The O2 Switch Up plan sounds too good to be true: swap your current phone for a new one as often as you'd like. It's a part of any Plus Plan, or you can get the Switch Up as a Bolt On with any Custom Plan for only £3.99 extra a month - that's less than I spend on my daily latte. But still, I was skeptical - how could this even work? How could I swap my perfectly good phone for an even better one? I needed to see how this worked for myself, since it seems like an unbelievably good deal that's leagues ahead of other phone company contacts.
First, keep in mind that O2 Switch Up is only available to new or upgrading customers - or for upgrades within the first 14 days. Luckily, I recently upgraded my phone and got an O2 Plus Plan, which contained O2 Switch Up, so I am able to qualify for the switch. If you don't already have an O2 contract, I reached out to O2 and got an estimate for a brand-new Plus Plan with the latest model phone, unlimited data, unlimited minutes and unlimited texts for £65.98 a month (£35.99 for the plan and £30.00 for the phone), plus £30 up-front.
You can't use O2 Switch Up online at the moment, so I headed to my high street and into an O2 store. There, an O2 team member checked out my old phone to make sure it wasn't damaged, and handed me a brand-new phone on the spot.
Yes, a shiny new phone, still in the box. The O2 employee took my old phone to wipe it and refurbish it, and I walked out with a fresh Plus Plan contract (you have to start a new one every time you swap) and a brand-new phone. My new phone has an A15 chip, a 12-megapixel wide and ultra-wide camera with improved aperture, and a Super Retina HDR display that's brighter than any screen I've ever seen. Plus, the phone just feels so much better in my hands.
Keep in mind that with each new contract you start with the O2 Switch Up plan, you'll be paying something different every month. You are paying off the phone after all, so if you decide that the shiny new model has upped your monthly cost a bit too much, you can just head into an O2 store and swap for a slightly older or less expensive model.
I'm happy with my current monthly rate, however, and am shocked at how simple and easy this Switch Up plan is. Why aren't all phone contracts like this? On my old plans, it was always such a hassle to upgrade my phone, but with new phones dropping so often, modern plans should be more reflective of the rapidly advancing technology. The O2 Switch Up plan will let me try out the latest iOS and Android models whenever I want to, giving me ample opportunity to try out and fall in love with a new handset. I can't believe I waited this long to try it out.
I plan on using my new phone for a few more months, trying out its camera on my next holiday, and seeing how easy it is for me to work from it on the go. Then, when I feel like I've given it a fair shake, I'm going to head into an O2 store and swap it out for an entirely different model - maybe even that cool new flip phone? Whatever I'm in the mood for, I can try it out with the O2 Switch Up plan - and that's pretty wild.
