SIM only news and offers: what UK mobile customers need to know

A SIM only deal gives you minutes, texts and data without a new phone. You keep the handset you already own, put the new SIM in it, and pay only for your allowance. Because there is no phone to pay off, monthly prices are far lower than a handset contract, and you can choose a rolling 30-day plan or commit to 12 or 24 months for a better rate. Price rises must now be spelled out in pounds and pence The biggest recent change for mobile customers is how price rises work. Since January 2025, Ofcom has banned inflation-linked mid-contract price rises on new contracts. Instead, any provider that plans to raise your price during the contract must tell you the exact increase in pounds and pence, prominently, before you sign. That makes deals much easier to compare. A plan that looks cheapest today but rises by a stated amount each spring can end up costing more over 24 months than a slightly dearer deal with a fixed price. When you compare SIM only offers, look for the rise figure in the contract summary and add it to the later months before you judge the monthly cost. The Vodafone and Three merger Vodafone and Three completed their merger in May 2025, creating the UK's largest mobile network operator. The combined company has committed to significant 5G investment over the coming years. If you are with either network, or with a brand that uses their signal such as VOXI, SMARTY, Lebara or ASDA Mobile, you do not need to do anything, but it is worth watching for changes to coverage, plans and roaming terms as the networks combine. Switching takes one text message Keeping your number when you switch is free and quick. Text the word PAC to 65075 from your current SIM and your provider must send your switching code within a minute, along with any early termination charges you owe. Give that code to your new provider and the switch completes within one working day. If you are out of contract, there is usually nothing to pay to leave. Providers must also contact you before your contract ends, telling you when it finishes, what you will pay afterwards, and the best tariffs they can offer you. If you have been with the same provider for years without switching, that message is your prompt to compare. What the offers look like right now Our comparison currently tracks 80 SIM only deals from 13 providers, from low-cost pay-monthly plans to big-data 5G options, and the Tesco Mobile rows refresh automatically from its live catalogue. Prices change too often for any article to quote them reliably, so rather than list figures that could be out of date tomorrow, use the live comparison to see today's cheapest deals for the data you need. When you compare, five things decide the real value of a deal: 1. The monthly price after any stated mid-contract rise, not just the headline figure. 2. The data allowance, checked against what you actually use on your current bill. 3. The contract length, and whether a rolling plan suits you better than a long commitment. 4. Roaming terms if you travel, since EU roaming is no longer free on every UK plan. 5. Network coverage where you live, work and travel, which you can check on each network's coverage map before you switch. A SIM only deal is one of the easiest household bills to cut. If your handset contract ended more than a few months ago and you are still paying the same amount, you are very likely paying for a phone you have already paid off.