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 ensure your next phone stands out from the crowd

On: Sunday, 18 July, 2021

To most people, a mobile phone is an object of modest aspiration, whose practicality trumps aesthetics or status. A professional photographer will be drawn to the handset with the best camera setup, while a construction worker may prioritis...

How to protect your smartphone without buying a plastic case

By: Neil Cumins

On: Saturday, 10 July, 2021

Today, it’s possible to spend as much as £1,500 buying a mainstream smartphone. Admittedly, that amount of money will purchase a high-end device like the iPhone 12 Pro Max, with its 6.7-inch screen, ultra-wide-angle camera lens and LiDAR...

A beginner’s guide to latency

By: Neil Cumins

On: Friday, 2 July, 2021

Everything a digital device does needs to be explained in zeroes and ones, and this translation from English programming languages explains why certain actions take longer than we’d like. Similarly, everything a digital device does online...

What was the first version of Android like to use?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Wednesday, 30 June, 2021

It’s well-known that Apple was the first company to launch an app store, sealing the fate of the proprietary operating systems used by other mobile phone manufacturers. What’s often forgotten is that Google had been developing a similar...

How to: use a VPN on a smartphone

By: Neil Cumins

On: Tuesday, 22 June, 2021

For a $31 billion industry, it’s safe to say the virtual private network sector has remained largely below the public radar. Many consumers don’t know what a VPN is or how it works, and they’re certainly not inclined to start using a ...

The best and worst big cities for high-speed mobile broadband

By: Neil Cumins

On: Sunday, 20 June, 2021

Like many other aspects of modern life, mobile broadband speeds are often a postcode lottery. The inconsistent rollout of 5G services has left 4G carrying a heavy burden, and the lack of an urban equivalent to the Shared Rural Network means...

Has smartphone evolution run out of steam?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Friday, 18 June, 2021

In terms of technology, the 2000s represented an exciting time to be alive. Having seen off the Y2K ‘bug’, the decade passed in a blur of innovation and great leaps forward. Dial-up internet gave way to broadband. Cathode ray TVs were r...

How to get a higher resale price for your old handset

By: Neil Cumins

On: Thursday, 10 June, 2021

Even in today’s environmentally aware society, smartphones remain a uniquely disposable commodity. Despite noble efforts by manufacturers like Fairphone, whose modular smartphone’s replaceable components ensure it’ll last for many yea...

Which mobile network is the fastest?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Tuesday, 1 June, 2021

It’s easy to forget that the UK’s big four mobile networks all have their own infrastructure in place across the country. Unlike broadband providers who generally fall back on the Openreach network if their own infrastructure is lacking...

How different phone number prefixes can cost you more than you expected

By: Neil Cumins

On: Friday, 28 May, 2021

If you’ve ever looked at a mobile phone bill and winced, you’ve probably had a recent experience with premium rate phone number prefixes. It’s easy to forget you made calls to unusual numbers a few weeks ago – until your bill (or te...