SIM-only phone deals are perfect for those of us happy with our smartphones, people looking for short-term contracts while visiting the UK and those looking to save a bit of money each month by cutting out the cost of paying off a phone. SIM-only deals also tend to give you more bang for your buck, bundling in added extras to sweeten the deal so you don’t jump ship to another mobile network at the drop of a hat.
Generally, you’ll find SIM-only phone deals come in three guises: all-rounders, data-heavy plans and call and text-focused bundles. Essentially, there’s a plan here for everyone – be you a text addict or just the sort that burns through gigabytes of data. So, if you’re more about Netflix on the move over chewing someone’s ear off on long train journies, there’s a plan here for you.
SIM-only phone deals tend to switch up rather often, with new phone releases prompting some mobile networks to adjust their offerings accordingly. So, if you see one you like, jump on it quickly. Below are our picks of the best SIM-only phone deals available in the UK, for whatever kind of phone user you are.
SIM-only deals are very fluid, and change regularly, so if you see one you like, you should grab it quickly. Here we’ll set out the best SIM-only phone deals available for whatever kind of phone user you are.
Best SIM-only phone deals in the UK
1. BT: BT Sport, Amazon vouchers and a bargain price
As relative newcomers to the mobile space, BT offers up a surprisingly good deal with unlimited minutes, texts and a hefty 15GB data package. It also throws in a free £40 Amazon or iTunes voucher and also allows you free streaming of BT Sport. When you consider how much live sport costy, that is a pretty hefty discount. BT offers all of this at £21 per month on a 12-month contract (which is £300 per year) for non-BT Home customers and just £16 per month for existing BT customers.
2. EE: Fast internet connection, free Apple Music for six months
EE presents a great SIM-only plan for 4G data burners, offering a mighty 16GB of data as well as unlimited minutes and texts. You’ll also gain access to EE’s award-winning superfast 4G network. To make the deal even more of a bargain, EE has slashed the price from £31.49 to just £19.99 per month (that’s £239.88 per year), which includes on a 12-month contract. Furthermore, BT and EE have teamed up to offer EE customers free Apple Music for the first six months of the contract, which is great news for music lovers.
Get this great deal from EE here
3. O2: High data allowance, great coverage and a nice price to fit
If you’re constantly going over your data limit then this SIM deal from O2 is probably the one for you – offering a massive 16GB of 4G data for just £28.90 per month (£346.80 per year). Alongside all that data, you’ll also get unlimited minutes and texts, and O2’s nationwide coverage almost guarantees that you’ll be able to put that data package to use wherever you are.
4. Giffgaff: An affordable all-rounder
Even as one of the smaller networks, Giffgaff is able to put forward deals that compete with those offered by the larger providers. Its plan gives 2GB of 4G data, 500 minutes and unlimited texts for an affordable £12 per month (£144 per year) on a rolling 30 day plan. If you don’t want to spend big, but still have a fully capable phone, this is the deal for you.
Get this deal from Giffgaff here
5. iD: Good plan, great price
For those who don’t know, iD is Carphone Warehouse’s network. It’s ShockProof tarriff gets you 500 minutes, 5,000 texts and 4GB of data for just £10 per month (£120 per year) on a one-month rolling contract, so you can’t really go wrong. While this deal may seem fairly standard compared to others in our list, that £10 price point is the real draw.
6. Life: A good contract and at an insanely low price
Life also offers up another attractive deal of 1,000 minutes, 5,000 texts and 1.5GB of 3G data on EE’s 3G network for the bargain-basement price of £5.95 per month. Again, the main feature of this deal is the incredibly low price. If you’re wondering why it’s so suspiciously low, that’s because it’s only available online via uSwitch’s SIM comparison site.
Image: MIKI Yoshihito – Flickr
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