SIM Only Guides & Advice

In-depth information to make you a smarter shopper.

We spend hours searching, trialling and testing – then make these guides so that you don’t have to.

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How to capture stable video footage on your phone

On: Sunday, 10 October, 2021

Handheld mobile phone footage has become ubiquitous in the modern age, from social media updates to eyewitness accounts of live events. However, these are often a hard watch – and not necessarily because of what’s being filmed. Wobbly a...

Why the UK has fictitious phone numbers set aside for film and TV

By: Neil Cumins

On: Saturday, 2 October, 2021

The next time you’re watching an episode of Sherlock or EastEnders, you might notice phone numbers appearing in the background of certain scenes. They may be listed on a poster on a pub wall, displayed on a taxi’s door vinyls, or listed...

The pros and cons of wireless headphones

By: Neil Cumins

On: Thursday, 23 September, 2021

It’s not often that a modern piece of technology can trace its lineage directly back to the Victorian age, but the 3.5mm headphone jack has been with us for almost 150 years. In the 1870s, the fledgling telephone network adopted half-inch...

Tips for editing video footage

By: Neil Cumins

On: Thursday, 16 September, 2021

If you’ve ever attempted to watch footage you recorded during a holiday, concert or family occasion, you’ve probably been disappointed with the footage. Smartphone cameras tend to be grainy when viewed on a large screen. Sound reproduct...

How to link your smartphone to your TV

By: Neil Cumins

On: Thursday, 9 September, 2021

Smartphones have become our windows onto the world, but these compact devices are still inherently limited in their audio-visual capabilities. Even with a six-inch screen and a 4K resolution, a smartphone can’t provide an immersive cinema...

How latency affects the mobile experience

By: Neil Cumins

On: Friday, 3 September, 2021

A time-honoured trick used by humourists and comedians involves the principle of delayed reaction. ‘My dog’s got no nose.’ ‘How does he smell?’ A long silence follows, while the audience grow increasingly expectant. ‘Awful.’...

Using the Tor browser on a smartphone

By: Neil Cumins

On: Sunday, 29 August, 2021

Like certain dog breeds or brands of German cars, the Tor browser has become guilty by association in the eyes of many people. The actions of a malignant minority are enough to tarnish an entire brand, and a similar fate has befallen the To...

Tips for quickly adding charge to your phone battery

By: Neil Cumins

On: Monday, 23 August, 2021

It’s a common scenario. Just before leaving the house, you notice a red battery symbol in the corner of your smartphone screen. Disaster! It’s down to ten per cent! Suddenly, a nightmarish future unspools before your eyes – one involv...

How to perform a full factory reset on Android handsets

By: Neil Cumins

On: Sunday, 22 August, 2021

There comes a time in every smartphone’s life where its replacement sits alongside it, looking pristine in cellophane, patiently waiting to take its place. For many handsets, that time comes a mere twelve months after it was itself unboxe...

A beginner’s guide to USB-C cables

By: Neil Cumins

On: Saturday, 21 August, 2021

Since they first entered our lives, mobile phones have always been supplied with cables. Initially, these were purely used to replenish the battery. Then, as dumb phones gave way to smartphones, cables became a way to transfer media files. ...