The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are available to buy in the UK on a SIM-free basis or on a Pay Monthly contract.
Apple have just released three new smartphones in the UK: the iPhone 11, the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The new handsets come with improved photo-taking capabilities including a dual-camera system on the iPhone 11 (£729) and a new triple-camera system on the more expensive iPhone 11 Pro (£1,049) and iPhone 11 Pro Max (£1,149).
There are two ways of buying an iPhone 11 in the UK:
- SIM-Free & Unlocked. The simplest and most flexible way to buy an iPhone 11 is to get it SIM-free from an electronics retailer. Depending on the handset you choose, you’ll pay between £729 and £1,149 upfront for the handset. You’ll then be able to save money every month with a low-cost SIM-only deal (normally making this a cheaper option in the long run).
- On a Pay Monthly contract. Alternatively, you can get the iPhone 11 on a Pay Monthly contract of 24 months or more. You’ll normally pay less for the handset upfront if you do this, but will then need to pay more each month on your phone bill. This often works out to be slightly more expensive and can tie you in to one mobile network for an extended amount of time.
In this article, we’ll compare the cost of buying an iPhone 11, both on a SIM-free basis and on a Pay Monthly contract.
SIM-Free & Unlocked
The easiest and most flexible way to buy an iPhone 11 is to get it on a SIM-free and unlocked basis. Here, you’ll be buying the handset outright to begin with so there’s no need to sign a lengthy mobile contract to pay back the cost over time.
The advantage is you’ll get an unlocked handset that you can use on any mobile network, with flexibility to change networks or SIM cards at any time. However, you’ll need to pay more to begin with (between £729 and £1,149 depending on the model you choose):
Retailer | iPhone 11 | iPhone 11 Pro | iPhone 11 Pro Max |
---|---|---|---|
John Lewis & Partners | £729 | £1,049 | £1,149 |
Amazon.co.uk | £729 | £1,049 | £1,149 |
Argos | £729 | £1,049 | £1,149 |
Carphone Warehouse | £729 | £1,049 | £1,149 |
Currys PC World | £729 | £1,049 | £1,149 |
Mobiles.co.uk | £729 | £1,049 | £1,149 |
Apple | £729 | £1,049 | £1,149 |
Normally, we recommend buying your SIM-free iPhone from John Lewis & Partners. This is because you’ll pay the same price as you would elsewhere, but you can benefit from a free 2-year guarantee that’s included in the price (Apple’s standard warranty only covers the first year). You can also benefit from the Never Knowingly Undersold promise which isn’t available when buying from other retailers.
See iPhone 11 Deals at John Lewis →
Once you have a SIM-free iPhone, you can choose from a wide range of SIM-only deals. Many SIM-only deals will cost you around £10/month (or around £20/month if you’re looking for an unlimited data plan).
A SIM-free iPhone will accept SIM cards from any UK mobile network. You’ll also have the option of using a foreign SIM card when abroad or adding a second line to your iPhone through the eSIM dual SIM functionality.
Pay Monthly Contract
The iPhone 11 is also available on contract from various UK mobile networks including BT Mobile, EE, iD Mobile, O2, Three, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone.
You can use the following interactive comparison tool to compare iPhone 11 deals across multiple mobile networks. Use the tabs in question to filter tariffs by data allowance, contract length or mobile network:
When choosing a Pay Monthly contract for your iPhone 11, it’s worth thinking about the following things:
The amount of data you want included in your plan. You’ll need to decide how much data you want on your plan each month. This can vary from as little as 1GB per month, up to 100GB or even fully unlimited data. See our guide to mobile download limits if you’re not sure how much you need.
- The coverage available where you live, work or study. You should try to choose a mobile network that gives you good coverage in places where you spend a lot of time. Many mobile networks share the same underlying coverage provider (for instance, both BT Mobile and Virgin Mobile use EE in the background).
- Other features available on the network. There might be other network-specific features you can access with certain deals e.g. EE’s Swappable Benefits when you choose an EE Smart plan, Go Roam (inclusive roaming in 71 destinations) on Three, or Priority special offers when you join O2.
For more information, see our in-depth reviews of the features available on each mobile network.
iPhone 11 Handsets Compared
This year, Apple have released three new smartphones: the iPhone 11, the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The key difference between the iPhone 11 and the iPhone 11 Pro handsets is that the latter has a three-camera system and a sharper Organic LED display.
The key differences between the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are summarised on Apple’s website or in the following comparison table:
Apple iPhone 11![]() | Apple iPhone 11 Pro![]() | Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max![]() | |
---|---|---|---|
Release Date | 2019, Flagship | 2019, Flagship | 2019, Flagship |
Software | Apple iOS 13.0 | Apple iOS 13.0 | Apple iOS 13.0 |
Display | |||
Size | 6.1-inch display | 5.8-inch display | 6.5-inch display |
Type | LCD | Organic LED | Organic LED |
Resolution | 1792x828 pixels | 2436x1125 pixels | 2688x1242 pixels |
Pixel Density | 326 pixels per inch | 458 pixels per inch | 458 pixels per inch |
Camera | |||
Rear Camera | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Auto-Focus | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Flash | ✔ Quad-LED flash | ✔ Quad-LED flash | ✔ Quad-LED flash |
OIS | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Front Camera | 12.0 megapixels | 12.0 megapixels | 12.0 megapixels |
Internals | |||
Processor | Apple A13 Bionic | Apple A13 Bionic | Apple A13 Bionic |
Speed | 2.7GHz dual-core & MHz quad-core | 2.7GHz dual-core & MHz quad-core | 2.7GHz dual-core & MHz quad-core |
Internal Storage | 64/128/256GB | 64/256/512GB | 64/256/512GB |
External Storage | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
Handset Weight | 194g | 188g | 226g |
Battery | 3,110mAh (17 hours talktime) | 3,190mAh (17 hours talktime) | 3,190mAh (17 hours talktime) |
Mobile Networks | |||
3G Networks | ✔ Up to 42Mbit/s | ✔ Up to 42Mbit/s | ✔ Up to 42Mbit/s |
4G Networks | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
SIM Card Type | Nano SIM | Nano SIM | Nano SIM |
For more information about the iPhone 11, please see Apple’s official website. The iPhone 11 will be released in the UK on the 20th September 2019.
Swevvvv said:
There is also another way of getting the devices cheaper than you think.
Go to Very.co.uk
Select the iphone
Apply for a Very account (hope you get a high limit)
Pay by credit
10% off code MJWTM
This will only work if it’s your first time for new customers***
Bob said:
For a page that is about the Iphone 8, flagship product of 2017, why is there not one comment dated 2017 in this thread? Have they been posted / moved elsewhere (by mistake?), deleted or was there no feedback on the topic?
What relevance are posts from 2009 to content that is no longer visible here?
Ken replied:
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the feedback! You’re right: this article used to highlight iPhone 7 deals but has since been updated to discuss the iPhone 8. As such, lots of the older comments will no longer be relevant today.
Hope this helps,
Ken
miles said:
Hi Ken
the cheapest way to get hold of an iphone 7 32gb model is from Giffgaff. £28.47 x 24 + £25 up front + £10 first month goodybag =£718.28
You can cancel the goodybag as soon as you receive the phone and pay off the phone at £28.47 month over 24 months.
All giffgaff phones come unlocked and you can use whatever sim you want in it.
I personally use 3 pay as you go at 3p min 2p text and 1p mb which is extremely cheap. I text alot and mainly use home Wifi which works out at roughly £4 per month. 3 coverage is great in London and ideal for me.
Obviously other peoples usage is different
Kind Regards