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These Black Friday iPhone deals with FREE AirPods are still going strong

Virgin Mobile's Black Friday iPhone deals come with a FREE pair of Apple AirPods

Among the best of the Black Friday iPhone deals are Virgin Media’s iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone SE contracts, which come with a free pair of second-gen Apple AirPods.

Better still, certain contract options for both models are currently discounted as part of Virgin’s Black Friday sale, meaning that you can get yourself a great deal on an iPhone contract AND a free pair of AirPods, all in one fell swoop.

Shop iPhone 12 Mini contracts nowShop iPhone SE contracts now


While the iPhone 13 may be the latest and greatest Apple offering, there’s still a lot of life left in the previous generation models.

The iPhone 12 Mini is very capable for such a compact phone, especially when it comes to its cameras. With a two-camera array that manages similar performance to the more expensive iPhone 12 variants, the 12 Mini is one of the best smartphones for shooting pictures and video, while remaining extremely pocketable.

The iPhone SE may feature the iconic design of early iPhones, but don’t let that fool you – it’s far from antiquated. It was an easy choice for the best-value iPhone upon its release in 2020, and nothing since has managed to take that crown away. Compact, speedy and packing a solid camera, the iPhone SE is still very much worth your time.

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So that’s the phones covered, but what about the contracts? Well, the good news is that all Virgin contract deals on both of these phones currently come with AirPods, so if you desperately want a particular package, you’re not going to miss out. There are, however, select contracts that offer the best value, as they are heavily discounted for Black Friday. The best deals are on the following bundles:

24-month contracts

  • iPhone SE (2020) 64GB with 100GB data for £36/mth (£864 lifetime cost)
  • iPhone SE (2020) 64GB with Unlimited data for £41/mth (£984 lifetime cost)
  • iPhone 12 Mini 64GB with 100GB data for £44/mth (£1,056 lifetime cost)
  • iPhone 12 Mini 64GB with Unlimited data for £49/mth (£1,176 lifetime cost)

36-month contracts

  • iPhone SE (2020) 64GB with 100GB data for £28/mth (£1,008 lifetime cost)
  • iPhone SE (2020) 64GB with Unlimited data for £33/mth (£1,188 lifetime cost)
  • iPhone 12 Mini 64GB with 100GB data for £33/mth (£1,188 lifetime cost)
  • iPhone 12 Mini 64GB with Unlimited data for £38/mth (£1,368 lifetime cost)

As you can see, there are options for both 24- and 36-month contracts. We typically don’t recommend opting for 36-month contracts as that’s an awfully long time to have a phone. If you’re comfortable making that kind of commitment, however, the lowest monthly prices can be had there. The 24-month option is pretty appealing, too, with great prices on huge data packages.

The lifetime cost for most of these contracts is slightly more expensive than if you bought all the separate elements outright, but this is pretty standard fare for any pay-monthly phone deal. The comparative figures are laid out below, based on the purchase of either a SIM-free iPhone 12 Mini (£629) or a SIM-free iPhone SE 2020 (£389), a pair of second-gen AirPods (£119) and the cheapest comparable 24-month SIM-only deal – either a 100GB data iD Mobile SIM (£336) or an Unlimited data iD Mobile SIM (£384), as applicable.

  • iPhone SE (2020) 64GB with 100GB data – £824 lifetime cost
  • iPhone SE (2020) 64GB with Unlimited data – £872 lifetime cost
  • iPhone 12 Mini 64GB with 100GB data – £1,064 lifetime cost
  • iPhone 12 Mini 64GB with Unlimited data – £1,112 lifetime cost

These figures show that the best deal you can get here is the iPhone 12 Mini 64GB with 100GB data for £44/mth, which comes out £8 cheaper than if you bought all the separate parts outright.

Shop iPhone 12 Mini contracts nowShop iPhone SE contracts now


Despite pretty low customer service scores, Virgin Mobile remains worth considering due to its affordable prices and solid 4G performance. If you’re keen to do a bit more research before committing to a contract, our full Virgin Mobile review has all the information you’ll need.

If you’d like to see what other bargains can be had on Apple handsets this Black Friday, head over to our dedicated iPhone deals page. Alternatively, our roundup of the best Amazon deals regularly features smartphones, so you’re likely to find something that catches your eye.

For all things deals and discounts this November, drop by our Black Friday hub, which we’re constantly updating with the latest bargains on everything from mattresses to electric scooters. New deals are coming in all the time, so be sure to check back regularly if you’ve got your heart set on something specific.

Shop iPhone 12 Mini contracts nowShop iPhone SE contracts now