What SIM works in a refurbished iPhone?
Any UK SIM will work in a refurbished iPhone sold by a reputable retailer — all certified refurbished iPhones are unlocked to all networks. You are not tied to EE, Vodafone, O2 or Three. This means you can choose the cheapest plan available, not the one tied to a specific network.
Do you need a nano SIM or eSIM?
iPhone models from iPhone XS (2018) onwards support both physical nano SIM and eSIM. iPhone 14 and later (in some markets) are eSIM-only, but UK models still include a physical SIM tray. All UK refurbished iPhones from certified retailers include a physical SIM card slot.
If your refurbished iPhone supports eSIM, you can activate a plan digitally without waiting for a physical SIM card. 1pMobile, Ecotalk and Mozillion all support eSIM activation.
Best budget SIM plans for iPhone users
1pMobile — from £1/month. Runs on EE. Pay-as-you-go or monthly bundles. Best for light users who mainly call and text. No credit check.
Ecotalk — from £4/month. Runs on EE. Monthly rolling plans with EU roaming included. Best for regular users who want good data for the price and EU roaming without extra cost.
Mozillion — from £8/month for 25GB. Runs on EE. EU roaming included. Best for heavy data users or frequent travellers. Uncapped 5G on higher plans.
Chattr — from £10/month. Runs on Three. No credit check. Best for people who have difficulty getting credit approval with other networks.
What about iMessage and FaceTime?
iMessage and FaceTime work over Wi-Fi and do not require a specific network. They work on any UK SIM as long as you have a data connection. There is no advantage to choosing a specific network for iMessage or FaceTime.
Do you need 5G?
iPhone 12 and later support 5G. If your refurbished iPhone supports 5G, you can use it on Mozillion's 5G plans. However, 5G coverage in the UK is still patchy outside major cities — for most users, a fast 4G plan on EE is more consistently useful than 5G.
Compare certified refurbished iPhones →