SIM FREE PHONES
We understand, you would love the latest iPhone but don’t love the price? Don't shy away from the idea just yet, as you might find it is a lot more affordable than you think. If you are willing to break away from the status quo of ‘bundled contracts’ a SIM free phone deal will save you money on your phone, and in return will offer you a better price on your data and minutes too.
But what exactly is a SIM free phone? Fear not, you are not about to jump into a downpour of technical jargon, let’s keep things simple and explain the what, why and how’s of unlocked SIM free phones.
With no phone in the picture, you pay the minimum for the maximum amount of stuff. As we’ve already touched on, you’ll shell out much more for a contract that comes with a phone, to cover the cost of that device. But when you go SIM only, you put the focus on your allowances, and instead prioritise sheer value.
SIM free = no SIM card, super flexibility and no painful bills.
WHAT DOES SIM FREE MEAN?
As the name suggests, SIM free means the phone is without a SIM Card, you only receive the handset itself. The phone is therefore not affiliated to any network and you are free to choose a SIM only deal for your calls and data with any of the network providers. If you are looking for a SIM only deal for a SIM free iPhone, you can shop around to find the one that best suits your needs and is within your price range. You can even choose between a Pay monthly or Pay as you go SIM, whatever floats your boat. Being SIM free accumulates to the cheapest overall price. The only difference is you pay separately for your phone and SIM.
Annoyed you have to stay put in a contract when you see cheaper deals elsewhere? A further defining, and more attractive, feature of SIM free contracts is that deals aren’t only cheaper but they can be more flexible. 1-month rolling contracts and 12-month contracts are frequently available, meaning you and your new iPhone can switch between providers and plans when you notice better deals. So, if you have an older phone and are waiting for the next model to be released, you don’t need to continue using the same contract: just choose a rolling SIM only deal and save money while you wait for your next phone to be released. At Raylo, we don’t offer SIM’s at all – our service is purely for the phone itself. That means you combine the saving you make on an iPhone with the saving of a good SIM only deal.
So when you hear your friends have ‘cheap SIM free phones’ you can now understand the logic. SIM free = no SIM card, super flexibility and no painful bills.
The best SIM free phones are unlocked and not UPos, so don't be caught out...
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN UNLOCKED AND SIM FREE?
So, now you realise the benefits and would like the iPhone 12 SIM free? Or maybe you fancy the iPhone 12 Pro SIM free? It doesn’t really matter what iPhone you would like, you are already singing from the correct hymn sheet.
Small piece of advice; don't be confused by the terms 'SIM free' and 'Unlocked' - they are often misinterpreted: SIM free, as explained above, means the phone is being sold without a SIM Card and with no requirement to top-up at point of purchase. SIM free phones may be locked to a specific network or unlocked, and may or may not include branding and custom software.
Unlocked means the phone is not locked to a specific network: you are free to choose whichever network you like. Unlocked phones are usually unbranded and have standard software. All phones here at Raylo are fully unlocked and will accept all SIM’s, they are unbranded and come straight from Apple with standard software and one years Apple Warranty.
Note: Don’t say we didn’t warn you. There is another category of unlocked phones which are unlocked at point of sale' (UPoS). An example of a UPoS phone is SIM free phone deals bought from (for example) Carphone Warehouse – the phone is initially unlocked when you buy it, but will become locked to the network of the first SIM inserted. In truth, these are no different to network locked phones, with the exception that they have standard software. This would cause difficulty when chopping and changing to cheaper networks and removes the flexibility of being a truly Unlocked phone. The best SIM free phones are unlocked and not UPos, so don't be caught out...please. Its also worth noting that Raylo does not offer UPoS phones, they are fully unlocked iPhones.
In a nutshell, contracts that combine a phone and plan can be extremely rigid, forcing you to pay a high amount every month. By choosing a SIM only deal you’re demanding better value and more flexibility.
WHY IS SIM FREE THE FUTURE OF MOBILE?
Perhaps you’re happy with your trusty phone itself, but are you spending an eye-watering monthly bill to get it alongside your monthly allowance of data, minutes and texts?
The issue, of course, is that we’ve all become stuck in the same old way of getting our mobiles: following the familiar route and becoming complacent. Or maybe you just didn’t know there was another way to ‘do mobile’? Perhaps you’re happy with your trusty phone itself, but are you spending an eye-watering monthly bill to get it alongside your monthly allowance of data, minutes and texts?
The average person in the UK uses less than 2GB of data per month according to the Ofcom Communications Market report 2018. However the networks make us think that we need considerably more – their bundled SIM and phone contracts typically include 30-60GB per month, and up selling to 100GB or unlimited plans is common.
If you take the iPhone 12 Pro Max SIM free (or any of the latest iPhones for that matter) ; you can rid yourself of feeling a little restricted by your current contract provider. SIM only is designed to give you the exact amount of texts, calls and data you need without paying the world for the privilege. Even better, you can hold onto your current phone number when you switch to a new network on a SIM only deal. Just ask your old provider for your PAC code to move it over.
In a nutshell, contracts that combine a phone and plan can be extremely rigid, forcing you to pay a high amount every month. By choosing a SIM only deal you’re demanding better value and more flexibility.
SIM only + Raylo = THE FUTURE OF MOBILE?
HOW DO I FIND SIM FREE iPHONES?
Pay monthly SIM free phones, like the SIM free iPhone 12, are available by almost any mobile phone provider/distributor. Thus, we know trawling the internet for cheap iPhone SIM free deals can be mind numbing. Whether you’ve been looking at an 02 SIM free phone or a vodafone SIM free phone; Welcome to the wonderful world of Raylo.We give you what you are looking for in a fraction of the time and cost.
It takes 5 minutes to sign up with us, and then you get a refurbished or brand new iPhone brand new, from just £12.99 a month. Our iPhone SIM free deals provide a fully unlocked iPhone, with optional insurance against loss, theft and accidental damage and also comes with accessories. It’s the full package.
You just need to add a SIM. Find a killer deal, combine with a Raylo, and start saving money with your Raylo subscription. With Raylo, the clever bit is that you don’t actually buy your phone outright. Instead, you enjoy it for 24 months, then we send you your next upgrade and you send your old phone back to us.
It’s a virtuous circle. By not buying your phone, you’ve effectively found a way to cut out the middleman – and by adding a great value SIM only deal, you’re doing it twice over. Then you can sit back and feel awesome, because you’re officially doing mobile in a smarter, simpler more sustainable way.
Are SIM only deals the future of mobile? With the saving, flexibility and freedom they bring, we certainly think they’re part of it. And with just a small shift of perspective, you can enjoy all the benefits SIM only brings with Raylo, starting today.
Switching your provider and keeping your number – it’s easy!
The networks make it sound like switching and keeping your number is a lot of hassle. It’s not. Simply ask for your current network provider for your “PAC” (porting authorisation code), which must be provided to you immediately over the phone or within two hours by text. Once you have a PAC, it is valid for 30 days. When you provide it to your new network, they will contact your current provider to advise them of the change. This should take no more than one business day, and once the process is complete your old network contract will be cancelled automatically. Just remember that you may have to pay early termination charges.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE SPENDING ON MY SIM?
Here are a few examples of what you could be paying depending on your usage.
If you’re worried about going through your monthly limit now and again, you can leave yourself a little headroom… but new legislation allows consumers to set a monthly bill cap (your network must offer this) so you won’t get bill shock and you can decide if you need to top-up mid month.
How to be smarter with your SIM only plan
Even those already embracing the benefits of SIM only often have very little idea how much data they use each month, and the networks use this to their advantage.
If you have an iPhone you can follow these simple steps to work out your average monthly data usage.
- Go to Settings > Mobile Data
- You will see a section called “MOBILE DATA” just above the list of your apps. Take the figure for “Current Period”
- Scroll to the very bottom of the screen where you’ll see a date next to “Last Reset”. Calculate the number of full months between this date and the current date
- Your average monthly data usage in GB can be calculated by dividing the “Current Period” number by the total number of months since the “Last Reset”
