Amazon Prime Day hasn't necessarily been a happy hunting ground in the past for unlocked SIM-free phone deals - but 2018 is looking like a whole new ballgame. And you’ve come to the right place to see what's available in a flash. Stick with us and you can order your brand new smartphone by the time you finish your tea break!
We'll move on to our list of favorite SIM-free mobile phones in a moment, but before that let's just stick to the pure deals that are available this Prime Day. Prices have dropped nicely...
Best SIM-free mobile deals on Amazon Prime Day: UK
Best SIM-free mobile deals on Amazon Prime Day: US
Those are the best mobile phone deals, but now let's move on to the best handsets. As well as telling you the most affordable way to get the likes of the iPhone X and Galaxy Note 8, we’ve also got the best prices for some of the budget favorites like the cheap Moto G6 and nostalgic Nokia 3310.
SIM-free phones have become increasingly popular in the last few years. When flagship phones go on sale, it's usually very expensive to get them on contract. Take the iPhone X as a case in point - it cost a cool $999/£999 when it was released! It can be cheaper to buy the phones SIM-free and unlocked and pair them with a bargain SIM only deal.
But the RRPs of phones direct from the manufacturer are very rarely the cheapest way to get hold of your shiny new smartphone. And that's where TechRadar comes in...
So take a look through our top 15 SIM-free handsets, with an excerpt from our full reviews in case you're still umm-ing and ah-ing. If the phone you were hoping for doesn't feature, you can scroll to the bottom of this page and use our bespoke price comparison chart - the tool checks the prices for pretty much every single phone on the market and lists them all cheapest-first so you can be sure we’re always linking you to the best prices!
1. iPhone X
An iPhone for the ages
Screen size: 5.8-inches | Resolution: 1125 x 2436 | Rear camera: 12MP | Weight: 174g | OS: iOS 11 | RAM: 3GB | Storage: 64GB/256GB | External storage: No | Battery: 2716mAh
Simply stunning screen
iOS 11 is looking good
Wireless charging
To state the obvious - the price!
We're kicking off with the big kahuna! We think that the iPhone X is the most important iPhone ever launched. After years of incremental upgrades, Apple has pulled out all the stops for its 10th anniversary smartphone. Face ID lets you unlock your phone just by looking at it, the stunning 5.8-inch Super Retina HD display does away with the bezel almost entirely, there's wireless charging, and that's before we even get to Animojis!
2. Samsung Galaxy S9
Among the finest Androids on the market
Weight: 163g | Dimensions: 147.7 x 68.7 x 8.5mm | OS: Android 8 Oreo | Screen size: 5.8-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2960 | CPU: Exynos 9810 Octa | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64/128/256GB | Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 8MP
Excellent biometrics
All-round brilliant cameras
Very powerful
Not a huge improvement on S8
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a superb phone and it's currently available to pre-order from various places. If you want it SIM-free you're going to have to pay around £689 which is a lot of money. Don't worry though, if that's way too much there are some great cheaper options further down the page - and the Galaxy S8is still brilliant if you want to save some money.
3. iPhone SE
The 'cheap iPhone' option is a good bet if you want Apple on a budget
Weight: 143g | Dimensions: 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm | OS: iOS 10 | Screen size: 4-inch | Resolution: 640 x 1136 | CPU: Apple A9 | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 16/64GB | Battery: 1624mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 1.2MP
Cheap for an iPhone
Simple to use
Just like the iPhone 5S but better
Lacks top features
If you want a cheap iPhone then the iPhone SE is the best SIM-free phone to go for at the moment. It is not as powerful compared to the iPhone 7 or iPhone 8 but it is a step up from the iPhone 5S and crucially retains the 5S' size and shape which is ideal for anyone who wants an iPhone but doesn't want a phone with a massive screen.
4. Moto G6
Brand new for 2018, this is the best cheap Android phone
Weight: 167g | Dimensions: 153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3mm | OS: Android 8 Oreo | Screen size: 5.7-inch | Resolution: 1080 x 2160 | CPU: Octa-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53 | RAM: 3/4GB | Storage: 32GB/64GB | Battery: 3000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 5MP
Splendidly designed
Beutiful vivid display
The price!
Camera is slow
Motorola has been making our very cheap smartphones for a few years now, and the 2018 Moto G6 doesn't disappoint. It improves on the G5 in droves, including a new full HD+ 5.7-inch LCD display. And it's not just the size of the screen that we like (the Moto G6 Plus is even bigger), it's also the colours and clarity. With its 12MP main camera, 1.8GHz Octa-Core processor and up to 4GB RAM, the Moto G6 is almost as good as phones that cost more than twice the price. If you're after a really good phone but don't want to spend too much money it's always a great option.
0 comments: