3 is the cheapest, but is it best

Cactus_Jack

My contract with Vodafone is just about up, and I am tempted to switch to 3. In fact, I ordered an NEC 616 @ £29.99 from CPW site (Rec'd an email today however stating price was an error and actual price is £44.99 including £15 credit.

I also ordered a 7600 for the contract @ £4.99 per month.

Trouble is, it is very rare to find anyone with good things to say about 3's reliability/coverage, and indeed I have had calls to mates on 3 drop, and for some reason sometimes I hear a screeching noise which hurts my ear ::)

I am close to canceling my CPW orders, and even if I don't and they arrive I won't open them until I have made my mind fully up within the 14 days. I get 14 days, right?

I just feel it's going to be a step backwards from reliable Vodafone to apparently rubbish 3.

Prices are nice, but I would prefer an Orange, Vodafone, or maybe even O2 connection.

Can the 7600 be unlocked, locked to o2, and the 500 minutes used in this way? ???

Smartasss

Yes

You need to get a factory reset rather than a straightforward unlock.

Then you can change the phone settings (via a new menu revealed by the reset) so that it only acts as a g2 phone, thus 3 always operates via o2!

kanjoose_one

Hi,

I am also interested in the CPW 4.99 deal. Can someone confirm whether getting the 7600 factory re set and then set to o2 actually works? HAs someone on this forum actually tried it?

Thanks
Regards

Smartasss

Yes it works!

See THIS THREAD for details of a new e2save offer for the same CPW deal but FREE!! (Not £4.99/month)!!

ohit

I haven't read the whole thread, just the first post, but just remember that Nokia 3G handsets have the ability to lock onto the 2G network _only_. This basically means you can abuse the cheap Three network's free minutes, with the coverage and call quality of the o2 network (Three have a roaming policy with them).

This is what I do, and it's achieved by doing a factory reset for about £12 or so.

On its own, for the everyday consumer however, 3 is not the best, just cheap and chearful.

Cactus_Jack

Glad I cancelled my NEC 616 now, I'll just get the phone reset to use o2 if 3 is crap.

Could I still send video clips to my friends (without 7600's) if I'm on o2? I thought this was just 3G functionality..

What about pictures?

ohit

Could I still send video clips to my friends

No.

pictures, possibly.

EMA_4

>:(

I entered into a 3G contract in August the usual 500 free mins etc and got the NEC 313e phone. I wish I'd read this chat thingy first. Anyway for various reasons I did not start to use the phone until October and the usual happened. Could not make a call out or get a call in and if by chance I did manage to make a call I got cut off. I was with Orange and did try the recommended chat to try and get them to match threes offer but it did not work. I read all the messages on the chat board and went to Carphone Warehouse although I had bought the phone directly from 3. When I was there there were 3 or 4 other people all with the same problem. Anyway between the jigs and the reels, I bought the latest X-Factor Nokia 3220? and it has been great althogh it cost £150. All problems solved brilliant reception no more dropped calls etc etc etc. That is until Thursday when I received a text from 3 advising me I was in breech of their terms and conditions and unless I put the SIM card in their crappy handset they would cut me off in two days.

Well I phoned their customer service and was put through to the Bay of Bengal. The guy was perfectly polite with the usual pat phrases but was no help whatsoever. 45 minutes later with a cauliflower ear it was agreed that Parcelforce would collect the phone on Friday and repair it. They are due to cut me off at any minute now. The man from Parcelforce said he spent his days collecting these damn phones and then re-collecting them because they never got repaired.

What can I do - I have bought really pukka phone but now it seems I'm not going to be able to use it cos I'm being monitored.

Is there anyone out there who can help or advise me. Your help would be very much appreciated.

Regards

Eileen of Heaton Mersey

memark

Orange have a plan that they don't publish and is only available it seems - to quote their customer services chap I spoke to today - "now and again". It's called the "Select 500" plan and gives you 500 cross network minutes for £25 pcm, with a limited choice of free phones, provided you commit to another 12 months with them (Motorola v500, Nokia 6230, SPVc500, Sony K700i). I've just checked Orange's website and 400 minutes is listed at £50 pcm, so on that basis, it's a bargain. It doesn't obviously beat 3, though.

What I'd be really interested in is a 3 bluetooth handset that I could guarantee always works on the O2 2g network so as to guarantee reliability of service; I'm not interested in the frivolous "extras" you get with 3, I just want a good old fashioned telephone (ie to make calls).

(For those that don't know: the problem with the 3 network is 1) coverage (about 60%) and, when not in the 3 coverage area, 2) switching down to O2's 2g service, when it will drop your call).

I know the Nokia 7600 can be permanently switched to operate on 2g but what a horrible phone (IMHO). I was considering an NEC616v or Motorola E1000 but I don't know if you can permanently switch these to only operate on 2g in the same way.

Actually, it seems that with all of the phones, switching to 2g is actually possible. The problem is you have to do a factory reset on some of them (ie it's in a hidden menu) and that 1) costs money and 2) can really mess up your phone. On that basis, it seems it's not worth it (not the cost, just it makes a mess of all your settings).

If anyone can help by letting me know of a good Bluetooth 3 phone that can be switched (via a menu option) to run permanently on O2's 2g and they are getting reliable service without having to hack into the software (ie it's just an existing menu option), please let me know. Assuming you can actually do what I want to and it works, that makes the deals 3 offer even better than Orange's mysterious tariff.

EMA_4

Just read your message. See mine above yours. It would appear that if you use another phone on three which is not one of theirs, you are in breech and they can cut you off.

I am not really familiar with exactly what a bluetooth phone is but the Nokia 3220 works brilliantly on three - great reception, no missed calls etc. It does flash media and all that kinda stuff - camera, video and the ability to download music etc and you can connect to the web I think but I like you just want a phone that is easy to use and works.

You can also buy it SIM free but the cheapest I got for my daughter was still £147 including delivery. I probably spent too much but I was so fed up with the phone from three. My daughter had that Nokia phone that you mention. I don't actually think she found it that good and it was dead bulky and then she dropped it and broke it.

I was on Orange for 7 years and I never had any problem other than the fact they would not match threes' offer.

Regards

Eileen of Heaton Mersey