Everything seems to cost a lot more than it used to and you’re working twice as hard for half the money. It’s rubbish. Phones are expensive, contracts are long and, if you’re on “certain” networks, the price goes up half-way through. To put it bluntly, we’re all a bit skint.
So, based on some 40,000 sales, Mobilephones.com are reporting that SIM Only offerings are amongst the 5 best-selling contracts during the past 8 months. Not only that, but sales of these have grown 400% in that period as people look to cut costs and hop between networks. The report also notes that a lot of new handsets are only marginally better than the devices they’re succeeding..
Observers have also suggested that with mobile phones being as technologically innovative as they are today, upgrading to the newest handset no longer offers the same benefits as it did years ago. For instance, there is less incentive for users to upgrade from a Samsung Galaxy S3 to a Samsung Galaxy S4 because there are far fewer dramatic changes between the two devices to make it financially worthwhile for the customer.
Do you agree? Are you about to end your contract deal and go for a SIM Only plan? Let us know.
I think we’re starting to see some better SIM only deals too – it wasn’t too long ago that it actually made sense to have a handset bundled in rather than take a SIM only.
I was running SIM only for a while, simply because I had bought another phone offline and decided to run that until something better came along.
It does frustrate me that 2 year contracts seem to be the norm now. I was quite happy when I had my iPhone 4 to stick with it for a couple of years, but I know that’s not going to be the case with every phone that comes along. My iPhone 5 is certainly annoying me a bit these days, and I get the feeling I’ll want to change well before the 2 years is up.
Next time I’m going to take a monthly rolling SIM only contract and buy my phones offline. Think that’s the best way of doing things by far. I think I might reconsider if it weren’t so ridiculously overpriced to buy out of your contract.
It gives you back the control over what you want to do and when you want to do for a reasonably good price and package. Somewhere along the line the mobile phone operators have forgotten their customers.
I have used SIM only for several years and currently have unlimited data & texts and more call minutes than I can shake a stick at. Works for me on a monthly contract and could get it cheaper if signed for a 12 month one, but would have to vary the data package – most unappealing.
Perhaps a downside is shelling out £500+ for a phone. But it’s my choice how much and when I want a new phone. Suits me and I’m looking to see what transpires when 4G goes UK-wide with all of the phone operators.
SIM only is the way forward. I always ended up selling my contract phones anyway, just so I could have the phone I really wanted.
SIM only contract + Nexus 4 from Google Play = happy bunny.
This is such a hard one…. yes every one is skint now a days but if you look out buying a handset can be just as cheap if not cheaper…. why else are Expansys starting to offer finance now ? A couple of years from now we will have the option like those in the states to buy hand sets and contracts separate…. O2 started down that line last month. PS Another reason for not upgrading is that I like what I have now ( an S2 ) and really theres nothing out there that says buy me now – especially when looking for a PROPER car kit.
If you can afford to buy a phone outright then sim only is the way to go. Sometimes a 24 month contract on the latest high end phone is the only way you can afford one. Occasionally if you can deal with collecting the cashback you could end up better off over the course of the 24 months.
I thought I got a good deal from Orange on my daughters SGSII, free phone, free insurance (via a loyalty refund on the bill) for £36pm on 24 month deal, unlimited texts, 900 mins and 750 meg data. Not too chabby, trouble is I am now paying £41.25 due to an increase in the contract cost and an increase in the insurance cost, and of course they have not increased my loyalty refund to cover the insurance hike 🙁 Gits, needless to say I will not be staying with Orange once the contract is up in July.