Blackberry's and PAYG?

Terrysdelight

TakeThis wrote: »

The best deal for you is here: Bring your BlackBerry to T-Mobile and get six months free internet and BlackBerry Mail

All you need to do is top up with £10 to activate the SIM and they will apply the package.
Then, with the £10 you get to choose another free plan for the first month. Such as 100 free minutes, unlimited texts or 60 minutes of International calls.
Plus he still has that £10 to spend.
If he's a low user the £10 can last for quite a while.

T-Mobile's BlackBerry units are as cheap as anyone else's. So I would stick with buying it from them, rather than giving yourself a headache with unlocking the thing and changing the software.

Go via Quidco to get cashback on your purchase. Currently £23 back on the Curve 8520(that would bring the price down to £106.99 for the BB, six months of free BIS and Internet, a free plan for one month and £10 in credit), though he might prefer a 3G model such as the Curve 9300.
You'll get £35 back via Quidco for the Curve 9300, bring the total price down to £124.99 for the identical package to the above. This would be my choice for his gift if it isn't too much for you.
At the end of the six month period, it costs £20 to apply another six months of BIS and Internet.

Another good reason to go with T-Mobile is if he ever goes abroad with you or the school, you can apply a BlackBerry World Email Booster for £15.32(lasts for a month) which will keep him fully connected without any extra charges.

Well, this certainly makes sense to me. Think this is what I will go with - thank you :-)

Terrysdelight

I can't find the curve 9300 3g offer - is it on tmobile or another network?

TakeThis

Good choice.

You have to go to the Quidco website to get the £35 off. Perhaps TopCashBack have the same. That will save you the paying Quidco £5 for the year. £35 for PAYG handsets over £150

Phone is here.. though now I'm thinking that as the phone itself is £149.99, that it won't qualify for £35 off, but the lower rung of £20 off.

Bear in mind that the 100 free minutes, unlimited texts or 60 minutes of International calls plans begin from the 1st of the month. So if you choose 100 free minutes with your first £10 top up/BB SIM activation, they give you 25 free minutes to tide you over until the month begins, upon then applying your free 100 minute package.

So for your first £10 top up, if you so choose, you get six months of 'unlimited' use of the BIS and Internet data(fair use policy of 500MB I think), 125 minutes of calls lasting up to 60 days and he will still be £10 in credit(useful for the odd call and text message when the month is over).
As you write, it appears likely that he will do the majority of his communication via the BB service using the FaceBook app, BBM, WhatsApp and email.

JaxtrSMS is currently a free Beta release application by the people who brought you Hotmail(before Microsoft purchased it).
Though I'm not sure about it playing fast and loose with the contacts in your smartphones, so perhaps hold off for a while.

PDH

Hi. I am not a techi and I'm an OAP so not up to the same technical standard as some of you but can I just check that you are saying that the best deal is with T mobile. I have bought a pay as you go Blackberry and my son has one. I do not use a lot of calls but my son does. I want to be able to do BBM use the internet now and again and send texts. My son does a lot of texting and calls and would probably use the internet if it was not costing any more. I would appreciate any advice you can offer.
Thank you in advance.

martinthebandit

PDH wrote: »

Hi. I am not a techi and I'm an OAP so not up to the same technical standard as some of you but can I just check that you are saying that the best deal is with T mobile. I have bought a pay as you go Blackberry and my son has one. I do not use a lot of calls but my son does. I want to be able to do BBM use the internet now and again and send texts. My son does a lot of texting and calls and would probably use the internet if it was not costing any more. I would appreciate any advice you can offer.
Thank you in advance.

Despite what one other has said this is the cheapest and best deal.http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/10pound-facebook-goodybag

martinthebandit wrote: »

Have you looked at giffgaff?

Their free sim comes with £5 credit and then you can buy a goody bag (bolt on) for £10 which gives you 250 minutes calls, unlimited texts and unlimited internet, as long as you top up the credit every three months he can just keep buying the £10 a month goody bag.

Total cost would be £10 a month plus an extra £10 every third month and, providing he makes less than 250 minutes of calls a month he will never be unable to text or BBM.

Me and the Mrs are both on it and think its excellent value and, no I don't work for them.

TakeThis

martinthebandit wrote: »

Despite what one other has said this is the cheapest and best deal.http://giffgaff.com/goodybags/10pound-facebook-goodybag

Unfortunately, you just don't seem to understand the subject about which you are writing.
GiffGaff don't have a BlackBerry service.

In addition, since the T-Mobile service is free, how can GiffGaff, who don't have a service, be cheaper? Do you expect an OAP to 'hack around' in order to get the thing to work?

Do they pay you to join their service? From your illustration, the cost is £160 per year without even the BlackBerry Internet Service add on. The T-Mobile projected minimum is £30 for the year.
Even if you bought no goodybags for the whole year with GiffGaff, but just bought their BlackBerry Service(when introduced on the 8th) and topped up once, it would still be more expensive than T-Mobile.

Come on man, use your noddle. Do you even own a BlackBerry?

The T-Mobile service is by far the best for the young OAP, though we would have to know more about the usage pattern of the son to recommend the best plan for him. For the frequent user, perhaps Tesco or GiffGaff(both on the O2 network not best known for it's 3G coverage) when they perhaps introduce their service on the 8th of December.

TakeThis

PDH wrote: »

Hi. I am not a techi and I'm an OAP so not up to the same technical standard as some of you but can I just check that you are saying that the best deal is with T mobile. I have bought a pay as you go Blackberry and my son has one. I do not use a lot of calls but my son does. I want to be able to do BBM use the internet now and again and send texts. My son does a lot of texting and calls and would probably use the internet if it was not costing any more. I would appreciate any advice you can offer.
Thank you in advance.

Are the BBs locked to a network or open to all networks?

PDH

TakeThis wrote: »

Are the BBs locked to a network or open to all networks?

They are both unlocked. GiffGaff looks good but what you are saying looks better but I don't understand how the T-mobile could be minimum £30. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thankyou.

TakeThis

PDH wrote: »

They are both unlocked. GiffGaff looks good but what you are saying looks better but I don't understand how the T-mobile could be minimum £30. Your help is greatly appreciated. Thankyou.

T-Mobile £10 initial topup and then six months down the line, £20 for another six months of BlackBerry Internet Service and data.
If you are an infrequent caller, the £10 credit will last quite a while.

So a minimum of £30 for the year.