Is it better to buy a phone with a sim or without one?

8 comments

1. Each time I’ve upgraded recently I’ve just changed the sim myself and let the phone transfer its data from old phone to new phone – that’s with an iPhone but I’d guess that Android would do the same too?

2. >or to go to the phone shop, ask them to swap all the data

   Why do you need the shop to do that? I personally would just do it myself for security purposes.

3. The shop can bring your old number to a new sim if the old one won’t fit.

4. Maybe there’s nothing to transfer then?

   In theory you can cut a larger sim down to size to fit in a newer phone – I’ve done this, but you do need to cut it quite accurately. You’re probably better off asking your existing provider to give you a new sim – either in a shop or they should just be able to post you one. Activating a new sim normally only takes a few minutes.

   Or if you’re changing provider you can take your number with you – there used to be a 28 day notice period, not sure if that’s still a thing these days?

5. Honestly buy the phone out right and use a sim only deal, you’ll save a few hundred! There are some great sim only deals and if you call your provider you’ll get a better deal then online.

6. If you can afford to buy a phone outright, i would recommend doing that. You’ll get better deals on plans if you bring your own phone.

7. 1) buy your new phone
   2) call up your provider and tell them you’ve bought X phone and need a new SIM card to fit in it
   3) when new SIM card arrives, follow the activation instructions

   Also for some extra unsolicited advice from internet strangers, if you’re paying £15 a month (you said for PAYG), you’re paying way too much.

   For a SIM only deal, and reading your comments, you should be spending £5 a month at most. I recently switched my account to Lyca Mobile – unlimited calls and texts, and 4GB data for 5 pence a month (for 6 months), at which time it will either go to £4.50, or I can just switch again.

8. Pay as you go is usually a terrible way to run a mobile phone in the UK. You should look around at 30-day contracts, for instance smarty, lebara, giffgaff; there are many others. For between 5 and 10 pounds a month you get unlimited free calls and texts, and a lot of data – ample unless you watch video on the internet for hours every day. You can contact your current pay-as-you-go sim provider for a ‘PAC’. It’s a code that you can give to smarty, giffgaff lebara etc so the sim you are sent by them takes over the number from your pay as you go sim.