Since the iPhone exclusivity with o2 ended, the iPhone market has exploded in terms of competitiveness in the UK. With all the major networks all offering iPhone 4 contracts, the competition is fierce, which means the deals are fantastic if you know where to look.

First of all, you should note that this article was written at the beginning of December 2010, so if you are reading it way into the future, you’ll find the tariffs may have changed considerably. However, the links below should still take you through to the right sections of the relevant network’s websites so you’ll be able to check the current offers for yourself.

The iPhone 4 on 3

Let’s start with the deals from 3. They’re usually the best for most value included within your monthly contract, and in recent years the signal coverage has improved dramatically. Three offer both the black and the white iPhone 4 on contract. Each is available in 16GB and 32GB versions. If you like to store a lot of music, photos and videos on your mobile, its definitely good to go for the 32GB model. Monthly prices range from £30 to £45, with lower plans requiring a payment of £149 for the handset and the top plan giving you the phone for free. Plans last 24 months, and include a minimum of 300 minutes and 5000 texts (rising to 2,000 minutes and 5000 texts on higher plans). All plans also include 1GB Internet usage on the handset, with the exception of the cheapest plan which still boasts 500Mb. Also, all plans carry 5000 3 to 3 minutes over and above the cross network minutes, meaning you can spend loads of time on the phone to other three customers.

> Go to iPhone 4 contracts on 3

iPhone 4 on Orange

Orange offer the same iPhone handsets as 3, with plan prices ranging from £25 up to £75 a month. Orange offer some options on an 18 month contract instead of 24 months, although the majority of customers likely to buy an iPhone tend to keep their handset for more than two years so this may not be an issue. As with Three, the phone is available for free on the more expensive tariffs, and on the cheaper end it will set you back up to £229, although their is an option for £169 on the £30 per month tariff.

> The Orange iPhone

iPhone 4 on Vodafone

At the time of writing, Vodafone offer only the black  iPhone handset, although the white iPhone is coming soon according to their website.Prices range from £25 to £60 a month on 24 month contacts, add £5 a month to each plan to get it on 18 months. The handset will range from free up to £219.

> Vodafone iPhones

Coming soon we will bring you part two of this article, covering o2, Virgin and T-Mobile.