £18pm plan - with an upfront cost of £629. Now this would (I assume) tie me into a 24month contact but I would be saving £3 a month with double data (I work from home and data is not an issue for me).
So total cost for Contract is 24*18 = £432
Overall cost is £432+£629.99 = £1061.99

If I go directly to Apple (either store or online), the phone will cost me £539
My current plan is £21 a months and over the same 24 month period the overall cost is:

£504+£539 = £1041

So if I were to buy the phone directly from Apple and stay with O2 (like I have done for the past 12 years or so) - I effectively save £21 (20.99) over the entire 24 months, so whilst there is not a big difference in over price, there is a small difference and no 24 month Contract vs 2GB data.
It is food for thought when I decide to upgrade and for others in a similar situation - it may also work out cheaper for android phones, but I have not done the maths.

This has involved a small amount of research - but what could the sales team do except match the pricing model to make sure the bulk of the money I part with is recieved by O2 and not Apple.

[Bambino]

This is a customer to customer forum. If you want to speak to the sales team, call 202 for free from your mobile to speak to Customer Services.

[jonsie · Accepted solution]

It's very unlikely that O2 would price match on the iphone 6, people are literally falling over themselves to buy the phone.

Many of the regulars buy sim free from the manufacturer and get a sim only contract, works out cheaper and there are good deals on Simplicity.

Call 202 and choose the option 'thinking of leaving' to see what kind of deal they can offer you.

[MI5]

The money isn't going to O2 even if you buy the phone from them as Apple won't discount the phones that O2 buy they will have bought them at pretty much the same price that you can buy for from Apple.

[Anonymous]

Like you say there is a small different in price...however for most people, paying between £500-600 for a phone upfront isnt an option, so for the sake of £20 or so, would prefer to spread the cost over 24 months, which is exactly why O2 refresh contracts exist. And as already pointed out, you wont get an answer from an O2 sales person here, this is a customer forum.