Tesco's new SIM-only plan gives long-term bang for your buck

Tesco's new SIM-only plan gives long-term bang for your buck

Tesco has just launched two new SIM-only deals, but instead of locking you in for a year or 30 days the supermarket giant wants to keep hold of you for a full 18 months.

While that seems like a long time for a SIM-only plan - which generally offer greater flexibility than the gruelling two year tariffs which come with a handset - there are savings to be had.

For £10 per month Tesco will give you 1000 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of 4G data (it uses O2's network). Bump up your monthly outgoing to £12.50 and get 1500 minutes, 5000 texts and 2GB of data.

Data win

EE's and O2's 12 month SIM-only offerings of 2GB plus unlimited calls and texts at £15.99 per month £18 per month respectively seem expensive in comparison - but you're not locked in for as long and there are clear benefits for the chatterboxes and texters out there.

Three comes close to besting Tesco offering 2GB of data on a 12 month deal for just £11 per month - but you only get 200 minutes which could be a deal breaker for many.

For a similar monthly outlay as Tesco's new tariff on Vodafone, EE or O2 you won't get anywhere near 1GB of data, let alone 2GB.

It's certainly an interesting play from Tesco and we'll be keeping an eye on the other networks to see if they follow suit.

John McCann
Global Managing Editor

John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He's interviewed CEOs from some of the world's biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar's resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.