Home › How we compare
How we compare mobile phone contracts and SIM-only deals
A headline price is only part of the story. Compare the features, costs and conditions together to decide whether an offer suits you.
Our comparison approach · Updated
Start with the whole cost
Compare the upfront payment and all scheduled monthly payments over the stated comparison period. Include the price rises and introductory discounts shown for that offer, not just the first month's price.
Keep the terms together
A 48-month device plan is not a 24-month phone contract. Where device and airtime terms differ, check both end dates and the payment breakdown. Finishing the airtime minimum term does not automatically clear the remaining device balance.
When a network provider says prices may rise without giving future amounts, that uncertainty remains. An unknown rise is not a promise of a fixed price.
Check what a saving needs
A voucher needs the stated code and eligibility. Clubcard prices need Tesco Clubcard eligibility. Cashback, trade-in and gifts are different from money automatically taken off your bill.
Compare the total shown with and without a code where available, then check the retailer has accepted it before placing an order.
For SIM-only, check the price after the promotion
Check how long an introductory price lasts, the price afterwards and any joining cost. A “first year estimate” on a rolling plan is a comparison over 12 months, not a 12-month commitment or a guarantee that the price will stay unchanged. Match the billing period and minimum term before comparing totals.
A simple example, not a current offer
- Upfront
- £30
- First 12 months at £20
- £240
- Next 12 months at £22
- £264
- 24-month total
- £534
The lowest monthly price and lowest upfront price on a model page may come from different deals. Use one complete listing for your comparison.
Compare like with like
This page currently covers our UK pay-monthly phone and SIM-only comparisons. GetLow lists offers from the network providers and retailers shown in each comparison's filters. We do not claim to include every deal in the market, every negotiated upgrade or every customer-only offer.
The same phone is not always the same deal
Match storage, colour, new or refurbished condition, data, network, upfront cost and both contract terms. Colours can have different prices or stock. For refurbished phones, compare the grade, battery policy, warranty and returns terms at the retailer.
Our phone-deal selection has limits
Tesco phone listings focus on Clubcard offers. Direct Three and Vodafone phone offers use a cheapest-total selection rather than every payment permutation. Separate Three affiliate phone offers are not restricted to that selection. These are phone-deal selection rules, not restrictions on the SIM-only comparison. Availability and coverage vary by model.
For SIM-only, compare the service as well as the data
Check the network provider, underlying network, data, minutes, texts, speed limits, roaming allowance and eligibility. If you want an eSIM, check support for your exact phone and plan. An underlying network label does not mean every network provider offers identical features or terms.
Sorting by monthly price answers a different question from sorting by total cost. Suggestions for more data are alternatives, not a claim that everyone needs a larger allowance.
A listing is not a stock reservation
We collect retailer and network provider data, check it before publication and test representative deal links. Those samples do not prove every offer is still available. Prices, vouchers, eligibility and stock can change between our checks and your visit.
Delivery dates are retailer estimates, not GetLow guarantees. Check the exact variant and postcode requirements. Preorder or expected-stock dates are different from an in-stock next-day offer.
Phone and SIM-only deal links use a GetLow bridge before taking you to a retailer or network provider. Some open a selected basket; others require you to choose the matching options on the destination page. Check the selected offer and final payment schedule before you order.
For a physical SIM, check the network provider's delivery estimate. For an eSIM, check its activation instructions and your device's compatibility; a postal delivery message is not an activation-time guarantee.
Useful guides, without invented tests
Our phone guides explain published manufacturer specifications and retailer listings. Unless a page explicitly documents a hands-on test, it is a specification-based buying guide, not a GetLow laboratory review.
Battery life, charging and brightness figures keep their source and test conditions. A larger battery or a newer chip does not, by itself, prove better everyday performance. Our provisional GetLow ratings are specification-based editorial judgements, not hands-on test results or customer averages.
Each rated model has a dated assessment explaining its useful features, practical compromises, intended buyer and value proposition. On our ten-point scale, 9-10 is exceptional on paper, 8-8.5 a strong shortlist choice, 7-7.5 good for the right buyer, 5-6.5 substantially compromised and 1-4.5 difficult to recommend. These are qualitative judgements, not benchmark calculations. Basic and accessibility phones are assessed for their intended use.
A model rating does not certify every contract price or the condition of a refurbished unit. Compare the actual total cost, grade, warranty and battery policy separately. Unannounced Rumour Mill phones await confirmed launch details before receiving a numerical rating. Missing assessments never receive a score generated from the phone's name.
Product photos should match the model and feature discussed. Explanatory illustrations and rumour concepts are labelled; they are not teardown photographs or camera samples. Rumour Mill information stays separate from confirmed specifications.
Free to compare. Clear about funding.
GetLow compares offers; we do not sell the products or services listed. You buy or subscribe with the retailer, network provider or other service provider you choose, whose terms apply.
GetLow is free to use. We may earn a commission when you follow an affiliate link and make a qualifying purchase or sign-up. The retailer or network provider pays that commission, sometimes through an affiliate network. GetLow does not add a comparison fee.
Read our affiliate disclosure for our funding and ranking policy. Compare the final retailer offer carefully: eligibility and exclusive promotions can differ between routes.
Something does not match?
Tell us about a mistake. Include the GetLow deal or page link, retailer or network provider and the price or detail that differs. For a phone, include the model, storage, colour and condition; for a SIM-only plan, include the data allowance and term. A screenshot and the time you checked help us trace the source. Please do not send passwords, payment details or private basket information.