Looking at a SIM for an iPad.

Does any operator offer a dual SIM contact linked to your phone?

Ideally would just extend current line rental to include a second SIM that will sit in the iPad. Could share data between the two SIMs.

Does this exist? Happy to move contract if someone offers it, but can’t find out if it is a scheme that exists.

Google searches just link to a myriad ‘cheap’ data SIM deals, rather than some pragmatic advice.

Thought maybe STW could bridge the gap?

I’ve never seen this; I’d like it too.

I just tether instead. It takes 30 secs to do the tether, then works pretty well

I may be misunderstanding your question: are you wanting the same phone number for both iPad and iPhone? Or just shared data allowance between the two sims? If the latter, I have an EE shared data plan so my kids can use all my data allowance on their Snapchat/etc. My plan is normal price, their extra numbers are something like £8/month each.

Tethering always a pain for me, although that’s what I do. Half the time I have to switch off and back on WiFi, Mobile Hotspot, etc on both devices a few times before I can get them to talk to each other.

krixmeister

Thanks, no need to have a phone number at all for the pad, just like one contract / bill for phone and iPad.

Tethering not always an option for various reasons, so would like the ability for the pad to connect itself.

The EE thing looks like it may be the one, but £8 per month for no extra data? Is that right?

Yeah. I may be grandfathered in from an older plan, but I have just changed my main number to their latest “SIM Only” 100GB for £30/month deal here:

https://shop.ee.co.uk/sim-only/pay-monthly-phones

and then a couple of “Shared Phone SIM” plans at £12, but for some reason (probably because I call and complain about the price increases every year) discounted down to just under £8 each. Those other two numbers share the data from my main plan.

Looking at link below – the shared data plans no longer seem to be available, but seem to have basically the same thing (just a bit more of a pain, you have to manually allocate the data each month) called either Shared Data or Data Gifting.

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Archive/Shared-Plans-vs-Shared-Data-Are-shared-plans-still-available/td-p/679262

Ta!

Surprised it’s such a complicated thing in this age of multiple devices. There are some SIM only deals around for less than £6 a month, but you only get 1GB of data.

I’d rather just share my data for an extra £5 a month.

Just no provider seems to offer this. Unless someone knows otherwise.

Can only assume there is, Apple Watch uses an esim to do that,£5 a month extra on EE. The newest iPads have esim built in, the older ones use SIM cards I think which is just an additional line on your account but more expensive. Ask your operator. Think EE’s additional lines are £10-15 a month each iirc.

Thanks.

EE and Voda seem to be the only show in town for this, and premium prices abound!

Will just get a £5 per month iD SIM with 2.25GB. Pretty good.

Worth taking a look at “prepaid” sims too. Three & O2 do a data sim with 20gb of data that lasts for 12 months. Around £30-£40 quid one off cost at the moment (Amazon seems to offer periodic discounts). Often works out cheaper than a monthly contract data sim.

Extra charge for tethering is always a pisstake in my mind. You e paid for the data, you’ve paid for your line rental, extra money just do you can look at your pixels on a different screen is just profiteering isn’t it? Why is it the carriers business what you do with your GBs?

Very naughty.

Is it though? You’re paying a provider for a service – a phone that does xyz. That’s a different service compared with your iPad. Counterexample: you wouldn’t expect your phone’s ‘unlimited’ data plan to allow you to tether your home wifi for Netflix.

It’s a bit different with SIM-only contracts I suppose, where the pound:Gb price is more stark.

Is it though? You’re paying a provider for a service – a phone that does xyz. That’s a different service compared with your iPad. Counterexample: you wouldn’t expect your phone’s ‘unlimited’ data plan to allow you to tether your home wifi for Netflix.

What’s different to the service on a phone compared to a pad? You’re using the same data stream, just using a different tool for the same job – you might as well say the provider would be justified for charging extra if you connect your laptop to a bigger external monitor to make it easier to see detail on a bigger screen, and I’m pretty sure plenty of people stream Netflix from a mobile device through their home a/v system, and again, why not; it’s just a data stream you’re paying for, who cares what pipe it comes through.