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!

Which mobile network has the fastest 5G connections?

On: Thursday, 18 February, 2021

If you’re of a certain age, you might remember how the launches of 3G and 4G were hailed as game-changing in terms of connecting to the wider world using mobile phones. Few such claims have been made about 5G, and for several good reasons...

How many smartphone manufacturers sell their phones in the UK?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Wednesday, 10 February, 2021

The mobile phone market used to be a pretty linear and limited affair. As recently as 2007, one in two smartphones sold in the UK was a Nokia. Yet Nokia’s market share had fallen to 6.5 per cent by 2010, and last year, it was below one p...

Can I upgrade to a newer version of Android?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Monday, 25 January, 2021

When T-Mobile released their G1 in October 2008, few people paid much attention to the operating system installed on it. This was an age when every smartphone manufacturer offered their own OS, including Apple, whose iOS platform had debute...

The best new smartphones of 2020

By: Neil Cumins

On: Friday, 18 December, 2020

With 2020 almost over, the internet is awash with that-was-the-year-that-was reviews. And most of them will be unutterably depressing. With that in mind, let’s turn to something more positive – a rundown of the best new smartphones of ...

Why USB-C is changing the smartphone market

By: Neil Cumins

On: Thursday, 12 November, 2020

Few of us pay much attention to the connectors and cables we use on a daily basis, but one type of plug has become increasingly ubiquitous in recent years. The USB-C connection is increasingly the default method for connecting and powering ...

Pairing wearable tech with your smartphone

By: Neil Cumins

On: Wednesday, 11 November, 2020

The importance of smartphones is reflected in how their uses have expanded far beyond the basic functions they’re theoretically meant to provide. Today, we use our mobiles as mobile data hotspots, tethering them to computers for impromptu...

Essential Android and iOS apps for 2020 and beyond

By: Neil Cumins

On: Tuesday, 10 November, 2020

Unboxing a brand-new smartphone is an exciting moment, and turning it on for the first time is also a thrill. The phone will never be this clean, this fast – or this free of apps. The average smartphone has between 60 and 90 apps installe...

Do we need 6G?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Sunday, 1 November, 2020

It’s fair to say 5G hasn’t been the game-changing event smartphone manufacturers and network operators had expected. A combination of conspiracy theories, Covid-19 restrictions on personal movement, a lack of compatible devices and the ...

What’s new in Android 11?

By: Neil Cumins

On: Thursday, 15 October, 2020

Since its debut in 2008, the Android operating system has been through numerous growing pains. Place an operating system running Android 1.0 in front of a modern smartphone user, and they might react with incredulity at the original platfor...

Tips for selling a second-hand smartphone

By: Neil Cumins

On: Wednesday, 14 October, 2020

The drop in value experienced by smartphones can be quite shocking, especially if you’re hoping to sell a relatively new device. The annual musicMagpie Phone Deprecation Report makes depressing reading for early adopters, and anyone who f...