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Vodafone, EE and O2 are hiking prices – how to beat mobile bill shock in 2026

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Buying a new mobile phone is expensive enough in 2026 given the increasing costs of smartphones, but another cost to worry about is the mobile plan you pay for alongside the device itself. Whether you are paying off the cost of a handset as well as an airtime plan, or have opted for a SIM only deal, you might be subject to some unwanted price rises this year.

If you want to avoid your bills increasing, you might want to consider switching mobile providers.

Many UK mobile operators and third party resellers offer contracts on phones or on airtime that increase annually. This increase used to be linked to inflation, which makes the yearly increases slightly unpredictable.

In January 2025, new rules enforced by UK regulator Ofcom were introduced that mean mobile providers must state by how much contract prices will increase over the course of a contract in plain pounds and pence. Over the past few months, familiar phone companies have started to hike prices, with O2 announcing most of its customers will see a £2.50 monthly bill increase from April 2026.

Rivals EE and Vodafone will also raise prices by the same amount for contracts taken out since July 31 and November 12 respectively. New Three customers who take out data plans will see bills rise by at least £1.80 this year.

Sky Mobile has also just raised prices for in-contract customers for the first time in seven years, a rarity for a provider that prides itself on not having to do this.

If you are unimpressed with price rises set to affect your monthly bills, you could switch to a new mobile provider. This is a great option in particular if you already your own your phone outright and are not paying off a long contract.

If you haven’t completed the initial term of your contract, you may have to pay a termination fee to leave early.

Once you’ve paid off the cost of your handset, likely over 12, 24 or 36 months, you may find that you are no longer tied to paying the monthly cost for the airtime.

In fact, many providers don’t tell you this, as unfortunately they can legally continue overcharging you even if you’ve paid off the cost of the phone. Instead, you can switch to a different phone operator, some of whom have recently promised not to raise their prices. 

Giffgaff, which offers SIM-only deals using the O2 network, hasn’t raised prices of any of its plans for six years.

“At Giffgaff we believe in fair value for our members, which is why we don’t do mid-contract price rises and haven’t raised our plan prices in six years,” said Kate Dohaney, Giffgaff CEO. “We also give our members the freedom to change their plan up and down each month should they wish to suit their budget.”

Giffgaff gives you the choice between 18 month SIM contracts, or monthly rolling plans that don’t tie you into a contract. A notable non-contract plan is £10 per month, which gets you a respectable 20GB of monthly 5G data. Prices start from £6 for 2GB.

The firm said it doesn’t raise prices mid-contract for any of its customers, a promise echoed by Lebara.

“Sky Mobile joins O2 in increasing prices mid-contract for their millions of existing customers,” said Mayur Jauhari, Commercial Director, Lebara Mobile UK. “Price hikes like this have become all too common across major networks, penalising people for staying loyal.

“At Lebara, we believe in fairness and transparency, which is why we never raise prices mid-contract. The price you agree to is the price you pay – no surprises, no hidden hikes. We remain committed to keeping things simple and affordable for our customers.”

Lebara, which uses the Vodafone network, offers a monthly rolling, no contract £5 plan with 5GB data, 1,000 minutes and texts with 100 international minutes. Its Unlimited data tariff is £25 per month.

Tesco Mobile, which uses the O2 network, has recently committed to freezing mobile prices for Clubcard-carrying customers. The firm offers special pricing and perks to those Clubcard members who use their card when signing up for a Tesco Mobile deal.

“As the UK faces a cold snap, Tesco Mobile is putting mid-contract price rises firmly on ice. We’re proud to offer frozen prices on our exclusive Clubcard Price deals, guaranteeing that your monthly costs stay the same for the entire length of your contract,” said Laura Joseph, Chief Customer Officer at Tesco Mobile.

“We know clarity and certainty matter when it comes to household budgets. With heating bills climbing, we want your mobile bill to be one less thing to worry about.

“For anyone reconsidering their options after recent price hikes across the market, Tesco Mobile provides a simple alternative: transparent pricing, frozen costs, and genuine value through Clubcard. Whatever the weather, at Tesco Mobile we help families stay connected without the stress of unexpected increases.”



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Argos offers bargain Android phone for under £200

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If you are in need of a smartphone upgrade but don’t have a lot of cash to spend, the good news is there are several Android options for you in 2026. Better still to be on the lookout for a good deal, and we think we’ve found a good one.

Argos is selling the Motorola Moto G86 for just £195.99, a much lower price than the advertised £279.99 – you just need to know how to get the discount to show up in your basket.

It’s all part of Argos’ Big Red sale event that is running until February 24. Scores of popular items are on sale when you enter the correct discount code at the online checkout.

For the Moto G86, Argos is offering 30 percent off that RRP. All you have to do is enter the code RED30 in the promo code box in the checkout process online, and the retailer will cut the cost right down to £195.99.

That’s a bargain price for a phone that has an awful lot going for it considering the low cost. Available in either black or blue hues, the Moto G86 has a large 6.67-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, so text, websites and apps will scroll smoothly by.

You get a generous 256GB storage, plus a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide with a 32MP selfie shooter, full IP68/IP69 dust and water resistance, Android 16 and a solid MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor.

View the Motorola Moto G86 at Argos

At this price, you aren’t getting the most powerful phone on the market, but if all you need your phone for is calls, WhatsApp, banking, social media, email and snapping photos it will certainly fit the bill. Just don’t expect it to keep up if you try and play PUBG for an hour.

Thankfully you get a 5,200mAh battery that is actually larger than the battery found in the £1,249 Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Not bad for a phone that costs more than £1,000 less.

Argos says its Big Red sale is running until February 24, so you have a little bit of time to pick up the Moto G86 while stocks last.

If you want a phone with a little more oomph and a better camera system, Argos is also offering an unbelievable 50 percent off the Google Pixel 9 in the same sale.



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New £39 budget earbuds offer a feature Samsung and Apple won’t match

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Fancy trying something different to AirPods or Galaxy Buds? The new £39.99 Neo Buds from Groov-e might look like any other budget in-ear music makers, but they come with a nifty bonus. Tucked on the front of the charging case is a small colour display that gives instant access to music controls and the settings. It even shows how much battery is left in the tank and if the buds need a refill.

“The intuitive smart display on the charging case gives users optimum control, whether listening to music, podcasts or answering calls, without the need to unlock their device,” Groov-e explained.

“The display also provides additional audio customisation settings, such as adjusting mixes, toggling ANC, and the option to have an image on the display.”

These aren’t the only buds that include a display on the case. JBL’s Live Beam 3 also offers this smart functionality, but they costs over £100 more.

Despite the Neo Buds’ low price, they get that clever case and also feature active noise cancellation (ANC), which blocks out all background noise so you only hear your tunes and not much else.

Other extras include a comfy fit, 22 hours of playback and touch controls.

Express.co.uk has not had a chance to test these new earbuds, so we can’t give them our stamp of approval, but they certainly appear pretty feature-packed for such a low price.

Want something we can definitely can recommend?

Sony has just unveiled its premium WF-1000XM6 buds, which now offer improved sound and unbeatable noise cancellation.

They get a new look with a matte finish, decent battery life and can even beam high-resolution audio right into your ears.

Touch controls on the outside of each bud let you manage music without reaching for a phone and can be fully customised to suit your needs.

With a price of over £230 they certainly aren’t cheap but they some of the best buds you can buy.



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Gmail for Android finally gets something iPhone users have had for years

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Google is the creator of both Gmail and Android, yet the Android app version of Gmail has been lacking a very basic tool compared to the iPhone app and the email service on a web browser. You might have thought that the Android app would be the cutting edge of Gmail features, but this simply isn’t the case.

Thankfully, Google has finally made the update, bringing label creation to Gmail on Android for, amazingly, the very first time.

Labels are a way to create subfolders to sort your unwieldy Gmail inbox into something more manageable. I use them to quickly sort incoming mail into labels for bills, invoices, specific trips, personal projects and more.

You have been able to view and send mail into already created labels on Android, but unbelievably, only now can you create them on Android.

I am no app developer, but considering I have been using labels on Gmail for at least six years (judging by my label collection), it’s very odd that the Android app is only getting this tool in 2026. I guess I have done all my label creation on my laptop for years, as email sorting, as a millennial, is very much a big screen activity. Just like booking flights or moving more than £100 using online banking, much to the amusement of younger generations.

Still, apparently we can’t have everything at once. You can create and name a label, as well as delete one, but you still can’t colour code a label on the Android app. Back to your big screen you go.

The fact Google has made sure label creation was available for Gmail on iPhone for years before it came to Android hints at where the firm’s priorities lie. Sure, Google makes and maintains Android, which has more users worldwide than iOS, and it also sells its Pixel line up of smartphones. But keeping iPhone users on Gmail with all the newest features would appear to be a priority.

9to5Google says this update is rolling out gradually to Android users, so watch out for version number 2026.01.26.x, and you’ll be able to get labelling on the go – even if it is long overdue.



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