How much are you paying for a mobile contract?

[srappy]

I'm approaching the end of my current mobile phone contract, which is about £30 per month (give or take depending on how many out of allowance calls I make), it was a 24 month term. For that I got a HTC One M8 and unlimited mins/text and 10Gb data (EE).

I've just had a look around since I fancy upgrading to the HTC 10. The price starts from £50.99, then an additional £29.99 on top (for the exact equivalent above). The price of the top end contract is £74.99 per month!

Doing the calculations, it makes absolutely no odds to be locked into a contract since you can get the HTC 10 brand new for £510 and the price jump from £30 to £50.99 is almost the same over 24 months but you are locked into a contract and also there'll be a price increase in March...

It seems an awful big jump for me and it just got me wondering since I've seen a couple of lease deals for cars that are <£100 (per month).. it seems a bit detached from reality - is anyone really paying that much for just a phone?

[srappy]

WolfAir said:

Yep, I just took out the EE complete tariff at;
50gb 4g internet (the faster than me on my wedding night badum tishh)
unlimited minutes
unlimited txs...
Iphone 6s plus 128gb..
Plus the option to upgrade 12 months instead of 24.

Now the iphone 6s plus 128gb is like £800 or there abouts and seeing as the iphone 7 is out this year, which they allow to you to upgrade at this time next year... i think it is worth it.. especially seeing as the phone was free.
That said I do have THREE's sim only with the
all you can eat data inc tethering (how i miss ayce tethering )
600 minutes
and ayce texts. I am keeping my NOTE 3 so its only £25 a month..

I've just had a quick look and the plan for your iPhone 6s plus is £79.99 per month..! You say you got the phone free but it lists a one-off £9.99 on top of that too. I know that you can upgrade at month 12 (no way it will be <£80) and I highly doubt that the latest and greatest will be without a one off charge also. By month 12 you'd have already paid (12 x 79.99) £959.88.

You don't mention you other plan costs also..

I guess you must just be more well off than me or just that I'm extremely tight because I'm already sweating just thinking about handing over that kind of money just for a phone (and plan). Hope it doesn't sound like I'm having a go at you because I'm not.. it's just that I don't understand it!

[srappy]

Mr Will said:

It's technically one of their business tariffs, but they are available to the general riff-raff (such as me!) as well. That's the price once the VAT is added on.

Don't you mean £40+VAT on top? Just had a look myself and I cannot see your plan. Closest equivalent is £8.33 up front for the phone, then £40 per month and then VAT on top of all that (so £10 up front, then £48 per month after that).