How to pick the best SIM-only deal for you
Not sure where to begin with my list of recommended SIM-only deals above? I’ve put together a quick, jargon-free, checklist below that will answer all of the major questions.
What is a mobile virtual mobile operator (MVNO)?
Mobile virtual mobile operators (or MVNOs, to avoid the mouthful) are simply smaller networks that piggyback on one of the four major ones: EE, Three, Vodafone and O2.
For instance, Voxi uses Vodafone’s network, while Smarty and iD Mobile make use of Three’s. MVNOs tend to be much better value than one of the giants, offering shorter-term plans that you can escape at any time.
READ NEXT: How to avoid price hikes with an MVNO
How much data do you need?
This depends on how much you use your phone when you’re not connected to Wi-Fi. If you only do a spot of browsing and listening to music on your commute, 20GB to 50GB should be enough.
If, on the other hand, you like to devour Netflix, play games and use your phone as a personal hotspot for your laptop, you’ll need a big data plan such as 100GB or unlimited. Luckily, these are now affordable and often represent the best value.
At the other end of the scale, I’d recommend steering clear of any data plan under 10GB – unless you’re sure it will be enough.
How long should the contract be?
Most SIM-only contracts generally last 12 months, but some networks are now offering compelling deals that sign you up for 18 months or two years. You can save some money by going for a longer-term plan, but you should always double-check if there are any mid-contract price hikes as, unfortunately, these are increasingly common.
You can also pick up rolling, one-month plans from the likes of Voxi and Smarty, which are both excellent mobile networks at the top of my list. These allow you to wriggle out whenever you like and jump to a better deal.
What speeds can you get?
Huge swathes of the UK can now get faster 5G speeds, but there are pockets where 4G is still the speediest option. To find out what you can get, you can either select one of the deals above and use the mobile network’s own coverage checker or use Ofcom’s tool for a general overview.
How much roaming is included?
Sadly, the days of being able to use all of your call, text and data allowance in the EU are gone. Instead, some mobile networks charge a daily fee to roam in Europe, while others let you roam for free up to a daily cap.
If you’re heading further afield, expect to pay a lot more, although, as we explain in our roundup of the best roaming SIM-only deals, there are exceptions.
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source: https://www.expertreviews.com/uk/mobile-networks/1413119/best-sim-only-deals-uk
