Getting a phone contract in UK but using abroad?

mrcactus

My current PAYG phone's battery is shocking and the phone in general is getting worse as I've had it about 5 years. I'm looking to get a new phone on contract here in the UK but will be travelling to Australia at the end of the year and living there for a few years.

My question is, if I do get a contract phone here will I be able to get a AUS sim and put it in there? Or would I be paying the contract per month but also have to top up the Australian sim?

EE says in the package details that you can use the mins, data, text abroad (inc Australia) but I'm wondering if this will be good long-term?

Thanks

Browntoa

There's normally a maximum period you can use it when abroad before they stop you using it . 

You'd be better buying a sim free ( factory unlocked ) phone and swapping to an Aussie sim card 

prowla

Does Wi-Fi cound as minutes used?

flashg67

You'd still have to pay your contract. As above, buy a sim free phone and a monthly sim until you move. Or put up with it for 4 months and buy one in Aus? All the uk contracts I've seen will stop you using the phone abroad after say, 90 days - they're deigned for short term use -holidays/work trips really

eDicky

mrcactus said:

.My question is, if I do get a contract phone here will I be able to get a AUS sim and put it in there? Or would I be paying the contract per month but also have to top up the Australian sim?

You can replace a UK SIM with an Aussie SIM in your handset, but the UK phone contract will of course not cover use of a SIM that's not theirs.

samtaylor99

I'd be tempted to buy a sim free phone with dual sim and use a monthly paid UK sim for your remaining time in the UK. Port your current number to your new sim. Once in Australia get a local sim which you can use in the 2nd sim slot . You will still have access to your original UK number via roaming (for  approx 3 months) as well as your new AUS number. Turn mobile data off on the UK sim when in AUS.  Redmi phones and a Lebara monthly sim would fit the bill, but many others are available.

DullGreyGuy

Browntoa said:

You'd be better buying a sim free ( factory unlocked ) phone and swapping to an Aussie sim card 

Since 2022 networks have been banned from locking phones in the UK so whoever the OP buys the phone (assuming not secondhand) it will be unlocked.