Samsung's Galaxy S4 may be more than a year old now, but this highly capable handset is still able to hold its own against current flagship smartphones. With a Full HD resolution display, superb quality 13-megapixel rear camera and powerful Snapdragon 600 processor, Android 4.3 Jelly Bean still runs smoothly and can be updated officially (no messy rooting or custom firmware required) to 4.4 KitKat . If you're looking for a bargain handset, we've gathered together the best places to pick one up on a cheap contract, as well as the cheapest place to buy one SIM-free, to save you the hassle of trawling across the web for the best deal.
Samsung Galaxy S4 deals on EE
If you're after 4G, EE could be your best bet as it has the most 4G coverage of any UK network. However, EE has now stopped selling the S4 directly through its website, so you'll have to head to the Carphone Warehouse to get the best deals. The best we could find at time of writing was a £30.99 per month 24-month contract with no upfront cost, which gets you unlimited UK calls and texts and 2GB of 4G data. This would cost £744 over two years - the same as the Carphone Warehouse's £29.99 per month deal with an upfront cost of £24, which includes 500MB of 4G data, 500 UK minutes and unlimited texts.
Omio also has a good choice of contracts, but the best deal here is £24.99 per month with no upfront cost. This gets you 1GB of 4GB data, unlimited texts and 1,000 minutes, which is available from MobilePhonesDirect.co.uk. This would cost £600 over two years.
Samsung Galaxy S4 deals on Vodafone
Like EE, Vodafone don't sell the S4 direct any more, but the Carphone Warehouse has a wide range of contracts available. The cheapest contract available is £22.50 per month with no upfront cost, but this only gets you 250MB of 3G data, 300 minutes and unlimited texts. This is great if you're only a light user who doesn't do a lot of web browsing, but we suspect most people will want a bit more data for uploading pictures to social networks on the move.
In this case, there's a slightly more generous 500MB 4G plan available for £26.50 a month with no upfront cost that also includes unlimited texts, 600 minutes and a free 7in Galaxy Tab 3 tablet, which you could use if you don't yet own a tablet or sell to recoup some of the costs of your contract. This would cost £636 over two years.
To get 1GB of 4G data per month, you'll be looking at paying £30.50 per month on a two year contract, although you'll get 600 minutes and unlimited texts too. This comes to a total cost of £732 over two years .
Samsung Galaxy S4 deals on Three
Three has pulled out of most other high street stores, meaning you'll have to go into a Three shop if you want to pick up a handset today. However, it does have some excellent deals, including a two year contract for £22 a month with an upfront cost of £69 that comes with 1GB of 4G data and unlimited calls and texts. This would cost £597 over two years , which beats the EE Omio deal we listed above by £3.
If you don't need that much data, Three's 500MB data plan costs £18 per month with a £99 upfront cost , but you still get unlimited calls and texts. This will come to a total of £531 over two years .
Samsung Galaxy S4 deals on O2
It might look more expensive at first compared to other networks, but O2's Refresh tariff could be ideal if you're planning to change your phone before the end of your contract. For no upfront fee, you can get a Galaxy S4 16GB in black with 500 UK minutes, unlimited texts and 500MB of 4G data for £28 per month (which comes to £672 over two years ).
That breaks down as £15 for the handset and £13 for the contract per month, so when you're ready for a new phone you'll be able to pay off the remainder of your device plan and take out a new contract. This deal will also entitle you to 4G speeds in areas that support it for no extra fee.
If you need more data, the best deal is the £38 per month contract, which includes unlimited texts and minutes along with 5GB worth of downloads per month (which comes to £912 over two years ). That should be more than enough for even the most dedicated of Instagram addicts to keep their photostream filled with new snaps.
Samsung Galaxy S4 SIM-only deals
Right now there are still plenty of places stocking the Galaxy S4 SIM-free, but prices vary wildly depending on where you look. Currently Expansys has the best deal, with the black 16GB S4 on sale for £305. If you're determined to buy a white model you'll have to pay a little extra, with prices starting from £315 for the 16GB version on Ebuyer .
