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Vodafone reveal iPhone 5s pricing. Spoiler – You need to save.

Vodafone reveal iPhone 5s pricing. Spoiler – You need to save.

September 17, 2013

Let’s face it, the super-cheap iPhone 5c failed to really materialise. Sure, it’s here, but is it super-cheap? No. What you’re left with is (effectively) an iPhone 5 with a bit of colour or, if you’re loaded, the all-new iPhone 5s.

Today Vodafone have revealed their prices for the latter and, with their shiny new 4G network and Sky Sports or Spotify Premium packages, they’re keen to get you on-board.

Now, I’ll do some preparation before you read these iPhone 5s prices. They’re going to be expensive. Very expensive. If you decide to go on a two year 4G plan and want 2GB of data to use (it’ll be 6GB per month if you sign up before the end of next month) then you’ll be paying £47 per month and, if you choose the top-of-the-range 64GB iPhone 5s, you’ll need to pay £229 up-front. That’s a two-year cost of £1357. I could buy a car for that! Unlimited texts and calls are included though, and you can choose to reduce that up-front cost by going for the slightly cheaper 32GB or 16GB model.

Vodafone reveal iPhone 5s pricing. Spoiler You need to save.

Switch to 3G-only and the two-year plans are .. well.. have a look for yourself below. For £42 per month you’ll get a measly 1GB of data and unlimited texts / calls. The iPhone 5s has an upfront cost of £79 for the 16GB model, £149 for the 32GB version and £229 for the 64GB version. That, my friends, means you’ll be paying a £1237 overall cost over two years.

Vodafone reveal iPhone 5s pricing. Spoiler You need to save.

If you’re sold on your 4G stuff and want to have the Sky Sports Mobile package or the Spotify Premium package then go for it, but you can get the iPhone 5s (16GB model) on 4G with EE for £46 per month and you get a whopping 10GB data allowance, plus you’re paying £49.99 up-front. Compare this to the Voda 4G plan where you pay a pound more per month (£47) and £79 for the iPhone 5s 16GB.. and you get 6GB for the duration of your contract if you sign up before the end of October, otherwise you get just 2GB.

Oh and to top it all, we originally thought that the EE iPhone 5s prices were expensive!

Let me know what you guys think, because I’m just scratching my head in amazement here.

Full details in the press release below.

Comments (8)

  1. lentrix

    complete joke- head to PAYG on Three – unlimited data – free 4G upgrade in Dec – no brainer

  2. ToffeeTo

    ………..and I thought money was tight for most. All the networks and Apple will continue to charge these ridiculous and extortionate amounts as long as people are prepared to pay a premium to get the latest iPhone. Personally I would never commit to such rip-off ‘deals’. Wake up people and maybe we’ll all stop getting ripped off.

  3. Eric

    For some people it is a nessesity of their lives and can afford it, for others like me with no interest at this time in 4G, I am happy with my 3G and £26/pm thanks please.

    I just went on o2 website, for mid 5s 32gb, 24mths, 5gb data = £27/mth, uh oh, plus the phone to pay for: if I shell out £79, it is £25/mth. So in total £27+£25=£52/mth??? Woowzers! oh and the £79 up front, prob covered by your old phone maybe.
    Who are the people who can justify this?

    Saying that, I could go to a bar each month spend £50 and pee it all away with headache the next day, so maybe it is not so bad an alternative financial choice to make to stay social.

  4. the_prof

    Yeah, I agree that’s damn expensive. And to charge £5 extra for 4G, when there’s really no 4G about yet, aside from a few built-up places, is a cheek.

    Thing is, I think very few people will bother with it. I for one am going to stick with my current phone for a bit to see what materialises, and which 4G network ends up being the best. I think the time has come that the data allowances should be increased fairly dramatically… Although, by the looks of it, unlimited calls and texts just seem to be bundled with phones these days – it’s actually the data (and the phone) you pay all the money for.

  5. pompey7474

    It seems to me or apple and the networks have done is charge the iPhone 5c at flagship prices and now created a new pricing for the real flagship iPhone .all the iPhone 5c is is a cheaper made iPhone 5 but selling at a more expensive price .but that said people will fall for it I’m sure .

  6. NickB

    When I bought my 64g 4S 2 years ago it cost me £189 with Three’s One Plan. Back then the phone would have cost me about £690 sim free. Today the 64g 5S will cost me £709 (20 quid more) yet To get it on contract at 3, I am looking at about £47 for the one plan and probably £300 upfront!! My real issue is do I go for an htc one, S4, Z1 or wait for the Nexus 5?? My only run in with android was the htc hero, which was god awful!!

  7. patrick

    I go for
    iphone 5s £629 (32g)

    payasgo sim £15 = 1000 mins unlim texts 2g data

    total for me over 2 years =£989

    i can get the same deal with samsung s4 but £79 cheaper…

    better still my old iphone 5 i got yesterday £365 take that away from new 5s total for 2 years £624….

    Theres always better ways to get any phone than via a contract.

  8. Martin

    Even for an iPhone these prices are pretty much unbelieveable. It is not so much the upfront costs it is the monthly costs that are looking over the top. EE at least give you the option to pay more upfront to get the phone on a cheaper monthly contract. The prices Three have up for the 5C are very high too, I’m not looking forward to the 5S prices. O2 are doing the 32gig 5S for £179.99 upfront and £37pm (£17 call contract and £20 on the refresh). I paid £137 for my wifes 4S when that came out, that was on an upgrade deal, I’m hoping that I can get a deal from O2 this time round cos apparently the 5S has to happen or else 🙁