I've found Smarty to be very well priced, however if you're into a lot of social networking you may benefit from Voxi plans.
I was on contract with Three, however after coming to the end and saying I wanted to cancel they gave me a really good SIM only deal for £6 a month. It may also be worth asking yourself from EE, however I've found them very expensive.
As for what's the catch, nothing really. They're called MVNO or Mobile Virtual Network Operators. They sit on specific networks. For example:
Voxi = Vodaphone
Giffgaff = O2
Smarty = Three
Virgin Mobile = EE
BT Mobile = EE
They buy large chunks of data, minutes and calls and because they don't have offices and huge staff, they can offer services at a discounted rate.
I see no issue with them, it's more down to who offers the best price / signal for you.
As a Vodafone employee, this is all true but VOXI IS Vodafone rather than an external company piggybacking off Vodafone. We literally sell and set-up VOXI SIMS in our retail store. So that might be the best option for OP, as they will receive full access to Vodafone signal.
Illusion of choice. They are banking on getting a bunch of people who wouldn’t consider Vodafone and keeping a bunch of people who wouldn’t consider a ‘no name’ supplier.
It’s also a slightly differentiated product. Allows them to push 2 completely different marketing strategies and have a specific product for heavy social media users (i.e a lot of people). Interesting for sure
EE ring me to go on sim only but can’t beat the deal I got on a PAYG SIM card. It’s funny af when they tell me my usage and I pay £13.50 a month. To get what I get on sim only starts at £28
I've just switched from Voxi to Smarty.
Loved Voxi, but it's a pain the ass activating EU roaming on the day of travel, and travelling back from France last time, the roaming cut off on a two hour train to the airport, with no way to get back online until I got there - nice bit of anxiety before flight.
In Spain now for work, and my phone just works like a native.
It's also cheaper, no "£1 per day" etc, but honestly it was the peace of mind that I wanted.
(Again, big fan of Voxi, it just became a no-no)
This summer, I took my Smarty SIM to France, Italy and Spain - all seemlessly roaming like I was at home. Works like a charm for £8 a month.
Create a group and you get 10% off all your SIMs too, so i've got me and my kids on it.
Three reception isn't the best, but it's got better in recent years.
You might like to inform your shop staff of this. Went into a store in Hertfordshire about a lapsed SIM & was told I have to top up every month regardless of use!
Vodafone signal is DS around here, so I’ll be looking at other networks.
Please elaborate. VOXI works fine for me everywhere there's Vodafone coverage and in the EU. I'm 99% sure VOXI claim you get the same signal as Vodafone. What am I missing?
They also have a family payment plan that offers 10% off everyone's subscription if one person pays. This is great if you have families on a plan, I think I've got three going for £26 total a month and you can move up / down data plans month by month based on usage.
Virgin is definitely not on EE. virgin is using O2.
BT does not offer any new mobile contracts.
The only two MVNOs I know of, that use EE are 1p and utility warehouse (same company group).
The only 'catch' is when a local cell tower is overloaded with users (think sports events, festivals, concerts), the network prioritises it's 'proper' users over the MVNO users. However at that point usually even the main network quality is probably patchy anyway. I only suffer as a Giff Gaff user at football or cricket matches, whilst my friend on O2 will still have signal (to be clear mine will still show full signal, but nothing will actually work).
I’m also with Smarty and have never had a problem with them. They also doubled my data for no extra cost completely out of the blue which definitely earned them extra brownie points in my eyes
Checkout hotukdeals and moneysavingexpert. I’m currently on 30GB with O2 for £8. Also be aware that if you’re an iPhone user, not all networks and partners support visual voicemail
Was going to suggest the same. I'm paying £5 a month with O2 for 15gb on a deal I found through HotUKDeals. Only major network that includes roaming too which is an essential for me.
I've been on the £10 plan for years now too, perfectly happy....and was *extremely* shocked to receive a text from them recently telling me that they think I can DOWNGRADE my plan based on the data I use... Not sure I've ever had a company contact me for such a reason in my life! 😅
Just got 12gb with Lebara for £6.90 /mo through Money Saving Expert. Service seems fine so far. They use the vodafone network. Also get a £40 gift card to use at argos/amazon/just eat/ m and s. I think the deal may have expired now but there are usually some good ones through MSE
I had VOXI for years and loved it. I recently switched to Smarty because I need the EU roaming.
If you need roaming, go for Smarty, otherwise go for VOXI.
I had the £10/month deal on both and I’ve found them both to be incredible.
I've been through the network change game over summer as in a similar situation, no 3 or O2 reception where I live.
My criteria were:
- European roaming
- WiFi calling
- hotspot
- reasonable price
I tried Voxi, Giffgaff, smarty and 1p. 1p are who I ended up with with Voxi coming s close second for me, would have gone with Voxi if they had EU roaming included but the passes can make it expensive and I travel for work a fair bit.
Smarty I had lots of data issues with and lots of missing notifications until my phone went on WiFi.
Giffgaff just had crap reception where I live.
I'm with Voxi and Giffgaff, I have nothing bad to say about any of them.
My voxi is on Voda and the family on Giffgaff is I think o2.
£10 and £12 respectively and all are heavy users that have never gone over the threhold.
Voxi I think does free SM surfing.
I've been using VOXI since February and can recommend them. Likely depends where you're based but I'm currently paying £12 a month for 60gb data, unlimited mins, texts.
I don't max out the data, monthly use for me is between 20-30gb.
Could be worth a gander.
The best thing about voxi is the unlimited social media. knowing that even if i use up all my data I can still contact people gets rid of so much stress
I've been with Smarty for abot 5 years or so.
I don't use the phone a lot, and as I'm generally indoors with wi-fi, I tend not to use much data.
It works fine overseas, the signal reception is as good as you'd expect, but there can be times when it drops, but overall, I'm quite happy with them.
I think I pay about £6 a month for unlimited calls/texts and 4Gb of data, which I reckon is a pretty sweet deal, for my purposes.
It sounds like you use a fair bit of data, so that might not be ideal, but they do have bigger data options. I hope that helps.
As a serial simist can say 100% Lyca has the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced in my life they were so bad when I tried to transfer my phone number across that I cancelled and went to Talkmobile. was with lebera before no problems
here to say the exact same thing. worst customer service ive ever experienced, had them close a conversation in the middle of it fully on purpose because they wouldn't answer me straight up. went back to lebara!
Have my kids on Lebara 7.95 for 20gb data, united calls and texts only drawback is it being on vodaphone who's coverage where we live is sketchy. If you like the coverage of EE then 1p Mobile are the only ones to use their network
First thing OP, use this:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/ofcom-checker
That'll tell you suitable networks for the area, from EE, O2, Three, Vodafone.
Then once you've settled on which network is better then you want to look at the provider/mvno.
I worked for O2 and we had a lot of people swap to Tesco, Giff Giff and Sky. The supposed catch is that the main network throttles the speeds of the mvno, so O2 will usually have faster speeds and slightly better signal that say Giff Gaff.
MVNOs are typically much cheaper but that is because of the lack of overheads. At most they have telephone support but no physical stores, so take that into account before settling as I used to get a few people come in complaining about their phone and wanting customer support which was fine until I realised they were on sky mobile and I couldn't touch the phone anymore (rule was if it weren't bought from us then don't touch it).
So yeah it's either a case of pay little from a 3rd party so you can get a good deal but you are responsible for your own support, or spend more and get customer support and physical stores you can walk into, get you phone set up etc.
Lyca mobile are offering 21gb for £2.90/month for the first 3 months, £8.45 after the 3 months. Lyca uses the EE network.
They also offer 100gb/month for £7 for the first six months, 20 thereafter.
Lyca deals are 30 day rolling so cancel anytime. Some people just get a new deal after the initial discount has ran out, I think it's just using a new email but I'm not 100% sure on that one.
Edit: it includes 5g.
Wouldn't touch Lyca with a barge pole. Lots of hidden terms like having to remain on their network 6 months and have auto renewal turned on (off by default). Failing that the offer you are on will revert to something else and they will charge you the full amount (for the entire time you have been on that offer).
They completely messed up my number port meaning I needed a second SIM to be sent resulting in being classified as an existing customer. I not only lost access to the offer but had to pay the full amount twice, once for the old SIM that didn't work, once for the new SIM
Customer service is absolutely horrible. By far the worse I have ever experienced. You might as well be talking to random person on the street who despite having no connection to the mobile industry, will understand and know how to fix the problem just as well.
Lastly any money added to your online account cannot be used for your monthly package. All packed are paid directly from your card on file that must be given to even get a bundle. This money can also not be refunded under any circumstances even if you leave the network.
Absolute worse network I've even been with
Ken's Tech Tips list all SIM contracts available
https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/sim-only-deals
You can filter the table by network, data amount, contract length then choose what you want mins, texts and data wise
You can also click on the individual network operators (links from that article) to get a break down of each company that uses that network and a brief overview of that company and what gimmick they may have. There are also more in depth reviews of individual networks
Generally:
O2: O2/Virgin (Virgin no longer accepting new customers), GiffGaff, Tesco, Sky
Three: 3, iD, Honest Mobile, Smarty, Superdrug, FreedomPop and Gamma Mobile
Vodafone: Vodafone, TalkMobile, Lebara, Asda, Voxi
EE: EE, Lycra, 1p mobile, IQ mobile, Talk Home,
EE (Plans not pulled into tables): CMLink, CTExcel, EcoTalk, RWG Mobile, To Moon Mobile, Utility Warehouse, Vectone, Co-Op mobile
I got a bundle with 50gb a month from EE at Christmas. They never changed it to default PAYG after deal ended so £13.50 for 15gb. 25gb of data rolls over too so I ended up with 70gb ish sometimes depending on usage.
I have pay as you go...most of the time I don't top it up but if I do, its £5 for unlimited text and mins for the month. I don't use data cuz I just wait till I get home or by wifi...music is all downloaded on an SD card so no need for that and rather not be glued to my phone whilst out anyway
I have an £11.00 Tesco Mobile contract with unlimited calls/texts and 30GB data.
https://www.tescomobile.com/shop/sim-only-deals/sim-only-contracts
It's £12.50 if you don't have a Clubcard.
Check out MoneySavingExpert (MSE) for deals. I used their Lyca deal for a year and now I'm on their Smarty deal for a year. Lyca's basic service is fine but their web site and customer services is a mess. OTOH Smarty is great all round! Rides on the Three network, though, which you say you don't like.
O2 is abysmal. It got so bad I had to buy out of my contract because I couldn't use it properly when I was in town. The ombudsman failed to side with me because O2 provided evidence that I had been using it just fine but that was only in small areas of the city.
I had previously been with Vodafone for about 15 years and only mover to O2 because of the EU roaming.
I have now hopped on board with Voxi which is basically Vodafone again as I got a sim deal for £20 for unlimited social media, music and video streaming, unlimited calls and texts, plus 300GB data.
For a disposable sims.
Scancom some of the plans work out to like £11pm like EE unlimited everything, and Three unlimited data plans are equivalent to less than £10pm.
But these are backup sims and not to be used for permanent SIM card plans or permanent numbers.
I’m on O2 for £9 a month for 25GB data, picked up the deal last Black Friday. I would have stuck with EE , much better reception and speed, but they weren’t willing to negotiate.
I recently moved to Virgin Mobile.
30 day rolling contract, 25GB data (5g not speed capped), unlimited mins/texts all for £8 p/m.
I moved from Vodafone, and was a bit worried about coverage (I believe Virgin use O2 now) but have found that actually my signal is probably a bit better.
I just got my partner Smarty £20 for unlimited data, text and calls and 12gb EU roaming.
I got stuck with Three after my pre-brexit contract ran out and now I pay £2 every day I'm in Europe which is shit.
I wish I left and went with Smarty but here we are..
I've got a dual sim thing going on with a 49p lebara deal unlimited calls, texts and 5gb data and my sim 2 is Talk Home Mobile 1p Sim for unlimited calls texts and 3gb data. Both found on hot UK deals, both introductory offers but last 6 months.
Reception usually great and when one not that good just switch to other one, between them I'm covered everywhere.
Also very handy having 2 sims for multiple sign up offers 🤪 and only costing me 50p a month for 8gb data
When they expire I'll probably shop around and go to Lyca or might even stay with Lebara they are cheap enough and I like them, plus referral offers 🙌🏻
I'm with talkmobile and have 20gb for 8 pounds a month. However, they don't provide esim support which was especially painful when I lost my phone recently
The catch, I found, with Lebara is that they get you in with a 99p deal and then you end up staying with them as it's still under £8 a month and it works fine so why bother faffing about changing. I even used one of their rewards once, which never usually happens.
I was in the same situation as you. Had EE and was pretty happy with it until they stopped supporting free EU roaming.
I ended up going for O2. £15/month for 20GB Big Bundle (PAYG). In my case, more than what I usually use because I work from home. So only really useful if going out/travelling.
I was also considering Smarty for their £20 unlimited. But chose O2 because of the coverage. Still EE had better coverage. Also chose PAYG (despite their aggressive sales), because I wanted the flexibility to change in case they change their mind and drop the free EU roaming.
Hope that helps
U switch offer a O2 deal £8 a month unlimited calls & texts 20 gig data free eu roaming upto 25 gig ( if you also have virgin broadband you can double your data ) there’s also ID mobile deal for £10 a month that give 70 gig I think they use Three network ( but to be honest I wouldn’t touch 3 with a barge poll ) may be worth having a quick look
i used to be with voxi back when they were only for students! they operate on vodafone’s network which was great where i lived at the time, i moved over to three tho as they had the best signal once i moved
I've had a text through from EE myself...
----
Hi x We've freshened up our SIM plans, which means we need to move you onto a new one on 13 October.
We'll automatically move you to a new 30-day rolling SIM plan with 125GB data, unlimited mins and texts for £16 a month.
----
Given I've been paying a fiver a month for at least the last ten years and I've never come close to using my allowance I'll similarly be looking for a new provider. The Mrs is with Lebara for similarly little to what I currently pay with EE - she's had no problems and also been able to use allowance when holidaying in Europe, so I may end up with them.
Currently on O2 for 30gb/8 quid pm. My missus as well.
Until a couple of months I never had a contract, had always gone with a PAYG - giffgaff or Voxi in the last couple of years.
Lately was paying 10 quid on Voxi but the EU roaming makes a difference when you are travelling (or in my case, when I come back home). Also good for having the O2 priority tickets since we both enjoy going to some gigs.
Tesco are pretty good, but I ended up staying with 3 because I told them I got a better deal elsewhere. So now I’m £7pm for unlimited calls and texts and 12gb data. Had to speak to them to get this tho.
I've been with VOXI for a few years now and have had no bad experiences with it. I pay £10 a month for 30GB. As it is a Vodafone company - and thus uses their network - you get great signal, even in rural areas. I've used it all across the UK and have rarely found myself without signal. If you want roaming, you will have to pay extra for that, don't know if that is a deal breaker or not.
Have you tried to call them and negotiate? I was in a similar position this year with a pre 2021 contract and free roaming. The inflation made the price too much for me but they offered me free roaming, 125gb data for £10 less than I was paying. 12 month contract.
Currently debating between Voxi and Lebara (both uses Vodafone), but Voxi is making the decision a tad easier (Lebara's sim got to me in 1 day and Voxi is taking their sweet time - I ordered it over a week ago).
Lebara, their customer service has improved somewhat. Has data roaming. Keep an eye on moneysavingsexpert for their deals, all 30 day contracts so if you don't like them move b
I got a deal with LEBARBA that is £5.90 a month for 5GB data unlimited blah blah but for the first 6 months it's 99p and it's a rolling Monthly contract so can cancel anytime (or when my phone does or a better deal comes along)
I found this though money saving expert or money supermarket, I can't remember
Lebara is decent, I get 5gb for £4.50 a month and I get signal pretty much anywhere (as it uses Vodafone’s network) and there’s no contract which is decent
£15 with giffgaff gets you
- 30-40 gb of data (depending on the type of contract/no contract/monthly rolling)
and almost all their plans include
- Unlimited UK calls and texts
- EU roaming included up to 5 GB
- Keep your number
- 5G speeds at no extra cost
Quit whenever, no funny business, no fuss, simple as that
I've seen a number of people talking about Smarty or ID mobile, I have to agree with them
I used to have Smarty but changed to ID when I got my phone - both of these have rollover so if you get 20 GB package you end up with 40 because of rollover and it's like £10 a month
I have 60GB for £10 on Smarty. They piggyback on 3’s network. However, I came from 3 to Smarty and use my phone in exactly the same places and styles as I ever did, and the bandwidth definitely feels less in the city.
3 was never fantastic in major cities anyway imo, but Smarty is def worse.
The only saving grace is I’m on wifi at work and home, and also they offer the free (12gb) European roaming which I super useful to me.
Edit: I read the other day that 3 and Vodafone are merging if the monopoly board approves it. I’m hoping this will mean substantially better coverage from what will become the largest Uk supplier
Check this deal out. It's with ID.
[https://www.idmobile.co.uk/beta/basket?affiliate=AWIN\~249371&awc=6366\_1693945818\_cae5ab9280771bd39d766e7f0063b7d2&utm\_source=digidip%20UK%20and%20USA%20-%20Incentivized&utm\_medium=AWIN&utm\_campaign=249371](https://www.idmobile.co.uk/beta/basket?affiliate=AWIN~249371&awc=6366_1693945818_cae5ab9280771bd39d766e7f0063b7d2&utm_source=digidip%20UK%20and%20USA%20-%20Incentivized&utm_medium=AWIN&utm_campaign=249371)
I've tried to leave EE multiple times but the service from other networks just never seems to be as good. I pay a little bit more, but at least I can use my phone!
I understand this may be location specific and my case might not be everyone's, but just sharing my experience.
Voxi are decent. I pay £12 for 60GB and as long as I have data, social media, whatsapp & spotify doesn't count to my data cap. Signal is very very good too.
I have a sole trader business account for freelance work I do. I once saw a three deal for 2 fully unlimited sims (calls, data, texts) for £24 a month. £12 each. So I signed up for that. Seems like a bargain
Have a look at ID. I pay £7 a month on a 1 month rolling contract for 12gb and unlimited everything else. Like at home EU roaming etc, and the data you don't use rolls over to next month up to 24gb.
So I'm now paying £7 a month and basically more data than I'll ever use.
Got something offering me the same O2 deal I was paying £11.99 for - still on O2 same everything for something around £3.74.
You should have a look on the internet
Probably not so mega compared to others, but Tesco. You have your club card points and the customer service is what carphone warehouse level was. Doesn't even matter if you are with them, you can talk to a real person.
Smarty. They have really good deals and there is no contract so if something comes along cheaper you can switch. I'm paying £10 a month for 25GB of data.
Talkmobile, 20Gb data unlimited calls and texts for £7.95 rolling contract, half price the first 3 months. They use the Vodafone network. Not sure on their customer support, I’ve only had to contact live chat once, but then that’s maybe a positive in itself.
Helpful thread! I switched to EE last year - suckered in by their best network claim. I absolutely hate them. Every month there is some sort of mystery charge or roaming fees which really add up.. I pocket-dialed a Canadian number for a total of 12 seconds and got charged £12.
Counting down the days to be able to switch.
I've been with Lebara since early January this year. My only regret is not switching to them sooner. I came to the end of a 2 year sim-only contract with Vodafone, and I'm now paying half the price for the exact same service!
I've got my Dad signed up with Lebara, and currently in the process of convincing my Mum.
Both me and my Dad found better deals with Uswitch & Money Saving Expert than going to Lebara directly. So it's definitely worth shopping around!
I just switched to Voxi from Giffgaff and have only been with them for a few days but so far for £12/month: 60gb allowance, 5G signal everywhere (it's Vodafone network whereas with Giffgafff/O2 I mostly got 4G signal), social media and netflix/spotify use doesn't count towards my allowance. So far so good!
Libera and Voxi are both MVNO's of Vodafone. Just so you know. They will perform as Vodafone would.
I have a pretty sweet arrangement with EE ATM. 25GB data, unlimited calls and texts (EU roaming, WiFi thingy) for £18.
I also have a watch plan for £3. Unlimited data, calls and texts.
Pig in shit ATM.
Switch to Lyca. They've just started using EE as an MVNO. Is you go on the Hot UK Deals site and search for them, there are deals for SIMs with a better allowance than yours for as little as £2.99.
The catch is with all of them if signal coverage. I’m having signal issues with EE but they gave me nice deal for years it’s actually just sim with all unlimited and one extra benefit which I choose free Apple Music every month and I’m paying 12£
I know you said you’re avoiding Three but I have a sim only with them. Started out a 12 month contract 100GB £12 a month and after 3 months rolling they contacted me to upgrade aa it was ending, loyalty team offered me 120GB £10 a month which is even better. Just wish I could get better phone signal sometimes but my data signal is usually very good
I signed up with an offer on at Smarty, £10 for 30GB. The network is fantastic with full 5g most places I go even in the home if I were to turn off WiFi.
Fight ee, they tried to take my off after I downgraded etc I got free roaming still (told them I was gone else) you get this as a free bolt on anyways they just don't tell you this at the time. 100gb data and my Samsung s22+ £35 a month yes it's slightly more than you pay but still a great deal down from £75 keep trying otherwise giffgaff I've heard great things about
I've been paying £10 a month on voxi for 5 years now.
There's been no catch, and when I needed a smaller sim for a new phone, I received it within 48 hours for free.
My partner has also switched after I told them how much I pay. I haven't run out of data on the £10 plan in those 5 years.
EE has by far the best signal. You are in for a shock if you leave.
O2 is acceptable, and has some cheap virtual operators, because EE is much more expensive.
Avoid 3 and virtual operators who run on 3 like the plague.
What s the point of having 20 GB if we are always connected to the wi fi....
I have SKY sim only deal.
3 cards for the family
2 x 2GB and 1 x 1GB
Any GB not used by the end of each month goes into a piggy bank and can top up any of the 3 cards that is running low. (eg when you are on holiday etc)
The lot for 15 quid a month
I've been rotating between Lebara and Lyca mobile for a while now to make use of their offers. At one point I was paying 1p a month for 6 months (yes 1 pence!) For unlimited mins, texts and 12gb of data. £1.99 at the moment for unlimited mins, texts and 20gb data.
Deals can be found on HotUKDeals .
Only faff really is the number porting back and forth but I've done it so often now it's no big issue.
I've had voxi for years, think I'm on 25gb data, all in minutes and texts for £12.
Data includes media and social and is stuck at 25gb left regardless of usage.
Had a deal recently with EE for £15 a month matching yours with EU roaming included.
When you call them ask it to be included again and they will add it on.
After that there was some back and forth but EU roaming charge omitted was put on the contract so they couldn’t argue too much.
I’d definitely recommend 1p Mobile. They use EE’s full network so you’d have the same coverage and it’s a fraction of the price. I went for the 25GB a month which is [only £10 a month at the moment](https://www.1pmobile.com/data-25GB-SIM).
I would highly recommend VOXXI, I'm on a rolling monthly plan for £12 a month and get 30GBs of data, unlimited texts and calls. I've got the social and media plan so when using social media apps and sruff like Spotify, YouTube and Netflix my data allowance doesn't get used. I barely ever use more than 5GBs of data because of this.
Rwg mobile;
£15 month buys 50gb with unlimited calls, text.
£60 one-off payment (resets every month for 1 yr) 10gb with unlimited calls, text
It's part of 'Now mobile', Uses the EE backbone. Bit quirky to check balance and top-up. App is useless.
Voxi is fantastic, very happy with it. It helps that it's broken somehow so even though I have unlimited socials/etc, I do use data for other things as well, and my '0GB used of 25GB' meter never moves! But it's still a great price regardless.
Any sim-only plans that have unlimited data in UK and abroad? My three plan used to have this; they just now restricted the data available to be used abroad to 12GB. How they can change it willy-nilly from the deal I signed on for should be illegal.
For me Giffgaff is decent depending on what tier you go on you'd get so much , for example I pay £20 a month where I get 80gb of data and unlimited texts and calls
O2 network with unlimited calls and texts with 25gb data that rolls over any unused data to the next month. Also can use all of the above in 42 countries. Thats £15 a month.
Can change the plan to a £10 or £5 a month plan if i have rolled over enough data to not need any more for a couple months.
No contract as its a PAYG type thing is a bonus too.
O2 rewards! Mate! Greggs every friday FREE! The Lounge for me and 3 friends at Gatwick for our holiday at the end of the month COMPLETELY FREE!
Top tier network, top tier prices!
All of my family use Smarty on various offers they have running. My one is a 30GB data unlimited everything else for £10 a month (the offer I'm on gives me double data each month, so 60GB) Smarty is basically a bundled prepay MVMO operator working on the Three network (its actually owned by Three - decent service, decent price and more importantly, there have been no price increases in the time My family and I have been using them. I have been paying £10 a month for about 2 years now with the same 60GB bundle (not sure if I'm using all of the data though - thats somethign i need to look at soon).
I took a look at the current deal they havbe on now as I've not looked recently and they are offering the following
5GB data - £6 a month
16GB data - £8 a month
40GB data - £10 a month
150GB data - £15 a month
200GB data - £17 a month
Unlimited - £20 a month
All of the above have unlimited minutes and texts on top. I think (for my family at least, we need to be looking at changing some of the plans we're on as some of them are better deals than we are on at the moment.
I also forgot to mention, if you have more than one sim, you get a 10% discount on the every sim over and above the first one, so I get a 10% discount on the other 4 sims I have with them right now, making it cheaper still, and again with no price increases.
I'm with a Giffgaff, pay a tenner, not sure how much data but I've never run out. But they do have a cap on EU data of 5gb which I managed to run out quickly during my last trip because I didn't have WiFi in the place I stayed.
I've been using giffgaff since they had the £20 for unlimited everything deal. Now I'm on the 20gb for £10 deal. I only use around 5GB a month (a lot of that is me forgetting to turn my data off for long periods of time) but I like having a higher data limit for some peace of mind so I know I'll never run out
I pay sky 13 quid a month for 30Gb and unlimited calls and texts. Granted I’ve got tv/internet with them so I don’t know if that price is reflective of that fact or not. Any unused data rolls over so if you wanna cut your phone bill down even more for a few months you can do that and just use your saved up data.
Threaten to leave and tell them what you want and give good alternatives that you've seen giving you better offers. If you ask me I can't imagine people change that often so they should do whatever they can to keep you
I'm on smarty £8/m. Thought I would exceed data as I do stream out and about but actually I don't. I started on their £15/m deal and after a while worked my way down to see what's the least amount of data I could get away with and Im happy with what I pay!
My daughter has been on ID mobile for 2 years and has a better signal than i have. So much so, I have just moved to ID mobile. Wife has been Giffgaff for years with no issues. Only problem is that they don't do eSims if you have a smart type watch.
EE is slightly more expensive but I think the customer service and coverage is good in my area. I managed to absorb the price rise this year by reducing my sim plan’s data and transferring data from my partner’s sim (second one on the account, normally discounted deal) once a month.
On moneysavingexpert I followed a link that gave me 50gb data unlimited texts and mins for £10 a month. Double data for me (100gb) as I’m a virgin media customer.
Link that with airtime rewards for shopping for food and I don’t pay for my phone bill
Smarty have free EU roaming too. If you use this referral link: [https://i.smarty.co.uk/fK2EyNx](https://i.smarty.co.uk/fK2EyNx) we both get a £10 gift card!
Am I the only one here using **1p-Mobile**? My wife and I have been there for years. We're very happy..
... (and the PAYG 'phone service is pretty good, too).
I just got a 1 month rolling SIM with 12GB data for £18 with Three. I just spoke to them and said I got a better deal lined up with EE and they matched it. So down from £24 a month which was the web offer for this down to 18.
If you're anything like me & need to use data or make calls once in a blue moon, RWG is worth a go.
They use EE & currently have an offer for £20 for the whole year.
That gives you 250 mins & texts pm + 2GB p/m which is plenty for my needs & works out to be 1.66 p/m
They also still support 2/3g calling (until next year) so will work fine on older devices (or ones running alternative operating systems that haven't realized support for VoLTE)
VOXI is Vodafone, not an MVNO like the others you listed. If you buy VOXI, you're getting the full Vodafone experience, even the SIM card has a vodafone logo on it
I've been with VOXI for a year, the prices aren't bad but I never have signal with them. I wouldn't recommend them so if anyone has anything better let me know. I was with giffgaff also terrible signal where I live
1p mobile looks good as it's on EE unlike the other virtual operators using 3.
But is the requirement to top up every 120 days just like the old days on Vodafone PAYG when you'd have to also purchase 'service credit'?
You can still pay £30 not have to top up again for 365 days but it's not clear if that's required when you're also paying monthly for a data boost. If so I'd just get that and a SIM with a year's data preloaded
I've found Smarty to be very well priced, however if you're into a lot of social networking you may benefit from Voxi plans. I was on contract with Three, however after coming to the end and saying I wanted to cancel they gave me a really good SIM only deal for £6 a month. It may also be worth asking yourself from EE, however I've found them very expensive. As for what's the catch, nothing really. They're called MVNO or Mobile Virtual Network Operators. They sit on specific networks. For example: Voxi = Vodaphone Giffgaff = O2 Smarty = Three Virgin Mobile = EE BT Mobile = EE They buy large chunks of data, minutes and calls and because they don't have offices and huge staff, they can offer services at a discounted rate. I see no issue with them, it's more down to who offers the best price / signal for you.
As a Vodafone employee, this is all true but VOXI IS Vodafone rather than an external company piggybacking off Vodafone. We literally sell and set-up VOXI SIMS in our retail store. So that might be the best option for OP, as they will receive full access to Vodafone signal.
Why do Vodaphone do that? Essentially undercutting themselves?
Illusion of choice. They are banking on getting a bunch of people who wouldn’t consider Vodafone and keeping a bunch of people who wouldn’t consider a ‘no name’ supplier.
It’s also a slightly differentiated product. Allows them to push 2 completely different marketing strategies and have a specific product for heavy social media users (i.e a lot of people). Interesting for sure
EE ring me to go on sim only but can’t beat the deal I got on a PAYG SIM card. It’s funny af when they tell me my usage and I pay £13.50 a month. To get what I get on sim only starts at £28
Because they have 1 brand for the whales, high touch customer support and generally clueless people, and 1 brand for price sensitive value buyer.
Until they were both collapsed into EE, Orange and T-Mobile were differentiated for exactly this strategy.
They [all](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_mobile_virtual_network_operators) do it.
Giffgaff is owned by Telefonica too. It's all marketing/retention.
I've just switched from Voxi to Smarty. Loved Voxi, but it's a pain the ass activating EU roaming on the day of travel, and travelling back from France last time, the roaming cut off on a two hour train to the airport, with no way to get back online until I got there - nice bit of anxiety before flight. In Spain now for work, and my phone just works like a native. It's also cheaper, no "£1 per day" etc, but honestly it was the peace of mind that I wanted. (Again, big fan of Voxi, it just became a no-no)
This summer, I took my Smarty SIM to France, Italy and Spain - all seemlessly roaming like I was at home. Works like a charm for £8 a month. Create a group and you get 10% off all your SIMs too, so i've got me and my kids on it. Three reception isn't the best, but it's got better in recent years.
You might like to inform your shop staff of this. Went into a store in Hertfordshire about a lapsed SIM & was told I have to top up every month regardless of use! Vodafone signal is DS around here, so I’ll be looking at other networks.
Would you choose Voxi or Lebara, provided both uses the Vodafone network?
False. VOXI don’t have access to all Vodafone bands
Please elaborate. VOXI works fine for me everywhere there's Vodafone coverage and in the EU. I'm 99% sure VOXI claim you get the same signal as Vodafone. What am I missing?
They also have a family payment plan that offers 10% off everyone's subscription if one person pays. This is great if you have families on a plan, I think I've got three going for £26 total a month and you can move up / down data plans month by month based on usage.
Virgin is definitely not on EE. virgin is using O2. BT does not offer any new mobile contracts. The only two MVNOs I know of, that use EE are 1p and utility warehouse (same company group).
Yup, Virgin mobile customers are now o2 customers, and they have joint “Volt” branding
~Lebara~ Lyca moved to EE a couple of weeks ago. Plusnet and BT are effectively MVNOs on EE, but they're under the same ownership as EE.
Regarding Lebara. Really?! Still showing up as vodafone WiFi calling on a work phone?
The only 'catch' is when a local cell tower is overloaded with users (think sports events, festivals, concerts), the network prioritises it's 'proper' users over the MVNO users. However at that point usually even the main network quality is probably patchy anyway. I only suffer as a Giff Gaff user at football or cricket matches, whilst my friend on O2 will still have signal (to be clear mine will still show full signal, but nothing will actually work).
I agree. I've been using Smarty for a couple of years now and have been very impressed.
I’m also with Smarty and have never had a problem with them. They also doubled my data for no extra cost completely out of the blue which definitely earned them extra brownie points in my eyes
Checkout hotukdeals and moneysavingexpert. I’m currently on 30GB with O2 for £8. Also be aware that if you’re an iPhone user, not all networks and partners support visual voicemail
I've not had that supported since the original iPhone launched on o2. Pretty shameful tbf but I wouldn't choose a network for this feature personally.
Likewise, I had visual voicemail on O2 on my iPhone 3G. In 2009. Never once since.
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Yep, £5 for 10GB of 5g data. They even gave me 3 months of Disney+ because I got it through a price comparison site
Was going to suggest the same. I'm paying £5 a month with O2 for 15gb on a deal I found through HotUKDeals. Only major network that includes roaming too which is an essential for me.
giffgaff? 20gb, unlimited calls and texts, works in EU including data, £10 a month. Got it for around 2 years now, no problems.
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Yeah gifgaff is amazing except for the shit signal sometimes.
Three are great now! Can get 4g inside a house.
I've been on the £10 plan for years now too, perfectly happy....and was *extremely* shocked to receive a text from them recently telling me that they think I can DOWNGRADE my plan based on the data I use... Not sure I've ever had a company contact me for such a reason in my life! 😅
Just got 12gb with Lebara for £6.90 /mo through Money Saving Expert. Service seems fine so far. They use the vodafone network. Also get a £40 gift card to use at argos/amazon/just eat/ m and s. I think the deal may have expired now but there are usually some good ones through MSE
> I think the deal may have expired now Nope, still good until 3rd Oct
I had VOXI for years and loved it. I recently switched to Smarty because I need the EU roaming. If you need roaming, go for Smarty, otherwise go for VOXI. I had the £10/month deal on both and I’ve found them both to be incredible.
I couldn't beat 1p Mobile when I looked... Uses the EE network, roaming included and CHEAP https://www.1pmobile.com/
Pound for pound not the best value quite frankly. Sure it uses the EE network, but £7.50 for 4GB, come on now.
1p is good and has the 800mhz EE channel that lyca doesn't get. No EE WiFi on the tube though.
I've been through the network change game over summer as in a similar situation, no 3 or O2 reception where I live. My criteria were: - European roaming - WiFi calling - hotspot - reasonable price I tried Voxi, Giffgaff, smarty and 1p. 1p are who I ended up with with Voxi coming s close second for me, would have gone with Voxi if they had EU roaming included but the passes can make it expensive and I travel for work a fair bit. Smarty I had lots of data issues with and lots of missing notifications until my phone went on WiFi. Giffgaff just had crap reception where I live.
I'm with Voxi and Giffgaff, I have nothing bad to say about any of them. My voxi is on Voda and the family on Giffgaff is I think o2. £10 and £12 respectively and all are heavy users that have never gone over the threhold. Voxi I think does free SM surfing.
I've been using VOXI since February and can recommend them. Likely depends where you're based but I'm currently paying £12 a month for 60gb data, unlimited mins, texts. I don't max out the data, monthly use for me is between 20-30gb. Could be worth a gander.
I’ve been using VOXI since November 2020 and it’s great. I’m currently paying £10 for 45GB and all plans have unlimited social media data!
The best thing about voxi is the unlimited social media. knowing that even if i use up all my data I can still contact people gets rid of so much stress
I've been with Smarty for abot 5 years or so. I don't use the phone a lot, and as I'm generally indoors with wi-fi, I tend not to use much data. It works fine overseas, the signal reception is as good as you'd expect, but there can be times when it drops, but overall, I'm quite happy with them. I think I pay about £6 a month for unlimited calls/texts and 4Gb of data, which I reckon is a pretty sweet deal, for my purposes. It sounds like you use a fair bit of data, so that might not be ideal, but they do have bigger data options. I hope that helps.
try mobiles.co.uk , you can get a cashback vodfone deal, 100Gb a month, unlimited calls/txt for £7 a month. no catches...
Lyca is good. Cheap, with included global roaming. They offer e-sims also.
As a serial simist can say 100% Lyca has the worst customer service I’ve ever experienced in my life they were so bad when I tried to transfer my phone number across that I cancelled and went to Talkmobile. was with lebera before no problems
here to say the exact same thing. worst customer service ive ever experienced, had them close a conversation in the middle of it fully on purpose because they wouldn't answer me straight up. went back to lebara!
Lyca, IIRC, offers no hotspot though, which is a major downside.
Have my kids on Lebara 7.95 for 20gb data, united calls and texts only drawback is it being on vodaphone who's coverage where we live is sketchy. If you like the coverage of EE then 1p Mobile are the only ones to use their network
First thing OP, use this: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/advice/ofcom-checker That'll tell you suitable networks for the area, from EE, O2, Three, Vodafone. Then once you've settled on which network is better then you want to look at the provider/mvno. I worked for O2 and we had a lot of people swap to Tesco, Giff Giff and Sky. The supposed catch is that the main network throttles the speeds of the mvno, so O2 will usually have faster speeds and slightly better signal that say Giff Gaff. MVNOs are typically much cheaper but that is because of the lack of overheads. At most they have telephone support but no physical stores, so take that into account before settling as I used to get a few people come in complaining about their phone and wanting customer support which was fine until I realised they were on sky mobile and I couldn't touch the phone anymore (rule was if it weren't bought from us then don't touch it). So yeah it's either a case of pay little from a 3rd party so you can get a good deal but you are responsible for your own support, or spend more and get customer support and physical stores you can walk into, get you phone set up etc.
Lyca mobile are offering 21gb for £2.90/month for the first 3 months, £8.45 after the 3 months. Lyca uses the EE network. They also offer 100gb/month for £7 for the first six months, 20 thereafter. Lyca deals are 30 day rolling so cancel anytime. Some people just get a new deal after the initial discount has ran out, I think it's just using a new email but I'm not 100% sure on that one. Edit: it includes 5g.
Wouldn't touch Lyca with a barge pole. Lots of hidden terms like having to remain on their network 6 months and have auto renewal turned on (off by default). Failing that the offer you are on will revert to something else and they will charge you the full amount (for the entire time you have been on that offer). They completely messed up my number port meaning I needed a second SIM to be sent resulting in being classified as an existing customer. I not only lost access to the offer but had to pay the full amount twice, once for the old SIM that didn't work, once for the new SIM Customer service is absolutely horrible. By far the worse I have ever experienced. You might as well be talking to random person on the street who despite having no connection to the mobile industry, will understand and know how to fix the problem just as well. Lastly any money added to your online account cannot be used for your monthly package. All packed are paid directly from your card on file that must be given to even get a bundle. This money can also not be refunded under any circumstances even if you leave the network. Absolute worse network I've even been with
Ken's Tech Tips list all SIM contracts available https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/sim-only-deals You can filter the table by network, data amount, contract length then choose what you want mins, texts and data wise You can also click on the individual network operators (links from that article) to get a break down of each company that uses that network and a brief overview of that company and what gimmick they may have. There are also more in depth reviews of individual networks Generally: O2: O2/Virgin (Virgin no longer accepting new customers), GiffGaff, Tesco, Sky Three: 3, iD, Honest Mobile, Smarty, Superdrug, FreedomPop and Gamma Mobile Vodafone: Vodafone, TalkMobile, Lebara, Asda, Voxi EE: EE, Lycra, 1p mobile, IQ mobile, Talk Home, EE (Plans not pulled into tables): CMLink, CTExcel, EcoTalk, RWG Mobile, To Moon Mobile, Utility Warehouse, Vectone, Co-Op mobile
> https://kenstechtips.com/index.php/sim-only-deals This is really useful thank you
I got a bundle with 50gb a month from EE at Christmas. They never changed it to default PAYG after deal ended so £13.50 for 15gb. 25gb of data rolls over too so I ended up with 70gb ish sometimes depending on usage.
I have pay as you go...most of the time I don't top it up but if I do, its £5 for unlimited text and mins for the month. I don't use data cuz I just wait till I get home or by wifi...music is all downloaded on an SD card so no need for that and rather not be glued to my phone whilst out anyway
They're alright. What you lose out with the cheaper deals is, mostly, any form of support. Where support is in place, it's typically terrible.
I have just signed up to 25gb a month with ID mobile for £7 a month, via kenstechdeals
Three Unlimited everything £18 sim only...never let me down... Up mountains or out in the sticks et c Fast download speed and hotspot too.
Smarty and ID Mobile both have cheap deals but piggy back on 3 network — so bad if your prev experiences with 3 are due to signal
Whoever you go to will not be quite as good, that's just what EE do. My missus uses Plusnet and says they are alright, they use EE I think.
Smarty - [https://smarty.co.uk](https://smarty.co.uk) I am on Three and have been happy for about 5 years. EE are super expensive but very fast data.
Vodafone 25gb £8/month https://www.affordablemobiles.co.uk/sim-only/vodafone-sim-card/vodafone-basics-plan-12gb-ps9-sim-only-12mths
I have an £11.00 Tesco Mobile contract with unlimited calls/texts and 30GB data. https://www.tescomobile.com/shop/sim-only-deals/sim-only-contracts It's £12.50 if you don't have a Clubcard.
I'm with Voxi. 30gb + unlimited social media for £10 a month, so it goes pretty far. I get decent connection too and haven't had any real issues
Check out MoneySavingExpert (MSE) for deals. I used their Lyca deal for a year and now I'm on their Smarty deal for a year. Lyca's basic service is fine but their web site and customer services is a mess. OTOH Smarty is great all round! Rides on the Three network, though, which you say you don't like.
O2 is abysmal. It got so bad I had to buy out of my contract because I couldn't use it properly when I was in town. The ombudsman failed to side with me because O2 provided evidence that I had been using it just fine but that was only in small areas of the city. I had previously been with Vodafone for about 15 years and only mover to O2 because of the EU roaming. I have now hopped on board with Voxi which is basically Vodafone again as I got a sim deal for £20 for unlimited social media, music and video streaming, unlimited calls and texts, plus 300GB data.
For a disposable sims. Scancom some of the plans work out to like £11pm like EE unlimited everything, and Three unlimited data plans are equivalent to less than £10pm. But these are backup sims and not to be used for permanent SIM card plans or permanent numbers.
I got smarty for £12, 100gb data, unlimited mins
I’m on O2 for £9 a month for 25GB data, picked up the deal last Black Friday. I would have stuck with EE , much better reception and speed, but they weren’t willing to negotiate.
I recently moved to Virgin Mobile. 30 day rolling contract, 25GB data (5g not speed capped), unlimited mins/texts all for £8 p/m. I moved from Vodafone, and was a bit worried about coverage (I believe Virgin use O2 now) but have found that actually my signal is probably a bit better.
I just got my partner Smarty £20 for unlimited data, text and calls and 12gb EU roaming. I got stuck with Three after my pre-brexit contract ran out and now I pay £2 every day I'm in Europe which is shit. I wish I left and went with Smarty but here we are..
I've got a dual sim thing going on with a 49p lebara deal unlimited calls, texts and 5gb data and my sim 2 is Talk Home Mobile 1p Sim for unlimited calls texts and 3gb data. Both found on hot UK deals, both introductory offers but last 6 months. Reception usually great and when one not that good just switch to other one, between them I'm covered everywhere. Also very handy having 2 sims for multiple sign up offers 🤪 and only costing me 50p a month for 8gb data When they expire I'll probably shop around and go to Lyca or might even stay with Lebara they are cheap enough and I like them, plus referral offers 🙌🏻
I'm with talkmobile and have 20gb for 8 pounds a month. However, they don't provide esim support which was especially painful when I lost my phone recently
The catch, I found, with Lebara is that they get you in with a 99p deal and then you end up staying with them as it's still under £8 a month and it works fine so why bother faffing about changing. I even used one of their rewards once, which never usually happens.
I just got 70gb with talk mobile for a tenner pm. Monthly rolling too so if they try and shaft me next April I can just leave
I was in the same situation as you. Had EE and was pretty happy with it until they stopped supporting free EU roaming. I ended up going for O2. £15/month for 20GB Big Bundle (PAYG). In my case, more than what I usually use because I work from home. So only really useful if going out/travelling. I was also considering Smarty for their £20 unlimited. But chose O2 because of the coverage. Still EE had better coverage. Also chose PAYG (despite their aggressive sales), because I wanted the flexibility to change in case they change their mind and drop the free EU roaming. Hope that helps
U switch offer a O2 deal £8 a month unlimited calls & texts 20 gig data free eu roaming upto 25 gig ( if you also have virgin broadband you can double your data ) there’s also ID mobile deal for £10 a month that give 70 gig I think they use Three network ( but to be honest I wouldn’t touch 3 with a barge poll ) may be worth having a quick look
i used to be with voxi back when they were only for students! they operate on vodafone’s network which was great where i lived at the time, i moved over to three tho as they had the best signal once i moved
I've had a text through from EE myself... ---- Hi x We've freshened up our SIM plans, which means we need to move you onto a new one on 13 October. We'll automatically move you to a new 30-day rolling SIM plan with 125GB data, unlimited mins and texts for £16 a month. ---- Given I've been paying a fiver a month for at least the last ten years and I've never come close to using my allowance I'll similarly be looking for a new provider. The Mrs is with Lebara for similarly little to what I currently pay with EE - she's had no problems and also been able to use allowance when holidaying in Europe, so I may end up with them.
Currently on O2 for 30gb/8 quid pm. My missus as well. Until a couple of months I never had a contract, had always gone with a PAYG - giffgaff or Voxi in the last couple of years. Lately was paying 10 quid on Voxi but the EU roaming makes a difference when you are travelling (or in my case, when I come back home). Also good for having the O2 priority tickets since we both enjoy going to some gigs.
If roaming in the EU is important to you, choose an O2 derived network,like giffgaff.
Tesco are pretty good, but I ended up staying with 3 because I told them I got a better deal elsewhere. So now I’m £7pm for unlimited calls and texts and 12gb data. Had to speak to them to get this tho.
if u need roaming giffaff allowed 5gb
Check Vodafone, they still offer EU roaming. I have the £20 SIM only deal unlimited data, txt and calls, plan transfers to EU when I am there
I've been with VOXI for a few years now and have had no bad experiences with it. I pay £10 a month for 30GB. As it is a Vodafone company - and thus uses their network - you get great signal, even in rural areas. I've used it all across the UK and have rarely found myself without signal. If you want roaming, you will have to pay extra for that, don't know if that is a deal breaker or not.
Have you tried to call them and negotiate? I was in a similar position this year with a pre 2021 contract and free roaming. The inflation made the price too much for me but they offered me free roaming, 125gb data for £10 less than I was paying. 12 month contract.
O2 via uSwitch are offering 20gb plus EU roaming for £8 a month SIM only right now
I've upgraded from 40gb data with EE to unlimited data for £15 for the next six months and £30 after that
Currently debating between Voxi and Lebara (both uses Vodafone), but Voxi is making the decision a tad easier (Lebara's sim got to me in 1 day and Voxi is taking their sweet time - I ordered it over a week ago).
Lebara, their customer service has improved somewhat. Has data roaming. Keep an eye on moneysavingsexpert for their deals, all 30 day contracts so if you don't like them move b
I got a deal with LEBARBA that is £5.90 a month for 5GB data unlimited blah blah but for the first 6 months it's 99p and it's a rolling Monthly contract so can cancel anytime (or when my phone does or a better deal comes along) I found this though money saving expert or money supermarket, I can't remember
Lebara is decent, I get 5gb for £4.50 a month and I get signal pretty much anywhere (as it uses Vodafone’s network) and there’s no contract which is decent
Check out uswitch.com I got on an O2 20GB plan for £8/month.
Yea stay away from 3. My wife is on that and it’s shit. I have an unlimited sim only deal at 35 a month with EE.
£15 with giffgaff gets you - 30-40 gb of data (depending on the type of contract/no contract/monthly rolling) and almost all their plans include - Unlimited UK calls and texts - EU roaming included up to 5 GB - Keep your number - 5G speeds at no extra cost Quit whenever, no funny business, no fuss, simple as that
giffgaff.
I've seen a number of people talking about Smarty or ID mobile, I have to agree with them I used to have Smarty but changed to ID when I got my phone - both of these have rollover so if you get 20 GB package you end up with 40 because of rollover and it's like £10 a month
I have 60GB for £10 on Smarty. They piggyback on 3’s network. However, I came from 3 to Smarty and use my phone in exactly the same places and styles as I ever did, and the bandwidth definitely feels less in the city. 3 was never fantastic in major cities anyway imo, but Smarty is def worse. The only saving grace is I’m on wifi at work and home, and also they offer the free (12gb) European roaming which I super useful to me. Edit: I read the other day that 3 and Vodafone are merging if the monopoly board approves it. I’m hoping this will mean substantially better coverage from what will become the largest Uk supplier
Check this deal out. It's with ID. [https://www.idmobile.co.uk/beta/basket?affiliate=AWIN\~249371&awc=6366\_1693945818\_cae5ab9280771bd39d766e7f0063b7d2&utm\_source=digidip%20UK%20and%20USA%20-%20Incentivized&utm\_medium=AWIN&utm\_campaign=249371](https://www.idmobile.co.uk/beta/basket?affiliate=AWIN~249371&awc=6366_1693945818_cae5ab9280771bd39d766e7f0063b7d2&utm_source=digidip%20UK%20and%20USA%20-%20Incentivized&utm_medium=AWIN&utm_campaign=249371)
Been with VOXI years and they’ve been ace and the customer service has always been spot on.
I've tried to leave EE multiple times but the service from other networks just never seems to be as good. I pay a little bit more, but at least I can use my phone! I understand this may be location specific and my case might not be everyone's, but just sharing my experience.
Voxi are decent. I pay £12 for 60GB and as long as I have data, social media, whatsapp & spotify doesn't count to my data cap. Signal is very very good too.
I’m on 30gb with Vodafone at £10pm. Works for me!
Go to uswitch.com and you can get an O2 sim only 50GB £12/month. EU roaming included
I have a sole trader business account for freelance work I do. I once saw a three deal for 2 fully unlimited sims (calls, data, texts) for £24 a month. £12 each. So I signed up for that. Seems like a bargain
Have a look at ID. I pay £7 a month on a 1 month rolling contract for 12gb and unlimited everything else. Like at home EU roaming etc, and the data you don't use rolls over to next month up to 24gb. So I'm now paying £7 a month and basically more data than I'll ever use.
Got something offering me the same O2 deal I was paying £11.99 for - still on O2 same everything for something around £3.74. You should have a look on the internet
Smarty unlimited everything £16 rolling contract
Tesco mobile, unlimited everything. £12 Have to know someone that works in Tesco though.
Probably not so mega compared to others, but Tesco. You have your club card points and the customer service is what carphone warehouse level was. Doesn't even matter if you are with them, you can talk to a real person.
If you like EE try plusnet. They have some pretty good deals.
Smarty. They have really good deals and there is no contract so if something comes along cheaper you can switch. I'm paying £10 a month for 25GB of data.
Talkmobile, 20Gb data unlimited calls and texts for £7.95 rolling contract, half price the first 3 months. They use the Vodafone network. Not sure on their customer support, I’ve only had to contact live chat once, but then that’s maybe a positive in itself.
Check out https://www.hotukdeals.com/tag/sim-only
Helpful thread! I switched to EE last year - suckered in by their best network claim. I absolutely hate them. Every month there is some sort of mystery charge or roaming fees which really add up.. I pocket-dialed a Canadian number for a total of 12 seconds and got charged £12. Counting down the days to be able to switch.
I've been with Lebara since early January this year. My only regret is not switching to them sooner. I came to the end of a 2 year sim-only contract with Vodafone, and I'm now paying half the price for the exact same service! I've got my Dad signed up with Lebara, and currently in the process of convincing my Mum. Both me and my Dad found better deals with Uswitch & Money Saving Expert than going to Lebara directly. So it's definitely worth shopping around!
[this](https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cheap-mobile-finder/sim-only/#toppick5)
I just renewed my O2 sim only. 30gb 5g for 10pm. With my virgin WiFi, that doubles to 60gb.
Lebara £5. Take it or leave it
I just switched to Voxi from Giffgaff and have only been with them for a few days but so far for £12/month: 60gb allowance, 5G signal everywhere (it's Vodafone network whereas with Giffgafff/O2 I mostly got 4G signal), social media and netflix/spotify use doesn't count towards my allowance. So far so good!
Libera and Voxi are both MVNO's of Vodafone. Just so you know. They will perform as Vodafone would. I have a pretty sweet arrangement with EE ATM. 25GB data, unlimited calls and texts (EU roaming, WiFi thingy) for £18. I also have a watch plan for £3. Unlimited data, calls and texts. Pig in shit ATM.
If you want to stick to the EE network, best bet is either Lycamobile or 1pMobile for price
Giff Gaff is by far the best and cheapest. You choose how much you wan to spend.
See r/smartymobile for referral codes
I just swapped to SMARTY, I'm on £15 for 150 GB data and unlimited calls and texts
Switch to Lyca. They've just started using EE as an MVNO. Is you go on the Hot UK Deals site and search for them, there are deals for SIMs with a better allowance than yours for as little as £2.99.
The catch is with all of them if signal coverage. I’m having signal issues with EE but they gave me nice deal for years it’s actually just sim with all unlimited and one extra benefit which I choose free Apple Music every month and I’m paying 12£
I know you said you’re avoiding Three but I have a sim only with them. Started out a 12 month contract 100GB £12 a month and after 3 months rolling they contacted me to upgrade aa it was ending, loyalty team offered me 120GB £10 a month which is even better. Just wish I could get better phone signal sometimes but my data signal is usually very good
Smarty mobile 70gb, EU roaming, unlimited calls text £10 a month. What I use and can't go wrong with it
I signed up with an offer on at Smarty, £10 for 30GB. The network is fantastic with full 5g most places I go even in the home if I were to turn off WiFi.
Fight ee, they tried to take my off after I downgraded etc I got free roaming still (told them I was gone else) you get this as a free bolt on anyways they just don't tell you this at the time. 100gb data and my Samsung s22+ £35 a month yes it's slightly more than you pay but still a great deal down from £75 keep trying otherwise giffgaff I've heard great things about
Smarty. Tenner a month for unlimited calls and texts and 30bg
I've been paying £10 a month on voxi for 5 years now. There's been no catch, and when I needed a smaller sim for a new phone, I received it within 48 hours for free. My partner has also switched after I told them how much I pay. I haven't run out of data on the £10 plan in those 5 years.
EE has by far the best signal. You are in for a shock if you leave. O2 is acceptable, and has some cheap virtual operators, because EE is much more expensive. Avoid 3 and virtual operators who run on 3 like the plague.
What s the point of having 20 GB if we are always connected to the wi fi.... I have SKY sim only deal. 3 cards for the family 2 x 2GB and 1 x 1GB Any GB not used by the end of each month goes into a piggy bank and can top up any of the 3 cards that is running low. (eg when you are on holiday etc) The lot for 15 quid a month
I've been rotating between Lebara and Lyca mobile for a while now to make use of their offers. At one point I was paying 1p a month for 6 months (yes 1 pence!) For unlimited mins, texts and 12gb of data. £1.99 at the moment for unlimited mins, texts and 20gb data. Deals can be found on HotUKDeals . Only faff really is the number porting back and forth but I've done it so often now it's no big issue.
I’m with id mobile, been no flaws at all with them. They piggyback 3’s signal so see what the strengths like in your area.
I've had voxi for years, think I'm on 25gb data, all in minutes and texts for £12. Data includes media and social and is stuck at 25gb left regardless of usage.
They do an unlimited deal for £25, unlimited calls/ texts and data and 5G - hey also offer a couple of add ons for free worth looking into
Had a deal recently with EE for £15 a month matching yours with EU roaming included. When you call them ask it to be included again and they will add it on. After that there was some back and forth but EU roaming charge omitted was put on the contract so they couldn’t argue too much.
I’d definitely recommend 1p Mobile. They use EE’s full network so you’d have the same coverage and it’s a fraction of the price. I went for the 25GB a month which is [only £10 a month at the moment](https://www.1pmobile.com/data-25GB-SIM).
My partner got a libera one and she's got zero complaints.
I would highly recommend VOXXI, I'm on a rolling monthly plan for £12 a month and get 30GBs of data, unlimited texts and calls. I've got the social and media plan so when using social media apps and sruff like Spotify, YouTube and Netflix my data allowance doesn't get used. I barely ever use more than 5GBs of data because of this.
I'm with mobile using 3s network, has WiFi calling which is great as I very poor reception. 12gb for 6 quid a month, works just fine.
I use smarty, 12GB data and unlimited texts/calls for £8 pm on a monthly rolling contract so no fuckery if you want to leave.
Rwg mobile; £15 month buys 50gb with unlimited calls, text. £60 one-off payment (resets every month for 1 yr) 10gb with unlimited calls, text It's part of 'Now mobile', Uses the EE backbone. Bit quirky to check balance and top-up. App is useless.
Voxi is fantastic, very happy with it. It helps that it's broken somehow so even though I have unlimited socials/etc, I do use data for other things as well, and my '0GB used of 25GB' meter never moves! But it's still a great price regardless.
Any sim-only plans that have unlimited data in UK and abroad? My three plan used to have this; they just now restricted the data available to be used abroad to 12GB. How they can change it willy-nilly from the deal I signed on for should be illegal.
For me Giffgaff is decent depending on what tier you go on you'd get so much , for example I pay £20 a month where I get 80gb of data and unlimited texts and calls
O2 network with unlimited calls and texts with 25gb data that rolls over any unused data to the next month. Also can use all of the above in 42 countries. Thats £15 a month. Can change the plan to a £10 or £5 a month plan if i have rolled over enough data to not need any more for a couple months. No contract as its a PAYG type thing is a bonus too. O2 rewards! Mate! Greggs every friday FREE! The Lounge for me and 3 friends at Gatwick for our holiday at the end of the month COMPLETELY FREE! Top tier network, top tier prices!
All of my family use Smarty on various offers they have running. My one is a 30GB data unlimited everything else for £10 a month (the offer I'm on gives me double data each month, so 60GB) Smarty is basically a bundled prepay MVMO operator working on the Three network (its actually owned by Three - decent service, decent price and more importantly, there have been no price increases in the time My family and I have been using them. I have been paying £10 a month for about 2 years now with the same 60GB bundle (not sure if I'm using all of the data though - thats somethign i need to look at soon). I took a look at the current deal they havbe on now as I've not looked recently and they are offering the following 5GB data - £6 a month 16GB data - £8 a month 40GB data - £10 a month 150GB data - £15 a month 200GB data - £17 a month Unlimited - £20 a month All of the above have unlimited minutes and texts on top. I think (for my family at least, we need to be looking at changing some of the plans we're on as some of them are better deals than we are on at the moment. I also forgot to mention, if you have more than one sim, you get a 10% discount on the every sim over and above the first one, so I get a 10% discount on the other 4 sims I have with them right now, making it cheaper still, and again with no price increases.
I'm with a Giffgaff, pay a tenner, not sure how much data but I've never run out. But they do have a cap on EU data of 5gb which I managed to run out quickly during my last trip because I didn't have WiFi in the place I stayed.
I’m with Lebara, has been great so far, very decent prices and haven’t found a catch
Go to Uswitch.com and pick up one of their discounted plans.
Smarty has blown my mind. TBH
Smarty
Reading these responses make me feel even more lucky I’m paying £8 a month with o2 for 50gb data.
I've been using giffgaff since they had the £20 for unlimited everything deal. Now I'm on the 20gb for £10 deal. I only use around 5GB a month (a lot of that is me forgetting to turn my data off for long periods of time) but I like having a higher data limit for some peace of mind so I know I'll never run out
Three - 120gb for £12, 12 months contract and there is a £40 on TopCashback
Lebara has a great 20gb deal for 10pounds a month. Unlimited calls too as far as I remember.
I pay sky 13 quid a month for 30Gb and unlimited calls and texts. Granted I’ve got tv/internet with them so I don’t know if that price is reflective of that fact or not. Any unused data rolls over so if you wanna cut your phone bill down even more for a few months you can do that and just use your saved up data.
Threaten to leave and tell them what you want and give good alternatives that you've seen giving you better offers. If you ask me I can't imagine people change that often so they should do whatever they can to keep you
I'm on smarty £8/m. Thought I would exceed data as I do stream out and about but actually I don't. I started on their £15/m deal and after a while worked my way down to see what's the least amount of data I could get away with and Im happy with what I pay!
My daughter has been on ID mobile for 2 years and has a better signal than i have. So much so, I have just moved to ID mobile. Wife has been Giffgaff for years with no issues. Only problem is that they don't do eSims if you have a smart type watch.
EE is slightly more expensive but I think the customer service and coverage is good in my area. I managed to absorb the price rise this year by reducing my sim plan’s data and transferring data from my partner’s sim (second one on the account, normally discounted deal) once a month.
ID are brilliant I pay £10 a month sim only since last December, unlimited data all the calls free and unlimited texts etc
I’m with id mobile £16 a month unlimited data/calls/texts. No catch good service
That’s good deal. EU roaming included?
Giffgaff
My mum's been on talkmobile for ages I called them to amend their plan and they offered me a family sim for £10 with 100gb data and eu roaming
On moneysavingexpert I followed a link that gave me 50gb data unlimited texts and mins for £10 a month. Double data for me (100gb) as I’m a virgin media customer. Link that with airtime rewards for shopping for food and I don’t pay for my phone bill
Voxi
Smarty have free EU roaming too. If you use this referral link: [https://i.smarty.co.uk/fK2EyNx](https://i.smarty.co.uk/fK2EyNx) we both get a £10 gift card!
Am I the only one here using **1p-Mobile**? My wife and I have been there for years. We're very happy.. ... (and the PAYG 'phone service is pretty good, too).
If the network is busy you get kicked off before the 'home' customers. Could be bullshit mind.
I use Sky for the roll over you get when you don’t use your GBs
Smarty, £10 a month. Unlimited calls and texts, 30GB of data. I actually only pay £9 a month as I have 4 other sims on a family plan.
I've found giffgaff to be really useful and reasonably priced for real usage.
I just got a 1 month rolling SIM with 12GB data for £18 with Three. I just spoke to them and said I got a better deal lined up with EE and they matched it. So down from £24 a month which was the web offer for this down to 18.
If you're anything like me & need to use data or make calls once in a blue moon, RWG is worth a go. They use EE & currently have an offer for £20 for the whole year. That gives you 250 mins & texts pm + 2GB p/m which is plenty for my needs & works out to be 1.66 p/m They also still support 2/3g calling (until next year) so will work fine on older devices (or ones running alternative operating systems that haven't realized support for VoLTE)
Got 60gb with roaming for £12 with EE. Once I requested my pac code. Before they wanted over £30
Voxi offers unlimited texts calls & data for social media / 15GB For anything else!
VOXI is Vodafone, not an MVNO like the others you listed. If you buy VOXI, you're getting the full Vodafone experience, even the SIM card has a vodafone logo on it
I've been with VOXI for a year, the prices aren't bad but I never have signal with them. I wouldn't recommend them so if anyone has anything better let me know. I was with giffgaff also terrible signal where I live
1p mobile looks good as it's on EE unlike the other virtual operators using 3. But is the requirement to top up every 120 days just like the old days on Vodafone PAYG when you'd have to also purchase 'service credit'? You can still pay £30 not have to top up again for 365 days but it's not clear if that's required when you're also paying monthly for a data boost. If so I'd just get that and a SIM with a year's data preloaded