May 30, 2013, 7:52 pm
Last edit by: Silver Fox
This is a stub Wiki for this thread - the idea is that any member can edit it to keep it up to date as a distillation of the best info from the thread.
3 - 200MB Free data SIM
3 - 15 pounds for 300 minutes, 3000 texts, and unlimited 3G data for a month (http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=112) The deal might not be dead but to buy the addon you need to switch WiFi off (!!) and open http://three.co.uk/my3 on your device as this unlinked support page says. Three customer service and store both says this doesn't work with tablets -- however customer service are idiots and doesn't know what is a tablet only knows phones and iPads (both phone and chat -- this is apparently company level). Tread carefully. Anyways, this method still worked on January 13, 2015.
Note the GBP15 all you can eat deal has now been pulled(Note 8/3/16: All in one with All you can eat data is now GBP25): http://www.threemicrosites.co.uk/AIO20B
If you don't want to buy a bundle or a plan, Three's flat rate for calls is now 3p per minute. The expiry time of one month or three months for topups has now been removed. So you pay only 3p per call minute for what you use.
Three's data is only 1p per MB, and you can buy packages (eg 500MB for 5 pounds). The packages ("add-ons") may not save money directly, but those data packages are eligible for use in "Feel at Home" countries (Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Macau, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Sweden, USA) at no extra charge. See http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-...se=EXT(EM11925)
EE: http://shop.ee.co.uk/price-plans/free-sim
Vodafone: https://freesim.vodafone.co.uk
O2: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/
giffgaff: www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/nfh (Ł5 free credit) or www.giffgaff.com/orders/free-sim (no free credit)
Three: https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order
How do I top up with an overseas card, or can I use PayPal?
Strangely, some firms insist that you must use a UK issued credit card to topup. Some do take PayPal:
Giffgaff
Vodafone
But it is not as prevalent as it should bein this day and age admittedly. There is a firm that some people have reported success with and they are:
https://www.mobiletopup.co.uk/
What frequencies are used in the UK?
There are a total of 5 different frequencies used in the UK used by the mobile networks to deliver their 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services.
800MHz (Band 20)
900MHz (Band 8)
1800MHz (Band 3)
2100MHz (Band 1)
2600MHz (Band 7)
Here's a chart for iPhones and which bands each model can use. http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
If you're not sure which model you have, look on the back of your iPhone or go into Settings-->General-->About-->Legal-->Regulatory
iphone 5 users note that: iPhone 5 cannot get 4G/LTE on the 800MHz or 2600MHz frequencies but it can on the 1800 frequency.
For other users there are a number of resources to check the frequency your phone supports including:
Global Certification Forum
As an example this is the data for a Samsung J1 Ace SM-J111F
GSMARENA
What frequencies do the different operators use?
Each operator in the UK utilises different frequencies to deliver their mobile networks with the core networks being EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. Then there are also operators, called mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), who utilise the backend of the core networks to offer their own services.
The frequencies used by the major UK networks are:
EE (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz & 2600MHz
O2 (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Vodafone (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 2600MHz
Three (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHZ
The frequencies used by UK’s MVNO’s are listed below:
Asda Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
BT Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
iD Mobile (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz
Freedom Pop (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHz
GiffGaff (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Lebara Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
LycaMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
TalkMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
TalkTalk (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Tesco Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
The People’s Operator (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
Virgin Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz, & 2600MHz
Please add and edit!
3 - 200MB Free data SIM
3 - 15 pounds for 300 minutes, 3000 texts, and unlimited 3G data for a month (http://store.three.co.uk/view/searchSimOnly?tariff=112) The deal might not be dead but to buy the addon you need to switch WiFi off (!!) and open http://three.co.uk/my3 on your device as this unlinked support page says. Three customer service and store both says this doesn't work with tablets -- however customer service are idiots and doesn't know what is a tablet only knows phones and iPads (both phone and chat -- this is apparently company level). Tread carefully. Anyways, this method still worked on January 13, 2015.
Note the GBP15 all you can eat deal has now been pulled(Note 8/3/16: All in one with All you can eat data is now GBP25): http://www.threemicrosites.co.uk/AIO20B
If you don't want to buy a bundle or a plan, Three's flat rate for calls is now 3p per minute. The expiry time of one month or three months for topups has now been removed. So you pay only 3p per call minute for what you use.
Three's data is only 1p per MB, and you can buy packages (eg 500MB for 5 pounds). The packages ("add-ons") may not save money directly, but those data packages are eligible for use in "Feel at Home" countries (Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Indonesia, Macau, Ireland, Sri Lanka, Sweden, USA) at no extra charge. See http://support.three.co.uk/SRVS/CGI-...se=EXT(EM11925)
EE: http://shop.ee.co.uk/price-plans/free-sim
Vodafone: https://freesim.vodafone.co.uk
O2: https://www.o2.co.uk/freesim/
giffgaff: www.giffgaff.com/orders/affiliate/nfh (Ł5 free credit) or www.giffgaff.com/orders/free-sim (no free credit)
Three: https://www.three.co.uk/Support/Free_SIM/Order
How do I top up with an overseas card, or can I use PayPal?
Strangely, some firms insist that you must use a UK issued credit card to topup. Some do take PayPal:
Giffgaff
Vodafone
But it is not as prevalent as it should bein this day and age admittedly. There is a firm that some people have reported success with and they are:
https://www.mobiletopup.co.uk/
What frequencies are used in the UK?
There are a total of 5 different frequencies used in the UK used by the mobile networks to deliver their 2G, 3G and 4G mobile services.
800MHz (Band 20)
900MHz (Band 8)
1800MHz (Band 3)
2100MHz (Band 1)
2600MHz (Band 7)
Here's a chart for iPhones and which bands each model can use. http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
If you're not sure which model you have, look on the back of your iPhone or go into Settings-->General-->About-->Legal-->Regulatory
iphone 5 users note that: iPhone 5 cannot get 4G/LTE on the 800MHz or 2600MHz frequencies but it can on the 1800 frequency.
For other users there are a number of resources to check the frequency your phone supports including:
Global Certification Forum
As an example this is the data for a Samsung J1 Ace SM-J111F
GSMARENA
What frequencies do the different operators use?
Each operator in the UK utilises different frequencies to deliver their mobile networks with the core networks being EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. Then there are also operators, called mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), who utilise the backend of the core networks to offer their own services.
The frequencies used by the major UK networks are:
EE (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz & 2600MHz
O2 (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Vodafone (2G) 900MHz & 1800MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 2600MHz
Three (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHZ
The frequencies used by UK’s MVNO’s are listed below:
Asda Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
BT Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
iD Mobile (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 1800MHz
Freedom Pop (2G) N/A (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz & 1800MHz
GiffGaff (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Lebara Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
LycaMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
TalkMobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) N/A
TalkTalk (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
Tesco Mobile (2G) 900MHz (3G) 900MHz & 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz
The People’s Operator (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz & 2100MHz
Virgin Mobile (2G) 1800MHz (3G) 2100MHz (4G LTE) 800MHz, 1800MHz, & 2600MHz
Please add and edit!
Prepaid SIM - UK/Great Britain/England/Scotland/Wales
Jan 7, 2013, 11:32 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Shanwick
Posts: 3,117
Prepaid SIM - UK/Great Britain/England/Scotland/Wales
Some UK airport WH Smith stores have started selling the UK version of Toggle - a Lyca Mobile brand. The main differentiatior is multi-IMSI capabilities. There is a group of countries which attract lower call/data rates and for which local numbers can be acquired. These "Toggle" countries currently include: Australia, France, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany & Poland.
Local numbers free for 30 days or 5 GBP/year to keep.
Details at: www.togglemobile.co.uk
Web site is currently offering a free Toggle SIM card to UK addresses:
https://account.togglemobile.co.uk/f...t.aspx?lang=EN
There is also a Netherlands version of the product at http://www.togglemobile.nl
At 15p/Mb the data isn't the cheapest but the list of countries that attract the low rate is good so not bad for city hopping with a smartphone. The UK version of the product has also started offering data bundles for use in the UK.
In some ways Toggle seems to be delivering what Truphone teased for so long....
UK numbers are 07438 Lyca numbers so may be chargeable from T-Mobile UK lines due to their longstanding disagreement.
Local numbers free for 30 days or 5 GBP/year to keep.
Details at: www.togglemobile.co.uk
Web site is currently offering a free Toggle SIM card to UK addresses:
https://account.togglemobile.co.uk/f...t.aspx?lang=EN
There is also a Netherlands version of the product at http://www.togglemobile.nl
At 15p/Mb the data isn't the cheapest but the list of countries that attract the low rate is good so not bad for city hopping with a smartphone. The UK version of the product has also started offering data bundles for use in the UK.
In some ways Toggle seems to be delivering what Truphone teased for so long....
UK numbers are 07438 Lyca numbers so may be chargeable from T-Mobile UK lines due to their longstanding disagreement.
Last edited by CelticFlyer; Jan 7, 2013 at 11:37 am
Jan 25, 2013, 6:38 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,303
Some UK airport WH Smith stores have started selling the UK version of Toggle - a Lyca Mobile brand. The main differentiatior is multi-IMSI capabilities. There is a group of countries which attract lower call/data rates and for which local numbers can be acquired. These "Toggle" countries currently include: Australia, France, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany & Poland.
Local numbers free for 30 days or 5 GBP/year to keep.
Details at: www.togglemobile.co.uk
Web site is currently offering a free Toggle SIM card to UK addresses:
Local numbers free for 30 days or 5 GBP/year to keep.
Details at: www.togglemobile.co.uk
Web site is currently offering a free Toggle SIM card to UK addresses:
Topup minimum is 10 GBP and they also take PayPal now. It does seem handy for city hopping with a smartphone.
Jan 26, 2013, 10:30 pm
#3
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: YYZ
Programs: AC, AA, UA, BA, Hilton
Posts: 2,907
They'll also mail the SIM to the USA. I requested it via their contact page. There's a free sim offer without credit going on until Jan 30 which was already extended a few times.
Topup minimum is 10 GBP and they also take PayPal now. It does seem handy for city hopping with a smartphone.
Topup minimum is 10 GBP and they also take PayPal now. It does seem handy for city hopping with a smartphone.
Can anyone using the Toggle service let us know as to call quality and roaming outside the major cities? Also, reading their T&C's says that your info also goes to India and you agree that by activating the sim that your information would then be available to third parties, including your birthdate. Doesn't that invite lots of spam mail and possibly security issues?
bj-21.
Jan 28, 2013, 4:23 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,303
Can anyone using the Toggle service let us know as to call quality and roaming outside the major cities? Also, reading their T&C's says that your info also goes to India and you agree that by activating the sim that your information would then be available to third parties, including your birthdate. Doesn't that invite lots of spam mail and possibly security issues?
bj-21.
bj-21.
Feb 3, 2013, 1:09 pm
#5
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5
Hey guys
I used to live in the UK and had a UK phone so didn't have to deal with SIMs. Here's what I'm wondering:
I'm on AT&T with a Galaxy S3 phone:
Can I just get off the plane, buy a pre-paid SIM (probably O2) with messages and data, switch it out with my US SIM - and I'm all set? I'm worried my US phone is gonna not work with the SIM or not be compatible.
Is there anything else I need to do?
Sorry for being a noob - heh.
thanks!
I'm on AT&T with a Galaxy S3 phone:
Can I just get off the plane, buy a pre-paid SIM (probably O2) with messages and data, switch it out with my US SIM - and I'm all set? I'm worried my US phone is gonna not work with the SIM or not be compatible.
Is there anything else I need to do?
Sorry for being a noob - heh.
thanks!
Feb 3, 2013, 1:11 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
I used to live in the UK and had a UK phone so didn't have to deal with SIMs. Here's what I'm wondering:
I'm on AT&T with a Galaxy S3 phone:
Can I just get off the plane, buy a pre-paid SIM (probably O2) with messages and data, switch it out with my US SIM - and I'm all set? I'm worried my US phone is gonna not work with the SIM or not be compatible.
Is there anything else I need to do?
Sorry for being a noob - heh.
thanks!
I'm on AT&T with a Galaxy S3 phone:
Can I just get off the plane, buy a pre-paid SIM (probably O2) with messages and data, switch it out with my US SIM - and I'm all set? I'm worried my US phone is gonna not work with the SIM or not be compatible.
Is there anything else I need to do?
Sorry for being a noob - heh.
thanks!
If you have had your phone for more than two years (not likely, as the S3 is not that old), you can ask AT&T to SIM-unlock it for you, in which case you can then use a non-AT&T SIM in it. If it is not yet two years old, you can search for some services online who may be able to help you (not quite legitimately) SIM-unlock the phone for you.
Feb 3, 2013, 1:15 pm
#7
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5
If your Galaxy S3 is SIM-locked, which it likely is if you purchased it from AT&T in the U.S., then you will not be able to use a non-AT&T SIM in it.
If you have had your phone for more than two years (not likely, as the S3 is not that old), you can ask AT&T to SIM-unlock it for you, in which case you can then use a non-AT&T SIM in it. If it is not yet two years old, you can search for some services online who may be able to help you (not quite legitimately) SIM-unlock the phone for you.
If you have had your phone for more than two years (not likely, as the S3 is not that old), you can ask AT&T to SIM-unlock it for you, in which case you can then use a non-AT&T SIM in it. If it is not yet two years old, you can search for some services online who may be able to help you (not quite legitimately) SIM-unlock the phone for you.
So what would be my options then? I have an iPhone 4 that I no longer use (it's what I had before the S3) and that one is more than two years old. Would I be able to buy a UK Sim and use it in that one? It's a normal sized SIM (not mini or micro).
Does it seem like that would work? Otherwise I might have to buy a whole phone over there and I don't fancy it.
How about Holiday Phone? Would that work in either case?
Thanks SO Much.
Feb 3, 2013, 1:33 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Hey thanks! What a quick response.
So what would be my options then? I have an iPhone 4 that I no longer use (it's what I had before the S3) and that one is more than two years old. Would I be able to buy a UK Sim and use it in that one? It's a normal sized SIM (not mini or micro).
Does it seem like that would work? Otherwise I might have to buy a whole phone over there and I don't fancy it.
How about Holiday Phone? Would that work in either case?
Thanks SO Much.
So what would be my options then? I have an iPhone 4 that I no longer use (it's what I had before the S3) and that one is more than two years old. Would I be able to buy a UK Sim and use it in that one? It's a normal sized SIM (not mini or micro).
Does it seem like that would work? Otherwise I might have to buy a whole phone over there and I don't fancy it.
How about Holiday Phone? Would that work in either case?
Thanks SO Much.
I'm sorry, I don't know what a Holiday Phone is.
Feb 3, 2013, 2:05 pm
#10
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5
Your iPhone 4 should work if it's an AT&T phone (I did the same with my old iPhone 4, which I then used with a Claro SIM in Peru). However, you'll need to get AT&T to unlock it before you leave. You might be able to do that by going to an AT&T or Apple store; otherwise, you may need to do some research online to see how to get it unlocked by AT&T over the phone since it's no longer your active phone. Those instructions are probably a bit beyond the scope of this thread, but it should be doable.
I'm sorry, I don't know what a Holiday Phone is.
I'm sorry, I don't know what a Holiday Phone is.
By all counts - I should now be able to put a prepaid UK micro-SIM into it and use it while I'm in the UK? Hope so!
Feb 3, 2013, 2:15 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
Congratulations! Yes, it should work. If you have access to a friend with a non-AT&T SIM card, it might be worth testing, but it should work. (It did for me.)
Feb 3, 2013, 2:56 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SGF
Programs: AS, AA, UA, AGR S (former 75K, GLD, 1K, and S+, now an elite peon)
Posts: 23,194
It should, although keep in mind that Sprint (and Verizon, for that matter) is a CDMA carrier, which uses a completely different technology and frequency band than AT&T's and T-Mobile's GSM phones (GSM is also used by the rest of the world--Sprint and Verizon are the outliers). Don't be surprised if you put your buddy's Sprint card in in and you don't get a signal. However, if you put the SIM card in and you do not get an error (i.e. it looks like the phone works fine except it can't get a signal), you should be good. If you put the SIM card in and get an error about the SIM not being for the right network (I don't recall the exact text of the error), then it likely won't work in the UK.