UK’s Cheapest Samsung Galaxy S3 Tariffs: Contracts Compared
June 3rd, 2012
The Samsung Galaxy S III is the long-awaited successor to the bestselling Samsung Galaxy S II and is available on all five of the UK’s major networks. We compare their tariff offerings.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is the long-awaited successor to last year’s bestselling Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S II. Often compared to the Apple iPhone 4S, over 30 million Galaxy S IIs were sold worldwide leading the successor, the new Samsung Galaxy S3 to become one of the most hotly-anticipated handsets of the year. With the Galaxy S3 finally landing on our shores here in the United Kingdom, we look at the range of tariffs available across the UK’s major networks and find out which ones offer the best value for you.
The Galaxy S3 features a brand new design and form factor with HyperGlaze casing, a 4.8-inch organic LED display and the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. According to Samsung, the key innovation within the Galaxy S3 are in its range of smart features that can predict and understand your intentions. The “intelligence” features range from “Smart Stay” technology that keeps the phone display on when you’re looking at it to the Siri-like “S Voice” application that allows you to interact with your phone through voice and natural language. Other enhancements also include Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and the ability to watch videos in a floating window whilst using other applications (“Pop-Out Video”).
Which Galaxy S3 tariffs do you recommend?
You can use our comparison engine below to find your customised “best pick” but our general top picks for Galaxy S3 tariffs are as follows:
‘S Voice’ on the Galaxy S3 works in the same way as Siri on the iPhone 4S.
- Best value for typical users: £26/month plus £150 upfront for 300 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB data on T-Mobile. The “average” consumer in the UK uses around 250 minutes, 250 texts and 250MB of data each month so T-Mobile’s £26/month deal can be great value. You’ll get 300 minutes and unlimited texts plus a healthy allowance of 750MB data with this plan for an upfront cost of £150. For further savings, consider the £21/month variant of this tariff. You’ll need to pay £200 upfront and you’ll only get 250MB data but once you exceeded your 250MB internet allowance, you’ll still be able to browse the web and read your e-mail – restrictions are simply placed on what you can download.
- Cheapest tariff for light users: £15.50/month plus £250 upfront for 100 minutes, unlimited texts and 250MB data on T-Mobile. If you’re a light user who rarely makes phone calls and you have a wi-fi network at home, you can save substantially with T-Mobile’s £15.50/month tariff. You’ll get a monthly allowance of 100 minutes, unlimited texts and 250MB data. There’s an upfront cost of £250 for the phone with this tariff.
- Best for heavy users, downloading & heavy internet usage: £34/month for 2000 minutes, 5000 texts and unlimited “all-you-can-eat” data on Three. If you spend a long time chatting on the phone or regularly use applications on your phone, Three are currently offering the Galaxy S3 for free on their flagship ‘The One Plan’ tariff for £34/month (see our full review of ‘The One Plan’). You’ll get 2000 minutes, 5000 texts and all-you-can-eat data with no download limits. This allows you to make full use of the Galaxy S3′s advanced internet features without worrying about download limits. You’ll also get an inclusive tethering service that provides you with access to a mobile broadband service on all of your wi-fi enabled devices.
You can find full details of tariffs discussed on this page on the relevant pages of the O2, Orange, Three, T-Mobile and Vodafone websites.
Which is the cheapest Galaxy S3 tariff for me?
To find the most appropriate and best tariff for you, please enter your typical mobile phone usage into our price comparison calculator:
How about SIM-free deals and SIM Only tariffs for the Galaxy S III?
As usual, the Galaxy S3 will be available to buy as a SIM-free and unlocked device. This will allow you to insert a SIM card from the mobile operator of your choice with SIM Only smartphone tariffs often providing great value from as little as £10/month. The price of the SIM-free version of the Galaxy S III costs around £500 from retailers such as Amazon.co.uk and Carphone Warehouse.
Our sister site PAYGvsContract.com compares the cost of buying the Galaxy S3 on Giffgaff VS Pay Monthly contract.
Note that the Galaxy S III takes a micro-SIM card. You should ask your mobile network operator for a micro-SIM sized card as full sized SIM cards will not work within the device.
The Samsung Galaxy S3 is available in ‘Marble White’ and ‘Pebble Blue’. Both phones use ‘HyperGlaze’ technology in the casing.
Where can I find out more about the Samsung Galaxy S III?
You can find out more about the Galaxy S III on Samsung’s official website or through my guest post on the giffgaff blog. For full tariff information, you should refer to the relevant pages of the O2, Orange, Three, T-Mobile and Vodafone websites.
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About Ken
I'm a freelance writer specialising in mobile technology. I've been blogging at Ken's Tech Tips since 2005 with the aim of demystifying mobile technology for the rest of us.
Before writing about mobile technology, my background was in space & atmospheric physics. I have also worked in software development. Nowadays, I help companies to explain mobile technology to their customers. Please check out my portfolio or get in touch for more information. I'm also on Google+.
