Mobile phone buying guides

Straightforward answers to the questions people ask most when choosing a phone deal.

• SIM-only or phone contract: which is cheaper?Should you buy a phone on contract or buy it outright and add a SIM-only plan? How to work out which costs less, with the pros and cons of each.
• How to keep your number when you switch networkKeep your mobile number when you change network: how to get a free PAC code by text, how long switching takes, and what happens to your old contract.
• 9 ways to get a cheaper phone dealSimple ways to pay less for a new phone on contract: compare total cost, choose the right data, look at last year’s model and more.
• Credit checks for phone contracts explainedWhy networks run a credit check for a phone contract, how it affects your credit file, and what to do if you are turned down.
• Mid-contract price rises: what you need to knowHow yearly price rises on mobile phone contracts work, the Ofcom rules on stating them in pounds and pence, and how we include them in total costs.