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Evening Standard

Lifestyle

Abha Shah

Best Black Friday phone and phone contract deals 2022: Top SIM only and handset offers

Black Friday (Topic) Apple Amazon Amazon Prime Video Huawei Samsung Tesco Mobile

If your phone contract is about to end, you might be looking for a new deal, whether that’s SIM only or a SIM and handset bundle. The good news is that your timing couldn’t be better, because the annual shopping holiday that is Black Friday is just days away.

The event means you don’t have to stay with the same provider as they will all be competing hard for your cash with extra freebies and products to try and win your business.

What is Black Friday?

What began as a group of retailers offering discounts to US customers the day after Thanksgiving has spiralled into a global phenomenon. Retailers, brands and vendors all drop their prices over the weekend, which just so happens to take place just before the Christmas shopping season gets underway.

Which brings us neatly to…

When is Black Friday 2022?

The date shifts slightly every year but the easiest way to remember is that it takes place on the fourth Friday of November. In 2022, Black Friday is on November 25. Although that’s the official start of the bargain bonanza, in recent years we’ve seen discounts coming through even earlier in the month.

When is Cyber Monday 2022?

The sales period usually winds up on the following Monday, known as Cyber Monday as it’s the time to swoop on all things tech - including phones and contracts. This year Cyber Monday is on November 28.

What were the best deals from Black Friday weekend last year?

Half price SIMs, many with unlimited data, freebies in the form of six months free streaming from the likes of Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video and knockdown prices for iPhone contracts were some of the highlights. Brands such as Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, OPPO and Honor all reduced the price of their bestselling handsets, making it much cheaper to buy one outright.

What kinds of deals can we expect this year?

It’s prime time to tick off your shopping list, whether you’ve got your eye on kitchen tech, shiny new home entertainment, or a better phone contract - ideally one that comes with the latest handset.

We’re anticipating tech brands and phone networks to swing the scythe on the RRP of their mobile phone packages and SIM-only deals. This means you could get your hands on a new device for a snip of the price, or dramatically reduce the price of your monthly contract if you’re happy with your phone and just want a better SIM deal.

How to keep up to date with the best Black Friday deals

With so many great-sounding deals flying around, it can be bewildering to know what to go for.

That’s where we come in. We’re Black Friday veterans here at ES Best, and will bring the best of the phone deals to you as soon as they come in. No more endless scrolling and comparing - we’ll sift through the offers to sort the wheat from the chaff. Return to this page throughout November to find thebest deals, and once the event gets underway, stay tuned to our Live Blog to hear about the best deals and flash sales as and when they happen.

If you can’t wait until then, we’ve had a look at some of the best phone deals to bag right now.

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Best SIM only deals

Love your phone but fed up with your provider? Life’s too short to spend on the wrong SIM - especially when there are much better offers around.

Three: right now you can save big with six months half price on all 24m SIMs.

O2: get all the data with some incredible Black Friday deals from O2. You can grab three months’ worth of free data, followed by unlimited data for just £30 monthly. This deal ends on December 7, so act fast.

Mobiles.co.uk: Get double data on Apple, Samsung and Google handsets this Black Friday at Mobiles.co.uk.

Giffgaff: the site famously offers low-cost SIMs, but for Black Friday they’re even more jaw-dropping. You can grab up to £50 off a spanking new phone - browse your options here.

SMARTY: Get 120GB for just £12 until December 5 with this Gen-Z approved, committment-free provider. Additionally, if you switch now, you can get 6GB for £6. That’s what we like to hear.

Virgin Mobile: enjoy some banging deals with Virgin’s30-day rolling contract offers. You can get a whopping 200GB for just £16 a month. You can also get doube data on all entry-level phone plans.

iD Mobile: there are similar, spectacular deals over at iD mobile. Grab a SIM with 200GB of data, unlimited miutes and texts for just £14 per month.

Vodafone: get 100 GB of data, unlimited texts and minutes for £15 via Mobile Phones Direct.

Best contract deals (SIM and Handset)

Looking for a total phone upgrade? Black Friday is the best time to pounce on contract deals and put a fresh handset in your pocket for much less than you would expect. Winning.

Three: from freebies (such as a tablet) and unlimited data on devices like the iPhone 14 Pro and the Galaxy S22 now’s the time to strike on Black Friday deals at Three. Whether you’re looking for a new contract, just a device or a low-cost SIM only deal, there are serious savings to be made.

Carphone Warehouse: lusting after the Google Pixel 7? Get it for just £28.99 a month with unlimited everything (£49 upfront).

Tesco Mobile: along with its sister the Fold, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip3 has been the talk of the town for the last few years. Get your hands on it at Tesco Mobile; £44.99pm with 12GB data and unlimited calls and texts for 36 months.

Vodafone: snap up the Galaxy S22 Ultra for £39pm on a 36 month plan. £29 upfront.

iD Mobile: no Pro? No problem. Grab an iPhone 14 for £37.99 per month and get three months of free Apple TV+ as an added bonus. You’ll be saving up to £72, so you better hurry. iD also have a deals on a huge selection of popular phones across the board, so be sure to head over to their website for a good old browse.

Sky Mobile: save up to 50 per cent off 60GB plans across all phones, including the latest iPhone 14 and Samsung S22 series.

Mobiles.co.uk

Want to score money off your next phone deal ahead of the official sale? ES Best readers can now use the code ‘EVENING10’ for money off at Mobiles.co.uk from now until 4pm on November 25.

There’s reason to jump the gun; the site is offering incredible deals on handsets, some with freebies worth up to £100 - think gift cards and wireless docking stations.

Buy now, Mobiles.co.uk

Best handset deals

Phones are getting faster and better with every upgrade. If you’re willing to invest in a top-of-the-range handset, why not make your money go even further this Black Friday with a shiny new device.