APPLE’S new iPhone 12 is out today – and despite the global health crisis, there are loads of ways to get your hands on one.
We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about buying an iPhone in the UK, including retail store rules, online offers and more.
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Buying an iPhone in-person
The good news is that – at the time of writing – Apple Stores in the UK are still open.
This could change depending on local or national restrictions, so make sure you check on the day of your visit.
Normally, an iPhone launch would see huge queues stretching away from Apple Stores – but this year is different.
The ongoing pandemic means that there’ll be less on-site fanfare, although queues may still happen.
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However, Apple will enforce some measures of social distancing for anyone who decides to wait outside the store.
Face masks are essential, and you’ll be required to undergo a temperature check too.
You can book one-on-one sessions with a Specialist at an Apple Store to help choose a new product.
And you can pre-order an iPhone for pick-up at the store to speed up your visit.
At the store, you’ll also find fewer people milling around due to limited occupancy – and plenty of hand sanitiser to boot.
Another option is to use Apple Pickup Express, which is a super-fast way to collect your iPhone.
It’s like a normal click-and-collect system, but you turn up and walk away with your iPhone from a pop-up storefront.
There are two Express locations in the UK: one at Westfield White City and the other at Westfield Stratford.
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Buying an iPhone online
Arguably the safest way to buy an iPhone this year is online.
If you buy an iPhone at the official Apple website, you can opt for contactless home delivery.
There are Apple Specialists available for virtual sessions to help you make a purchase.
And you can also get advice on setting up your new iPhone after your purchase too.
There are financing options, which include 0% interest plans so you can spread the cost – though you’ll still need a SIM card.
And trade-in is available both online and offline.
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New iPhones – What are they?
The iPhone 12 series make up the latest and greatest smartphones from California tech titan Apple, and are the company’s first to come with 5G connectivity.
Apple boss Tim Cook said: “Today is the day of a new era for iPhone. We’re bringing 5G to iPhone.”
He added that 5G “will bring a new level of performance for downloads and uploads.”
In total, Apple announced four new mobiles during its October 13 “Hi, Speed” event, which was streamed live to fans around the world from its Apple Park headquarters.
They’re the 6.1-inch iPhone 12, 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro, 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max and a palm-sized, 5.4-inch iPhone Mini.
Apple is staggering this year’s iPhone releases.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro open on October 16, while the two mobiles will go on general sale a week later, on October 23.
The 12 will ship for £799 in the UK and $799 in the US, while the 12 Pro will go for £999 / $999.
Pre-orders for the beefy 12 Pro Max and midget iPhone Mini will come a little later, launching on November 6.
Those two handsets will ship on November 13, starting at £699 / $699 for the Mini and £1,099 / $1,099 for the 12 Pro Max.
We’ve put together a handy guide on which iPhone is best for you here.
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iPhone 12 deals
Now that pre-orders are live, deals are trickling through from major network operators.
Remember, because they’re the latest iPhones, you’ll struggle to find anything cheap. Here are some of the best so far:
- iPhone 12 with 1GB of data, 1,000 minutes and Unlimited texts for £33 a month for 36 months with Virgin Media – Buy now
- iPhone 12 with 4GB of data, Unlimited calls and Unlimited texts for
- £34 a month for 24 months with Sky Mobile – Buy now
- iPhone 12, with 100GB of 5G data, Unlimited calls and Unlimited texts, for £39 a month (£299 upfront) with Vodafone – Buy now
iPhone 12 Pro deals
- iPhone 12 Pro with 4GB of data, Unlimited calls and Unlimited texts for £41 a month for 24 months with Sky Mobile – Buy now
- iPhone 12 Pro with 1GB of data, 1,000 minutes and Unlimited texts for £49.50 a month for 24 months with Virgin Media – Buy now
- iPhone 12 Pro with 50GB of data, Unlimited calls and Unlimited texts for £50.99 a month for 24 months (£99.99 upfront) with ID mobile – Buy now
In time, more networks will announce their pricing and push any deals they cook up to tempt option-swamped consumers.
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iPhone 12 Pro review – probably the best smartphone you can buy… for now
In other news, check out our iPhone 12 review.
If you’ve got more money to burn, you’ll want to read the iPhone 12 Pro review instead.
Or you could take a gander at the Apple Watch 6 review if you’ve been thinking about upgrading your wrist.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
