Advice Needed

awos

Afternoon

I realise this will have been asked hundreds of times previously.

I'm mainly looking for some sound advice on getting a new phone. I've been with Orange for the last 5-6 years and considering moving due to their terrible customer service.

Having not really ever changed network before, I've never really shopped around and I'm not really sure what the best thing to do is. There seems to be loads of competitive deals with independent providers (carphone warehouse and various others online) but I'm not sure what the pros and cons of dealing with them and which ones are to be avoided. All of them?

I don't need anything particularly high end but prefererably an Android phone on which I can use whatsapp, check e-mails etc. I don't want to spend any more than £25 a month.

Thanks in advance.

Herongull

Why not buy the phone outright and go PAYG and pay £0 per month?

Nice android phones can be had for around £50 - see https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4333851

Or if you want to pay more for an even nicer phone consider the Huawei 300 (around £75).

Ovivo (PAYG on vodafone network) gives you 150 minutes, 150 texts and 400mb free each month. If you need more you can buy bundles from £5.

Or you are a heavy there are sim only deals from other mobile companies with loads of minutes, texts and data starting at around £4 per month (taking account of cashback).

awos

I haven't been on pay as you go since I was wee. What are the data usage charges like on it? I don't do any music streaming or video watching on my phone. The only thing I do use is a comic app so a half decent screen for reading would be good but not essential if it's going to break the bank.

grumbler

Herongull wrote: »

Why buy the phone outright and go PAYG and pay £0 per month?.

Do you mean "why not"?

awos

Jaysus!

I've just been looking at "Ovivo" and "giffgaff" for the first time. where's the downside to this? Why isn't it more popular?

Herongull

The Huawei has a 4 inch screen, so if that is important, may be worth paying the £75 or so.

The free data allowance on Ovivo is 400mb, but for a fiver you can add 300mb to this (ie 700mb in total) or a tenner gives you an extra 1g (making 1.4g in total).

Herongull

grumbler wrote: »

Do you mean "why not"?

Ooops yes. I meant why not.

Herongull

awos wrote: »

Jaysus!

I've just been looking at "Ovivo" and "giffgaff" for the first time. where's the downside to this? Why isn't it more popular?

PAYG is incredibly popular among people who want good value for money, low hassle, low stress, low risk, and maximum flexibility.

Expensive contract phones are for people with more money than brains, or those who "need" the latest "must have" phones or simply people who have always been on contract and just allow the phone companies to just keep signing them up to another contract without looking at alternatives.

Guys_Dad

Herongull wrote: »

PAYG is incredibly popular among people who want good value for money, low hassle, low stress, low risk, and maximum flexibility.

Expensive contract phones are for people with more money than brains, or those who "need" the latest "must have" phones or simply people who have always been on contract and just allow the phone companies to just keep signing them up to another contract without looking at alternatives.

Some PAYG "contracts" have problems with overseas use and network PAYG deals are expensive if you actually make calls.

I agree that the GiffGaff and Ovivo PAYG deals look good for UK use, as long as you don't need lots more minutes.

I have a sim only with Vodafone. 600 minutes, unlimited texts, 500mb data plus free Openzone (if I could get it to work!!!) All for £10.25 per month.

Frankly, I think that's good value and I couldn't be bothered to p**s about to save £2.00. And, if you don't need many minutes or lots of data, then the CPW deals on TalkMobile with a basic Android from £7.50 pm are another alternative.

But you can't beat the Ovivo free deal if you can live with the minutes on offer and adverts.

mobilejunkie

Unless, of course, you use cashback deals! Lol!

sillygoose

Herongull wrote: »

PAYG is incredibly popular among people who want good value for money, low hassle, low stress, low risk, and maximum flexibility.

Expensive contract phones are for people with more money than brains, or those who "need" the latest "must have" phones or simply people who have always been on contract and just allow the phone companies to just keep signing them up to another contract without looking at alternatives.

A bit tough, but pretty near the mark. Sadly most people these days are incapable of saving enough to buy a handset. They want a £300 phone and they want it now so signing up for £25 a months seems easy. (its even easier if you look the other way when the maths is done).

The problem comes when either:

1. They move house and there is no/weak signal in the new place.
2. The handset falls and cracks and isn't covered, nice paperweight.
3. A new super duper phone comes out that everyone has and yours is no longer cool.
4. Someone starts up a new network with really good deals.
5. The network puts up your bill as they can in the small print.
6. You find the handset isn't so good but your stuck with it.

The first thing you do is go on a forum and ask how you get out the contract to find you can't - its a contract.

A lot of PAYG now (like Giffgaff) can do a very good impersonation of a contract with a simple regular monthly payment but one you can quit any time.

Plenty of good handsets around that punching above their price due to the networks subsidising them.

Have a look back through this forum and see the daily contract woes, every day I think 'glad its not me!'