Staying ahead of the competition is tough in the mobile phone market, with so many different manufacturers all offering a range of handsets it is tricky to find something that appeals more than the competitors. It does seem to be something that Huawei are particularly good at, having gone from relatively unknown to one of the top three over the last 5 to 10 years. 

The new P40 range features two flagship models, this standard model, and two lite versions ensuring that there is something for everyone. One thing you can be sure of from Huawei is high-end photography technology thanks to their partnership with Leica lenses. 

The competition to have cameras that rival High Street models inside mobile phones is tough. Customers are loving it, as it means they no longer have to carry two devices when they go out and about and can capture some stunning images using just a mobile phone. To learn more about what this handset and all of the others in the range can do check out our comprehensive reviews.

One of the things you will find with high end flagship offerings is the price tags tend to be higher. They are certainly worth it but affording to purchase them outright can be difficult. This is why pay monthly contracts are perfect, you get a fixed payment every month that you can afford. All you have to do is pick the features that you need that mirror the way you use your handset.  

Contracts are made up of three main allowances, are you or talk time, texts and data. Generally, most providers deal with talk time and texts in one package, and unlimited is the new normal. You can get a deal whereby you get a certain number of texts or talk time each month, but the price difference between this and unlimited is so small it is not worth it. 

The peace of mind to get from having an unlimited deal and knowing you will never have to pay extra charges for coming over and allowance is certainly worth the small financial difference. You do need to be aware that generally, no provider offers premium rate calls as part of the allowance. These tend to be calls made to helplines, or texts sent to enter competitions etc and you would pay for these separately at the end of the month. 

Data tends to be the allowance that is harder to quantify, and unlimited data deals are not so widely available, and are much more expensive. So, you need to try and work out what you will use each month.

 You will find some companies offer you the chance to roll over any unused data into the next month, which is helpful. Many companies simply reset the counter and start again so it’s worth checking what’s on offer. it helps to understand exactly when your phone will be using data, and basically that is any time the screen is displaying the 5G/4G logo. If you are not connected to a Wi-Fi network, you are likely to be using data even if you do not realise it. Most new smartphones have a number of automatic processes that run in the background and use a small amount of data, when connected to wireless this has no impact. 

These are things like GPS location and checking to see if there are any new emails, they can generally be switched off in settings, but most people just accept that they run in the background and it only uses a tiny amount of data. If you spend a lot of time away from the wireless network and do things like streaming movies, and using lots of apps you will need more data than someone who is almost always connected to Wi-Fi and doesn’t really use their phone when they’re out except to make calls and send texts.

So, once you know what you are looking for you can start looking for the cheapest deal for your circumstances. The smallest numbers you can find on the screen are not going to help you if it doesn’t offer enough in the way of texts, calls and data. All it means is that you will pay extra charges at the end of each month for going over your allowances. 

The best place to start is to see which network providers offer you the best coverage, as it’s obviously important that you can use your phone at the places you visit most. Once you know which providers to look at you can start then to look for the right amount of data. Of course, there are other ways you can impact the price of a pay monthly contract, some providers will offer you the chance to change the contract length. Contracts tend to be offered on a 12, 24, or 36-month basis with the middle one being the most common. 

However, if you take a longer contract you will find that the prices go down because you are rewarded for customer loyalty and have longer to pay. You need to remember though that a three-year contract means you are tied in with the same handset for the duration and breaking her mobile phone contract early is an expensive business. you will also find that there are a nice range of gifts and streaming services offered for free to tempt you to sign up with a particular provider and you should take full advantage of these.

Finally, you can purchase the new Huawei P40 as a Sim free deal, which means you just get the handset with no pay monthly contract or Sim card included. You will need a Sim card for the handset to work, whether you choose a pay-as-you-go Sim card or already have a contract running but need a new handset because yours is broken. Just take care to ensure that the Sim card and handset are on the same network or that the phone has been unlocked.