Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders: Business Phone Deals With Flexible Plan Lengths & Upgrades

Vodafone’s EVO for Sole Traders allows you to get a new mobile phone with flexible plan lengths, upgrades and trade-in.

In the UK, Vodafone has launched a flexible new mobile phone plan for sole traders. Known as Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders, it’s designed for those who are running their own small business.

With Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders, you can get a new mobile phone with the option to choose the length of your phone plan (between 12 and 36 months). You can also upgrade your phone as soon as you’re 12 months into your plan and there is the option to trade-in an eligible handset to save on your plan.

In this article, we’ll review Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders. We’ll start by looking at how it works and the key features and benefits available for your business. We’ll then look at the top handsets available on Vodafone EVO and how you can stay connected with a smartwatch on Vodafone. Finally, we’ll look at how you can keep your current phone number when switching to Vodafone.

What is Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders?

In the UK, Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders is a new mobile plan that’s designed to give small business owners a smartphone on a plan they’re able to customise.

Unlike traditional 24-month contracts which are much more rigid, EVO gives you the flexibility to choose the length of your plan. You can also decide how much you pay for your phone upfront and how much you pay for it each month. On Vodafone EVO, there’s also the option to upgrade as soon as you’re 12 months into your plan and the option to trade-in an eligible handset for an instant saving on your new plan.

Customers choosing a Vodafone EVO plan will also benefit from a number of other features including Battery Refresh, Total Care Warranty and up to 4 Xtra Plan benefits. You’ll also get 5G coverage included on all mobile phones, with inclusive roaming in up to 81 destinations and access to VeryMe rewards.

Unfortunately, Vodafone EVO is not currently available to limited companies or partnerships. If you’re looking for a limited company or partnership deal, you can chat to Vodafone online to see the deals that are available to you.

How Does EVO for Sole Traders Work?

Flexible Plan Lengths & Costs

With Vodafone EVO, you have the option of building your own phone plan.

Start by choosing the mobile phone you want from Vodafone’s website. Popular options including the iPhone 12 and the Samsung Galaxy S21. Once you’ve done that, you can choose your upfront payment and the length of time over which you’d like to spread the cost of your handset (between 12 months and 36 months).

To give an example, the iPhone 12 Pro Max defaults to an upfront payment of £24.17, followed by £25.83/month for 36 months (excluding VAT). If you like, you can increase the upfront payment to reduce the monthly cost. For instance, paying an extra £100 upfront would reduce the monthly fee for your phone to £23.06/month for 36 months (excluding VAT). Similarly, you can reduce the length of your phone plan. This will increase your monthly payments but you’ll pay off your phone much faster.

Once you’ve chosen your phone plan, you’ll be able to choose an airtime plan for it. Vodafone’s airtime plans range from 2GB per month to fully unlimited data.

Upgrade After 12 Months

On Vodafone EVO, you can upgrade your phone at any time after the first 12 months. For instance, you can upgrade to get the latest iPhone or Samsung Galaxy next year. Alternatively, you can switch to a newer handset as your business mobile requirements change.

To upgrade your phone, you’ll simply need to go back to Vodafone’s website to choose a new device plan and airtime plan. You’ll need to pay off your old device in full when you upgrade but it’s possible to trade-in an eligible phone to help with this.

Mobile Phone Trade-In

If you have an eligible mobile phone to trade-in, you can get a guaranteed saving on your new airtime plan with Vodafone’s Trade-in Tool. At present, Vodafone says you can save the following with their trade-in option:

• £288 when you trade in a Galaxy S10 series phone
• £192 when you trade in iPhone X, XR, XS or XS Max
• £96 when you trade in iPhone 8/8+ or Galaxy S9 and S9+

You’ll get instant confirmation that your phone has passed the trade-in checks, even without you needing to send it off to Vodafone. Once the checks have been passed, the saving will be applied to your airtime plan and you’ll get a return pack in a post.

Other Vodafone Business Features

Battery Refresh & Total Care Warranty

If you buy a handset on Vodafone’s EVO plan for Sole Traders, you’ll now get Battery Refresh and a Total Care Warranty included:

• Battery Refresh gives you inclusive battery health checks and replacements for the entire length of your phone plan (up to three years). This is a really positive way of extending the lifetime of your device as lots of phones are discarded simply because they no longer hold their charge.
• Total Care Warranty gives you an inclusive two-year warranty for your mobile phone. This covers “faults or problems you may have with the hardware or software”, but it “doesn’t cover accidental or liquid damage” to the device.

Xtra Plan Benefits

All of Vodafone’s EVO for Sole Trader plans now have between 2 and 4 Xtra plan benefits included. The Xtra plan benefits include the following:

• Device Care: All Vodafone Xtra plans now include a Device Care service. This allows you to book a Tech Expert appointment at your nearest Vodafone retail store to get a health check on the battery, software and storage. The Vodafone Tech Experts can also give you a device valuation in case you want to trade-in your phone.
• Unlimited Picture Messages: All Vodafone Xtra plans now include unlimited MMS picture messages inside the UK.
• 50% off Smartwatch Connectivity: If you choose a Vodafone EVO airtime plan with 3 Xtra Benefits, you’ll get a 50% discount on business smartwatch connectivity plans. You can use this with an Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch.
• Unlimited Data Boosters: If you choose a limited data plan with 4 Xtra Benefits, you’ll get up to 6 Unlimited Data Boosters included. You can activate the Unlimited Data Boosters when you want to get unlimited data for the next 30 days.
• 81 Roam-Free Destinations: If you choose an unlimited data plan with 4 Xtra Benefits, you’ll get access to Global Roaming Plus. This allows you to use your mobile phone abroad in 81 roam-free destinations at no extra cost.

The following table shows a summary of the Xtra benefits you’ll get on each plan:

Xtra Benefit	Plans with 2 Xtra Benefits	Plans with 3 Xtra Benefits	Plans with 4 Xtra Benefits
Device Care	✔ Yes	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Unlimited Picture Messages	✔ Yes	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
50% off Smartwatch Connectivity	✘ No	✔ Yes	✔ Yes
Unlimited Data Boosters	✘ No	✘ No	✔ Yes, on limited data plans
81 Roam-Free Destinations	✘ No	✘ No	✔ Yes, on unlimited data plans

VeryMe Rewards

As a Vodafone Business customer, you’ll get access to VeryMe Rewards. This gives you access to exclusive deals and offers from a range of brands such as Vue, Boots, Chili and more.

You’ll also get an Eat Local membership from VeryMe Rewards, powered by Gourmet Society. This gives you discounts and offers at independent restaurants and cafes across the UK, such as 2-for-1 meals or a 25% discount on food and drink.

5G At No Extra Cost

If you choose a 5G-ready phone, you’ll get access to Vodafone’s 5G network at no extra cost on all Vodafone EVO plans.

If you’re using your mobile phone in a 5G coverage area, this will give you faster download speeds (150-200Mbps on average). You’ll also benefit from more network capacity and lower amounts of latency when you’re using 5G.

At present, Vodafone offers 5G coverage in 100 UK towns and cities, with further locations being added all the time.

Business Roaming

As a Vodafone Business customer, you’ll get access to Vodafone’s business roaming service. This allows you to stay connected with your customers wherever you are through international roaming. According to Vodafone, they offer the largest roaming network of any UK provider. They’re also the only mobile network to offer 5G roaming with 5G coverage currently available in Spain, Germany, Italy and Ireland.

On most Vodafone EVO plans, there are 51 Roam-free destinations. You’ll be able to use your Vodafone EVO plan at no extra cost in any of these destinations. In another 104 Roam-further destinations, you’ll just pay £5/day (excluding VAT) to use your normal UK allowances abroad.

If you have a Vodafone EVO plan with unlimited data and 4 Xtra Benefits, you’ll have access to Global Roaming Plus included on your plan. This gives you access to 81 Roam-free destinations with the ability to use your mobile phone in more places at no extra cost (including in the USA).

81 roam-free destinations available on selected plans with Unlimited Data and 4 Xtra benefits.

Business Rapid Insurance

As an optional add-on for your Vodafone business mobile plan, you can add Rapid Insurance for your mobile phone. This is designed to minimise disruption to your business by getting you a replacement phone within 4 hours when required.

The great thing about Rapid Insurance is that your replacement phone is delivered fully charged and ready to use out of the box. You’ll also get a replacement SIM card if needed. The phone can be delivered to most UK addresses and they’ll even give you £10 for every hour the delivery takes the beyond the 4-hour window (up to a maximum of £40).

You can choose from the following insurance add-ons when placing your order:

• Business Damage Insurance – This insures your phone against accidental damage. It costs £5/month for Business Damage Insurance, or £6/month for Business Damage Insurance with Rapid.
• Business Standard Insurance – This insures your phone against loss, theft and accidental damage. It costs £9/month for Business Standard Insurance, or £10/month for Business Standard Insurance with Rapid.

Other Business Add-ons

If required, you can also get the following add-ons for your Vodafone business mobile plan:

• Business Support: For an extra £4/month (excluding VAT), this gives you HR and legal support for your business. It includes legal document templates and a helpline for speaking with qualified HR experts and local lawyers.
• Device Support: For an extra £2/month (excluding VAT), this gives you access to online tech support 7 days per week, from 8am to 9pm (from 9am on weekends). They can help you with all of your connected devices including smartphones, printers, tablets, speakers and more. You’ll also get 100GB of secure cloud storage for your data.
• Prime Contact: For an extra £3/month, the Prime Contact add-on gives you priority access to a UK-based team of expert advisers. They’re available 7 days per week between 8am and 9pm.

Business Smartphones on EVO

Vodafone offers a wide choice of business smartphones including the latest devices from Apple and Samsung.

At present, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is one of the most popular smartphones for business. It’s a 5G phone with a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display. You’ll also get a powerful A14 Bionic processor along with Apple’s cutting-edge Pro Camera system. This consists of three cameras (ultra-wide, wide and telephoto) with 5x optical zoom and a LiDAR depth scanner.

You can get the iPhone 12 Pro Max from £40.83/month and £24.17 upfront (this is on a 36-month phone plan with a 24-month 2GB airtime plan, prices excluding VAT). Alternatively, it’s available from £34.16/month when you trade in an eligible phone.

For customers wanting an Android-powered smartphone for business, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G is currently one of the top choices. It’s a 5G phone with a large 6.8-inch display and a quad-camera system that’s able to record 8K quality video. It also has S Pen support, allowing you to take handwritten notes directly on the screen (S Pen sold separately).

On Vodafone EVO, you can get the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G from £33.33/month plus £24.17 upfront (this is on a 36-month phone plan with a 24-month 2GB airtime plan, prices excluding VAT). Alternatively, if you have an eligible phone to trade-in, this can bring the monthly price down to as little as £23.33/month (excluding VAT).

For a full list of available smartphones, please see the Vodafone Business website.

Business Smartwatch Plans

Another benefit of choosing Vodafone for your business is their support for business smartwatches and Vodafone’s OneNumber feature.

With a smartwatch, you can leave your mobile phone at home (for instance, when you go to the gym or when you go for a run). You’ll have access to all of your messages and notifications on the smartwatch, along with any incoming phone calls on your normal number. It means you can stay connected to your business, without missing any important phone calls or messages.

You can get the Apple Watch and the Samsung Galaxy Watch on Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders, with the ability to spread out the cost of your watch over up to 36 months. You can then add a Smartwatch Connectivity plan for £5.83/month excluding VAT, which gives you access to Vodafone’s network. It also allows you to share your data allowance, minutes, texts and phone number across both the smartwatch and your mobile phone.

If you have a Vodafone EVO plan with 3 Xtra benefits or more, you’ll get a 50% discount on your Smartwatch Connectivity plan.

Keeping Your Phone Number

If you’re switching from another mobile network to Vodafone, it’s easy keeping your current phone number.

Start by ordering your Vodafone EVO plan online. Once you’ve that, you can request a PAC Code from your old mobile network. This is available through your current mobile network’s website or app, or by texting PAC to 65075.

When your new mobile phone arrives, you can set it up and provide your PAC Code to Vodafone. Once you’ve done that, the transfer of your phone number will normally be scheduled for the next working day.

For a step-by-step guide on how to transfer your phone number to Vodafone, please select your current mobile network from the drop-down menu below:

More Information

For more information about Vodafone EVO for Sole Traders, please see the official Vodafone Business website.