Mobile Phones Direct: what is it and how good are the retailer's deals?

Mobile Phones Direct is a popular UK phones retailer that was founded way back in 1992. Since then, it has been providing some of the best prices around across both Apple and Android.

It's been through many changes in its history - bought by AO World back in 2019, co-organising AO Mobile the same year and then in 2021, AO Mobile merged in with Mobile Phones Direct to become the brand's single phone retailer.

So, the most important question - is the retailer any good? With a stellar TrustPilot score, years of experience under its belt and some strong prices across top devices, it's a strong choice.

Of course, this can be said about most retailers in the UK with some fierce competition from a host of networks and third-party retailers. Plus, Mobile Phones Direct's lack of EE phone deals may be an instant put-off for some.

But where it loses a network, it gains in its strength for the others, frequently offering some of the best prices for O2, Vodafone and Three.

Read on to find out more about Mobile Phones Direct deals and see all of the best prices with our price comparison chart.

Mobile Phones Direct: Frequently asked questions

What deals does Mobile Phones Direct offer?

Like most other retailers in the UK, Mobile Phones Direct has a pretty wide expanse of phone deals. These cover the three main categories - SIM-free phones, SIM only deals and phone contracts.

Mobile Phones Direct tends to offer the standout devices from Samsung and Apple including both flagships and budget devices. However, its range of Google devices is slightly limited and like most retailers, it doesn't stock OnePlus devices.

Mobile Phones Direct does also offer Sony, Nokia, Oppo and Motorola phones as well as a few others. 

As for its selection of SIM plans, Mobile Phones Direct offers Vodafone, Three, Smarty and Voxi, and has everything from 2GB plans through to unlimited data.

Below we've highlighted the best prices from the retailer.

What networks does Mobile Phones Direct offer?

Like most retailers in the UK, Mobile Phones Direct doesn't have access to every network. In fact, it has access to just three of them - Vodafone, Three and O2.

While this sounds limited, this is actually one of the more impressive collections available - Mobiles.co.uk and Carphone are limited to just Vodafone from the main four for example.

This does mean Mobile Phones Direct does not carry EE contracts or any MVNOs, but it does overall have some of the best pricing for the three networks it currently carries.

Is Mobile Phones Direct a good retailer?

In a nutshell, yes. From over 65,000 reviews on TrustPilot, Mobile Phones Direct has a rating of 4.5 stars. That means roughly 80% of people reviewed it with 5 stars and only 9% considered it to be poor.

It's an established retailer and is part of the AO family which is a massive trustworthy brand and Mobile Phones Direct offers customer service 7 days a week, free next day delivery and completely secure checkouts.

Are Mobile Phones Direct's handsets new?

If you want them to be, yes! What we mean by that is that, like most of its competitors, Mobile Phones Direct offers both new devices and refurbished models.

You can choose which you would like to go with. If you go with a refurbished option, it will be more affordable and is still going to be in full working condition.

In most cases, refurbished simply means it has been returned in the first few months because someone decided to go with something else.

As for new, this means it will be sealed in the box and with no imperfections. It does however mean you will be paying the full price for your handset.

Alex Hughes

Alex is a journalist who has written extensively about all things broadband, SIMs and phone contracts, as well as scouring the internet to land you the best prices on the very latest in gadgets and tech. Whether that be with the latest iPhones and Android handsets, breaking down how broadband works or revealing the cheapest SIM plans, he's in the know, and will help you land a bargain.