Millions of O2 customers given free mobile upgrade | Tech News

UK mobile community operator O2 has introduced it’s giving all its Pay Monthly customers entry to a more superior stage of 5G connectivity, so long as they’ve a suitable smartphone.

The firm is within the course of of upgrading its national community with 5G standalone (which it manufacturers as 5G+), a type of 5G signal that doesn’t depend on older 4G infrastructure, and is subsequently mentioned to offer quicker, more dependable connections.

O2 additionally claims customers might see improved battery life as telephones received’t need to hook up with 4G and 5G networks concurrently, with 5G+ speeds promised to be “around 50 percent faster” than 4G.

O2 mentioned 5G+ is now obtainable in more than 700 cities and cities throughout the nation, and any of its Pay Monthly customers at the moment are receiving this upgrade at no additional price to their current payments.

In order to take benefit of this free perk, you should own a telephone that’s 5G+ suitable. Luckily, the listing of these units is kind of long, with all iPhones launched since 2024’s iPhone 15 ready to hook up with 5G+ alerts.

The majority of in style Samsung Galaxy telephones courting back so far as 2021 are additionally suitable, as are Google Pixel telephones from the final two years.

“Our 5G+ service is now available to millions of customers across the UK, and uniquely, it’s available to everyone on O2 across all Plans – unlike other networks,” mentioned Christian Hindennach, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media O2.

“The upgrade boosts performance in busy areas, including major venues that host big crowds, benefiting both residents and visitors, and is another example of Virgin Media O2’s commitment to enhancing our network and delivering a more reliable experience.”

Rival EE gives 5G standalone however just for customers on sure premium-priced pay month-to-month tariffs.

To see in case your space has O2 5G+, you should utilize this online protection checker.

But O2 mentioned even should you own a 5G+ telephone, you should even have a suitable SIM card, which it says in an effort to work correctly with this new technology should both have been bought since 2024, if a bodily SIM card, or be an eSIM.

“Older SIM cards, including those issued before 2024, were only designed to support earlier generations of mobile technology,” an O2 spokesperson instructed Express.co.uk.

“To access newer capabilities like 5G+, customers need a newer R15 SIM, which includes updated features that enable the network and device to use 5G Standalone services. O2 began issuing those to all new customers from 2024 onwards, and any customer who wants can upgrade to one now free of charge if they want 5G+.”

O2 mentioned should you need to replace your SIM to entry 5G+, you’ll be able to accomplish that at no additional price by way of the firm’s web site.

eSIM is a comparatively new technology that enables telephones to register digital SIMs, moderately than needing the normal plastic card inserted into units.

The marketing campaign to push customers to eSIM is partly to help customers gain entry to useful new applied sciences reminiscent of 5G+, nevertheless it is also pre-empting all smartphones ultimately completely utilizing eSIM.

All iPhones bought within the US at the moment are eSIM-only, which means they lack bodily SIM card slots, a transfer not but made within the UK, however one that may not be far off. The iPhone Air launched in September 2025 is an eSIM-only telephone, even on these shores.

eSIMs may be swapped electronically between units, however customers lose the pliability of coming out a bodily SIM card to change to a new telephone.