Be a sim-only saver Could you join the phone users shunning bundles?

People are switching to deals with better flexibility and value, and there are a rising number of providers

- Shane Hickey

More people are rejecting mobile "bundles" that include a new phone and data contract, and are increasingly turning to sim-only deals that offer better value for money.

A growing number of consumers are not getting a new phone when they change their mobile contract and are instead holding on to their existing handset or buying a secondhand one, according to market analysts.

The trend towards opting for sim-only deals, which often offer more flexibility, is a reversal of the trend of recent years, when the majority of people had bundled phones and contracts.

Research from the technology analyst CCS Insight shows that more than 40% of people now have sim-only deals more than have traditional bundled deals or pay-as-you-go plans. A decade ago, sim-only deals were far less prevalent, it says.

Joe Gardiner, an analyst at the firm, says moving to a sim-only deal allows consumers to save a significant amount of money as they don't have to pay off the value of the bundled device.

"In 2024, 4.4m new phones were sold sim-free in the UK... because more customers are buying phones from non-carrier channels such as direct from the manufacturer, like Apple or Samsung," he says.

So as mid-contract price rises come in for many, how can you take advantage of a sim-only deal?

Why should you change?