O2 mobile review

How good is O2? 2020 Which? mobile networks satisfaction survey

Before signing up for a new phone deal, read our review of O2 to see how it scored in our annual mobile network customer survey.

We spoke to more than 4,000 real customers from 13 of the biggest phone providers including EE, O2, Vodafone and Three. They told us exactly what they thought of their phone company, from the customer service on offer to the value for money they get.

In this in-depth review of O2 mobile, we'll:

• give you a full breakdown of how its customers rated it for key factors, including customer service, value for money and incentives.
• report quotes from real O2 mobile customers on their experiences.
• tell you whether it's a Which? Recommended Provider.

Only logged-in Which? members can unlock the exclusive results on this page. If you’re not yet a member, you can get instant access by joining Which? today.

O2 customer satisfaction survey results
Recommended Provider	Customer service	Ease of contacting	Value for money	Incentives	Customer score

Table notes: Results based on an online survey of 4,027 members of the public in February and March 2020.

How good is O2's mobile coverage?

O2 has its own network and offers 2G, 3G, 4G and, more recently, 5G coverage.

In our latest analysis of 4G phone coverage, performed in conjunction with coverage experts RootMetrics, we found that O2 had the weakest overall performance.

Read the full analysis in our guide, Which mobile phone network has the best coverage?.

You can check coverage where you live by using our free interactive mobile network coverage map. Simply enter your postcode into the map and it will tell you how good O2's signal is in your area, as well as comparing it with the other providers.

O2's deals and incentives

O2 splits its pay-monthly 'Refresh' packages so you'll actually be signed up for two deals – one for your minutes, texts and data (the airtime plan) and one for the cost of your phone handset (the phone plan).

Once you've paid for a handset (at the end of your contract), your bill is automatically reduced. In contrast, most other providers will keep you on a higher tariff until you tell them to switch, even when you've paid off your phone – a practice we don't think is fair. Refresh also lets you easily upgrade to another phone by simply paying off the balance owed on your existing handset.

O2 charges 30p/minute, 15p/text and £1/50MB for its pay-as-you-go (PAYG) deals. You can also buy bundles – for example, paying £15/month for 6GB data and unlimited minutes and texts.

O2 is also known for offering perks, including O2 Priority. This gives customers access to a range of offers, including pre-sale tickets. There is also the O2 Rewards scheme for PAYG customers, which gives you back up to 10% of your quarterly spend on credit.

Compare the best O2 Sim-only deals and see how much you could save.

O2 stores

O2 is one of the UK's biggest mobile phone providers and has hundreds of high street stores, many of which offer technical support from the company's 'O2 Gurus'.

You can find your nearest branch using the O2 store locator or by calling O2's customer service on 202 (from an O2 mobile) or 0344 809 0202.

Complaints about O2

Telecoms regulator Ofcom regularly publishes information on the number of complaints it gets about the main mobile providers.

In its latest report, covering the third quarter of 2019 (July to September), O2 generated a very low level of complaints – three per 100,000. While it can't quite match Tesco Mobile's rate (one per 100,000 customers), it's below the level of complaints generated by Vodafone and Virgin Mobile (seven per 100,000).

Find out how other providers fared in our guide to the best and worst mobile networks.