Question

why are the upgrades so expensive?

Forum|Forum|2 days ago
May 3, 2026
1 reply
19 views

Ween
Community Member

I need to upgrade my phone, as its glitching in just over a year of use. I am now due an upgrade, but nearly every decent phone is nearly twice what I currently pay.

The options are few too. E.g. not option to pay a higher up front cost to bring monthly costs down, or not have all the other bits.

On top of that I've gone on line and the upgrade deal is poor in comparison to new contracts.

I then searched elsewhere and found the phone I'm looking for far less https://www.raylo.com/products/new-samsung-galaxy-s26-ultra-5g-512gb-cobalt-violet?term=24-months

I'm really disappointed by what is being offered as an upgrade, to a reliable customer that already has 2 contracts with you.

My contract with a phone is about £29 a month. Now I've stopped paying for the phone, I should just be paying for the mins, data and calls only and the monthly payment should be less.

And thus, all I need is to pay for the old SIM tariff and a new decent phone. Not the extortionate £49.99 or £54.99 being proposed as an upgrade. That's preposterous!

How have phones doubled in price in 2 years. Our incomes haven't!

+8

Owethu M
iD Mobile Employee
Forum|Forum|2 days ago
May 3, 2026

Hi @Ween,

Thank you for your message, and I’m sorry to hear how disappointed you are with the upgrade options available. I completely understand your frustration, especially as you’ve been a long-standing and reliable customer with multiple contracts.

I appreciate your concern around pricing and the difference between upgrade offers and new customer deals. Device pricing is set by manufacturers and retailers and can change significantly over time due to market costs, supply, and promotional agreements. Because of this, upgrade pricing can sometimes differ from new contract offers.

As much as we’d like to, we’re unable to match external retailer pricing or adjust upgrade pricing to align with third-party deals.

However, we do want to make sure you’re getting the best option available through us. I would recommend speaking with our Sales team, as they can review your account and see if there are any alternative handset or tariff combinations, including higher upfront payment options or different plan structures, that may help reduce the monthly cost and better suit your needs.

You can contact them via:

Sales Live Chat team, or
0800 049 0250, who can help you explore upgrade options, including plans with higher data allowances that better suit your usage needs.

We really appreciate your loyalty, and I’m sorry that the current offers haven’t met your expectations.

Owethu