The iPhone 12 range offers three sizes and four models, so it’s quite a change compared to the iPhone 11. Beyond the discreet models, the iPhone 12 series also adopts a new design language, reminiscent of the iPad Pro range (and the iPhone 4/5 before that), introduces a new, faster processor in the A14 Bionic, boasts better camera performance and, of course, adds in 5G.
At its 20 April Spring Loaded event, Apple announced that the iPhone 12 and 12 mini would also be available in purple, adding to the existing range of five color choices. The good news is that it isn’t more expensive – in fact, you can also get up to £75 off if you know where to look.
Here, we cover how to get your hands on every member of Apple’s first 5G-capable iPhone lineup and at the best price, whether you’re buying on contract or SIM-free.
The best iPhone 12 Deals (all models) right now
- Up to £100 off iPhone 12 mini on Amazon and Laptops Direct
- Get £75 off iPhone 12 & iPhone 12 mini from Very, Argos, John Lewis, Currys PC World, and Amazon
- Currys PC World iPhone offers include up to 5 months of Apple Music, Arcade and News+
- Carphone Warehouse – Free AirPods (2nd gen) or free Apple HomePod Mini
- KRCS – Has up to £12 off iPhone 12 Pro Max
- O2 – 6 months of Disney+ for free, 6 months of Apple Music for free, Up to £350 off with trade-in
- Three – get 6 months half price on 24-month unlimited plans with free AirPods, Powerbeats Pro or Beats Flex
- Virgin – Free AirPods with iPhone 12 and free AirPods Pro with 12 Pro
Also see: Where to buy the purple iPhone 12 and 12 mini
How much does the iPhone 12 range cost?
The good news is that Apple hasn’t raised the price of the iPhone 12 range (aside from a slight tweak to the iPhone 12’s price) despite the jump forward in design, performance, and connectivity – but they are still expensive, and that’s especially true of the ultra-high-end iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Here’s how the iPhone 12 range breaks down in cost:
iPhone 12 Mini
- iPhone 12 Mini (64GB): £699/$699
- iPhone 12 Mini (128GB): £749/$749
- iPhone 12 Mini (256GB): £849/$849
See our full review of the iPhone 12 mini.
iPhone 12
- iPhone 12 (64GB): £799/$799
- iPhone 12 (128GB): £849/$849
- iPhone 12 (256GB): £949/$949
See our full iPhone 12 review.
iPhone 12 Pro
- iPhone 12 Pro (128GB): £999/$999
- iPhone 12 Pro (256GB): £1,099/$1,099
- iPhone 12 Pro (512GB): £1,299/$1,299
Also find our full iPhone 12 Pro review here.
iPhone 12 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 Pro Max (128GB): £1,099/$1,099
- iPhone 12 Pro Max (256GB): £1,199/$1,199
- iPhone 12 Pro Max (512GB): £1,399/$1,399
All variants of iPhone 12 are now readily available to buy in the UK. The most obvious place to go to buy the iPhone 12 is Apple itself, but where else can you go?
Below are all the top retailers offering the iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max both SIM-free and on-contract.
Best iPhone 12 Mini deals
Right now, you can get £100 off the iPhone 12 mini from Amazon, which is offering the market-leading price. It also has £75 off the new purple version.
Top retailers for iPhone 12 mini:
Best iPhone 12 Mini SIM-free deals
Below are some of the best SIM-free and contract deals around on the iPhone 12 mini
Best iPhone 12 Mini Deals
Apple iPhone 12 mini (64GB)
This is an excellent saving on the iPhone 12 mini, especially when you consider its £699 launch price in late 2020.
Apple iPhone 12 mini, unlimited data & free Nintendo Switch
Get the iPhone 12 mini and a Nintendo Switch console from Mobile Phones Direct, complete with unlimited data on Three.
Apple iPhone 12 mini with AirPods 2
Virgin is bundling the 2nd-gen AirPods with the iPhone 12 mini.
At time of writing the firm is offering a half-price deal on its 30GB data contract which may work out cheaper than the 2GB offer, at least in the short term.
Apple iPhone 12 Mini (64GB) – Good condition
This price is for a model in good condition, which means noticeable wear and tear, but you’re saving over 75% compared to the iPhone 12 mini’s original RRP.
Plus, UR provides a case, glass screen protector, 12-month warranty and 12 months of insurance against theft and accidental damage.Apple iPhone 12 mini (64GB) – Renewed
You can save more than £200 on a refurbished iPhone 12 mini from Amazon. It’s backed by the 1-year Amazon Renewed Guarantee and should look and work just like new.
Apple iPhone 12 mini (256GB)
The 256GB iPhone 12 mini has over £100 off from Amazon.
Best iPhone 12 Mini contract deals
Below are all the network providers offering the iPhone 12 mini. We’ve highlighted the best value offers across each provider for you:
- Affordable Mobiles – 100GB data for £34 per month, no upfront cost
- Carphone Warehouse – Free Homepod Mini with select deals – plans start at £29.99 upfront, £34 per month for 20GB data
- EE – £55 per month, £30 upfront for 100GB data
- O2 – £42.95 per month, £30 upfront for 30GB data over 36 months (£360 off with trade-in, and 6 months of Disney+, Prime Video or another streaming app)
- Sky Mobile – £25 per month (usually £27) for 2GB data (no upfront cost)
- Three – Free AirPods, Beats Flex, case + screen protector, or Powerbeats Pro, plan
- Virgin Mobile – £35 per month, no upfront cost for 30GB data with free Airpods
- Vodafone – £49 per month, £49 upfront for 6GB data with choice of Amazon Prime, YouTube Premium or Spotify with purple iPhone 12 mini pre-order
Best iPhone 12 deals
Best iPhone 12 deals SIM-free
You can find £75 off the iPhone 12 from most retailers right now, though Amazon has up to £80 off (including the 128GB option). Amazon also has £75 off the purple iPhone 12
Below are the top SIM-free deals across all retailers:
- Apple
- Amazon/ Amazon US – in stock, up to £80 off
- Argos – £75 off all configurations
- Carphone Warehouse – in stock, up to £650 off with old iPhone trade-in
- Currys PC World – in stock, £40 off, up to 5 months of Apple Music, Arcade and New+, additional £50 on top of trade-in value, up to £450
- John Lewis – in stock, £75 off iPhone 12 Payment plan available, claim up to £300 when you trade-in
- KRCS – up to £8 off
- Laptops Direct – £10 off
- Very – in stock, £75 off all configurations
- Best Buy (US) – in stock, from $33.33/mo
- Walmart (US) – in stock, free 2-day delivery, from $28.29/mo
- Target (US) – Up to $700 off when you trade-in to a new line or upgrade on select unlimited plans with AT&T
Best iPhone 12 deals on contract
Carphone Warehouse is giving away a free HomePod mini with select contract deals, while Three is bundling free AirPods, Powerbeats Pro or Beats Flex with iPhone 12 deals.
Below are some of the deals we’ve highlighted across leading UK network providers for the iPhone 12:
- Carphone Warehouse – 1000GB data for £43 per month, £49.99 upfront with free HomePod Mini
- EE – 10GB data for £55 per month, £50 upfront
- O2 – Unlimited data for £30 upfront, £49.37 per month with free Disney Plus (or Amazon Prime Video) for 6 months
- Tesco Mobile – 6GB data for £34.49 per month with free Tesco Clubcard Plus (36 months)
- Three – Free AirPods, Powerbeats Pro, or Beats Flex – plans start at £37 per month, £210 upfront
- Sky Mobile – 2GB data for £29 per month, no upfront cost
- Virgin – Free Apple AirPods Pro on plans starting from £35 per month for 1GB data
- Vodafone – £57 per month, £19 upfront with free Amazon Prime, Spotify or YouTube Premium for 2 years
- Voxi – £44 per month for 12GB data with unlimited social media and video streaming, no upfront cost (30 months)
If none of the deals above catch your eye, you can compare iPhone 12 contract deals based on your budget using the tool below:
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- Apple – Up to £280 off with Apple trade-in
- Amazon – £10 off 256GB/512GB; Amazon US – (out of stock) iPhone 12 orders from Amazon US with a wireless carrier include an Amazon Gift Card, which receives a US$4.17 balance top-up every month up to $100 over 24 months.
- Apple – in stock – up to £250 off with trade-in
- Argos – limited stock
- Currys PC World – in stock, includes up to 5 months of Apple Music, Arcade and News+, up to £300 off with old iPhone trade-in
- John Lewis – in stock
- Laptops Direct – £10 off
- Carphone Warehouse – delayed delivery, free HomePod mini with contract plans
- Studio – out of stock
- KRCS – up to £9.98 off
- Best Buy (US)
- Walmart (US)
- Target (US) – Up to $700 off when you trade-in and add a new line or upgrade to select unlimited plans with AT&T
Best iPhone 12 Pro deals on contract
You can also get the free HomePod mini or a pair of AirPods from Carphone Warehouse when you buy the iPhone 12 Pro. Below are some of the deals we’d recommend from leading network providers for the iPhone 12 Pro.
- Carphone Warehouse -100GB data with free HomePod mini for £55 per month, £79 upfront, or 10GB data for £49.99 per month and £99 upfront with free AirPods
- EE – 100GB data for £80 per month, £50 upfront with streaming add-on
- O2 – 100GB data for £56.10 per month, £30 upfront – get £360 off with trade-in and free Disney Plus (or Amazon Prime Video) for 6 months
- Three – Free AirPods, Beat Flex or Powerbeats Pro – plans start at £49 per month, £230 upfront for 4GB data with free Beats Flex
- Sky Mobile – £41 per month for 2GB data (reduced from £47), no upfront cost.
- Virgin – 30GB of data for £46 per month (reduced from £50), no upfront cost (36 months)
- Vodafone – £82 per month, £49 upfront for 25GB data with choice of Amazon Prime, Spotify or YouTube Premium for free
- Voxi – £52 per month with 12GB data with unlimited social media and video streaming, free next day delivery
- Tesco Mobile – 6GB data for £39.99 (36 months) with free Tesco Clubcard Plus
Best iPhone 12 Pro Max deals
Best iPhone 12 Pro Max SIM-free deals
Below are some of the best SIM-free deals on the iPhone 12 Pro Max right now:
Best iPhone 12 Pro Max Deals
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max – 128GB – Very good condition
It may now be a few years old, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is still an excellent phone. And this huge discount from Music Magpie is pretty appealing, especially as the phone is in very good condition and you get a 12-month warranty.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max (128GB, refurbished)
If you don’t mind buying refurbished, you can save £389 on this 128GB iPhone 12 Pro Max in ‘Pristine’ condition from MusicMagpie. Read our full guide to buying refurbished iPhones for more information.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max with AirPods Pro
If you’re looking to buy the iPhone 12 Pro Max on contract, Three is currently bundling the AirPods Pro with select plans.
Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max with 100GB data
If you’re looking to buy the iPhone 12 Pro Max on contract, you can now get 100GB on Three via Fonehouse with no upfront cost.
Best iPhone 12 Pro Max contract deals
- Carphone Warehouse – Best deal: Free Apple Homepod Mini, £49.99 upfront, £59.99 per month for 20GB 4G data
- EE – Best deal: 100GB data for £86 per month, £50 upfront, includes 1 Smart Benefit (choice of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade and more)
- Fonehouse – Best deal: 100GB data for £55 per month, £134.99 upfront with Three
- O2 – Best deal: £59.10 per month, £30 upfront for 100GB data (was 90GB) over 36 months (£360 off with trade-in, 6 months of Disney+, Amazon Prime or another streaming app)
- Sky Mobile – Best Deal: Starts at £45 per month, no upfront cost for 2GB data (higher data allowances available)
- Three – Best Deal: Free AirPods, Beat Flex or Powerbeats Pro – plans start at £56 per month, £99 upfront
- Virgin Mobile – Best Deal: £51 per month, no upfront cost for 30GB data (36 months)
- Vodafone – Best Deal: £83 per month, £29 upfront for 6GB data and choice of Spotify, Amazon Prime Video, or YouTube Premium
- AT&T (US) – Starts at $36.67 per month
When did the iPhone 12 phones go on sale?
The iPhone 12 range launch is a little more staggered than it has been in previous years.
The first iPhones available were the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro, both released on 23 October.
Those waiting for the smaller iPhone 12 mini or ultra-high-end iPhone 12 Pro Max have had to wait a little longer. The good news is that the Mini and Pro Max were both released on 13 November, and are now available to buy worldwide.
Apple announced the purple variant of the iPhone 12 and 12 mini at its Spring Loaded event on 20 April. The handsets became available to pre-order on 23 April and will ship on 30 April.
What’s new with the iPhone 12 range?
The iPhone 12 range is so exciting because there are a lot of changes on offer. The most noticeable is the design, which steps away from curved edges to something altogether more angular and reminiscent of the iPad Pro and even the iPhone 5.
That new design also means Apple has expanded the size of the display of most of the range without impacting the overall footprint, with the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro sporting a 6.1in display and the iPhone 12 Pro Max sporting a 6.7in display. There’s also the iPhone 12 Mini, with a 5.4in display in the same form factor as the original 4.7in iPhone SE.
Let’s not forget the 5nm A14 Bionic, which Apple is calling the fastest chipset in any smartphone right now, with boosts to CPU, GPU and Neural Engine performance and, of course, 5G connectivity is standard across the entire range. There’s also MagSafe for iPhone – a new magnetic system that allows for improved wireless charging performance and opens the door for a new range of accessories.
You’ve got new features specific to the iPhone 12 Pro range, including the ability to record and edit Dolby Vision content directly via the Camera and Photos apps. There are also features specific to the top-end iPhone 12 Pro Max, including a new DSLR-esque OIS (optical image stabilisation) system, a larger camera sensor, for a huge boost to low-light photography and the inclusion of a LiDAR sensor for lightning-fast autofocus capabilities.
Believe it or not, we’re only scratching the surface of what’s new with the iPhone 12 range. If you want to know more, take a look at everything you need to know about the iPhone 12 range, and if you’re wondering about the specific differences between the Pro models, we’ve got a piece on the iPhone 12 Pro vs iPhone 12 Pro Max alongside our full iPhone 12 review.
While you’re here, you may also be interested in the best iPhone 12 and 12 Pro cases.
Read next: Best Google Pixel 5 deals
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Author: Somrata Sarkar, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Previously a Tech Advisor Senior Staff Writer, Somrata researches and writes about the best tech deals to help readers make smart, informed buying decisions. She's an expert on accessories and also reviews laptops, phones, audio and other devices.