Unlimited Data

As odd as it might sound, not every network offers unlimited data mobile contracts. The four major UK mobile networks - EE, O2, Vodafone and Three Mobile - all feature unlimited data packages in their plan range. But some smaller MVNOs focused mostly on price do not. The more data you include, the higher your contract price. The EE unlimited data plans include Smart Benefits that boost the value of your monthly contract, while budget-orientated MVNOs like Plusnet Mobile and Talkmobile don’t offer unlimited data packages in a bid to keep monthly costs down. If it's cheap mobile packages you’re after, move down the data charts.

Switch to a sim only plan and save yourself a fortune! True story. Without a costly handset taking your monthly pennies you can bag yourself the best unlimited data sim only packages and still save money every month. That’s extra cash for date nights, breaks and treats for you. Plans like Three Mobile unlimited data offers give you major network access in both 4G and 5G plans, and allow you to apply filters to your package so you can find the right contract. You can score unlimited data deals as either rolling monthly contracts or long term plans, adjusting your spend as you go.

Is your iPhone your most prized possession? If you are one of the 49% of all UK smartphone users who own one, then iPhone unlimited data contracts will be first on your shopping list once your existing deal runs out. If your handset is on the way out, the mobile contract world is your lobster. UK networks compete fiercely when it comes to iPhone unlimited data contracts, because they know everybody wants one. Well, 49% of everybody does, anyway! Networks also feature scores of free gift offers with iPhone contracts as sweeteners to promote their various unlimited data plans.

If iPhones aren’t your thing (and for over 50% of you, they aren’t!) then you will be on the hunt for Android deals. Hunt no further! We list the various Android unlimited data packages featured by UK networks right here, ranging from the cheapest unlimited data plans to the most expensive all you can eat data buffets with bells, whistles and benefits coming out of your ears. Are you looking for the latest Samsung unlimited data offers? Or maybe you’re a Huawei P20 fan? No matter which handset you have your eye on - or Android sim only contract, for that matter - there’s enough here to make your eyes pop.

The minute you say the word “contract” everyone starts to get twitchy. Chief among worries, how long am I going to be tied down for? When giffgaff one month rolling packages launched under the catchy name of goodybags they transformed the mobile landscape forever. Now, most mobile networks offer one month rolling mobile phone deals as part of their offers. The VOXI one month plans get spruced up by its Endless Social Media promotion, and it is in these fine variations and offers that the networks tweak their deals to appeal to different smartphone users. Which deal is best for you, only you can decide.

Unlimited Data FAQs

Which unlimited data plan should I choose?

Only you can answer this question, like what do you want for dinner and what should I buy my partner for their birthday? The key points to consider are:

• What is your budget? If you are looking for the lowest possible monthly outlay then you should look at keeping your current handset (or buying a cheap new one) and switching to a sim only deal.
• Do you need a new handset? If your iPhone is on the way out (poor battery life or performance, charging issues, faltering displays) then you can spread the cost of a new one with an iPhone pay monthly contract available from a host of networks.
• How long do you want to be tied down for? Often the cheapest unlimited data mobile packages are those that run for the longest time. Networks like Sky Mobile and Virgin Mobile offer 36 month deals to bring down your monthly cost. MVNOs like giffgaff and iD Mobile specialise in one month rolling deals to give you more flexibility.

How can I make my monthly unlimited data phone contract cheaper?

The best time to buy anything, from cars to furniture to mobile phones, is during sales. These could be January sales, Black Friday sales or summer sales. But if your handset dies, waiting six months for the January sales isn’t always the most convenient. The good news is that mobile networks feature various promotional sales throughout the year to drive sales. These might take shape as cashback with contract offers or benefits in kind, or free laptop phone plans when you take out a new contract. These kinds of deals can help to bring down the cost of your monthly premium by adding value to your deal. 

What benefits do unlimited data mobile plans include?

The benefits you can expect from a mobile plan vary significantly from one operator to another. Because EE is owned by BT some of its EE pay monthly phone deals give you access to BT Sport, though these tend to be reserved for EE unlimited data deals rather than sim only or PAYG contracts. VOXI offers all of its customers Endless Social Media use, so messaging on Whatsapp or browsing Facebook or Instagram doesn’t eat into your monthly data allowance. To see the full range of benefits offered by each mobile network check out your favourite network’s pay monthly page.

Do networks offer Pay As you Go unlimited data packages?

The very concept of a PAYG contract means you only pay for what you use. However, the Vodafone Pay As You Go deals are built up in bundles, for example, allowing you to purchase a set amount of data to use in a 30 day period. If you go over this allowance, you will be charged out of plan rates. Most networks structure their PAYG contracts in this way, rather than the old fashioned method of topping up your phone with credit with a “once it’s gone, it’s gone” ethos, potentially leaving you without use of a phone!

Does “unlimited data” really mean “unlimited”? 

For the best mobile contracts, unlimited data will mean just that. However, there are some networks that offer data packages that need further clarification. The giffgaff Always On deal awards you a set amount of data per month, but if you go over that you will experience loss in download speeds between the hours of 8am - midnight. Most unlimited data phone contracts also come with unlimited calls and texts, too, in case you actually need to interact with another human being or reply to an SMS survey.

Can I downgrade my unlimited data contract if I find I don’t need that much data?

Put extremely simply, this depends on the contract term, the type of contract and how far along you are with it. All mobile plans have a cooling off period of 14 days under statutory law, meaning you can cancel your deal within that time. Although it’s not always possible to know if you are going to use the kind of data allowance that necessitates an unlimited data deal within that time, you can gauge a good idea of how much data you might use after 10 days or so. If you contact your network provider within the first 14 days and tell them that you would like to downgrade rather than cancel, it is likely that they would honour your request. However, if you are past the 14 days cooling off period then your operator has no obligation to accept your request, other than through its own consideration of customer service. 

Can I upgrade my unlimited data contract?

This depends on the deal you have chosen. Unlimited data plans tend to be the best mobile contracts you can take out with any network. However, you could upgrade from a 4G package to a 5G unlimited data deal, though to do this you would have to have a 5G ready handset like the iPhone 12 or the Samsung Galaxy S21. If you have taken out a plan that is not unlimited data, like the EE 100GB data plan, for example, then you have options to upgrade from there. 

Are pay monthly unlimited data phone deals with handsets interest free?

To be entirely frank, this is down to your operator. Because by law operators have to be transparent about how much its handsets cost compared to its unlimited data contracts, they split the cost up. Say, for example, you have your heart set on a new iPhone12 Pro on an unlimited data contract, your network has to detail clearly how much you pay for your handset compared to your contract, including how much interest they charge you for your handset. Because pay monthly packages are essentially loaning you the money for you to buy your handset, they can charge interest on that loan. The interest can vary, though the biggest networks like EE, Vodafone and O2 tend not to charge interest.

How can I get discounted unlimited data mobile deals?

Mobile networks regularly offer promotions to boost their phone contract sales, which include discounts, free gift offers with handsets and trade-in promotions. If you were to take out a new Vodafone Samsung contract the network offers a trade in price on other Samsung phones, awarding cashback and discounting the cost of your new Samsung handset in the process. As 4G and 5G unlimited data deals are the most expensive that any network offers, any discounts help users as they seek out new phones and new deals, in networks they have never gone to before.

Are there downsides to unlimited data offers?

The answer to this kind of depends if you are a glass half full or half empty kind of person. If you aren’t using your full allowance, you could argue that you are paying too much for your mobile contract. The flip side of that same coin is that you have unused potential. If you ever need to use oodles of data, you have it ready and waiting. If you prescribe to the view that it’s better to have it and not need it, then there are no downsides. But if you could use that money in better ways, then you could say taking out an unlimited data plan is a waste.

How much data will I actually use?

If you’re not sure if you actually need an unlimited data contract, it might be worth checking your data usage on your current handset to give you an idea of what kind of data allowance you might need from your new plan. However, there are variables. The 5G network rollout has seen a dramatic increase in mobile network speeds, which follows that we can expect more data being used as the 5G mobile deals reach new parts of the UK. With speeds far outstripping home broadband services, smartphone users and mobile broadband customers are sure to switch to 5G mobile contracts and thereby increase their data use.