Choosing the right kind of mobile service plan is important if you want to save money. The wrong kind of plan can end up adding plenty on to your monthly bill. And you certainly have enough options, with so many plans and providers to choose from, the choice is actually a little overwhelming. The choice of which mobile service provider to go with is really up to you, but each provider does have its pros and cons and will appeal to different kinds of phone users.
In order to make a better decision about which provider to choose you need to know which provider is best at what, and who their packages are designed for. Today we’re talking about the different SIM only deals that mobile service operators offer, and which ones are the best for you. So if you’re looking for a great plan, or just want to know what your options are, then keep reading to get more information…
Why SIM Only?
If you’re looking to save money, then SIM only is simply the best deal. The incentive contracts that people often sign, and that offer you a free or discounted mobile phone, actually work out to be far more expensive than a SIM only deal does, even if you have to buy your own phone. On incentive deals the phone that you get isn’t free at all; you pay for it in the price of your monthly payment. That’s easy to see if you compare the monthly cost of an incentive contract with the monthly cost of a SIM only deal, even when both contracts come with the same calling plan.
The extra that you pay is how the operator covers the cost of the phone that they give you. But over a standard contract all those extra fees add up to a lot more than the total price of the phone that you get. Basically, on these plans you’re buying a phone on an instalment plan, and like with most instalment plans you end up paying more for the convenience of putting little or no money down. So if you’re looking to make long term savings, you really need to go with a SIM only deal.
The Best SIM Only Deals
3 SIM Only Plans…
The defining characteristic of 3 SIM only plans is the cost of mobile data. Data is one of the biggest costs on a mobile contract, with operators placing limits on data allowance to make sure that you don’t use too much. However, with 3 SIM only plans you often get unlimited data allowances. And not only is it unlimited, but it’s truly unlimited. This means that the company doesn’t employ a fair usage policy, and won’t throttle your data speeds if they think that you’re using too much data. Calling minute prices on 3 plans does add up fast though, so 3 might not be the network for frequent callers. However, if data is your thing and you’re a bit of an internet addict, then the 3 SIM only plans are going to be the natural choice for you.
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Orange SIM Only Plans…
Orange is all about flexibility. When you sign up for any of Orange’s SIM only calling plans you get to choose an animal package. Each animal represents a different priority, with the Dolphin plan giving you cheap prices on internet surfing, for example. There are plenty of animals to choose from, giving you more data, more calling minutes and more text messages. You can even get plans for better international calling rates and music downloading. This makes Orange SIM only deals a great choice for someone who just isn’t satisfied with a regular mobile calling plan and wants a more tailor made package that will better suit their needs.
Virgin Mobile SIM Only Plans…
Virgin Mobile offer some of the most expensive SIM only plans on the market. They charge more per calling minute than any other company, and their mobile data prices add up fast too. However, if you’re already a Virgin customer, using Virgin broadband or Virgin television, then a Virgin Mobile SIM only plan might be a good idea. By bundling all of your services with Virgin you get some great discounts. On their SIM only deals in particular, they offer completely free calling to Virgin numbers for anyone who’s an existing Virgin customer. These aren’t the best plans for everyone, but if you happen to already use Virgin, then you can get a great deal.
Vodafone SIM Only Plans…
Vodafone are pretty middle of the road when it comes to SIM only plans. Their calling minute and data prices are average, not cheap, not too expensive. But there is one great thing about going with Vodafone. All of their SIM only plans come with unlimited text messaging, even the most basic plans. For frequent texters this can be a God send. If you send hundreds of text messages a day, then you might want to consider Vodafone as your mobile service provider of choice.
T-Mobile SIM Only Plans…
In general, T-Mobile are also pretty middle of the road with average prices for pretty much everything. There are two exceptions though. The first is coverage. T-Mobile simply has the best coverage on the UK market. Particularly if you live in a rural area, where coverage and service problems often arise, T-Mobile is the network that’s most likely to get you the service that you need. The other exception is a plan offered by T-Mobile called The Full Monty. This is a SIM only deal that includes unlimited calling, unlimited texting and unlimited mobile data all in the same package, and it’s just £21 per month. This is a limited time offer at this price though, and the cost of the package is sure to rise dramatically, so if you’re interested you need to sign up soon. But for heavy phone users The Full Monty is absolutely the best deal on the UK market at the moment.
When Sam Jones was looking for an affordable mobile phone deal, he found several 3 sim only offers that fit into his budget. He used online price comparison websites like uSwitch to make sure he was getting a great deal
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