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Who is AO Mobile and are its Sim deals good value?
Electrical retailer AO has launched a new mobile network. Here's what you need to know about its deals, coverage and perks
Adam covers home improvements and mobile networks, splitting his time investigating topics from bathrooms to phone contracts. He was shortlisted at the BSME Talent Awards 2024.
The UK’s competitive mobile network market has seen a variety of new challenger providers in recent years, from fintech companies to brands donating their profits to ecological efforts, and various phone marketplace websites.
Now Bolton-headquartered electrical retailer AO is jumping in with a new network, AO Mobile. We take a look at what it has to offer and how the proposition compares to the rest of the market.
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Who is AO Mobile?
The AO company sells major and small domestic appliances, mobile phones and various electrical products. It has an in-house delivery network and will install new products and take away old appliances. AO Mobile is a step in a different direction of service.
What network does AO Mobile use?
AO Mobile uses Vodafone’s network to deliver data, calls and texts.
What Sim deals does AO Mobile offer?
AO Mobile offers just one Sim-only deal that includes a hefty 500GB of data plus unlimited calls and texts. It’s available as a physical or eSim and has no long-term contract commitment, plus a 12 month price lock.
The Sim is £18 a month or £12 a month for AO Members, a scheme that costs £39.99 a year and includes a variety of perks such as discounts on electricals and free delivery. AO Members can also purchase up to nine additional Sims at the lower price.
Does AO Mobile offer free EU roaming?
Yes, AO Mobile Sims come with a 15GB of free EU roaming allowance. This is quite generous and more than you’ll receive with lots of networks, particularly the big four (EE, O2, Vodafone and Three), but not as substantial as the 30GB offered by Lebara and iD Mobile.
Find out more ways to cut your travel costs in our guide on how to save money on mobile roaming charges, or read our guide to using an eSim for travelling abroad.
Are AO Mobile's Sim deals good value?
AO Mobile’s 500GB data deal is currently £18 a month (£12 for AO Members). That compares pretty favourably to the rest of the market.
Compared to the 'big four' providers – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, you'll probably make a tidy saving. While most of these don't offer a 500GB tariff, based on one-month Sim-only deals including at least 500GB you're looking at upwards of £25 per month, plus you can expect price rises (typically by £2.50 per month) each April. You may find slightly cheaper deals on a longer contract length, but then you’re locked in and will be hit by multiple yearly price increases.
Smaller 'virtual' networks offer better value, but even there AO Mobile fares quite well purely on cost. You can typically find unlimited data with the likes of iD Mobile, Asda Mobile, Smarty or Lebara for £18-25 per month, plus you won't be hit by price rises.
‘Although it has launched with just one Sim tariff, AO Mobile’s offering is a useful addition to the crowded mobile market. At £18 a month, it is comfortably more affordable than a similar contract with the big four, and it sits fairly competitively with the smaller networks. If you already have AO Membership then £12 a month for 500GB looks even more enticing. If joining AO Membership appeals to you, it works out at £3.33 a month, so the Sim deal would effectively be £15.33 a month and give you all the various benefits of membership alongside a huge amount of data. 15GB of free EU roaming is also a handy perk.’
Adam Snook, Which? mobile networks expert
Great value high and unlimited data deals
Check current Sim-only deal prices for high-data users to see if you could make a saving by switching. You can also find out more about switching mobile network in our guide.