British Expats - Mobile phone contract

Your post is a bit unclear, but I presume you are asking whether a contract or PayG is better. I'll try to shed some light.

A contract generally includes some sort of phone (but not always), and binds you to a minimum term (usually 2 years). The rates are generally high, but you get a "free" phone. If you are religious about a certain brand of phone, and can't afford to buy it outright, then this may be the best solution for you. Although over a two-year period, you'll usually end up paying more for that "free" phone than if you had just bought it outright.

PayG usually assumes you already have a (unlocked) phone. You get a sim card with some credit. You can top it up as you want, usually at any supermarket, many shops, and even at your ATM. The prices are cheaper. You can get various levels of calls and data, from a gigabyte with some limited amount of talk minutes, to unlimited. All depends on how much you're willing to pay. But it's almost always cheaper than a contract.

Now, again, if you're religious about a certain brand of phone, then you would need to buy one somewhere, and it needs to be "unlocked" (not married to one carrier or another). But if you're not religious, you can buy a decent, late model android phone with lots of memory and processing power, and all the bells and whistles for about €75 online and in discount stores.