iD Mobile review: Come for the deals, not the customer service

Owned by the same group as Currys and Carphone Warehouse, iD Mobile is a budget virtual mobile network based on Three’s core network. You might say that it bridges the gap between traditional mobile networks and the new breed of no-frills providers, offering a combination of no-commitment rolling monthly contracts, long-term contracts and pay-monthly phone packages. While it isn’t always as cheap on the rolling contracts as the likes of Voxi or Smarty, it usually undercuts the bigger networks on its 12- and 18-month plans, bought with or without a phone.

In last year’s Mobile Network Awards iD did well on customer satisfaction, value and reliability, but struggled when it came to customer service. This year’s results are significantly better, and nearly 80% of users told us they’d recommend the network to a friend. But will that be enough to see iD Mobile regain lost ground against Giffgaff, Smarty and Voxi, or is it still trailing the no-frills leaders where it counts?

iD Mobile review: What do you get?

With its close association with Carphone Warehouse and Currys, it’s no surprise that iD Mobile offers good deals on a new smartphone. At the time of writing, it’s possible to bag an iPhone 15 with 100GB of data for a total cost of under £950 over a two-year period, or a Google Pixel 8 for under £700. With other networks, you could be spending between £250 and £500 more for a similar deal.

Yet iD Mobile isn’t just about the flagship handsets; it also has bargains on a wide range of budget and mid-range phones. How about a Google Pixel 8a with 10GB of data for £21/mth, plus £9 up front over two years? Or a Samsung Galaxy A35 5G with the same data allowance for £18/mth, plus £19 up front? You might still get a better deal by buying the phone outright and paying for your contract separately, but not in every case.

Meanwhile, the network’s SIM-only plans can also be great value. Rolling monthly plans with 4GB of data start at just £6, and you can have 6GB for the same fee if you sign up for a 12-month contract. Sign up for two years, and £7 will get you 30GB. Big data packages are just as affordable, with 300GB for £16 on a monthly contract, or £14 if you sign up for two years. The network’s two-year Unlimited contract is one of the cheapest in the business, at just £16 a month. Right now, you can have it for the first six months at half-price.

What’s more, all iD’s packages come with the network’s rollover feature, which allows you to push any unused data allowance into the following month. It might be iD’s only distinctive feature, but it’s a goody, especially if your usage varies from month to month.

With these prices, you’d expect high levels of customer satisfaction when it comes to value. Well, iD Mobile isn’t quite duking it out with Smarty and Voxi for this year’s Value award, but it isn’t that far behind. A total of 91% of users told our survey that they’re satisfied with the network’s value for money, and 56% are very satisfied.

iD Mobile review: Customer service

As mentioned earlier, iD Mobile’s scores for customer service in our 2023 Mobile Network Awards survey were disappointing. Only 17% of users told us they were very satisfied, and just 36% were fairly satisfied. What’s more, Ofcom’s 2023 customer service and satisfaction report noted that iD had more complaints per 100,000 subscribers than the industry average, with 10 complaints to the average eight.

This year, there are big improvements: 32% of customers described themselves as very satisfied with their service and support, while a further 32% were fairly satisfied. While that still leaves iD Mobile lagging behind most competitors, Three, Vodafone and O2 all had more dissatisfied customers. Meanwhile, Ofcom’s latest published customer complaint figures show iD bang on the industry average of four per 100,000 customers. There’s some good news for iD Mobile customers, but there’s still work to be done.

iD Mobile review: Coverage, reliability and speed

iD uses Three’s host network, covering 99% of the UK population for 4G and more than 67% of the UK in terms of outdoor coverage. Three currently comes second for UK-wide median 4G and 5G download speeds, according to the latest research from RootMetrics, with a speed of 44.5Mbits/sec. It’s also one of the fastest networks for 5G, with median 5G download speeds of over 100Mbits/sec in every area where RootMetrics tests, and reaching 200Mbits/sec in the fastest nine and 300Mbits/sec in the fastest two. In fact, its UK-wide median 5G download speed – 210.3Mbits/sec – puts the network ahead of the overall performance leader, EE.

iD’s users are mostly satisfied with their speeds and reliability, according to our survey results. Nearly 92% say that they always or often have the speeds they need for web browsing, while 70% say the same about streaming audio. Almost 15% can always stream video over their connection, while a further 44% can often do so. Other networks have better figures to show, including host network Three, but iD’s results are fairly reasonable.

iD Mobile review: Roaming

iD Mobile is one of the few UK networks to still offer free EU roaming. Outside Europe, charges vary, with calls costing between £1.68 and £3.60 per minute, texts costing 42p to 60p, and data coming in at 30p to a scary £3.60 per megabyte. Giffgaff is slightly cheaper for roaming, while Three’s Go Roam passes are arguably better value when you’re travelling beyond the EU.

iD Mobile review: Other features, services and spending caps

Beyond the data-saving rollover, iD Mobile doesn’t offer many extra features. However, you can put a spending cap on your account, starting at £5 over the regular cost of your plan. Caps can be changed online or through the iD Mobile app.

iD Mobile review: Verdict

Offering improved customer service and decent performance, we’re happier to recommend iD Mobile this year. Its SIM-only deals are cracking value, and it’s still fantastic for cost-cutting, pay-monthly phone plans. However, it still has a way to go if it wants to catch up with the leaders for speed and customer support. It’s heading in the right direction, but it isn’t where it needs to be quite yet.