Mobile network Three has slashed the price of its SIM-only deals. If you already own a smartphone and don’t fancy an upgrade, you can sign-up to one of these brilliant SIM-only plans to unlock lightning-fast 5G data downloads, unlimited minutes and unlimited text messages. And for a limited time, Three is offering its 8GB SIM-only bundle for £5 a month.
The latest deal means you’ll get half-price monthly bills during the first six months of your contract. So, you’ll only have to spend £5 a month to unlock unlimited text messages, unlimited calls, and 8GB of 5G data. Not only that, but Three also throws-in its Go Roam Around The World, which lets you use your minutes, texts and mobile data as normal in 71 countries across the planet.
Compared with rivals EE and O2, which have announced plans to bring back roaming charges each day you’re in Europe – something that’s now allowed following the UK’s exit from the European Union – Three’s roaming policy seems even more generous than before.
Three says its 5G network is roughly 10x faster than its 4G speeds. In our speed tests with 5G handsets, we’ve clocked speeds anywhere from 200Mbps to 500Mbps, depending on our location. For comparison, the average home broadband speed in the UK, as recorded earlier this year, is roughly 70Mbps. So, you’ll be able to download movies and stream Netflix shows easier on your phone than your home Wi-Fi connection. That’s especially handy if you’re struggling with buffering during an important video call.
Under the terms of the contract, Three allows its customers to use their 5G-powered phone to bring Wi-Fi to other gadgets. That’s handy if you’re trying to work in a train carriage, coffee shop, or garden.
Of course, to benefit from these supercharged mobile speeds you’ll need to make sure your phone is 5G-compatible. When it comes to Android, 5G handsets have been around for a while, so it’s possible your device is ready-to-go and you didn’t even realise. Apple introduced 5G to the iPhone last year, so you’ll need to make sure you have one of the latest models, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max.
After the six-month promotional period, the SIM-only reverts to £10 a month, although that’s still a pretty solid deal. If you’d rather keep paying £5 a month for the duration of your contract, Three offers a plan at that cost… but you’ll have to settle for 1GB of mobile data allowance.