Honest Mobile review: is the Carbon Negative network any good?

Coverage is decent thanks to using Three’s network

Honest Mobile have partnered with the Three network to bring customers 3G/4G/5G signal (they also previously had a product that let you use O2 and EE too but this has been paused and will be replaced in future).

When we’ve checked an Honest SIM against a Three SIM in the same areas, we’ve never found any coverage differences. We’re confident it’s an identical experience signal-wise.

For calls (over 3G), there can still be some total blackspots in rural locations and it’s good that Honest have WiFi calling / VoLTE, because their call signal isn’t on the best frequencies for getting indoors.

4G data coverage (see 5G below) is a much-improving picture as Honest benefit from Three’s aggressive 4G expansion programme. If you’ve ever ruled them out before, it’s probably time to re-check a Three-based signal map like SMARTY.

Overall, the mix of signal is beatable on other networks but we can see the majority of people being satisfied, especially if you mostly use your phone in built-up, urban areas.

Useful link: More details on Honest's network technology

4G data speeds are a strength for Honest Mobile

Honest Mobile’s choice of Three is definitely a good thing for their 4G data speeds (see about 5G below). Our tests have never found any built-in speed disadvantages or cap vs Three directly.

Opensignal take speed measurements from volunteer phones up and down the country. They measured speeds on Honest’s hosts Three at around 30.7 Mbps, putting them in second place for typical 4G speeds.

On their hosts we managed to get up to 70 Mbps and we got speeds as low as 7 Mbps in rural areas. Their peak speeds are slower than some, but they also don’t go as slow as some networks in the sticks.

Their 50 Mbps typical 4G speed claim is based on their own estimates and is not evidence of a speed cap. So you’ll get the same speeds to stream and browse comfortably on Honest as you would on Three.

Useful link: Our rankings of the best 5G networks

5G: Honest Mobile include it on all plans

Honest introduced 5G as standard a little while ago. You get the same 5G coverage as you would on Three directly, and that’s definitely a good thing.

It means you’ll get 5G in these 484+ UK towns and cities on Honest Mobile. And coverage within those locations is typically quite strong, but this will depend per location (check near you here).

You should get the same typical 5G speeds on Honest and Three. According to results from Opensignal and Speedtest by Ookla that means you’ll typically get between 228.4 Mbps - 285.2 Mbps.

And peak speeds can even go up to a whopping 687.13 Mbps. So if you’re a mobile gamer or often do data-heavy things like file-sharing then Honest are as good a choice as their hosts Three.

Useful link: Honest Mobile’s guide to their 5G

WiFi/4G calling: Honest’s scheme is similar to their hosts

WiFi calling should now work automatically on Honest Mobile, allowing it to work seamlessly in the background, which is how it should work. It’s great if you have poor indoor signal in your home or at work.

Honest also include 4G calling (VoLTE) letting you stay connected to calls and texts over 4G signal. This is great for expanding coverage for calls and improving call quality where there’s strong 4G.

We still need to test whether or not you can transfer a call from WiFi to 4G calling without it dropping or vice versa. We assume you should be able to, but we can’t yet say for sure.

They are missing some newer models from their supported devices list, but they say this is due to Three having not confirmed which new devices are compatible for WiFi calling. But most newer phones should work fine.

Useful link: How to get round poor indoor signal

Extra network features are a little lacking

Honest Mobile let you use your SIM as a personal hotspot to tether non-data devices or phones that have run out of data. And you can use up to your entire allowance for this, even on an unlimited data plan.

We asked a chat agent who said you can also forward incoming calls to another number on Honest, which lets you keep one number free from calls or make sure you’re always within reach.

But they don’t offer any WiFi hotspots, unlike their hosts Three who offer free WiFi on the London Underground. That’s a shame as these can help you stay connected and save some data on the go.

Honest also don’t provide visual voicemail, which lets you sort through your voicemails one by one. But you can now join Honest Mobile on an eSIM.

Useful link: Honest Mobile’s FAQs page

It’s great to still get EU roaming included

While many networks have removed inclusive EU roaming from their plans, we’re pleased that Honest Mobile have kept theirs in place. You can still roam in these 44 EU/EEA destinations on any of their plans.

You can use your unlimited minutes and texts back to UK numbers and up to 20GB of your regular data allowance there per month, without paying anything extra. That’s one of the UK’s most generous fair usage policies.

We would point out though that you will pay for calls to EU numbers while there at these rates. That’s unusual. Normally local calls are included if a network has inclusive EU roaming, so worth bearing in mind.

If you want to go beyond the EU you’ll have to pay extra at these rates. Honest have a built-in daily cap on charges (your usual spending cap won’t work for this). But we’d recommend sticking to the EU on Honest Mobile.

Useful link: See their current SIM only plans

They’re our best choice for environmental issues

Honest Mobile were set up as an environmentally friendly network and it’s a big part of their marketing. They’re first place in our rankings for the best environmental networks and we found their claims hold water.

They’re the only network that totally offset the carbon emissions from providing their network services, keeping their offices powered, shipping and even the charging of your phone (read here to see how this works).

They also plant trees on behalf of their customers and you can see how many have been planted thanks to your custom in their app. And they’ve invested into direct air capture to take CO2 out of the air.

Finally, Honest are a certified B-corp, meaning their efforts to offset their environmental damage have been verified by experts. So Honest are one of the best choices for users looking to help the environment.

Useful link: Honest Mobile's blog

It’s nice your plan gets cheaper the longer you stay

On most networks you’ll see the cost of your monthly bill increase every year due to inflation or temporary discount periods expiring (see our guide to mid-contract price increases here).

But that won’t happen while you’re Honest Mobile. In fact the cost of your plan will begin to go down after your second month with them, up to a maximum of 30% off the initial price.

You can see how much your plan is being discounted by on their app and how much you’ll be paying per month.

Honest are more expensive than other small providers, but this benefit makes them more appealing. If their values appeal to you and you’re still willing to pay more, their discounts are nice extra.

Useful link: Honest Mobile's full features and benefits page

There are other decent smaller benefits

Honest Mobile sell lots of plans on flexible 1-month contracts. These let you switch or leave your plan entirely every month (as long as you give 30 days’ notice) if you don’t want to commit to a longer contract.

They do offer longer 12-month contracts that are better value, however (usually £2.50 cheaper). And you won’t have to pass a credit check for either their 1-month or 12-month contracts. So it’s easy to join them.

If you’re worried about overspending on extras then you’ll like the fact that Honest let you set an extra spending cap in £1 increments or not set one at all. And you can change your cap up or down when you want.

Finally, Honest reward you for referring new users onto their network by giving both you and the person you referred one free month (read full terms here). So Honest offer some nice extra benefits on their plans.

Useful link: Our guide to each networks’ spending caps

Other networks are doing some things better

Honest Mobile don’t have any special benefits like unlimited data for social media and streaming. VOXI offer both, with their Unlimited Social Media on all plans and Unlimited Video on larger ones.

VOXI plans that include Unlimited Video

These are all of VOXI’s SIM only plans that include their Unlimited Video and Social Media data benefits:

You also don’t get data rollover, which lets you hold onto your data for a month. This is something fellow Three-users iD Mobile offer on all plans despite being a lower cost network than Honest.

And Honest don’t offer any benefits for adding multiple plans to your account. There’s no discounts like you get on SMARTY with their 10% off extra plans or data gifting like you can do with Sky Mobile.

Finally, there are no rewards apps to give you more for your loyalty and if you want to call abroad it’s a lot more expensive to do so on Honest Mobile than it is on Lebara for example.

Useful link: Best networks for setting up a family plan

Customer service: Honest are reliable at helping users

When we judge a networks’ customer service we usually look at Ofcom’s complaints report. Honest don’t show up in their list as they’re too small of a network, but we reckon their complaint number would be low.

Unfortunately you can’t call their customer service any more. This would be more of an issue if they didn’t have an online chat. But they do, and we found their online agents helpful and friendly.

It’s sometimes the cast that you’ll have to wait ages for a smaller networks’ customer service to respond, but with Honest they’ve consistently responded and resolved our issues in just a few minutes.

Their customer service is a little bit limited compared to what it used to be. But they’re still efficient at dealing with their smaller number of customers, especially compared to low-cost rivals iD Mobile.

Useful link: Read their FAQ page here