Christmas Phone Deals - What's Hot, What's Not

Who wouldn’t want a brand new smartphone for Christmas? A smartphone makes a brilliant gift and it’s a great time of year to purchase a new phone as there are loads of special deals on offer. The only problem is, with so many offers to choose from, how do you know which one is the best for you?

To make sure you get, or give, the phone you want this Christmas for the best price possible, we’ve put together a quick guide to help you spot the deals which are hot and the ones which aren’t for you.

Check the generation

Make sure you check the generation of the phone you are getting before you hand over any cash. A deal which may seem like an absolute steal at first can lose its appeal when you realise that the phone was first released two years ago. It’s always worth doing a quick Google search to make sure you’re getting the phone you think you are.

The other side of the coin is you can save a heap of cash by getting an older model of the phone you want. Phones become cheaper every time a new generation is released, so you can get some really cool phones for a great price. Pair this reduced face value with a Christmas discount and you’re getting one amazing deal. The latest generations aren’t usually discounted, so if you find a killer deal on a new model, it is definitely worth getting.

Check the manufacturer

When you’re comparing phone deals, don’t forget to consider the manufacturer of the phone when working out which deal is best. Don’t forget, iPhones are discounted much less often than other phones. So, if the prices have been slashed by the same amount on the two phones you’re comparing, the iPhone will actually be the better deal, even if it’s slightly more expensive. That’s because you’ll be hard pushed to find it again at such a good price.

Apologies to iPhone lovers… but, if you’re looking for the cheapest deals on offer at Christmas, you’re more likely to get the big discounts on Android phones. So, check these phones first for the big discounts. If you’re on a tight budget, phones like the Sony Xperia and Nokia 6 tend to start out with pretty low price tags. These are really worth looking at around this time of year, because they become even cheaper when the Christmas discounts are added to them, making them an absolute bargain.

Buying outright vs paying monthly

What’s the cheapest way to buy a phone, buying outright or paying monthly? It definitely costs less money to buy a phone outright and the bigger discounts tend to be on the phone’s outright cost, too. The best thing to do, though, really depends on your own situation. Sure, you’ll spend less if you buy it outright, but you might find that spreading the cost by paying monthly will allow you to buy a phone that you wouldn’t have been able to afford if you were to buy it outright. Here at giffgaff, we provide the option to both buy a phone outright and to pay monthly, to help you afford the phone that’s best for you at a price you can afford.

Keep these tips and tricks in mind to make sure you shop savvy this Christmas. Do you have any other tips and tricks to help you spot the best phone deals around Christmas? Get in touch and share your wisdom with our giffgaffers.