The new mobile operator will piggyback off the Vodafone network and offer a range of SIM-only plans as well as plans with handsets.
Irish mobile users now have yet another provider to choose from.
Sky Mobile has finally launched in Ireland with a range of plans, handset options, and added perks, and aims to shake up the existing mobile market.
Here's a look at what's on offer and how it compares to the rest of the main competition...
What’s on offer?
Sky Mobile is offering customers unlimited calls and texts to any Irish mobile or landline, as well as unlimited 5G data, for just €15 a month for life on a SIM-only deal. So similar to what's on offer from GoMo which kickstarted the SIM-only craze when it launched in 2019.
For those looking for something even cheaper, Sky is offering a €10 a month for life plan which comes with unlimited calls and texts and 10GB of data. So suitable for those who only use a relatively small amount of data each month. And if you use less than the 10G of data you can save it and use it the following month.
Both SIM-only plans have a minimum 12-month contract and you pay with either your debit or credit card each month - there's no pay-as-you-go top-up option.
A nice feature is that you can change data plans whenever you want, even within the 12-month contact. So if you want to spend less in a certain month, you can change your plan from the unlimited plan to the 10GB plan and you’ll pay less. You can do this easily through the ‘My Sky’ app.
Customers will also have access to rewards such as cinema tickets and even return European flights.
Handsets
Sky is also offering plans with handsets, so different to the likes of GoMo, 48 and Lyca Mobile for example which only offer SIM-only deals.
For launch there’ll be a selection of top-end smartphones from Samsung, Xiaomi and HMD. But no Apple phones - for now at least, which may be a deal breaker for some.
Unlike some other networks, if you buy a phone from Sky Mobile, your bill will be split clearly between your phone cost and airtime costs – and once your handset has been paid for, your bill will automatically be reduced by the handset amount. This means you won’t ever continue to pay for a handset after it’s been paid off.
Customers who purchase handsets will have the option to pay for their phones fully upfront or over 24 or 36 months, with 0% APR. A slightly higher charge for the phone element of your bill will usually apply in year one, reducing for the following year or two.
Sky also says customers can swap their handsets for the latest model a year before their phone contract ends, at no extra cost. Simply send your phone back to Sky and select your new phone. You won’t pay anything to end your existing contract early. You’ll simply start a new contract with your new phone.
And for those who like to travel, there's access to roaming in over 150 countries worldwide and Sky Mobile’s 'Roam Like Home' service will be available in 44 countries including the UK and EU.
Transparency and fairness are at Sky Mobile’s core and splitting customer’s bills between their airtime plan and handset costs was hugely important to us in launching our mobile offering.
Our research has told us that when customers come to the end of their contract with some of the other operators in the Irish market, they continue to pay more than necessary, because they are still being charged for a handset that they have already paid for. In fact, our research tells us that over 300,000 customers in the market are significantly overpaying on their mobile bill. With Sky Mobile, this won’t happen.
Aideen Chambers, Director of Sky Mobile
Is data truly unlimited?
Yes. Unlike many mobile providers which offer 'unlimited' data, Sky doesn't apply any fair usage limits. So you can truly browse and stream content to your heart's content. This includes when roaming in the EU or UK!
A crowded market
The Irish mobile market is more competitive than ever. Although over the past decade or so we've seen the exits of O2 and Meteor we've also seen numerous new entrants such as GoMo, An Post Mobile, 48, Clear Mobile, and now Sky Mobile.
Market saturation is over 100% - meaning there are now more mobile phone subscriptions in Ireland than there are people! And although Sky is offering great value with its SIM-only plans, it's still no cheaper than some of the current deals out there. So it will have its work cut out in building up a big customer base.
What's more, although Sky is marketing its phones as being available with 0% APR, the total price you'll pay over 24 or 36 months is still actually higher than the phone's recommended retail price in many cases. So not quite such good value as on first glance...
Sign up to Sky Mobile
You can sign up to Sky Mobile in any of Sky’s retail stores or online.
But before you do, check out these five other SIM-only deals.
