Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and HTC One M9 up for pre-order, if you have deep pockets
UK shoppers can now pre-order Samsung and HTC's new flagship phones, but expect to ransack your savings in the process.
Samsung and HTC's new flagship phones are looming large, with UK shoppers now able to pre-order the hotly anticipated HTC One M9, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the gently curved S6 Edge -- though the prices may make you wince.
Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge prices
Samsung's luxurious metal-and-glass Galaxy S6, which packs a 5.1-inch display, is not cheap. An example tariff, from EE through Carphone Warehouse, costs £100 upfront plus £42 per month, for 5GB of data and unlimited texts and data. A Vodafone offer meanwhile will set you back £80 upfront and £39.50 per month, and gets you 4GB of data, plus unlimited texts and data.
You can also pre-order the S6 SIM-free directly from Samsung, though not every colour and size combination is available at present. The 32GB S6 will cost £600, with shipping listed as 9 April. Prices for the 64GB and 128GB versions are as yet unannounced.
Meanwhile, those hoping that the S6 and the S6 Edge -- which is almost identical to the S6 but features two alluring curved edges -- would be on an even footing price-wise are about to be disappointed.
An example tariff for the 64GB S6 Edge (which comes in 64GB and 128GB versions), comes courtesy of O2 at £48 per month with a £100 upfront cost -- a deal that gets you 2GB of data, plus unlimited texts and data. Vodafone will give you the S6 Edge with an upfront cost of £100 and £43.50 per month through Carphone Warehouse, but that only gets you 1GB of data and 600 minutes.
Direct from Samsung with the same 4 April shipping date estimate as the S6, the 64GB S6 Edge will set you back a wince-inducing £760. The price of the 128GB version is yet to be disclosed.
HTC One M9 UK prices
The HTC One M9, which keeps the same industrial look as last year's M8 but adds niceties such as a 20-megapixel camera, can be yours SIM-free from Carphone Warehouse for a penny shy of £580, with delivery expected by 31 March. If you're looking to pay monthly, an O2 deal gets you 2GB of data plus unlimited texts and minutes for £38 per month, plus £50 upfront, for example.
A Vodafone deal listed with Carphone Warehouse with 4GB of data, unlimited texts and minutes costs £43.50 per month, with no upfront cost.
As a final footnote, O2 is promising a free Fitbit Charge smart band to customers who buy the S6, S6 Edge or One M9 on one of its Refresh tariffs. We've been hands-on with the S6 , S6 Edge and HTC One M9 , so be sure to read all of our initial thoughts on the new devices while you mull over a purchase, and stay tuned for full reviews of all three phones in the near future.