Discount Mobiles

SIM Free Mobile Phones

As you may or may not know, a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card is the tiny flat heart that makes every mobile phone in the world work. Though it doesn`t give the phone power or take charge of the software it runs, it performs the simple but essential task of allowing your mobile to be identified by a particular mobile network, and is the starting point from which all mobile communication is made possible. Every pay as you go or contract mobile phone will be sold with a SIM card as part of the package, and you`ll almost always need to slip it in beneath the battery when setting up your phone for the first time. However, there are many phones which are available SIM free, being sold without a SIM card and so essentially without the ability to connect to any network. However, this is not a disadvantage because SIM technology is universal and so any SIM card that you`ve owned as part of a contract or pay as you go deal in the past can be taken out of an old phone and slipped into a SIM free mobile phone. This means that your contracted minutes will be accessible via a new handset and your old phone number will make and receive calls via the new SIM free handset which has had a SIM card installed in it.

So far so good, we have established what a SIM free phone is capable of, but what makes them different from contract or pre-pay mobile phones? Well the first and most important distinction is that SIM free phones will not be bound to any particular network, and as a result and SIM card will work immediately. This is not true of mobile phones that were bought as part of a contract or from a pre-pay outlet associated with a specific mobile phone network operator. These phones will work with the SIM they were bundled with and usually with any other SIM card manufactured by the same network, but if for example you try to use an Orange SIM card in a Vodafone mobile then you won`t be able to make or receive any calls or texts. In order to use a SIM card from another network in a contract or pre-pay phone you`ll need to get the handset `unlocked` at a phone repair shop which will cost money. However, SIM free handsets are universal in their compatibility and allow you to pick and choose which SIM card from which network you wish to use at any one time.

So we`ve established why SIM free mobiles differ from other mobile phones, but why would you want to go for a SIM free option? The simple answer is that you`re given much more freedom of choice over the mobile phone you use and the type of contract you opt for. Whilst mobile phones offered on contract may be free you`ll be paying for them every month and the contracts are often lengthy, lasting upwards of 18 months. You`ll also be restricted to a choice of handsets offered by the network, and you may not find the right phone with the right type of contract. With a SIM free phone you`re paying for the handset in one go, and then you can install any SIM card you like. There are plenty of great SIM only deals available from most mobile networks where you`ll be sent a SIM card on its own to pop into your SIM free mobile phone, offering no minimum contracts and with loads of free minutes and texts to suit your needs.

SIM Free Equipment and Accessories

• HTC Touch Diamond2 - The follow up to the quirky and powerful touch screen handset is hear, featuring the latest Windows Mobile operating system and class leading connectivity.
• Nokia N85 - To the casual observer this is a sleek, good value phone, but in reality it`s an even better deal because it is essentially a repackaged N95 with a lower price tag a better looks. Use discount voucher codes to get the best deals online for SIM free equipment.
• Iguana Butterfly Portable Speakers - Hook your SIM free phone up to some compact but aurally beefy speakers, perfect for Nokia N96, iPhone and HTC handsets.