iPhone 4S sees iPhone 4 and 3GS UK price drop

Thinking about buying an iPhone? The new iPhone 4S was announced last night, which means prices for the current iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS have dropped. Could now be a good time to bag an iBargain?

The 4GS starts at £500 for the 16GB model, when bought from Apple SIM-free.

Buying direct from Apple means you can choose any phone network and put any SIM card in the phone, so even though it's a lot to pay out up front, you'll probably save in the long run. Throw a GiffGaff SIM card in there, for example, and you could spend as little as £10 per month, even with unlimited Internet browsing.

Do you a deal

The phone networks are still in the process of sorting out prices, but they'll offer the phone at a reduced price as long as you sign up for a contract. Most contracts last two years, and include a set allowance of free phone calls, text messages and data -- data being particularly important, as the iPhone is all about browsing the Web.

You'll probably spend more in the long run over the length of a contract -- and there's no getting out of the contract even if you spot a better deal -- but it's the easiest way to get hold of a new iPhone if you don't have £500 just lying around.

We'll keep you posted on details of the deals from the networks. We're expecting all the major networks to sell the iPhone 4S, as will Phones4U and Carphone Warehouse. The Guardian reports Carphone Warehouse is selling the phone SIM-free alongside its network deals for the first time.

Vintage iPhones

The iPhone 4S looks identical to the iPhone 4, which is pretty disappointing if you were waiting for a brand spanking new phone. But it does mean you can buy an iPhone 4 and you won't look like you have yesterday's phone. The current iPhone 4 will update to the same software as the new phone, so you will have many of the new features, although you won't get the cool new Siri voice-control feature.

Apple obviously knows this, as the iPhone 4 isn't cheap: the new 8GB model costs £430. You can currently get an iPhone 4 free on a network contract, but you're looking at paying around £40 per month for the privilege. That may change when the 4S actually lands.

The iPhone 3GS, which is now two years old, can be bought for £320 from Apple. It's free on selected contracts from several networks.

The iPhone 4S hits shops on 14 October. The update to iOS 5 for existing phones will be available from 12 October. Are you tempted to pick up an older iPhone? Seen any great deals we should know about? Tell us in the comments section below, or on our Facebook page.