Smartwatch pairing on UK networks: which are best?

Three let you pair a smartwatch and use the same number

The best network for smartwatch pairing at the moment is Three (see their page here). You can get one shared phone number for your phone and watch. And you can take your watch out and about, without your phone.

It works by signing up to one of their pay monthly SIM only plans or phone contracts. You then add an additional Smartwatch Pairing plan from within your phone’s smartwatch app. Your watch can then use your regular minutes, texts and data.

Three’s current best SIM only offers

It is a premium service. And the costs are a little hard to find up front. At the time of writing, our research found costs of £5 - £7 a month (see their latest price guide here). Not bad at all, to unlock a useful extra feature.

It works on Samsung and Apple Watch. If you’ve got a different model though, it’s worth checking their list of supported devices up front. If you want a separate contract for a smartwatch, you can also get that here.

Useful link: Three’s full guide to smartwatch pairing

Vodafone’s OneNumber plans are another good option

The information on Vodafone's website is pretty poor. But you can join them on any pay monthly plan and then buy a “OneNumber” plan that lets you share your phone’s number and allowances with your smartwatch.

Vodafone’s best SIM only deals

All the information heavily implies that you have to take a contract for the smartwatch device itself. But this is not the case. At the time of writing, you can add a OneNumber plan for £7.50 to your current deal.

This lets you be reachable on your smartwatch under your normal mobile number. You can add other devices like tablets, smart speakers or other phones for an extra charge too.

If you do want a separate contract to buy the smartwatch itself, you can also do that and still add the OneNumber feature too. So Vodafone are a really good, flexible option for this.

Useful link: Read about smartwatch connectivity on Vodafone

EE also let you use your phone plan with your smartwatch

Another decent option is EE. Like Three and Vodafone, it’s possible to get an additional plan that lets your watch share your phone’s minutes and texts and gives it unlimited data to use too. And they can both share the same number.

For most people, this will cost £7 a month to open up as a feature. Though, if your main plan is one of some selected premium ones, it’s actually included as a benefit (see their support page here).

To buy one, you use the smartwatch app on your phone. Select the option to add a mobile plan, choose EE and log in to your account.

EE’s network has a great reputation for coverage and data speeds, so they’re a very good option if quality is your consideration. You can also get a standalone contract for smartwatches too.

Useful link: How to pair your smartwatch to your EE plan

O2 are also a great choice for pairing with your smartwatch

O2 are the last main network that let you pair your plan with your smartwatch. You can connect your watch to your mins, texts and data for an added monthly cost. O2 set this up for you if you buy a watch from them.

If not, it’s still very easy to pair your watch to your plan. All you need to do is make sure you have a compatible phone and smartwatch then follow their instructions here.

O2’s best SIM only deals

The main downside is that they only support Apple and Samsung watches. So you likely won’t be able to pair a Google watch or any other make of smartwatch like you can on some of the networks above.

It’s also a shame that it doesn’t work with O2’s inclusive EU roaming as that’s the main benefit of joining O2 over the other main networks. Still, it’s a great scheme if you can get it working.

Useful link: How to pair your Apple watch on O2

spusu and Lyca Mobile eSIMs work in smartwatches

Your other alternative to a smartwatch plan integrated with your normal mobile deal is to take out a separate one. You won’t get the benefit of sharing the same number but you will be able to use your watch away from your phone.

Two networks that stand out for having eSIMs compatible with smartwatches are EE-based spusu (check support here) and Lyca Mobile (check support here). They offer extremely cheap plans to run separately from your phone.

Best current SIM only plans on spusu and Lyca

1pMobile (on EE) also let you use their SIM in smartwatches. They’d don’t support eSIM yet though, so you will need a physical SIM card slot on your watch, which most European models won’t actually have.

Useful links: Read our spusu review | Read our Lyca review