The Samsung Galaxy S5 is about to land and the big phone brands are pining for your custom.
But just because there are some plum incentives to be had doesn't mean you shouldn't take a moment to think about what's best in the long-run. Whether you opt for a pricey SIM-free phone or tie yourself into a lengthy contract, you and your smartphone - and your provider - are going to be bum chums for some time at least.
In the US, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is available to pre-order from Verizon for $199.99 on a 2-year agreement, shipping by 14 April. Alternatively, you can get it for $25.22 a month on Verizon Edge or $599.99 without a contract. To incentivize people to go with them, they are offering a buy one get one free offer on a 2-year activation per device.
Pre-orders with AT&T are due to ship on April 10 and cost $199.99 on a 2-year agreement or $649.99 without contract. A similar deal is available at US Cellular.
For UK buyers, the phone is being offered direct from Samsung for £579 if you want to escape the noose of a network or contract, and Carphone Warehouse is doing it for only marginally cheaper at £569.95.
If you are really desperate to have it asap then the white and black versions are expected to arrive in your hands by 11 April. If you wanted the blue or gold versions you would have to wait a little longer till 22 April or 20 May respectively.
Carphone Warehouse is also offering £100 cashback on selected pay monthly and upgrade deals before midnight Thursday.
According to PC Advisor, a Carphone Warehouse spokesperson said the chain had expected pre-orders "to go through the roof".
"We've seen record numbers of pre-registrations for the Samsung Galaxy S5 compared to its predecessors so we know that customer demand for this new handset is exceptionally high," the spokesperson said.
Amazon is offering it at just a snip cheaper, £559.99, with free delivery in the UK, but it does have April 18 as the release date so does that mean it will be shipping the device later?
Clove is the cheapest we've spotted SIM-free at £550. Three is offering it on contract for £38 a month with a £29 upfront cost, while Vodafone is offering it for £37 a month for trade-ins. Vodafone's cheapest per month offer is £34 with a phone cost of £169, 300 UK minutes, unlimited texts and 250 MB of UK data.
But the most attention grabbing deal has to go to EE, which is offering a free return flight to Europe for pre-orders of £59.99 on a £37.99 monthly plan. The offer ends 10 April so if you want to make the most of it you had better get in there sharpish. For heavy data users it offers 20 GB for £47.99 a month, with a phone cost of £9.99, on a 24-month plan.
In terms of its performance, The Telegraph gave it a largely positive review and four out of five stars, noting in particular the 16MP camera with autofocus and ultrafast downloads, although it loses points on appearance and the fingerprint sensor.
AnAndTech also note the speed but question whether the device is too large.
TechRadar notes that the device is not as slick as rivals but that is unlikely to dent sales as the Samsung Galaxy S series has such a loyal following.
GSMArena tested the battery and found that it outperforms the HTC One (M8) by an hour and the Galaxy Note 3 by three, but can't compete with the LG G2.
