In the UK one of the big developments over the last 12 months has been the increasing popularity of SIM only mobile phone contracts. Traditionally mobile phone network operators have tried to lock customers into fixed term contracts by subsidising the latest mobile phones. However, because mobile phones are becoming more and more expensive networks have put together sim only deals where customers do not get a new handset with the deal, and because the network does not offer a subsidised contract SIM only contracts tend to give more inclusive minutes and texts for the same amount as a standard mobile contract.
SIM only contacts are hence suitable for people who:
- Don’t care if they have the latest mobile phone every 12-18 months e.g they don’t need a multimedia phone like an iPhone or are happy with their iPhone 3G and don’t need the iPhone 3GS
- want to keep their mobile bill costs down
Another reason for buying a sim only contract is so you can mix and match network contracts and handsets e.g. if the handset you want isn’t available on the network you want. By getting a sim only contract you can buy an unlocked version of the handset you want, and also a sim only contract from the network that provides the best deal that suits your needs e.g. has the best coverage, most inclusive minutes or texts etc
Finding the best sim only deal is quite easy and a number of websites have sprung up to support this new market. One such site is http://www.simonlyoffers.com/ who have a section showing all the latest sim card deals.
