A "Have My Cake And Eat It" Strategy

[ytene]

I'm planning on taking early retirement in February next year and as part of getting ready for that change, I've been looking at my mobile needs and options... which quickly becomes very complicated. I thought it might be an idea to break down what I would like to do as a series of separate goals and then ask the community for feedback on how to go about achieving the best deal that meets my needs.

Just as an aside, one of the things I like least about EE is the lack of flexibility on the plans offered... A much, much better approach would be to have some simple foundations [minutes/texts/data] and then have all the other features as optional extras for a [small!] additional charge, but have them so that they can be activated/deactivated when needed. Like EU roaming, for example. Maybe one day.

Hope the following explanations make sense. Recommendations gratefully received.

Current Arrangements
I have my one iPhone Xr that is about 6 years old and which has started to refuse software updates...
I'm on a SIM-only deal with EE that ends May 2025 - transitioned in from BT, with unlimited calls, unlimited texts and 100Gb data for about £15/month. (The deal was 50Gb/month but there was a special offer when I purchased giving double data).

What I would like to do...
Not sure how best to set this out, so here goes...
1. Replace Handset... I intend to upgrade to the iPhone 16 with more storage. I'll buy this direct from Apple.
2. Apple Watch... I intend to buy an Apple Watch Ultra 2 - my first smartwatch. I want this to be able to operate independently from the iPhone, so if I understand that correctly, it means that I need a SIM arrangement for the watch. However, ideally I'd like to just add the Watch to the phone plan...
3. New Number... my existing mobile number is known to a lot of people I work with, customers and colleagues... and I get a lot of calls asking for help and advice. When I retire I'd like to make a clean break, so one option is to look for an all-new contract on a new number and make a clean break... [And of course, that gives me the freedom to look at other providers].
4. Travel... I intend to make the most of my escape from the 9-5 [8-8 in my case!] and travel as much as possible, with perhaps 2-3 trips each year. With the exception of the US, most of the places I want to visit are in the EU [France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Denmark, Sweden]. One is "sort of" in the EU - that's Norway. I'd also like to visit the US and Canada. But even with this amount of travel, I'll still likely spend 8-10 months a year in the UK, so I'm wary of paying for an EU roaming option on my basic contract if it is not going to be needed more than 20-25% of the time. When I travel, I do expect most of my usage to be calling/called from the UK and/or accessing resources like iCloud.

Question

I haven't yet found any mobile operator that would offer me a "mix-and-match" option where I can specify what plan features I want and then get a price for only what I use... but I wonder if there is a "best approach" when thinking about elements such as multiple devices and travel. Since I'm looking to get a new number, I'm happy to make a clean break if that gets me a good deal.

Very interested to ask if anyone has explored similar permutations and what you found the best approach to be.

Many thanks in advance.

[Chris_B]

@ytene  “

Just as an aside, one of the things I like least about EE is the lack of flexibility on the plans offered... A much, much better approach would be to have some simple foundations [minutes/texts/data] and then have all the other features as optional extras for a [small!] additional charge, but have them so that they can be activated/deactivated when needed. Like EU roaming, for example. Maybe one day.” 

 All you get is calls/texts and data the rest is optional.      
Everything else you’ve put is already available how you want it. 

[Peter_W]

Hey there @ytene.

Welcome to the EE Community 😊

It's not too long at all until your retirement, so I can totally understand you'll want to have everything in check for when the time comes. 

Just as a starting point, when it comes to getting a new number there are a couple of ways we can do this; you can order a brand new SIM and contract then cancel the number you no longer want, but you would need to wait until the end of your contract or pay an early cancellation fee.

Alternatively, it is possible to request a new number at any point within your contract via our customer care team, but there would be a charge for this unless you're receiving nuisance calls.

When it comes to plans, do you know what contract you're on at the moment? 

As your upgrade date is a little while away yet, it's hard for us to give estimates of the prices and offers that will be available come May, but SIM Only is definitely going to be the best way forward if you buy a phone direct from Apple.

Peter

[ytene]

Thanks, @Peter_W, this is helpful.

Currently I'm on a 24-month contract that expires in May 2025, which gives unlimited calls and texts and 100Gb data/month, for which I'm paying £14.56. The plan is/was a 50Gb version, but at the time I signed on there was a special offer for double data at the same price. I don't actually use much data at all - but I have it as an "insurance policy" in case my physical broadband line fails, since I'm a home-based worker.

Since there is not much time overlap between potential retirement and the end of my existing contract, it might be simpler for me to just let it terminate naturally. Of course that frees me up to look at other networks, unless EE has a deal to tempt me.

I'm also grateful to @Chris_B, since I did look but I did not see an option to add EU roaming to my contract only for those months when I need it. If it's possible for me to do that, and it's possible for me to get a SIM for my self-purchased Apple Watch Ultra 2 so that I can use it without carrying my phone, then I think I'd be all set.

[Chris_B]

@ytene  You can just add the roaming pass when needed at £25 per month, this covers the EU and the USA,Mexico,Australia,New Zealand and Canada.    then remove it when your back in the UK. 
Yes you can get a sim only contract for the watch you just set this up via the watch app on the phone.