iphone 6

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus deals: the best offers on the market

16 September

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are now available for pre-order, with deliveries scheduled to begin on Friday.

Demand is expected to be strong - Apple says it took a record four million orders on the first day the two models were available - and pricing is far from straightforward. Here is our selection of the best deals available for the two new handsets: 

iPhone 6 deals: with no contract

The simplest way to buy an iPhone 6, if the most expensive in the short term, is to buy the handset outright and then shop around for a cheap SIM-only contract. This approach is likely to cost you less in the long-term, with the break-even point likely to be around the two-year mark, depending on which contract you choose.

• iPhone 6
• 16GB: £539
• 64GB: £619
• 128GB: £699

• iPhone 6 Plus
• 16GB: £619
• 64GB: £699
• 128GB: £789

iPhone 6 deals with free handset

The following deals will let you get your hands on an iPhone 6 without paying anything up front.

• 16GB iPhone 6
• Vodafone
• Minutes: unlimited
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 4GB of 4G data
• Upfront cost: None
• Monthly cost: £43.50
• Contract length: 2 years

• 16GB iPhone 6
• O2
• Minutes: unlimited
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 5GB of 4G data
• Upfront cost: None
• Monthly cost: £48
• Contract length: 2 years

• 128GB iPhone 6
• O2
• Minutes: unlimited
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 5GB of 4G data
• Upfront cost: None
• Monthly cost: £53
• Contract length: 2 years

iPhone 6 deals with unlimited data

Heavy users of data, or those who don't want to worry about limits, may want to consider this well-priced option from Three. 

• 16GB iPhone 6
• Three
• Minutes: unlimited
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: unlimited 4G
• Upfront cost: £99
• Monthly cost: £45
• Contract length: 2 years

iPhone 6 deals with low monthly costs

If you plan to use your phone primarily on wi-fi, this plan will keep monthly fees to a minimum

• 16GB iPhone 6
• Vodafone
• Minutes: 100
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 100MB of 3G data
• Upfront cost: £249
• Monthly cost: £26.50
• Contract length: 2 years

iPhone 6 deals which include a free handset

The larger of the two new iPhones can also be had for no upfront fee, but you'll pay more in monthly instalments

• 16GB iPhone 6 Plus
• EE
• Minutes: unlimited
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 5GB of 4G data
• Upfront cost: None
• Monthly cost: £45.99
• Contract length: 2 years

• 16GB iPhone 6
• Vodafone
• Minutes: unlimited
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 4GB of 4G data
• Upfront cost: None
• Monthly cost: £48.50
• Contract length: 2 years

iPhone 6 Plus deals with big data allowances

It's harder to find unlimited data plans for the 5.5-inch iPhone plus, but the 20GB option below should satisfy all but the hungriest web user.

• 16GB iPhone 6 Plus
• EE
• Minutes: unlimited
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 20GB of 4G data
• Upfront cost: None
• Monthly cost: £53.99
• Contract length: 2 years

iPhone 6 Plus deals with low monthly costs

If you plan to use your phone primarily on wi-fi, this plan will keep monthly fees to a minimum.

• 16GB iPhone 6 Plus
• Vodafone
• Minutes: 100
• Texts: unlimited
• Data: 100MB of 3G data
• Upfront cost: £249
• Monthly cost: £31.50
• Contract length: 2 years

Live: Apple launches iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

9 September

7.20pm: Tim Cook returns to the stage to walk us through the next revelation of the evening, the Apple Watch.

6.55pm: Apple confirms that it will be introducing a payments system that will work in 220,000 locations around the world including, naturally, Apple Stores. The system works in partnership with American Express, Mastercard and Visa, and allows users to pay for goods by holding the iPhone 6 against a reader, as if it were a contactless payment card. Transactions are authorised using the phone's fingerprint reader. "Cashiers don't see your name, your card number or your security code," Forbes reports.

6.30pm: In a flurry of superlatives, the Apple demonstrator says the iPhone 6 will be larger, thinner and faster than its predecessor. But the promise on battery life - that it will be equal or better - dashes hopes of a big leap forward on that front.

6.15pm: The Daily Telegraph reports that "these phones are thinner than anything Apple has ever made: 6.9 mm"

6.10pm: Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, arrives on stage a little late, but he breaks with company tradition and goes straight to the big news: Apple is launching two new phones, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Cook's predecessor, Steve Jobs, always started with routine announcements and saved the biggest unveiling until last.