Mobile Phone Deals - Understanding 'sim Only'

By Author: Lucy Carter
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In the telecommunications and mobile phone industry, the term SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module. As most of us know by now, a SIM is the little card you slot into your mobile handset - it holds your number and connects you to a particular network. Without it, your phone is nothing but a shell. The term 'SIM only' means you opt to simply buy a SIM card from a network provider, the mobile phone handset is not included.

There are currently a wide variety of SIM only deals available on the marketplace. The following guide will clarify this type of mobile phone deal and outline its benefits, so you can decide whether it will be a good fit for your needs.

How it works

Choosing a SIM card deal allows you to use your existing mobile handset and keep your phone number. There are both SIM pay-as-you-go and contract deals currently available on the marketplace.
The SIM only contact is a short term, pay monthly arrangement with your chosen network provider. You can sign up for as little as one month or one year. The former generally turns onto a rolling contract which you can cancel whenever you please. ...
... In effect, a SIM only contract affords a great compromise between pay-as-you-go and long term contract deals - it affords a cheaper phone price plan than entering into a traditional long term mobile contract but gives you the appealing bonus incentives and uninterrupted calls or texts that you can't find with top-up driven pay-as-you-go.

Benefits of SIM only

SIM only deals are becoming increasingly popular because they allow you to save on your monthly payments. Since the network provider does not include a handset in your package, their charges will be significantly less. You will also be able to benefit by choosing a better deal from a different provider as and when it becomes available on the marketplace, rather than being bound to a long term agreement. Many people also enjoy having a mobile phone that isn't locked, they simply pop in the SIM of their choice and away they go. This is particularly useful if you travel abroad and want to be able to switch to a local SIM so that you can make and receive calls there.

Choosing the right SIM only deal

When shopping around for a great SIM only deal, don't focus purely on the cheapest offers as these might not be the best fit for your usage needs. It's important to carefully consider this, such as calculating how much you send texts, make calls, use email and browse the Internet using your mobile handset. For example, if you spend a great deal of time talking and making calls, going for a SIM only contract for £10 per month that offers a meagre 200 minutes will not cover your usage and thus see you paying a lot extra.

All in all, if you already have a mobile phone that you're happy with, SIM only deals are a great way to save on your monthly spend while still benefitting from the free call minutes, texts etc that you would get from a traditional long term mobile contract.
Peter Williams is a mobile communications consultant and retailer of SIM only packages.