Best Mobile Phones - Our Buyers Guide and Free Advice

Let us help you chose the best mobile phone for your needs

mPhone are pleased to give you this generic guide to help you through the maze of choosing the right phone for your needs and taste. We also want to hear from you on your needs to offer you free advice on the best phone for you. Please go through this page and see the last option if you still need more help.

Buyers Guide - choosing a mobile phone

Step 1. Network locked vs. SIM Free

The first decision to make is to decide if you are going to go with a new contract or an upgrade of an existing contract, which means you can buy a subsidised handset, or to go for a SIM Free phone.

A new contract or upgrade in the UK means that the handset will be heavily subsidised but you will take an additional commitment of paying regularly line rental each month for 24-48 months - depending on the deal you go for. If you have completed your current contract and intend to continue on a post-pay contract for the foreseeable future, this will be the cheapest option for you. You need to see what handsets your network is offering. You should be able to get a wide selection of these for free. Top-end models will also be substantially cheaper than SIM Free.

You might also be able to buy a pre-pay phone that will be locked to a particular network. The choice for these models is more limited but there is still a small subsidy. If you have an existing SIM, the easiest option is is to buy a phone on the same network.

If your current contract term is not complete, but you lost or damaged your phone or your insurance company is paying you cash to buy a new phone, or perhaps your network does not have a model of mobile phone you like or perhaps you need to use different SIM cards in different locations or at different times of the day, then a SIM Free phone is the best option for you, SIM Free phones have never been locked / unlocked, carry no network markings and will work with any compatible SIM card. We can also provide UK SIM cards if needed.

If you know what brand you prefer, please see the home pages of the various brands we offer. The links for these are in the menu on the left hand menu system.

Step 2. Budget

There is a very wide range of prices between the budget phones and the most sophisticated models. A lot of people want a simple to use mobile phone for making / receiving calls and text messages and don't want to pay a fortune for it in case it is lost, stolen or damaged. For such a person, we recommend to buy the Nokia 1800 Cheap Mobile Phone SIM Free. If you want to see other options in this category, see our cheap mobile phones section. At these prices, it is often cheaper to buy a brand new mobile phone rather than replacing an existing battery or repairing a damaged mobile phone.

If you need more features for the phone you want to buy, continue below.

Step 3. Rugged vs. Normal

If your work or leisure involves spending a lot of time in the outdoors exposed to the elements or you are in construction or manufacturing and spend time in dusty or dirty places, then you need a rugged phone that is less prone to damage from water, dust and impacts. Some of these rugged / tough phones can be excellent value for money too and they go up in price and sophistication.

As an all-round value for money and features, we like the Nokia 3720 Tough Rugged Phone SIM Free in Black or Yellow For more options, see the full range of Rugged / Tough Mobile Phones

Step 4. Additional Features (Bluetooth, Tri-band, 3G)

If you need additional features, but still want to keep the price low, then you can chose from the cheap / budget phones shown in the Bluetooth section, Tri-band / Quad band section for North America use and the cheap 3G phones.

As an all rounder, with features such as Bluetooth, quad-band, 3G compatibility, a 2 mega pixel camera, all at a great price, we recommend the Nokia 2730. To see the latest prices and availability, click on Clik Here. To see more options, see: Bluetooth cheap phones Tri-band and Quad Ban cheap phones Cheap 3G phones

Step 4. Data / Email Phones - Blackberry vs the others

If your phone is going to be used as a data device, and particularly if you are going to send / receive emails, then the choice will be between Blackberry and the other PDA Phones. For unlimited data particularly when roaming, the best choice currently is Blackberry. Many corporate networks are using this as well, in which case the choice is made.

The best Blackberry phone on the market today is the Blackberry Bold 2 (9700). However, if you want a cheaper phone without 3G, then the Blackberry 8520 is a great choice. See full current Blackberry phone range.

Step 5. PDA Phones with full multi-media

The choice here gets complicated. For the "wow factor", slick design and general best all-round performance, we recommend the iPhone. The 16 GB 3GS is the best value for this very impressive phone. The iPhone 4 will soon be available as well. See the Apple iPhone 3Gs in 32GB and 16GB as well as the full iPhone range

	If you need a different operating system (OS), then you need to decide what that preferred OS is and look at the compatible phones. Many people are now buying Google Android open source OS phones and the choice of these models is growing rapidly. The HTC range of mobile phones, are particularly impressive.

See the full range of Phone / PDA combinations

Step 6. Get Free bespoke advice

If the above does not help you chose the best phone for you, please tell us more about your needs and we will be delighted to assist you.

Please give us as much information as possible about your needs and likes / dislikes to help us chose the best mobile phone for you. For example some people like a particular brand as they are used to the menu system while others need certain features but want to pay the least amount to get these features.

You can reach us for this free advise by calling us during office hours on +44 (20) 7353 7705 or use the Enquiry Form online.

We look forward to hearing from you!