Choosing the best mobile phone deal for you

Mobile phones have been a feature of everyday life in the UK for over a decade now. However many people still have trouble choosing the mobile phone plan that’s right for them. For example, individuals on pay monthly deals might find themselves locked into an expensive 18-month contract for a phone that they use infrequently.

Conversely, others with pay and go SIMs may feel that they need more free minutes and texts than they are currently receiving. That’s why it’s so important to think about what you actually need from a mobile phone before you sign up for a deal. Here are a few factors to consider when choosing your new mobile to ensure you make the right decision.

Your usage patterns

Are you a texter or a talker? Monitor your usage patterns for a few weeks before buying a new phone to see whether you rely more heavily on texting or phone calls. Many leading mobile phone networks offer pay monthly deals that cater to these two types of mobile users – so you might receive unlimited texts and 200 free minutes or 100 texts and 2000 free minutes depending on your preferences.

Next, think about who you make calls to. If you call the same four or five people on a regular basis, you may find a pay as you go or pay monthly deal that lets you nominate a fixed number of contacts to whom you receive free or discounted calls. This could be a particularly good deal for teenagers who are constantly running out of credit, as it means they will be able to phone their parents even if they’ve forgotten to top up.

The latest smartphones or functional models?

If you want a new smartphone, you'll also have to think about your likely internet usage too. If you're unlikely to use the internet on your mobile at all, a pay and go plan that covers texts and minutes will be the most effective option. If you're only likely to check your emails on the go, consider pay monthly phones on an inexpensive tariff that has just a small data allowance – for example, 100 or 200MB. Or, if you're likely to surf the mobile web on a regular basis as well as stream videos and audio, you'll need to pay more for a much bigger data allowance, like 500MB or 1GB.

However, it's important to remember that if you don't use your mobile often or you're simply not interested in the latest gadgets, there are still low-tech options to smartphones. Sticking to a functional device on a cheap pay as you go mobile plan may be the best option for occasional users, as well as those who want to control their spending.