If you ’re thinking of buying an iPhone on contract , you ’ve get a SIM - devoid iPhone and want to ratify up to a contract , or are nearing the end of a contract and want to go with a unlike provider , you ’ll be wanting to know which internet is best for you . This article is the right position to regain out .
We go through the various internet providers uncommitted in the UK and discuss their pros , cons and general performance – you should be capable to find the right-hand choice for you in no clock time . If declaration damage are the primal factor , however , you may be best served by visiting our guide to theBest iPhone deals .
We also go into more point about the research and reports we use to shape our finding of fact for each connection further into this clause .
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There ’s a lot more to it than this simple list ( reportage and speed can vary by part , price can vary bet on deals events etc ) , but if you ’re in a precipitation this list might be useful to you :
What networks are there?
In the UK we have four bounteous networks :
There are many further providers , but they all ‘ piggyback ’ on the substructure of one of the above . So EE is piggybacked byBT Mobile , PlusnetandVirgin Mobile ; O2 is piggybacked byGiffgaff , Tesco MobileandSky Mobile ; Three is piggybacked byiD MobileandSmarty ; and Vodafone is piggyback byTalk MobileandVOXI .
This piggybacking arrangement will be relevant when we discuss coverage , speed and reliability because the smaller providers are reliant on the physical base of their chosen big web , and will be susceptible to the same job .
EE
EE offers excellent coverage , and some plans extend Apple Music , Apple TV+ , Apple Arcade and BT Sport App for the continuance of the contract . It also offers 5G. It ’s a firm selection .
internet : EE
Price : EE tender the iPhone 12 with 5Gfor £ 59 per monthwith 10 GB of information and £ 50 upfront . That ’s a aggregate of £ 1,466 . EE no longer partner up with third company website like Carphone Warehouse or Mobile Phones Direct , so the respectable deal are from EE ’s own website .
insurance coverage : EE ’s meshing come out top for 4 G coverage in the UK in the latestRootMetrics report . That aver , Ofcom ’s 2020 report did find that customers were more satisfied with the reception or sign strength from O2 and Vodafone . Just recollect to checkOfcom ’s coverage toolto see how EE do in your location .
Speed : Excellent . It was rated top inOpensignal ’s 2020 testfor download and upload speeds .
Customer service : EE scored well in the Ofcom report for overall satisfaction , on equivalence with O2 and Vodafone and higher than Three .
VisitEE ’s websitefor more information .
Tesco Mobile
You could do a lot worse : Tesco Mobile extend a variety of deals at decent prices , with SIM - only a highlight . It is 5 G ready .
meshing : O2 ( piggyback )
damage : At time of write Tesco does the iPhone 12 for £ 49.99 per month and £ 60 upfront , on a 24 - month contract with 6 GB of data , 5,000 instant and 5,000 texts . That ’s a total cost of £ 1,249.76 .
Coverage : O2 ’s internet was shop spoiled for reliability by RootMetrics , but did win the Best internet Coverage public choice laurels from Uswitch .
Speed : Tesco suffers here because of its dependence on O2 ’s infrastructure . O2 issue forth bottom in OpenSignal ’s report for pep pill across the UK .
Customer service : Very good . Tesco consistantly gets high customer service and service atonement scores in reports from the the likes of of Which ? and Ofcom .
Find out more onTesco ’s web site .
Plusnet
Plusnetdoesn’t sell phones , but its prices on SIM tidy sum are appealing if you buy an iPhone SIM - free . We wish the ability to set a monthly price crown to prevent nasty surprise when your circular arrives . We have n’t included any other SIM - only networks here , but Plusnet regularly scores extremely in customer service reports so we chose to feature it . No 5 gigabyte available yet .
web : EE ( piggyback )
Price : The tatty you’re able to currently go is£6 per month(which gets you 2 GB data , limitless minute and unlimited text ) .
Speed : Excellent , thanks to the public presentation of EE ’s connection . It was rated top inOpensignal ’s 2020 testfor download and upload pep pill .
Customer religious service : Plusnet ’s roving overhaul was n’t snitch inOfcom ’s late report , but it mark highly for broadband service satisfaction which establish a good reading that its client inspection and repair will be reflected positively for Mobile River . to boot , it won the Best connection for Customer Service award inUswitch ’s latest Telecoms awards .
Read more onPlusnet ’s website .
Virgin Mobile
Going with Virgin Mobile makes horse sense if the house already provides your broadband and TV . Not yet 5 G quick ( but ‘ come soon ’ ) .
terms : Virgin has the iPhone 12 for£46.50 per monthwith no upfront defrayment , 1 GB of data point and unlimited minutes for 24 months . There is a 36 month selection to contribute the cost down , and 5 G is amount soon . The Total Cost of Ownership ( TOC ) for this deal is £ 1,116 but 1 GB datum is n’t much so you ’d be likely to take a high data point option at a slightly high terms .
reporting : EE ’s web come out top for 4 G coverage in RootMetrics report , but averags in Ofcom ’s 2020 report found that customers were more satisfied with sign strength from O2 and Vodafone . CheckOfcom ’s reporting toolto see how EE performs in your location .
Speed : Excellent . EE , which provide the electronic connection substructure that Virgin swear on , came top in Opensignal ’s 2020 survey .
client service : Virgin got an average military rank in Ofcom ’s survey for overall service expiation .
Find out more onVirgin Mobile ’s web site .
O2
One of the well - bonk and old operators in the market . O2 was rated lowest for web reliability and overall performance by RootMetrics in 2020 , but USwitch yield it the award for Best web Coverage . It has 5 G uncommitted now .
connection : O2
Price : O2 ’s best offer for the iPhone 12 is£48.88 per month , with 3 GB data and £ 10 upfront . You ’ll get 6 months of Disney+ for free , and 12 month of Apple TV+ . That ’s a full price of £ 1,183.12 . You wo n’t incur O2 deal at Carphone Warehouse , but there are still deals available atMobile Phones Direct .
insurance coverage : As advert , O2 ’s web was rated worst for dependability by RootMetrics , but did win the Best web Coverage public choice awarding from Uswitch .
Speed : Not good . O2 come bottom in OpenSignal ’s report for speeds across the UK .
client military service : O2 scored well for service expiation in Ofcom ’s up-to-the-minute report .
Find out more onO2 ’s site .
Vodafone
Vodafone has its perks , including varying roam - free destinations calculate on your design , upgrade after one year if you stick with Vodafone , and some options for additional amusement bonus like Amazon Prime Video or Spotify Premium . It ’s not the cheapest , though . speeding and insurance coverage are fine , and 5 chiliad is available now .
connection : Vodafone
Price : Vodafone’slowest monthly chargefor the iPhone 12 is a banging £ 62 and £ 19 upfront , with unlimited texts and data point . pep pill is restrain with this plan , and the entire monetary value is £ 1,507 . you’re able to get cheap deals onCarphone WarehouseorMobile Phones Direct , though .
Coverage : Vodafone ’s internet rated secondly expert dependableness and accessibility in the UK .
Speed : Pretty ripe . Vodafone come secondly out of four in OpenSignal ’s download and upload amphetamine tests , and won the Voice App Experience award .
Customer service : Vodafone execute well in Ofcom ’s view for gratification with overall overhaul , with a score in line with average .
observe out more onVodafone ’s website .
Giffgaff
A small but popular operator , Giffgaff is highly rated by its customers . It ’s an O2 piggybacker , though , which order a question mark over speeds .
damage : Giffgaff does the iPhone 12 for£47.16 per calendar month , which includes the minimal 6 GB of information ( which the business firm yell a ‘ goodybag ’ ) and an upfront payment of £ 35 . The full cost of this contract bridge is £ 1,166.84 .
Speed : Bad news for Giffgaff users : the provider piggyback on O2 ’s mesh , which came bottom in OpenSignal ’s story for speeds across the UK .
Customer service : Giffgaff scores highly in Ofcom ’s report for overall table service satisfaction , and has long had a report for being a customer favourite .
Go toGiffgaff ’s websitefor more detail .
Three
Three ’s unlimited data bundles are an sympathetic medical prognosis . Coverage may be a concern , so check your local area . It is 5 guanine ready .
web : Three
Price : Three has the iPhone 12 for just£32 per monthfor the first six months , then £ 64 for the remainder of the contract ; that ’s with unlimited data and nothing upfront . That add up to £ 1,344 , which is n’t bad for the amount of data you ’re getting . You ’ll also get destitute Apple TV+ .
Coverage : Three ’s meshwork was rated below EE and Vodafone for dependability and bottom of the list for accessibility . It ’s not mention in Opensignal ’s account and mark poorly in Ofcom ’s .
hurrying : Three ’s internet came third out of four in RootMetric ’s composition .
client serving : Three score lowest in Ofcom ’s report , with below average scores for atonement with overall overhaul .
More details can be find oneself onThree ’s site .
iD Mobile
Gem State is Carphone Warehouse ’s inhouse meshwork . It offers some excellent prices but nationwide coverage is not honorable ( although your sphere may be all right – checkOfcom ’s instrument ) and speeds are fair . 5 G is not currently available with iD.
web : Three ( piggyback )
monetary value : iD offersthe iPhone 12 for £ 36.99 per calendar month and £ 99 upfront , with 10 GB data . That ’s £ 987.75 in sum , one of the good prices we ’ve come across for a data all - debauchee . There ’s no 5 G available yet , though .
Speed : As a Three piggybacker , iD does n’t get great amphetamine numbers . It came third out of four in RootMetric ’s report .
Customer overhaul : Idaho is not mention in the customer service reports we ’ve see .
discover out more oniD ’s website .
Sky Mobile
Price : Sky has the iPhone 12 for£46 per month , with 2 GB of information and £ 99 upfront . Be indisputable to check Get 5 G Speeds before checkout counter . That ’s a sum of £ 1,203 but 2 GB in all probability wo n’t be quite enough for most masses .
Speed : O2 , whose internet Sky piggybacks , amount bottom in OpenSignal ’s report for speeds across the UK .
client service : Sky won internet of the Year from Uswitch in 2020 , and Ocfom ’s news report found it produce average tons for overall service satisfaction .
Find out more onSky Mobile ’s website .
BT Mobile
BT Mobile is a sensitive option if you take to BT Broadband . However , not all phones are uncommitted straight from BT itself . elderly iPhones include the iPhone XR is available , but if you ’re looking for newer model like the iPhone 12 you ’ll be direct to EE ’s site to get your hands on it .
Price : As cite , the iPhone 12 is n’t available direct from BT , but the iPhone XR and iPhone SE are . They set about at £ 36 per month and £ 30 per month respectively . If you ’re a BT broadband client you ’ll find you ’ll get a discount .
insurance coverage : EE ’s meshwork came out top for 4 G reportage in RootMetrics report . CheckOfcom ’s coverage toolto see how EE performs in your localisation .
amphetamine : Excellent . BT uses EE ’s connection , and EE came top in Opensignal ’s 2020 sketch .
client divine service : Ofcom did n’t grade BT ’s overhaul atonement for mobile in its previous report , but it did find that BT ’s broadband and home phone customers were very quenched with the service they recieved .
discover out moreon BT ’s web site .
What do you need from your network?
When take a connection there are pile of different touchstone to consider . You will belike have to compromise in one area to get what you ’re looking for in another .
Price
For a unsmooth comparison of Leontyne Price , in the individual entries we ’ve listed the low monthly fee each electronic internet offers ( at fourth dimension of committal to writing ) for the iPhone 12 , over 24 month and with a maximum upfront cost of £ 100 and a minimum of 1 GB data point . Check the individual sites for up - to - date terms .
It ’s deserving noting that there are often deals from the connection uncommitted from third parties likeCarphone Warehouse , Mobile Phones Directand more , so denounce around can pay off once you ’ve chosen your web .
When looking at pricing it ’s crucial to look at full cost of possession ( TCO ) over the course of a contract , which include the upfront monetary value and however many monthly payments are required . An apparently unappealing declaration may work out the best for you if it only endure 12 month ( most are 24 or more ) .
The amount you pay will vary according to your monthly data allowance , the value of the phone ( assuming it ’s include ) and any additional features , such as Apple Music subscription . But beyond this , some sight are only good economic value than others . You should n’t bear that you ’re paying a mediocre price .
Coverage
Most of the UK now has decent 4 G coverage , and some has 5G. But there still rest rural scoop with 3 G or with nothing at all .
If you live on in central London and do n’t plan to leave any time before long then you do n’t require to worry about coverage . But everyone else should at least consider it . Your pick of connection will order what infrastructure you ’ll be using , and the location of your web ’s towers ( or the towers belonging to the net your provider is piggybacking ) will order how good a signal you’re able to get in a given surface area .
Ofcom ’s roving coverage checkeris a utile tool for see which connection can brood your area – or an area you need to visit on a regular basis .
harmonise to the enquiry business firm RootMetrics , EE extend the best 4 G coverage across the UK as a whole . Second seat was Vodafone , followed by Three and then O2 . But this really does vary by your exact locating , so take a look at theRootMetrics ’ reportage mapto analyse likely performance in your local arena .
Speed
Whereasbroadband dealstrumpet their gauge speed from the rooftops , mobile networks are less public about the speeds you should wait . But while the numbers can be hard to uncover – and , to be mediocre , lots of agent influence the fastness you actually know – it ’s distinctly an important factor to deliberate .
To see how well your current provider is living up to their claims , you could use the free iPhone appSpeedtest by Ookla .
EE came top in arecent composition by Opensignal , winning the top spot for overall download speeds in the UK . It also gain the just game experience , video experience and upload stop number experience . Vodafone come a close second in most , but did beat EE in spokesperson app experience .
skillful news for EE , of course , but also good for the provider that piggyback on that party ’s infrastructure : BT Mobile , Plusnet and Virgin Mobile .
Reliability
connection outages are tremendously frustrating , leaving you unable to get at any online services until you get back to Wi - Fi . In Dec 2018 , for instance , O2 customer were disconnectedfor a whole daylight .
This is another case where piggybacking is important . The above incident affect O2 piggybackers too – so when consider a web supplier , check out reports of its parent web ’s reliability .
Customer service
This is where the smaller providers can stand asunder from their parent networks . How effective is the provider at shell out with problems , and does it offer recompense when things go wrong ? Does it spam you with merchandising letters ? Does it get your card wrong on a unconstipated basis ?
AnOfcom report from August 2020found that Tesco Mobile tops customer satisfaction rankings , while Three fare worst .
Data limit
you’re able to yield less if you ’re uncoerced to compromise on your datum allowance : contracts can vary from around 250 MiB to 60 GB or more .
We ’d advise against blend for the existent deal - cellar allowances : 2 GB is probably a sensible minimum to aim for . But it all bet on what you ’re go to be using your phone for : streaming is a particular drainpipe .
To get an theme of your requirements , readHow much information do I need?And to read about style you could shrink the amount you cauterize through , seeHow to save information on iPhone .
Can you sign up with more than one network?
Yes , if you ’ve got a new enough iPhone . The XR , 11 and later all offer eSIM support , which means you may have a ceremonious hardware SIM from one internet and an eSIM from another – but notice that in the UK , only EE and O2 support eSIM .
For more details , readHow to use dual SIMs on iPhone .
