Basic mobile phone questions

[Spinney]

Hi all
I want to get a new phone. I'm happy with my current contract, so I'm looking at buying a SIM free phone.

I just wanted to check that when I buy this, all I have to do is to take the SIM card out of my current phone and put it in the new one? And if I keep the old phone, if the new one breaks I can just put the SIM card back and I have a back-up?

Ta

 

[biggs682]

As above really

And you might need to add internet access to your current deal ?

 

[further]

[QUOTE 4731976, member: 9609"]does 'SIM Free' not mean that it does not have a SIM card ?[/QUOTE]
No,it means the phone is not tied to one network,but it still has a sim card.

 

[Spinney]

Thanks all.

 

[Milkfloat]

No,it means the phone is not tied to one network,but it still has a sim card.

No - the phone will not come with a sim card - you provide your own.

 

[tobykenobi]

As said above a "SIM free" phone is one that is "unlocked" (i.e. not tied to a given network) - still needs a SIM card to work. And there's still the issue of ensuring you have the right-size SIM, as also mentioned above. SIMs can be cut-down to size and you can get adapters to size-up smaller ones. But it's a fiddly business.

Most phones bought outright will be unlocked (SIM free). Those bought on contract may not be - although often the network will unlock it for you for free.

Not to be confused with a "SIM only" contract where you pay a network just for the minutes, text and data with no money going towards a phone. These are often quite cheap (see GiffGaff for example).

 

[swee'pea99]

You say you're happy with your current contract, so this may be of no use, but someone put me on to three's 3-2-1 package -

3p per minute
2p per text
1p per mb data

and as a light user, it's saved me a fortune. (I barely use data 'cos I'm usually on one wi-fi or another, or texts, because most of the people I'd text are on Telegram). A £10 topup lasts me months. Admittedly I'm not a great phone chatter. Obviously for anyone who is it would be an easy way to rack up big costs.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

My current Samsung is an unlocked sim free phone that'll take two sim cards, when I got it I just dropped in my EE sim and that was it no problems.

 

[Spinney]

You say you're happy with your current contract, so this may be of no use, but someone put me on to three's 3-2-1 package -

3p per minute
2p per text
1p per mb data

and as a light user, it's saved me a fortune. (I barely use data 'cos I'm usually on one wi-fi or another, or texts, because most of the people I'd text are on Telegram). A £10 topup lasts me months. Admittedly I'm not a great phone chatter. Obviously for anyone who is it would be an easy way to rack up big costs.

Thanks - I'll look into that as a separate issue. I'm not tied into my current contract any longer. I've strained my brain enough this morning choosing a new phone, so I'll leave the call package for a different session!

 

[swee'pea99]

[QUOTE 4732087, member: 9609"]I'm not a big user though, put £10 Jan 2016 still have £6.80[/QUOTE]
Good Gaaaad! And I thought I was a light user!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Good Gaaaad! And I thought I was a light user!

I was thinking the same

 

[midlife]

Not all sim free phones are unlocked and some sim free phones will lock you to the first SIM card used. Carphone Warehouse are notorious for this ! SIM free phones from Giff Gaff are truly unlocked.

Just a matter of reading the small print.

Shaun

 

[swee'pea99]

Not all sim free phones are unlocked and some sim free phones will lock you to the first SIM card used. Carphone Warehouse are notorious for this ! SIM free phones from Giff Gaff are truly unlocked.

Just a matter of reading the small print.

Shaun

It's very easy to unlock phones - you can get the codes from ebay for a couple of quid.

 

[Milkfloat]

It's very easy to unlock phones - you can get the codes from ebay for a couple of quid.

Some phones - but not all.

 

[classic33]

@Spinney, worth considering 5G, given your location(already trialled in Bristol) and O2 & Vodafone are looking at releasing it at the end of this year.