Why would you buy a SIM free phone？ Isn't a free phone with a contract better？

SIM Only Deals: The Basics

Let's start from the very beginning. Mobile operators traditionally offer two kinds of contract. The most common contract is usually known as a?pay monthly contract, and this includes a mobile phone as well as a pay monthly plan. A SIM only plan, on the other hand, offers you only the pay monthly plan, so you don't get a mobile phone included in the package. This is one of the most cost-effective ways to run a mobile phone.

SIM Only: The Good and the Bad

The big advantage of going with a SIM only contract is that it's going to be cheaper. The monthly cost of your phone plan will be less on SIM only. Why? Because while mobile operators subsidise phones bought on pay monthly contracts, the phone you get isn't free, you pay a little extra each month to cover the cost of the phone. That means that if you've already got a great phone and don't need a new one, or you're willing to shop for a new phone yourself, then SIM only is going to be your best (and cheapest) option.

The rather obvious downside of all this is that you're not getting a new phone. If you don't already have a phone to use and you opt to go SIM only, then you're going to need to buy one. The problem with this is that you may end up paying more for the phone you buy yourself than you would if you just signed up for the standard phone contract. Very basically, if you've already got a phone you are happy with or you're getting a great deal elsewhere on the handset, then SIM only is the way to go, if not you might want to go for a phone contract. And remember you can always use our SIM Only vs Contract Phone Calculator to pick a winner.

Shopping for a SIM Only Contract

The rules for shopping for a SIM only contract are similar to those for shopping for any other kind of mobile contract, though you're not going to need to worry about the quality of the phone you're getting since you won't be getting one. A SIM only plan is just a minutes, texts and data allowance, so you'll need to opt for a certain number of calling minutes, text messages and a mobile data limit. Or if you're just looking for mobile data many networks offer data only sim deals.

While calling minutes and text messages are pretty cheap (and prices don't vary too much amongst operators) mobile data does vary a little more, which means that data is going to be the main thing that you need to look for. You want a decent amount of data, so you don't go over your limit (which gets pricey fast) but you don't want so much data that you never use all of it and are stuck paying for a service that you're not using.

The best plan for choosing a data limit is to take a look at your old mobile bills since most operators list the amount of data you use each month. You can then make a pretty good estimate for the kind of limit you need. There's another data issue, though…

3G or 4G SIM Only Deals?!

Some UK networker operators are now offering two kinds of data plans, and you'll need to choose which you want. 3G plans are cheaper and available all over the UK. However, 4G plans will give you a faster mobile internet (as long as your phone is 4G capable) which can be pretty tempting. Don't forget that you'll pay more for 4G though, plus not all operators have a 4G network, and not all areas of the UK have 4G coverage. If in doubt, check out your chosen operator's coverage checker.

Using Your Phone on SIM Only

When it comes to actually using your phone on your new phone plan, there are a couple of things that you're going to need to keep in mind. Firstly, is your phone unlocked? If you originally got your phone from a mobile operator, there's a fair chance that the mobile will be locked to that operator and won't accept a SIM card from any other company. Fortunately, unlocking phones is relatively straightforward (ask your operator, they may be able to do it, if not find a mobile unlocking company close to you) and is completely legal in the UK.

The other concern is the size of the SIM card. Most older phone models use a large, traditional SIM card, while new models use smaller micro SIM cards. You'll need to ensure that you're getting the right kind of card for the phone that you're using. Luckily, most operators offer something called a combi or multi-SIM, which is a combination of both sizes and can be snapped apart and put back together depending on which size you need. It is best to make sure that you know what you're getting when you sign up, though.