The best SIM only mobile deals
Let’s face it, £40 a month for a T Mobile G1 isn’t cheap. And in these penny pinching times, neither is £35 every four weeks for an iPhone 3G. If you want to cut back on spending but still want to send bragging texts about Brighton’s unlikely victory over Man City, then you need to go SIM only.
Here’s our pick of the deals that’ll save you a mint. Whether you love texting, or just think PAYG’s not right, there’s one for you. Each deal’s on a rolling contract, so there’s no signing your life away either. Just remember the phone’s not included.
Type – Not a talker
You need – Vodafone SIM only £10
For a mere tenner every month, Vodafone serves up 500 texts and 75 minutes. So if you prefer to express yourself through the medium of poor English and emoticons, we suggest you go with this one.
Cost – £10 per month
online.vodafone.co.uk
Type – Saver
You need – T-Mobile Solo 15
At just £15 a month for 350 minutes and 650 texts, this is a steal and one definitely suited to those who make enough calls to trouble their missus, but don’t spend hours moaning to their parents about ‘family issues’.
Cost – £15 per month
www.t-mobile.co.uk
Type – Bargain hunter
You need – O2 simplicity
See what O2 did there? SIMplicity? Never mind. This deal gives you 600 minutes and unlimited texts all for £20 a month until the end of September. O2 also bungs the Energy Saver Fund a fiver for every simplicity connection. Because you didn’t buy an un–eco phone, see?
Cost – £20 per month until end of September
www.o2.co.uk
Type – Mobile addict
You need – T Mobile Solo 35
If you spend every waking minute clamped to your phone like some kind of gadgety safety blanket, the Solo 35 deal is where it’s at. £35 gets you a massive 1800 minutes and unlimited texts. Compare that to 600 minutes and 500 texts for the equivalent iPhone deal and you see why SIM only is such a cool idea.
Cost – £35 per month
www.t-mobile.co.uk
Type – not a fan of the big four
You need – Virgin £20 Talk
Orange’s SIM only deals are pricey and we know some of you just prefer being different. Virgin was early with their SIM only goods and this £20 deal’s great. You get 450 minutes and 450 texts for your money. Well worth it.
Cost – £20 per month
www.virginmobile.com
Want more money saving tips, read out free netbook deals, see the best budget services to beat the credit crunch and check out the gadgets to beat the recession.
Comments
PS3-man-u
3 years ago
So you get a PAYG phone, and stick one of these SIM's in it, and you've got a contract stylie phone?
Joe M
3 years ago
Yep. Any phone that's unlocked and you're good to go.
jte2
3 years ago
your missing the £15 a month unlimted texts on vodafone that ones a cracker.
travolta786
3 years ago
You've also forgotten to mention on the o2 contracts £25 include a bolt on which can give you either unlimited texts, unlimited o2 calls, unlimited web browsing amongst other things. The simplicity 15 gives you 200 mins and unlimited o2 calls which if you tend to call o2 numbers means you can easily go over the 350 mins t-mobile give you (as i do every month!)... and if your lucky like me you can get away with unlimited browsing which isn't allowed on the sim 15!
erboon
2 years ago
The best thing about sim only contracts now is that you will only sign for a 30 day contract. So you don't have to afraid of those 12 or 18 month contracts anymore. Good Europe site who just launched is http://www.simonly.eu they give some really good information about all sim only contracts and they are also in germany and the netherlands with there sim only shop. Looks like the sim only market is expanding.
roshanb
2 years ago
Definitely, there are quite a few goof deals around at the moment. Some with free internet like on o2 and t-mobile. I compared deals on this website a few months ago. http://www.simonlycontracts.co.uk see to be a few around now.
vialli
2 years ago
The details in the article ring very true, however with all the networks competing for their slice of the Sim Only pie then you need to use one of the sim only comparison sites. Aprt from the ones mentioned above I found http://www.sim-only.co.uk to be very useful
brown3103
1 year ago
was just reading this post and see that there are some sim only comparision sites mentioned so i thought i woudl mention the site i got my sim only contract from http://www.simonly-contracts.net this site was helpful for me and compare sim only contracts from all of the uks biggest phone providers
usetech
41 weeks ago
SIM only deals are alway changing I across this site which has save me a over £80 on deal http://www.simonlydealsandcontracts.co.uk some good deal tariffs are now available.
ArthurSmith
37 weeks ago
In 2008 when the article was written those deals were pretty good as the market goes, a few years later on there would need to be some mention of tariffs from the 3 network for example.
The site http://www.simonlydeals.mobi/ splits all the current SIM only plans by network and by price.
Jay76
33 weeks ago
Totally agree with ArthurSmith that In 2008 when the article was written those deals were pretty good as the market goes, a few years later on there would need to be some mention of tariffs from the 3 network for example.
There are still many talking about sim only's. Here's a nice recent one http://www.squidoo.com/sim-only-deals-uk
Jay76
32 weeks ago
Yepp, that's exactly how it works. It also works out cheaper because SIM Only deals are cheaper than standard contracts. Your also not tied into a long 18 month or 24 months contract. Check out some deals here SIM Only Expert. They have a comparison table with a list of prices.