| Well, if you are currently looking for a new mobile phone deal, ask yourself, do I really need a new phone or can I make do with what I already have? Do I really want to take out a long term contract when I’m not sure what the next 18 months will hold for me? If the answer No for both or either, a SIM only deal could be the one for you.
What is a sim only deal?
A sim only deal is one that offers you no phone, just the sim that you plug in to your phone, so you need to have a fully functional working phone to get one of these deals.
So what are the benefits of going ‘SIM only’?
There are 2 main big plus points of going sim only.
1. More minutes and text for your money - as you are only purchasing a sim card contract, and not a physical phone which has it’s own cost, there is no inital outlay for the mobile phone networks (Vodafone, T-Mobile, Orange, 3, O2, Virgin) so the savings are passed on to you. Therefore you can get lots more text and minutes for the price of the contract. An example being a Vodafone sim only deal for 600 minutes and unlimited text costing just £20 per month, rather than £25 per month for the same deal with an average phone. This may not initally sound a massive saving, but when coupled with the other main advantage of sim only, it works out a lot cheaper.
2. No fixed contract length - becuase there is no intial outlay for the mobile company, they don’t have to lock you in to a lengthy contract. taking the above example of a phone and £25 per month, this was based on an 18 month contract, so a total of £120 more over the duration of the contract. In most cases (please see individual networks for exact details of contract length) the length of the contract is just 30 days, which gives you the flexibility to quit at any time if you find you are spending too much on your mobile, or if you want to change the deal you want, if something better comes along. in uncertain times, having the flexibility to not get locked in to a contract can really help with the finances.
So who does sim only deals?
Well, all of the big boys have sim only deals, Vodafone, Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Virgin and they all vary in terms of free text, mins and add ons such as free calls to special numbers etc. The cheapest deals start from £10 per month with Vodafone offering 500 text and 75 minutes, and the Virgin Liberty Sim offering 200 mins and 200 text, all for just £10. If you are a big talker and texter, you may prefer a deal such as T-Mobile Solo 30 with 1400 mins and unlimted text, all for just £30 per month.
So if you are happy with your mobile, want more flexibility in terms of how long your contract lasts, and you want to pay less for your mobile, then Sim only deals could definitely be the ones for you to save money on your mobile.
Discount line rental deals on Sim only
Some resellers, such as Carphone Warehouse, e2save and Dial A Phone, offer a free line rental on many sim only deals, so you can save even more if you hunt around
To find out more about these deals and how to save money with sim only phone, check out our sim only comparison table with the latest deals |
