O2 - SIM Only - 50GB Data Unlimited Calls / Texts £12 p/m for 12 months via Moneysupermarket @ O2

I got this in January, O2 will be increasing the from £12 to £14.07 in April price increase

Anecdote incoming...

I'm on GG for so long that I've forgotten what it was like to switch and wonder if you're doing the right thing. My SIM card is so old it had to be cut down to fit in successively newer phones.

I've had frustrations at patchy signals and slow mobile Internet speeds like everyone else and got used to them just being 'par for the course' without realising what newer tech and speed increases felt like.

I've been in Samsung Note's since as long and usually keep a phone 3-4 years and buy year old models and just keep putting the same SIM in time after time and accepting that my service, for what I pay, is only winning awards for value and - evidenced by the fact that it just works most of the time and I can spend all day hammering a smartphone and never really notice a significant service problem - it's been rock solid.

I've just moved to an S23 Ultra and fairly quickly realised that - not a dealbreaker to most - MMS's do not send. I had this sporadically with Note 8 and Note 10+ 5G and jiggerypokery with APN's always fixed it. But not now. And pressing GG Support for answers (including using O2 APN's) produced nothing positive, only a 'final' answer that I'd read on forums but never believed to be more than anecdote - the claim that Samsung's latest phones are 'incompatible' with O2/GG MMS and the 'who uses MMS now anyway... we recommend switching your Samsung/Google Messaging app to GoSMS off the Play Store or try WhatsApp and send all the pictures you like over the internet.

Well, that answer just doesn't work for me because I do have a case usage scenario where MMS'ing a picture or annotated map to an often international 'one off' mobile number is a significant tool.

And the answer to me sounded very much like O2/GG saying 'we've got old tech and no plans to update it cos... little demand and the internet based apps cover a multitude of sins...'

So that got me starting to look and trial other providers in this dual SIM phone.

I've looked at the painfully expensive EE and been astounded at the speeds even though reception seems generally lower in much of my rather large 'usual' area. I like these speeds. My inner geek wants these speeds. My practical, rational common sense self also wants EU Roaming continuity, though.

I've looked at Vodafone. It's got considerably lower/patchier reception than O2/GG in my areas (North Yorks) and the internet speed is barely a fraction above GG. But I can get EU roaming, MMS works and the deals are very competitive, like O2's are.

So I was starting to think a migration was on the cards. It almost certainly still is.

BUT

This osn't entirely an O2/GG horror story.

One of the other things I tried to be fair to GG was to buy a new GG SIM and transfer my account to the new SIM.

Didn't solve my MMS problem. And following the advice of a full phone reset and start again, a total pain in the posterior, I was no further on.

Then I noticed something I've never seen before.

I was at my parent's home in the Wharfe Valley near Otley. And a strange symbol appeared at the top of the phone. It said "5G".

My usual internet speed on mobile data in their house is maybe 3-6Mbps on a good day and sometimes uploads that can barely register more than an error on Speedtest.

I was getting 35-45Mbps and granted, maybe only 2Mbps upload bit still...

No one around there even had any idea there was any "5G" out in the sticks and I'm guessing it must be some kind of bleedover of a 4G+ service appearing to be 5G. But the newer SIM is what made it happen. My OH's old SIM also on GG does not do it either.

So at that point I'm thinking it's an anomaly and I start off doing a tour around the area testing all the SIMs.

I'm sat in Ilkley in a coffee shop where I used to have to use WiFi because reception and net speed were so poor and Voda is struggling, I've run put of credit on the EE and I'm not paying more when I think I'm probably migrating but... surprise hero performance of the day goes to GG...

I've got 5G symbol and 50Mbps down and 4Mbps up...

And no one in town thinks there's a 5G tower here... Late last year a company mothballed plans for one in the town centre due to protests. Another site is only at proposal stages.

So I've no idea what it is that I'm getting connected to but that new SIM has become a gamechanger and if I could solve the MMS issue, I don't think even the lure of 70-100Mbps on EE in these areas would drive me to double my monthly spend and I'd certainly be open to a contracted deal with O2 direct (GG have me on a 5GB roaming maximum, I think O2 are higher?)

So I don't know whether the moral of the story is that YMMV with O2/GG or that those who feel stuck on slow speeds after years of service by O2/GG might just want to try ordering a new free SIM and then performing a SIM transfer (all online at GG) to see if suddenly a new life gets breathed into your connection.

I'm quite surprised at what I'm suddenly able to do in a location where I had to rely on a shared, slow wifi connection....

50Mbps download and the reception icon is showing two bars out of four...

Never ever recommended O2
Its the worst network provider
See BMD scam on fb

O2 has got to be the worst network I've ever been on. The data is so slow and it doesn't always work

Everyone just hold fire until end of this month and then upgrade / or get any contracts so you can escape the price hike until next financial year

o2 = 2% chance of getting internet. Don't care what the ofcom network coverage checker shows. They are useless. I'm back to EE. Well actually using 1P which is piggybacking EE and is half the cost with all the benefits

Does anyone know if your on a sim only deal with 02 for 12 months does it then go into a rolling contract at the same price?

If your already a o2 customer but contract has ended can you use this offer?

Never again. The worst network ever. Dont bother, its rubbish in every area

Every O2 posting on Hotukdeals gets (the same?) comments from (the same?) haters which don’t match my own experiences!

Which I could switch away from O2 but one of the few that do full roaming without limits. Nightmare switching, worse signal than when I was on GiffGaff (even tho both use the O2 network), the GF received a letter saying her bills £12pm instead of £8pm, sisters account got broken into and O2

Garbage speeds all over. The worst carrier I have ever tried. And I thought three was bad. Unusable o2. Staff also unable to help.

I’m currently on virgin and due to be moved onto o2 with this contract, paying £8pm. Maybe an option to sign up with virgin if they are still accepting new customers

So... does anyone here using O2 do so using one of the latest Samsung S23 range, and do you have the ability to send MMS via Samsung Messages?

I'm on GiffGaff and can receive MMS vut not send them and I need to know if this remedies if I move to thoroughbred O2.

I took this plan last week and received letter yesterday stating price increase to 14£