From
£779
LIVE21 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Camera 9.6Display 9.6
Overall score 9.2 of 10
Strong in several areas, with everyday speed the best of them. Value falls well behind its other categories.
Choosing a phone
Best SIM-free phones in the UK
A SIM-free phone is sold on its own, unlocked and with no airtime contract attached, so you add whichever UK SIM or eSIM plan you want. The picks below are chosen from the structured scores we hold for every phone we track and the current retailer prices we record — nothing is sponsored and no retailer chooses a placement.
Prices and offers change at the retailer, so a figure here is the lowest price we could publish when the page was built. Always check the current price before you buy.
Not sure which phone is right for you?
Answer a few questions and we will match SIM-free phones to your budget and priorities.
Top picks
The highest-scoring SIM-free phones that also have a current price we can publish.
From
£584
LIVE6 live offers · 1 retailer
Display 9.6Performance 9.6Camera 9.5
Overall score 9.1 of 10
Strong in several areas, with screen quality the best of them. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£700
LIVE14 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.6Display 9.4Gaming 9.4
Overall score 9.1 of 10
Everyday speed has a narrow edge over its other scores. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£935.95
LIVE14 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Software support 9.5
Overall score 9.1 of 10
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores.
From
£885.65
LIVE8 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Camera 9.5
Overall score 9.1 of 10
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Value falls well behind its other categories.
Best SIM-free phones by budget
Each band uses the lowest current price we record, so a phone appears in one band only. A phone needs both a score and a publishable price to be listed.
Best SIM-free phones under £100
No phone with a score and a current price sits in this band today.
£100 – £149
From
£134.99
LIVE3 live offers · 1 retailer
Value 9.0Software support 8.6Battery 8.5
Highest overall score in this price band (7.4)
It leads on battery staying power but scores unevenly elsewhere. Gaming is its clear weak point. Value is also among its strongest categories.
Best SIM-free phones under £200 (£150 – £199)
No phone with a score and a current price sits in this band today.
£200 – £299
From
£272.90
LIVE9 live offers · 1 retailer
Software support 8.9Battery 8.8Value 8.8
Highest overall score in this price band (8.1)
Value for money is its clearest strength, with strong long-term software support. Gaming trails slightly behind its other scores. Battery staying power is the other area that stands out.
From
£225.89
LIVE8 live offers · 1 retailer
Value 8.9Software support 8.8Battery 8.7
Highest overall score in this price band (7.9)
Value for money is its clearest strength, with strong long-term software support. Gaming is its clear weak point. Battery staying power is the other area that stands out.
From
£209.99
LIVE3 live offers · 1 retailer
Value 8.9Software support 8.7Battery 8.6
Highest overall score in this price band (7.6)
Value for money is its clearest strength, with strong long-term software support. Gaming is its clear weak point. Battery staying power is the other area that stands out.
£300 – £499
From
£450
LIVE12 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.4Software support 9.3Display 9.2
Highest overall score in this price band (8.9)
Everyday speed has a narrow edge over its other scores. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores. Software support is the other area that stands out.
From
£389.99
LIVE10 live offers · 1 retailer
Software support 9.2Display 8.9Battery 8.7
Highest overall score in this price band (8.6)
Strongest for long-term software support and screen quality together.
From
£384.99
LIVE2 live offers · 1 retailer
Software support 9.2Value 8.7Performance 8.4
Highest overall score in this price band (8.3)
Long-term software support is its clearest standout. Its AI score trails slightly behind its other scores. Value also scores above the rest of its profile.
£500 – £799
From
£779
LIVE21 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Camera 9.6Display 9.6
Highest overall score in this price band (9.2)
Strong in several areas, with everyday speed the best of them. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£584
LIVE6 live offers · 1 retailer
Display 9.6Performance 9.6Camera 9.5
Highest overall score in this price band (9.1)
Strong in several areas, with screen quality the best of them. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£700
LIVE14 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.6Display 9.4Gaming 9.4
Highest overall score in this price band (9.1)
Everyday speed has a narrow edge over its other scores. Value falls well behind its other categories.
£800 and above
From
£935.95
LIVE14 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Software support 9.5
Highest overall score in this price band (9.1)
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores.
From
£885.65
LIVE8 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Camera 9.5
Highest overall score in this price band (9.1)
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£802.30
LIVE4 live offers · 1 retailer
AI 9.8Camera 9.6Display 9.5
Highest overall score in this price band (9.1)
AI has a narrow edge over its other scores. Gaming trails slightly behind its other scores. Camera quality is the other area that stands out.
Best SIM-free phones for what matters to you
Ranked on the category score each phone already holds. A phone only appears where that category is a genuine strength.
Best for camera
See the full list of camera phones →From
£779
LIVE21 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Camera 9.6Display 9.6
Camera score 9.6 of 10
Strong in several areas, with everyday speed the best of them. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£660
LIVE5 live offers · 1 retailer
AI 9.7Camera 9.6Software support 9.4
Camera score 9.6 of 10
AI has a narrow edge over its other scores. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores. Camera quality is the other area that stands out.
From
£699
LIVE1 live offer · 1 retailer
AI 9.7Camera 9.6Display 9.4
Camera score 9.6 of 10
AI has a narrow edge over its other scores. Gaming trails slightly behind its other scores. Camera quality is the other area that stands out.
Best for battery
See the full list of phones with the best battery scores →From
No current price
UNAVAILABLENo current offers
Battery 9.5Performance 9.5Gaming 9.4
Battery score 9.5 of 10
Strongest for battery staying power and everyday speed together. Its AI score trails slightly behind its other scores.
From
No current price
DEMONo current offers
Battery 9.4Value 9.1Performance 9.0
Battery score 9.4 of 10
Particularly strong for battery staying power. Its AI score trails slightly behind its other scores. Everyday speed is the other area that stands out.
From
No current price
UNAVAILABLENo current offers
Battery 9.3Value 8.9Display 8.6
Battery score 9.3 of 10
Battery staying power is its clearest standout. Its AI score trails slightly behind its other scores. Screen quality is the other area that stands out.
Best for performance
From
£779
LIVE21 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Camera 9.6Display 9.6
Performance score 9.7 of 10
Strong in several areas, with everyday speed the best of them. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£935.95
LIVE14 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Software support 9.5
Performance score 9.7 of 10
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores.
From
£885.65
LIVE8 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Camera 9.5
Performance score 9.7 of 10
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Value falls well behind its other categories.
Best for gaming
See the full list of phones for gaming →From
£779
LIVE21 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Camera 9.6Display 9.6
Gaming score 9.6 of 10
Strong in several areas, with everyday speed the best of them. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£935.95
LIVE14 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Software support 9.5
Gaming score 9.6 of 10
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores.
From
£885.65
LIVE8 live offers · 1 retailer
Performance 9.7Gaming 9.6Camera 9.5
Gaming score 9.6 of 10
Strongest for everyday speed and gaming together. Value falls well behind its other categories.
From
£675
LIVE4 live offers · 1 retailer
AI 9.8Camera 9.6Software support 9.5
AI score 9.8 of 10
AI has a narrow edge over its other scores. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores. Camera quality is the other area that stands out.
From
£802.30
LIVE4 live offers · 1 retailer
AI 9.8Camera 9.6Display 9.5
AI score 9.8 of 10
AI has a narrow edge over its other scores. Gaming trails slightly behind its other scores. Camera quality is the other area that stands out.
From
£660
LIVE5 live offers · 1 retailer
AI 9.7Camera 9.6Software support 9.4
AI score 9.7 of 10
AI has a narrow edge over its other scores. Battery staying power trails slightly behind its other scores. Camera quality is the other area that stands out.
Best for value
See the full list of the best value phones →From
No current price
DEMONo current offers
Software support 9.3Value 9.2AI 9.0
Value score 9.2 of 10
Value for money is its clearest strength, with strong long-term software support. Gaming trails slightly behind its other scores. Its AI score is the other area that stands out.
From
No current price
DEMONo current offers
Battery 9.4Value 9.1Performance 9.0
Value score 9.1 of 10
Particularly strong for battery staying power. Its AI score trails slightly behind its other scores. Everyday speed is the other area that stands out.
From
£134.99
LIVE3 live offers · 1 retailer
Value 9.0Software support 8.6Battery 8.5
Value score 9.0 of 10
It leads on battery staying power but scores unevenly elsewhere. Gaming is its clear weak point. Value is also among its strongest categories.
SIM-free buying guide
What SIM-free means
A SIM-free phone, sometimes listed as an unlocked mobile phone, is sold as the handset on its own. There is no airtime contract, no credit agreement and no network lock, so you can put any UK SIM or eSIM in it and change plan whenever you like. You pay for the phone once, either outright or through the retailer's own finance if they offer it.
SIM-free versus a contract
On a contract the handset cost is spread across your monthly bill, usually with interest built in, and you stay with one network for the term. Buying SIM-free and adding a SIM-only plan separates the two costs: you can see exactly what the phone cost and switch airtime provider at the end of a short plan. It suits people who want to keep control of the total spend.
New or refurbished
Refurbished stock is returned or traded-in hardware that a seller has checked, graded and put back on sale, normally with its own warranty. It is usually the way to reach a higher-scoring phone for less money. Grades and warranty length differ by retailer, so read the condition wording on the retailer's page. Where we hold both, our phone pages label each offer as new or refurbished so you can see which price is which.
How much to spend
Under £150 you are choosing a phone for calls, messaging, maps and everyday apps. Between £150 and £300 the screens, cameras and battery scores climb noticeably. From £300 to £500 you tend to get the stronger camera and performance scores in our data. Above £500 the gains narrow and concentrate in cameras, displays and long-term software support, which matters most if you keep a phone for several years.
Storage
Most SIM-free phones cannot take a memory card, so the storage you buy is the storage you keep. 128GB is workable if you back photos up to the cloud; 256GB is the comfortable choice if you shoot a lot of video or keep music offline. Storage size changes the price, so the figures on this page tell you which size the price belongs to.
Why prices move
SIM-free prices are set by the retailer and change with stock levels, new model launches and seasonal promotions, so the same phone can sit at several prices in one week. We record the prices retailers publish and show when each one was last checked. Use price drops to see where the movement is, and always confirm the price on the retailer's own page.
How we choose
Every pick above is selected from the structured scores we already hold for each phone — camera, battery, performance, gaming, AI, software support and value — plus the current retailer prices we record. There are no sponsored placements and no retailer input into the order.
Go deeper
Each page below covers one buying decision in full, with the qualifying phones ranked on the score that matters for it.
Best SIM-free phones under £500
Ordered by our existing overall score, highest first.
Best SIM-free camera phones
Ordered by the existing camera score, then overall score.
Best SIM-free phones for battery life
Ordered by the existing battery score, then overall score.
Best SIM-free phones for gaming
Ordered by the existing gaming score, then overall score.
Best SIM-free phones for AI features
Ordered by the existing AI score, then overall score.
Best value SIM-free phones
Ordered by the existing value score, then overall score.