Cheapest Mobile Article Discussion

TerryC_2 · 25 January 2009 at 8:59PM

bluebridge wrote: »

I've noticed comments on several sites that PAYG phones purchased at carphone warehouse have not been locked, although you have to buy them with a compulsory (£10 typically) top-up. Does anyone know if this is generally the case with CPW? I can see that when they offer a handset with 4 different network options it might be a pain to stock differently locked phones separately.
I'm interested in the very basic Sony-Ericsson J132 which is available unlocked on eBay PayNow for £19.99 + p&p. It's available from the T-Mobile shop (locked to them, I assume!!) for £9.98 in the new silver-blue colour. But CPW have it available (in black) for £4.98 + compulsory £10 Orange top-up. If this is unlocked....
Any advice appreciated.

This particular phone is unlocked from CPW as we just bought one a week ago. Apart from Orange, you can also purchase the phone with a TalkMobile SIM with £10 credit when you purchase in store - perfect if you make international calls. Hope this helps.

geoffW · 26 January 2009 at 9:19PM

suepeta wrote: »

When trying to sort out what to do about my mobile yesterday I found, either on this site or one of its links, a table showing a comparison of the various PAYG tariffs. I’ve hunted for hours today and can’t find it anywhere. Please can anyone point me in the right direction?
Many thanks

http://petef.22web.net/payg.html

bluebridge_2 · 27 January 2009 at 1:19AM

TerryC wrote: »

This particular phone [Sony-Ericsson J132] is unlocked from CPW as we just bought one a week ago. Apart from Orange, you can also purchase the phone with a TalkMobile SIM with £10 credit when you purchase in store - perfect if you make international calls. Hope this helps.

Thanks to TerryC's info, I have just bought an UNLOCKED J132 from Carphone Warehouse for £14.84 - this price included a compulsory £10 top-up to a Virgin SIM (another option along with Orange and TalkMobile). However, the Virgin SIM comes with £1 already on the card before the top-up, which brings the effective price of the phone down to a mere £3.84! Furthermore, since my current SIM is also Virgin, I think I should be able to transfer the credit from the new SIM to my existing SIM (or vice-versa?).
The phone's brilliant for this price too. Clear intuitive menus, though rather limited ring tones, and only 4, rather silly, wallpaper options (all too busy and contasty for a background, imo). The very pleasant surprise is the quality of the radio - much better than on my Creative mp3 player - probably helped by the fact that it's got RDS.
All in all, I'm not sure why people in another thread were raving about this phone from Asda for £8 locked to T-mobile!

TerryC_2 · 27 January 2009 at 1:36AM

bluebridge wrote: »

Thanks to TerryC's info, I have just bought an UNLOCKED J132 from Carphone Warehouse for £14.84 - this price included a compulsory £10 top-up to a Virgin SIM (another option along with Orange and TalkMobile). However, the Virgin SIM comes with £1 already on the card before the top-up, which brings the effective price of the phone down to a mere £3.84! Furthermore, since my current SIM is also Virgin, I think I should be able to transfer the credit from the new SIM to my existing SIM (or vice-versa?).
The phone's brilliant for this price too. Clear intuitive menus, though rather limited ring tones, and only 4, rather silly, wallpaper options (all too busy and contasty for a background, imo). The very pleasant surprise is the quality of the radio - much better than on my Creative mp3 player - probably helped by the fact that it's got RDS.
All in all, I'm not sure why people in another thread were raving about this phone from Asda for £8 locked to T-mobile!

I'm glad you like the phone and found my advice useful! Sounds like you really got yourself a brilliant deal! It's a cheap little phone and I'm surprised with all its features. The TalkMobile International SIM card I got already had £10 in it, all I needed was to register the phone and linked up the top-up card. Overall, I'm very chuffed with the price I paid anyway. :beer:

ailuro2 · 27 January 2009 at 3:29PM

Got the J132 today, less than 24 hours after I ordered it, it is another unlocked phone from CPW,same as the Motorola we got in December - don't forget to go through Quidco.com for an extra free fiver cashback.:j

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1445103&highlight=j132

Bill_Badger · 4 February 2009 at 1:38PM

I've held on to my Freetime 750 deal that I took out with T-Mobile about 4 years ago. It's no longer available, but there must be folk out there who still have it, and if so, don't change unless you really want to!

I paid £14/month for the first 12 months. After then, I read the small print on the phone upgrade offer, which stated that I could have a monthly discount of £10 if I didn't upgrade the phone. I've had this ever since until December, when after raising a question with them about internet access, they gave me an additional £10 monthly discount for 6 months. My current deal is below:

750 minutes per month free to landlines and T-Mobile customers (evenings and weekends)
50 texts per month free
Cost - Minus £6.00/month
Yes, they pay me £6.00 per month! Admittedly this will go up in four months, but even then it will only be £4.00 per month.

Obviously with the above deal, I get charged for calls outside the allowance, but I don't use it in the day because I'm (luckily) at work. In addition, I use it as much as possible instead of my landline at evenings and weekends.
I did once have a problem with my phone, and they replaced it for me even though it was out of warranty, so my phone is still fairly up to date.

I'm happy with the deal, and T-Mobile must be commended for the service I've had from them. Once I managed to get through the call centre barrier, the Geordies up in Newcastle office were very helpful indeed.

bigronmck · 5 February 2009 at 10:13AM

Hi,
i am currently able to upgrade my O2online contract.
i want to upgrade to a Nokia N96 but O2 are looking me to increase my tariff to £45 month, which i dont want to do.
i done the onecompare site, and cash back deals, but am a bit weiry.
has anyone done any of these cash back deals from e2save/mobiles.co.uk... etc?? are these ok, like hassle free with no problems, do you get the £ ok??
i like O2 and have no bother with them, but would like a N96 and not £45 per month.

JenniferAfonso · 5 February 2009 at 11:56PM

[Hi Mick

I wonder if I could get two contracts with Virgin mobile each at £10 and then the 300 mins & 300 texts would double up. Therefore, £20 for 600 mins & 600 texts. Even a better bargain!!!!!

JenniferAfonso · 5 February 2009 at 11:56PM

[Hi Mick

I wonder if I could get two contracts with Virgin mobile each at £10 and then the 300 mins & 300 texts would double up. Therefore, £20 for 600 mins & 600 texts. Even a better bargain!!!!!:rotfl: :rotfl:

puddings_2 · 16 March 2009 at 12:21AM

Bill_Badger wrote: »

I've held on to my Freetime 750 deal that I took out with T-Mobile about 4 years ago. It's no longer available, but there must be folk out there who still have it, and if so, don't change unless you really want to!

I paid £14/month for the first 12 months. After then, I read the small print on the phone upgrade offer, which stated that I could have a monthly discount of £10 if I didn't upgrade the phone. I've had this ever since until December, when after raising a question with them about internet access, they gave me an additional £10 monthly discount for 6 months. My current deal is below:

750 minutes per month free to landlines and T-Mobile customers (evenings and weekends)
50 texts per month free
Cost - Minus £6.00/month
Yes, they pay me £6.00 per month! Admittedly this will go up in four months, but even then it will only be £4.00 per month.

Bill, I thougt my tariff was good until I saw yours! Minus £6 per month definitely wins gold prize.

My tariff:
I bought a BTCellnet "pay upfront for life" phone in 2001 for £90.
Since then line rental and 50 minutes have cost me no more than £0 per month. Silver prize I think!

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