We think Tesco Mobile’s ‘Supermarket Mobile’ approach is good. Tesco shoppers can get discounts and benefits through Clubcard, and they have customer service in their stores.
O2’s network is good for making calls and sending texts and has very good 4G/5G data coverage. However, if you care a lot about data speeds, Tesco Mobile might be slower than other networks on average.
They are going to introduce WiFi calling and 4G calling soon, which can help improve indoor coverage. However, features such as eSIM, call forwarding, and visual voicemail are still not available.
Tesco has affordable phone contracts that are very competitive. They also offer discounts and vouchers through their Clubcard program. Tesco Mobile is a good provider.
| Pros | Cons |
| Related to Clubcard. Great coverage overall WiFi calling is being introduced. | Roaming without extra charges has been canceled. The 4G/5G speeds are slower than usual The WiFi calling is not available right away. |
Tesco Mobile Coverage
Tesco Mobile is a smaller company that uses the O2 network to provide 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G signals. You get the same coverage as the hosts, which means you can use the joint second-largest network on Tesco.
O2 has coverage of 99% of the UK population with 4G, 3G, and 2G in their area. Remember that population, not just land area determines cell phone coverage. So make sure to check coverage in all the areas where you plan to use your phone.
You will have a good indoor signal on Tesco Mobile because it uses O2’s network. Their call signal frequencies are good at passing through walls, so you should not have many problems with poor reception indoors.
Consider switching to Tesco if you’re not satisfied with your current network. Always check their signal before starting.
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Slow 4G Speed:
If you want really fast internet speeds, especially for playing games on your phone, Tesco Mobile and other O2-based providers may not be the best option for you. Instead, we suggest choosing a provider that uses EE, Vodafone, or Three Networks.
We check how fast each network’s 4G speeds are by using results from independent network testers called Opensignal. The new report says Tesco’s speed is 16.8 Mbps, which is a little slower than before.
It’s not very clear how Tesco’s network is different from other networks when it comes to using social media and browsing the internet. You may observe that downloading HD videos takes more time.
5G Speeds Not Good:
Tesco offers you complete access to O2’s growing 5G network for all their SIM-only and phone plans. This means that you can access 5G in over 750 towns and cities in the UK, which is more than any other network.
Tesco Mobile uses a slow network, similar to 4G. 5G speeds are usually around 90.61 Mbps – 92.3 Mbps, as reported by Opensignal and Speedtest by Ookla.
That’s slower than other networks. When 5G is available, it can compensate for the slower 4G. Their network is usually better in their areas, so you’ll use 5G more frequently.
You will probably have access to 5G in your area because there are many places that offer it. If you do have 5G, you will likely use it frequently. If you use your SIM for activities that require a lot of data, the speeds may not be very fast.
Tesco Mobile is Slowly Implementing Wifi Calling:
Tesco has a good indoor call signal, but if you are far from the nearest mast or there are obstacles in the way, you may still experience indoor blackspots. Tesco Mobile is introducing WiFi calling and 4G calling to improve its service.
You can use WiFi, 4G, or a regular phone signal to make calls with this. If you have a bad phone signal but good WiFi and 4G, you can still make calls.
You can switch between WiFi and 4G calls without any interruption. You can also send a text using WiFi or a 4G signal.
Not all customers will have the feature right away because it’s still being introduced. Some older Apple and Android models are not supported. Tesco has added something new, but it’s not finished yet.
Tesco Doesn’t Have Many Additional Network Features:
- Before signing up, it’s helpful to know what additional features each network offers so you can maximize your benefits. Tesco is missing several items.
- You can use all of your monthly data allowances on any Tesco Mobile deal by tethering. You can get an unlimited data plan to connect your phone’s internet to bigger devices such as laptops, and not have to worry about using too much data.
- Tesco Mobile does not provide any free WiFi hotspots. O2 has over 15,000 WiFi hotspots across the country and giffgaff, which also use O2, has a good hotspot program.
- You can’t forward incoming calls to a different number on Tesco Mobile. Other networks already offer this, so Tesco might offer it too in the future.
- Tesco Mobile doesn’t have visual voicemail, which means you can’t see and listen to your voicemails individually. Only a few networks have this feature, so it’s not surprising that Tesco doesn’t have it.
- You cannot remove an eSIM from Tesco Mobile. But currently, only the main UK networks offer this service. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Tesco doesn’t provide it.
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Tesco Mobile Benefits
Clubcard holders Get More Discount on Monthly Bill
If you shop at Tesco frequently and have a Clubcard, there are some good reasons to also consider joining Tesco Mobile. You can visit a Tesco store to speak with Tesco Mobile’s customer service in person.
If you have a Clubcard, you can get special discounts on phone deals and SIM-only plans that are only available to Clubcard members. As a Clubcard holder, you pay less for these than non-Clubcard holders who join Tesco Mobile.
You can earn Clubcard points when you pay for your mobile bill or go shopping. You can change them into vouchers that give you a discount on your phone bill or when you go shopping.
We think it’s a great system because you can use your shopping and phone bills to give feedback. If you spend money on one thing, you can get discounts on other things. If you really like Tesco, you will enjoy it.
Get Family Perks
If you want your family to have their own plans, Tesco offers extra benefits for doing that. When you add a new user to your account, they can choose their own Family Perk.
You can choose additional benefits every month. You can save money, get cheaper phone insurance, more data, extra Clubcard points, or additional minutes on your phone or SIM-only plan.
Tesco has a Family Pack that costs £30 and gives you unlimited data. You can also add more unlimited SIMs for just £10 each. If your family uses a lot of data, this product will be helpful.
Tesco’s loyalty scheme rewards customers for their loyalty with small, flexible benefits. Other networks may offer bigger discounts for adding more deals.
You can change your perks every month and for each user, which makes the system flexible. If you have extra data that you don’t need and want to earn more Clubcard points for a month, you can switch without any trouble.
Inclusive Roaming:
Tesco Mobile is removing inclusive EU roaming from their plans, just like many other networks. After Spring 2023, you will have to pay extra to use your phone in the 48 EU/EEA destinations.
If you sign up for Tesco Mobile now, you may not have access to roaming for most of your contract. If you join later, you won’t have access to free roaming. Customers who already have a plan will no longer have free roaming included.
After that, you will have to pay for roaming. We’re not sure about the exact costs yet, but we believe it will be £2 per day to use your phone in the EU, just like other networks that no longer offer free roaming.
It’s sad because Tesco used to be our top network for roaming. You can still use all of your data in the EU that you are allowed to use in the UK.
No Mid-Contract Price:
Tesco Mobile won’t increase the cost of your plan every year as other mobile networks do because of inflation. Your monthly payment will remain unchanged throughout your contract.
This is great if you have a 2-year contract because you’ll pay the same amount for the entire 2 years. If you have a phone contract for 36 months, you will pay the same amount throughout the whole 36 months.
If you choose the “Clubcard Prices” plan, you will pay the same lower price for your entire contract. That means Tesco offers better value for a longer period of time.
The prices of “No-Contract” SIMs can go up because there is no agreement preventing it. Tesco will let you know about any price increase well before it happens. You don’t have to worry about price increases at Tesco.
Spending Caps:
A while ago, Ofcom made it a law that phone networks must allow customers to set a limit on how much they spend above their usual monthly bill. Tesco provided these items even before it became mandatory. It’s a good way to control your expenses.
When you sign up for Tesco, you can choose how much money you want to spend on your cap. You can choose from different options such as £0, £2.50, £5, £7.50, £10, £20, £30, £40, or you can choose not to have a cap at all. If you choose a £0 cap, you cannot use any extras that cost money.
Extra means additional features that you can get along with your plan. These features may include international calls, premium messaging services, and international roaming. You can find the complete list of these features by clicking on the link provided. If you reach your limit, you can’t use these services anymore unless you raise it.
All networks must have spending caps, so Tesco’s offering is not unique anymore. Some networks have more flexible plans, like iD which allows you to set a cap of £1 at a time. However, Tesco’s plans are also quite flexible compared to others.
What Tesco Mobile Doesn’t Offer
To decide if Tesco Mobile is the right network for you, it’s helpful to know what they don’t offer.
Tesco does not provide unlimited streaming data benefits. Sky Mobile allows you to stream their TV apps without using your data on any plan, which is something that their biggest rivals on the O2 network do not offer.
VOXI gives you unlimited data for social media on all plans. If you choose a more expensive plan, you can also get unlimited data for video streaming on a variety of apps. You just need to be a VOXI mobile user to get the benefits, unlike Sky.
Tesco Mobile does not provide data rollover. Sky Mobile has a great program that allows you to save any unused data in a piggybank for up to 3 years. You can take it out anytime or exchange it for lower prices.
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