If you are travelling and need to use the iPhone abroad then we recommend using a free local SIM in the UK to avoid paying excessive roaming costs from your own country.
Data charges incurred with uncapped international roaming can inadvertently add hundreds to a cell phone bill unless data roaming is switched off, Wi-Fi is used or data is capped. Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK cost an average of £5 per session, therefore ordering a SIM card pre-loaded with £5 credit provides better value which can last for the duration of trip to the UK providing that data usage is light.
There are 15 local mobile network providers in the United Kingdom which offer free SIM only deals online, this list of mobile providers in the UK highlights their best value deals and links directly to their SIM card ordering page:
- O2 will send free pay and go SIM cards with prepaid £10 top ups.
- LycaMobile can either send a free SIM without credit or the option to pay for a preloaded SIM which includes additional free credit. LycaMobile also offers £15 of free credit when transferring an existing number.
- Vodafone offer free SIM deals with plans from only £10 per month.
- Asda Mobile will send you a standard, micro and nano SIM card for free and offer bundles from £5 per month.
- BT Mobile have contracts from £5 per month for their 4G data including access to their national BT WiFi, choose between a free full sized, micro or nano SIM.
- giffgaff start with preloaded SIM cards from just £5 along with PAYG plans and also offer free calls and text between other giffgaff customers.
- Three Mobile free SIM cards are suitable for using 4G without committing to a monthly contract.
- Virgin Mobile Pay As You Go SIM cards offer two simple pay as you go tariffs aimed towards either heavy calls or heavy data and text usage.
- Talkmobile offer three different sizes of free SIM cards with the option to include top up amounts as well as longer 30 day and 12 month SIM only plans.
- Tesco Mobile send up to 4 SIM cards per UK address and offer to triple credit when ordering.
- Lebara Mobile will supply a free SIM card, order online and credit with a minimum of £5 top up.
- Pebble Mobile free SIM cards are the only consumer network with national roaming and inclusive EU roaming plans.
- FreedomPop is a UK mobile provider offering one of the best SIM only deals for the iPhone in the UK with 4G data, text and talk time. Their basic service includes a SIM card with free 200mb of data with 200 minutes and text messages every month; users can then opt to pay for additional data or switch to a paid plan as their demands grow. FreedomPop also offers a premium free SIM only card for the iPhone and are offering a one month of free trial of 1GB of data, 1000 minutes and text messages before paying an £8.95 monthly top-up with no contract or cancellation fees.
Be aware that some providers may only ship SIM cards to UK residential or business addresses, therefore if you are staying in a hotel in the UK we suggest that your free SIM is delivered to a work, family or friends postal address.
You can also purchase prepaid Pay As You Go SIM cards at most UK newsagents and supermarkets, however you won´t be able to take advantage of the heavily discounted online offers. Most towns and cities in the UK have high street mobile phone stores which sell SIM cards promoting their own network at a much higher cost and will also encourage shoppers to take out a long term monthly contract.
Be aware if you are flying to a UK airport some arrival halls will sell preloaded SIM cards at highly inflated prices. Instead we recommend taking advantage of any available free airport WiFi until a suitable SIM card can be obtained once outside the airport.
SIM only contracts for the iPhone in the UK
For longer trips to the UK there are 4 providers which won´t ship free PAYG cards but will still offer monthly SIM plans online:
- iD Mobile have capped SIM only contracts from just £4 per month and offer data rollover with all GoTo contracts.
- TalkTalk have SIM plans starting from less than £4 per month.
- Truphone will send prepaid SIM cards with auto top-up and the ability to add local US and Australian numbers alongside a local UK number.
- EE are a newly formed mobile network in the UK formally comprised of T-Mobile and Orange.
Using a free SIM with a locked iPhone
If you do change network carriers you will need to ensure you´re using an unlocked iPhone prior to using a different SIM. If your iPhone was locked at the time of purchase you should be able to request to your current mobile carrier to unlock it, use a high street mobile phone unlocking service or look for instructions online on how to unlock the iPhone yourself. Be aware that the cost of unlocking your phone is likely to be cheaper than using paying excessive roaming costs.
