Help, bewildered

ecsb

i am now choosing my own phone, contract etc for the first time.......omg what a minefield.
I think contract is probably easier, i would like free texts, 200ish a month and about 200 calls. Not bothered about it doing much else, and i have no preference to provider.
Have looked on comparison sites and some look very reasonable.
BUT how do i choose? Advice greatfully recieved. Thank you

MisterBrico

Firstly go for who has the best coverage in and around where you spend your time.

Second look at price.

Third decide on the value, while paying £5 less may seem good, if you dont get signal you are paying for nothing, also look at other services the networks offer that could be of use to you, for example Orange Wednesdays or O2 priority. Even things such as discounts on broadband/landline as many networks have their fingers in all sorts of pies now

Probably confused you more, if you post some deals you like I'm sure we can try and help you decide on a good one

grumbler

Do you really think that "free texts, 200ish a month and about 200 calls" is sufficient information when asking for an advice about a phone?
And how can contract be simpler than PAYG?

My advice: start with a basic handset on PAYG:
http://www.e2save.com/mobile-phone/payg.html?PHPSESSID=euikoahhcvsan2ven5261uiau2 1p+£10 top up - £7 cashback through TCB. It is unlocked.

After using £10 get a new free sim from http://www.icardmobile.co.uk/free.php. Calls will cost you 5p/min, texts - 1p.

Otherwise get 1-month rolling contract sim from http://www.chitterchatter.co.uk/simonly.php : 100+100 for £6 monthly or 300+350 for £10

You can easily switch the network if you have problems with the signal in your area.

Stuart_W

Do you know what sort of phone you want, or are you just looking for the cheapest options for 200+ texts and 200+ minutes?

My suggestion would be to get a cheap handset to start with with an Orange SIM (the phone should be free, or less, with the right cashback deal - see the suggestion above and read advice on this site carefully about cashback).

Using the SIM, call 450 free to select the Orange Dolphin tariff. The included £10 credit will give you 300 inclusive texts for your first month, and give you 100MB of data access if you've got a phone that can connect to the internet. Then buy a 100 minute extra which will cost £5 of your inclusive credit and will ensure any calls after 100 minutes cost 5p per minute out of your credit.

You'll then get an idea of your usage as you use up the included credit. Then you can decide your next move. The inclusive £10 credit will provide you with upto 300 texts, 100MB of data and 200 minutes during the first month of having a new phone.

Be very wary of long term contracts and bundled minutes that are too small. The good value £6 SIM with 100 mins unlimited texts each month is great if you stay within the inclusive amount. However, using 200 minutes would cost you a total of £36.60 in any one month on that deal (going over bundle costs 30.6p per minute on t-mobile) - and as contracts are post-pay rather than pre-pay, even a 30 day contract can only be changed after you've discovered your usage and then with a further month's notice. The wrong deal can cost you a fortune! The much bigger £10/bundle is worth considering, even if you'll go no where near using up the bundle.