Best SIM-only Black Friday deals still live: Offers from Three, Smarty, iD and EE

Phones are among the most-sought after products during the busiest sales period in the calendar - but it also proved a fantastic opportunity to pick up a SIM-only plan for cheaper than usual or an extra serving of data. We saw fantastic deals from networks and providers including Three, Smarty, O2, iD, Vodafone, Virgin, BT and many more.

Scroll down, and you'll find our pick of the best SIM-only plans that are still available. But since we're clear of the sales period, these are all likely to end very soon. So if you see a plan that catches your eye, don't hesitate in buying.

Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday SIM-only deals 2020

Here's our run-down of the best SIM-only offers still running in the wake of Black Friday:

• Virgin, unlimited minutes and texts, 5GB 25GB data | £12 per month
• iD, unlimited minutes, texts, 50GB data | £14 month (inc. £50 Currys gift card)
• Smarty, unlimited minutes and texts, 30GB data | £10 a month
• EE, unlimited minutes and texts, 200GB data | £25 a month (inc. Beats Flex earphones)
• Three, unlimited minutes, texts and data | £19 £17 a month

Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday SIM-only deals still live

Three SIM-only deals

Three's tariffs are well-priced across the board, and a couple of offers are still running. You can also get up to £40 cash when you refer a friend to a SIM-only deal.

• Three, unlimited minutes and texts, 12GB data | £14 £10 a month
• Three, unlimited minutes, texts and unlimited data | £19 £17 a month

iD SIM-only deals

iD also offers 30-day rolling contracts, so at the end of each month, you can change your data allowance, or cancel altogether with no consequences. Its Black Friday price drops are no longer available, but you can pick up a Currys gift card with a few contracts.

• iD, unlimited minutes, texts, 10GB data | £10 a month (inc. £25 Currys gift card)
• iD, unlimited minutes, texts, 12GB data | £12 a month (inc. £25 Currys gift card)
• iD, unlimited minutes, texts, 50GB data | £14 a month (inc. £50 Currys gift card)

Smarty SIM-only deals

Smarty also offers commitment-free monthly rolling contracts, ideal for those only after a few months of coverage. It also offers unrestricted tethering in the UK, no speed caps, no credit checks, and money back on unused data on certain contracts.

• Smarty, unlimited minutes and texts, 30GB data | £10 a month
• Smarty, unlimited minutes and texts, 50GB data | £15 £12 a month
• Smarty, unlimited minutes, texts and data | £20 £15 a month
• Smarty, unlimited minutes and texts, 1GB data | £6 a month (up to £1 back each month)
• Smarty, unlimited minutes and texts, 2GB data | £7 a month (up to £2 back a month)
• Smarty, unlimited minutes and texts, 3GB data | £8 a month (up to £3 back a month)

EE SIM-only deals

EE has the fastest 4G network in the UK as well as the widest coverage, so you may well want to consider these plans for some super-speedy data deals. Its core Black Friday offering is still running - 160GB of 5G data for £20 a month - and there's also a giveaway being offered on a couple of other plans in the form of the Beats flex earphones.

• EE, unlimited minutes and texts, 160GB 5G data | £20 a month
• EE, unlimited minutes and texts, 200GB data | £25 a month (inc. Beats Flex earphones)
• EE, unlimited minutes, texts and data | £41 a month (inc. Beats Flex earphones)

Virgin SIM-only deals

All of Virgin's SIM-only plans come with unlimited texts and minutes, data rollover, and data-free messaging. If you have Virgin TV or broadband you can take advantage of the Family Plan, meaning you'll receive discounts if you have two or more SIMs with Virgin – see our Virgin Media Cyber Monday deals page for their TV and broadband offers.

• Virgin, unlimited minutes and texts, 5GB 25GB data | £12 per month

BT Mobile SIM-only deals

BT Mobile has rolled out a series of Black Friday discounts on its SIM-only packages, which are likely to most appeal to pre-existing BT Broadband customers, given that £5 difference on each plan. The offer ends on 3 December – you can also see BT's TV and broadband offers on our BT Cyber Monday deals page.

• BT Mobile, unlimited minutes and texts, 4GB 6GB data | £14 a month (£9 for BT Broadband customers)
• BT Mobile, unlimited minutes and texts, 12GB 15GB data | £17 a month (£12 for BT Broadband customers)
• BT Mobile, unlimited minutes and texts, 10GB 20GB data | £15 a month (£10 for BT Broadband customers)
• BT Mobile, unlimited minutes and texts, 30GB data, BT Sport app included | £21 £20 a month (£16 £15 for BT Broadband customers)
• BT Mobile, unlimited minutes and texts, 25GB 50GB data, BT Sport App included |£20 a month (£15 for BT Broadband customers)
• BT Mobile, unlimited minutes and texts, 60GB data, BT Sport app included | £25 a month (£20 for BT Broadband customers)

What SIM-only deals were there last year?

Three and EE, in particular, had great deals last year – particularly if you were after a generous helping of data:

• Three, unlimited minutes and texts, 100GB data | £17 a month
• Three, unlimited minutes, texts and data | £18 a month
• Voxi, unlimited minutes and texts, 6GB Data | £10 a month
• Smarty, unlimited minutes and texts, 50GB data | £15 £12 a month.
• EE, unlimited minutes and texts, 100GB data | £29 a month
• EE, unlimited minutes and texts, 160GB | £20 a month
• Virgin, unlimited minutes and texts, 10GB data | £15 £10 per month
• Virgin, unlimited minutes and texts, 6GB 36GB data | £13 per month

Is Cyber Monday a good time to get a SIM-only contract?

Yes! Cyber Monday is a great time to get a good SIM-only contract. It's not just phone contracts that go on offer but SIM-only contracts, too. Better yet, the contract will likely expire around the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend once again meaning you can get your next SIM on offer too.

Few other sales events see such great discounts for SIM-only contracts, and you'll be enjoying the benefits of the deal not just now but for the entire length of your contract. You will, of course, need a mobile to go with your SIM – and Cyber Monday is a great time to buy a smartphone upfront at a great price.

What does SIM-only mean?

Exactly as it sounds – SIM-only means you're only buying the SIM card and the included minutes, texts, and data without a mobile. It helps differentiate from phone contracts, which include a mobile phone as well as a SIM card.

How to choose a SIM-only deal

The majority of SIM-only deals these days already come with unlimited minutes and texts, the main decision you'll have to make is how much data you need.

This will vary depending on how much you use your phone out of your home, and what exactly you use your phone for. Those who stream video while on the move – whether it be through video calls, YouTube, or other streaming services – would want to look at the higher end of data allowance, perhaps even unlimited. Video streaming is one of the fastest ways to drain data, especially in high definition.

Those who rarely video stream or prefer to download first don't need aim quite so high, however – depending on your usage you shouldn't need to go over 10GB. It's worth checking what data allowance you have at the moment, and see if and how often that runs out and then add a gigabyte or two accordingly.

The perks of certain network providers may just swing it for some – Smarty and ID and Voxi all offer 30-day rolling contracts for those who don't want to commit, and O2's offer of up to a year of free Disney+ may sway parents and Disney fans alike. VOXI also allows customers to use social media without using data – perfect for data-hungry apps such as Snapchat.

Should I get a 5G contract?

Firstly, you will, of course, need to make sure you have a 5G compatible mobile, as 5G support only became widely used this year. It may then come down to an issue of price – 5G SIMs tend to be more expensive at the moment, so you'll have to weigh up whether the extra cost is worth high-speed connectivity.

5G is still in its infancy in the UK – it may be worth researching the coverage in your area first, or perhaps waiting a tad longer for the kinks to be ironed out.

However, those constantly on the move may well appreciate the significant speed boost that 5G can bring as soon as possible.

Read more on Cyber Monday

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Our experts are working hard to source and research the best deals for you. For the cheapest and latest Black Friday offers still in stock, read our Cyber Monday deals guide. And for more tech discounts, check out the technology section.

Wondering what to watch? Visit our TV Guide.