Big Four outclassed by smaller rivals in Which? mobile rankings - with huge savings on offer for those who switch away

Big Four outclassed by smaller rivals in Which? mobile rankings - with huge savings on offer for those who switch away

The UK's biggest providers - including EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - have been outperformed by smaller rivals in Which?'s annual mobile networks survey, as the consumer champion advises unhappy customers that they could get better value for money, customer service and flexibility by switching to a new Sim-only deal.

Which? surveyed more than 4,000 mobile customers about their experiences to find out which mobile providers are impressing their customers and which are falling short. 

Which?'s survey found the biggest providers - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone - were largely outshone by their smaller rivals.  

Three was stranded at the bottom of the table for the second year in a row - receiving a customer score of 63 per cent. It left its customers underwhelmed with poor ratings across most of the categories Which? looked at, including network reliability, customer service and value for money when roaming. Only two in five customers said they had not experienced a problem in the past 12 months – fewer than for any other provider.

O2 and Vodafone fared slightly better with customer scores - scoring 68 per cent and 69 per cent respectively. O2 usually returns a consistent but unimpressive row of average ratings, but this year customers were less impressed – rating most categories as poor, including customer service, ease of getting in touch and technical support. 

Vodafone received mediocre scores and was rated particularly poorly for communication with customers, network reliability and incentives and rewards offered. 

EE fared better than the other big providers this year, coming in mid-table with a customer score of 71 per cent. It still received mostly average scores across the board and was rated particularly well for download speeds. Incentives and value for money when roaming were rated poorly, with just two stars out of five, so EE customers should pay attention to any add-ons and make sure to cancel them if they are not using them. 

To add insult to injury, the Big Four providers are also charging annual price rises. O2 are hitting all customers with an annual increase of £1.80 a month for Sim-only contracts. This compares with £1.50 a month for EE customers, £1 to £1.50 for Three and £1 to £1.80 for Vodafone. 

EE is the only network to announce a new price increase, of £4 a month, for customers on bundled contracts, where the price of the phone and Sim are not split.

At the other end of the scale, most smaller providers do not impose mid-contract price hikes, which makes their cheaper, more flexible Sim-only deals even better value. These providers dominated the top of Which?'s rankings this year. 

Smarty, Voxi and Talkmobile all received customer scores of 80 per cent or more and came top of Which?'s table.

Smarty topped the table with a score of 82 per cent and has performed well in Which?'s rankings for the last five years. Its customers were particularly pleased with its overall value for money - it does not offer handsets or fixed-term contracts, just rolling Sim-only deals at low prices. 

Voxi and Talkmobile followed just behind with scores of 81 per cent and 80 per cent. Both networks performed particularly well for network reliability, value for money, download speeds and quality of communications. Both firms also offer affordable deals without mid-contract price hikes. 

Which?'s survey clearly shows that smaller providers are outperforming their bigger rivals in several areas - especially for value for money. Rolling monthly Sim-only contracts for the Big Four networks start from £19 whereas these are available for less than £5 from some of the top-performing smaller firms, with more data included. 

Any customers who are nearing the end of their contract with a Big Four provider and are unhappy with their deal or service should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a provider with better customer service, lower prices and no mid-contract price hikes. 

Natalie Hitchins, Which? Head of Home Products and Services said: 

“Our research shows that smaller providers are outshining the biggest mobile network firms across the board. 

“Many smaller providers offer better customer service, more reliable connections and cheaper Sim-only deals without any mid-contract price hikes - giving their customers more certainty about what their monthly bill will look like. 

“Any customers who are nearing the end of their contract and are unhappy with their current provider, or could stand to make savings, should not hesitate to vote with their feet and move to a different provider.”

-ENDS-

Notes to editors

Research

Which? surveyed 4,153 adults in the UK in January and February 2025. Fieldwork was carried out online by Deltapoll. The customer score is based on satisfaction with the brand and likelihood to recommend.

Read more on mobile price hikes here. 

Table of results with rankings and customer score

Based on an online survey of 4,153 members of the public in Jan/Feb 2025. Sample sizes in brackets; we need at least 50 to include a result.

Which?'s tips on phones and contracts 

1, What to do if you're already in a contract - Early exit fees mean you'll probably have to wait for the contract to end before you can do anything. For split contracts, make sure you know when the Sim payment period ends, as you can then switch to a new provider and cheaper Sim-only deal. 

If perks are included, try to use them as much as you can. See if your provider offers anything you're not using, such as early access to tickets, weekly treat vouchers or monthly prize draws and giveaways. 

Check how much data you use each month. If you don't come close to using all your allowance, contact your provider and ask to move to a lower, cheaper amount. It's not obliged to help, but might offer you an alternative. If you're particularly struggling to pay the bills, it's worth reaching out, as networks can offer to work with you to provide support and a solution.

2, What to do if you prefer a contract - Contracts are most commonly offered by the Big Four providers, but you could end up paying more for both the phone and Sim parts of a contract, especially when weighing up annual increases. Some smaller providers, as well as retailers such as Apple and Samsung, offer interest-free repayments on the handset cost. Always work out the total cost of a contract across its duration, once annual increases have been added. 

3, Navigating a phone purchase - If you can, buy a phone outright. Avoid contracts that charge interest, although monthly repayments will often end up costing more in total than buying outright, even if they're interest-free. Mid-range and even budget handsets are now far more capable, and are suitable for most people. Also look at refurbished phones, and keep an eye for discounts on handsets, which typically appear six to 12 months after launch.