Best place to get a sim free phone?

[TheGirlOnTheLanding]

I've had a PAYG phone rather than contract for the last few years as I don't use it much. DD1 is getting to an age where she's more independent and we were looking at getting her a mobile, but she's not impressed with the cheap non-smartphones I was looking at and is much more keen for me to pass on my (budget) smartphone instead. I'm ok with this, but keen to keep my number so thought I would buy a sim free phone and swap my SIM card into it, rather than be tied to a particular network for a year, but is it as easy as that? And if so, where is the best place to look for sim free handsets (other than Amazon, which I'm trying to avoid)?

Tesco have some, so I would guess all of the supermarkets do

All the supermarkets (Tesco aren't bad as pp says). Also check Carphone Warehouse. Just make sure your SIM will fit in whatever phone you buy. Most phones nowadays are micro SIM (a few are nano SIM).

Giffgaff is really good value for both phones and charges.

Sometimes it is cheaper to buy a phone with a £10 SIM card and then get another SIM when you have used up the credit. Just make sure it is unlocked.

Good advice from ThereIsIron as well as most new phones take micro SIM cards. I think you can adapters to use with a micro SIM card though.

You might like to look at GiffGaff for SIM cards because calls and texts between GiffGaff users are free. Also you can port your number across. They offer PAYG or Goodybag (rolling monthly contract) options.

Just on the point about SIM size, if you have a micro or nano SIM card and by a handset needing a larger SIM you can get an adapter. If, on the other hand, you have a larger SIM card than the phone requires all is not lost. You can cut your SIM card down to size. It is possible to do this with just a sharp knife and a straight edge but very risky - you could end up ruining the SIM completely. A better alternative is to buy a SIM card cutter. There are plenty available.

Thanks everyone. I'd heard of GiffGaff but didn't know about free calls from them, that sounds a good perk. I'll check out Tesco sim free phones too, I assumed they'd only offer them tied to their own network.

Tesco use O2 as do GiffGaff so you should be able to use a GiffGaff SIM card on a Tesco mobile phone.

Sorry, not convinced about the GiffGaff SIM on a Tesco phone.

I believe both GiffGaff and Tesco SIMs will work on an O2 mobile (until Three takes over running O2, then who knows what will happen!) but felt pretty sure that at least the Tesco phones were locked so may not accept a GG SIM.

Apologies if you are using the combination you mention Bunbaker - I don't have any GG or Tesco SIMs (or phones), right now, but do have some phones locked to O2 where I have used other SIMs in the past.

I converted all four of our Tesco PAYG phones to giff gaff. New SIMs or micro SIMs and ported the numbers.
It was very easy.
I bought DS1 a used unlocked iphone from an ebay company. I was slightly wary but it was fine.

I've just been speaking to a salesman in Carphone Warehouse. He was saying that they are now offering up to £100 off the price of a sim free mobile phone if you take a sim contract at the same time. If you're looking for both, this seems like a great deal?

I found the people manning the Tesco phone shop inside the main supermarket to be really helpful.