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.

Is there a topic you’d like to see covered here? Let us know!

How do our mobile networks compare to other countries?

On: Wednesday, 27 November, 2019

It’s often said that travel broadens the mind, and that’s especially true of smartphone networks. If you’ve never ventured beyond these shores, you might assume Three and EE are household names around the world. Of course, you’d be ...

How do wireless earphones work?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Tuesday, 26 November, 2019

The benefits of wire-free headsets have been recognised ever since NASA pioneered wireless technology for their astronauts in the early 1960s. Four decades later, the development of Bluetooth saw Noughties trend-setters sporting a wireless ...

What will Ofcom’s latest 5G bandwidth auction mean for consumers?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Monday, 25 November, 2019

Given our increasing reliance on smartphones, and the 4G cellular network’s difficulty in providing rapid data transfers, the launch of 5G has been widely welcomed. Although consumer uptake has been slow so far, there’s no question that...

The benefits of buying a new but previous-generation smartphone

By: Neil Cumins

On: Friday, 22 November, 2019

In recent years, smartphone manufacturers have substantially increased the price of their flagship handsets, arguably without delivering equivalent upgrades and rewards. The iPhone X was a ground-breaking device in that it cost almost £1,0...

How phones have evolved since 2010

By: Neil Cumins

On: Saturday, 12 October, 2019

If the photo above this article elicits a pang of nostalgia, you’re old enough to remember that mobile phones haven’t always been sophisticated miniature computers. Millennial phones offered texting and rudimentary gaming, but little el...

Smartphone camera jargon buster

By: Neil Cumins

On: Tuesday, 8 October, 2019

In theory, smartphone cameras have the relatively simple job of taking a picture when you press a button on the phone body or screen. In reality, there are numerous technical challenges involved in capturing a high-quality image. As a resul...

Dos and don’ts when charging smartphones

By: Neil Cumins

On: Friday, 4 October, 2019

Across the UK, millions of people take their phones to bed and plug them into a wall socket to charge overnight. And, as it turns out, those people are all making a big mistake. A growing body of evidence suggests charging smartphones to 10...

Why are smartphone sales falling?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Tuesday, 1 October, 2019

To no great surprise, smartphone sales fell again in the second quarter of this year, with only Samsung and Huawei reporting stronger sales. However, a recent trade ban by the United States has prevented Huawei from loading Google apps onto...

What is wireless phone charging and do I need it?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Saturday, 28 September, 2019

If you’re still charging your smartphone with a cable, enjoy it while it lasts. The way ahead seems to be wireless. Most flagship smartphones now have wireless charging capabilities built in, and it seems likely that others will follow. B...

Should I choose Android or iOS?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Tuesday, 24 September, 2019

Since the late Noughties, two rival smartphone operating systems have competed for the hearts and minds of consumers around the world. Both have more similarities than differences. Yet as consumers, we’re often too deeply enmeshed in eith...