The Student Room Group

Contract or SIM only on this phone?

I've had a contract for the last two years and I've just ordered a HTC Desire from O2 to pick up tomorrow.

This one: https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/phones/htc/desire-626/

I can't decide whether to pay up front for the device and then get a SIM only deal OR get another contract.

The thing putting me off the contract is that I've been stuck in a contract with my current phone which I started to dislike after a year (in a 24 month contract) because the internal memory is rubbish, it runs slow and recently it's started powering off by itself frequently. I can pay off the last remaining bit of the contract (2 months) and leave now but a year ago it would have cost me more than the value of the phone. So that has put me off contracts coupled with the fact that I went over my data allowance once and got a £120 bill (£12.50 per month contract) even though I'd put limits on to prevent that but they said it took time to recognize the overspend - hence why I racked up a massive bill. Crazy. Also, I work full time right now so a contract doesn't bother me but by September I'll be at uni for 3 years and my finances won't be as great. SIM only means I don't have to worry about finances but a contract would be cheaper overall.

If I pay upfront tomorrow it will cost £143.99 and then at least £15 per month on SIM only which would be £360 over 24 months. So a total of £503.99. Whereas a contract of say £19.50 per month would be £468 over 24 months.

Thoughts?
I've had both a contract and sim only. Currently have a contract and debating whether to go with Virgin's freestyle contract, meaning I can change my phone whenever and when my contract is up, my bill drops if I don't change my phone.

I tend to have, erm, issues with phones and they don't quite last the 2 years they should do. My current one is about 18 months old and will probably die on me soon.

If the contract works out cheaper, I'd go for that personally.

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