Three Phone Deals

Three and the VodafoneThree merger

Vodafone UK and Three UK merged in 2025 to form VodafoneThree, and Vodafone acquired full ownership of the business in 2026. The Vodafone and Three brands both continue to trade separately, and the combined network is being integrated gradually under technology that lets customers connect to whichever of the two mast networks is strongest in a given location. Rollout is phased rather than complete, so the benefit you see depends on which masts near you have been enabled.

For Three customers the practical effect is broader coverage over time rather than an immediate change. Three continues to trade under its own name and your SIM still identifies as Three. Vodafone is the other half of the same business, and iD Mobile runs on Three's network as a virtual operator.

Because the integration is phased, coverage claims that describe the fully combined network do not yet reflect what every customer receives. Check a specific address on Three's own coverage checker rather than relying on a national figure.

Three price rises

Three applies an annual increase each April. From 1 April 2026 the increase is set in pounds and pence and tiered according to the data allowance on the plan, rather than linked to inflation. Published amounts are £1.80 a month for plans with 4GB and below, £1.90 for plans between 5GB and 99GB, and £2.30 for plans of 100GB and above. On Three Your Way deals, the increase applies to the airtime charge and not to the separate device plan repayment.

Customers who joined or upgraded between 1 November 2022 and 7 September 2024 and remained within their minimum term were still subject to the older inflation-linked formula of CPI plus 3.9 per cent, which came to 7.3 per cent for 2026.

The tiering has a consequence worth noticing when comparing deals. A larger data allowance attracts a larger annual increase as well as a higher starting price, so the gap between a mid-sized and a very large allowance widens over a long contract. Our guide to what is a good data allowance is worth reading before paying for headroom you will not use.

Our guide to mid-contract price rises explains how Three's tiered increase compares with the flat amounts other networks apply.

Roaming with Three

Three previously operated an unusually generous roaming arrangement that covered a wide list of destinations including several outside Europe. That arrangement was withdrawn, and Three reintroduced roaming charges for customers taking new or upgraded contracts after the change.

Current plans therefore attract a daily charge to use your UK allowance abroad, with separate rates for European and non-European destinations, and passes available for longer trips. Rates and included destinations have changed more than once since the reintroduction, so confirm the current charge against Three's own roaming pages for the specific plan you are considering rather than relying on a published figure.

UK rules cap data roaming spending unless you actively raise the limit.

Contract lengths and structure

The monthly figure shown for a Three handset deal combines airtime and handset costs, while Three Your Way treats the device repayment separately. The handset deals currently listed on this page run for 24 or 36 months. Longer terms reduce the monthly figure and raise the total payable, and also expose the airtime element to more annual increases across the life of the contract.

If a shorter commitment matters more than a low monthly figure, comparing across all networks will show which providers offer 12 month terms on the same handset. If you would rather own the handset outright and avoid a long airtime commitment entirely, you can compare SIM-free phones.

Most current handsets support eSIM as well as a physical SIM card. Our guide to eSIMs explained covers how eSIM works, which phones support it, and what to check before ordering.

What to compare on Three

Model the April increase into the total before comparing Three against another network. On a 36 month contract the increase applies more than once, and because Three tiers the increase by data allowance, a large allowance compounds both the starting price and the annual uplift.

Check the roaming position separately if you travel. Three's current charges are a significant change from the arrangement it was previously known for, and providers such as Tesco Mobile and Mozillion include roaming allowances that Three does not.

If you want Three's coverage without Three's price rise terms, iD Mobile runs on the same network, though its own price rise position differs between SIM plans and handset contracts and is explained on that page.

If you are moving from another provider and want to keep your existing number, our guide on how to keep your number when switching explains the PAC code process and the timings involved. If you are still deciding how much data to pay for, our guide to what is a good data allowance covers what different types of use actually consume.