Contract newbie

RHemmings

I make extremely low use of my mobile phone, such that I've just used PAYG phones.

However, I want to move to an Android phone for various reasons, including that I'm creating my own Android apps (not for sale), and only having a tablet for testing is a bit boring.

If I had an Android phone, I'd definitely want to use functions such as GPS, etc. Someone mentioned to me that using GPS consumes some of your data allowance. I was tempted by the Huawei Ascend Y300 phone available very cheaply from the Carphone Warehouse, but no GPS according to some sites, but it has GPS according to others. But I'd want to be able to google while online, and do interesting experiments with my own custom apps communicating with remote servers etc. I'd want an accellerometer, etc.

Any recommendations for phones and deals for data heavy but phone/text light usage?

The deals seem quite complicated. E.g. if I buy the Huawei Ascend on Virgin PAYG, then I would get 3G data allowance when I top up with £15. That's £5 per gig, and from a few threads I've read on here, it seems that provided I download stuff like large apps on WiFi at home, that 1G is a lot of data for a month. I wouldn't be trying to stream BBC IPlayer when roaming.

desperate101

What is your budget for a phone?
Does it have to be new?
As far as tariff is concerned, would say 3-network £15 top up converted to add-on (all in one 15) will give you unlimited data, 300 minutes and 3000 texts, lasting 30 days. Been using it for ages on 2nd phone as mobile broadband no problems.

pepdavies

GPS doesn't need any data. It can use it to get a quicker fix but tiny amounts

RHemmings

Thanks desperate and pepdavies. It's good to hear that GPS uses tiny amounts of data. I did think it a bit odd when I was told that GPS consumed data throughput, and someone I know is turning off their GPS to save money on their contract. Confused.

Unlimited text for 30 days for £15 seems a good deal. However, that may actually be more than I need. 500mb/month seems quite easily obtainable for less than £8/mo, without having to pay for the phone. I assume it's this SIM card I would need. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Preloaded-minutes-Unlimited-texts/dp/B00ABJ0WA8 If I had an unlocked phone, then I could use more than one SIM with different deals. E.g. my current Tesco mobile SIM where my credit doesn't have a time limit (that I've noticed), and the 3 unlimited data which I could activate with a top-up when I want to do huge amounts of downloading on the move.

I've spent some time looking in second hand phone shops and on ebay, but I must admit that I haven't seen phones sold for prices that are all that attractive. It seems that a pretty good way of buying a phone is to buy a PAYG phone at Carphone Warehouse or Phones4U with a minimum £10 top up, burn through the topup, and then do what you want with the phone. The sales people assure me that phones bought in that way are not locked to a network. Here's the Ascend Y300 offered in this way. http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/mobiles/mobile-phones/HUAWEI_Y300/PPAY

Talkmobile has been discussed here in the past, https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4099561, and I haven't yet seen evidence that they're a nightmare company or provide a substandard service. They seem to offer pretty good deals.

I'm not sure what my 'budget' for a phone is. The more it's useful to me, the more I'm prepared to pay. But I like to keep my total spend under control, but think that writing IPhone apps will be in my future sometime. And that would cost a bomb.

diamonds

1GB even 'not roaming' in the UK will be chewed up with iplayer.


3 recharges for £5 on my3 online or handset get 150MB free, internet weekly is £2.50 for 500MB.

3p calls, 2p texts (or 3000/30days £5)

2 £5 recharges get you 300MB then 4 x internet weekly = 2GB =2348 MB for £10.

£20 a month can buy a lot of calls texts and data on 3 prepaid, buy another 2 £5 top ups for text 3000 bundle and £5 for calls and add another 300MB on the above or 150MB for the £5 to use on calls. The flexibility of 3 is quite good, you can work out what you want for £10 recharge, 2x£5 for calls and texts (bundle 3000 £5) would give you 300MB free.

Just incase you need more data than 500MB^

RHemmings

Thanks diamonds.

I tend not to phone or text very often. Hence, the costs of calls isn't that important. Those are very cheap call charges on the 3 network however.

I'm very tempted by the Huawei Ascend Y300, either on contract or PAYG. E.g. this review. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/3279408/how-tether-google-android-phone/ I've seen another review where it compares unfavourably to a Samsung S3 Mini, but that's a much more expensive phone.

BTW: I wasn't even thinking of using IPlayer while on the move, etc until the unlimited 30days of data was mentioned.

diamonds

Welcome,

Well sounds like 3 is your baby, for £2 more a month on prepaid than the data sim you posted above^stick to non 'broadband' prepaid sims with 3 p calls included with 150MB free per £5 online recharge, texts are 2p and 1MB is 1p on 3

RHemmings

I think I need the option of 3, which means an unlocked phone. That would give me the option of writing an app that streams live video from the phone or something.

T-Mobile has an 'internet booster' for £5 for 500mb for 30 days on at least one of their PAYG offers. That might make them the card I should go for to get the phone cheaper.

BTW: Are the phones sold PAYG by Carphone Warehouse unlocked?

diamonds

RHemmings wrote: »

I think I need the option of 3, which means an unlocked phone. That would give me the option of writing an app that streams live video from the phone or something.

T-Mobile has an 'internet booster' for £5 for 500mb for 30 days on at least one of their PAYG offers. That might make them the card I should go for to get the phone cheaper.

BTW: Are the phones sold PAYG by Carphone Warehouse unlocked?

Unless network phone exclusives, CPW are unlocked.

T-Mobile 2G is shockingly poor. Let alone when it jumps from T-Mobile to Orange old base stations (a large % of these are being closed down).

Where you get a T signal you should get a 3 as they set up MBNL backhaul years ago.


If you go T-Mob lock to 3G only, manual search and choose the EE network with H/HOME/a small house next to it as this is T-Mobile 3G.

RHemmings

The T-mobile would be the topup I choose to get a cheaper phone. Once I'd burnt through the £10, then I wouldn't have to stay with them. On another thread, you mention that 3 are the only network that allow tethering. (Not sure if this is true or if Ive misread what you said). Tethering, e.g. like this: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/how-to/mobile-phone/3279408/how-tether-google-android-phone/, is something that I definitely want to have the option of doing.

desperate101

Or you could forget about 3 and go to giffgaff. For £20 a month PAYG, that's you covered for everything. Then you know that's your budget.
And you can do what you want when out and about doing whatever without having to worry about counting minutes, texts and data. And it works on phones locked to o2, meaning cheaper to buy if you're thinking to buy a used one on ebay. For what you're wanting to do, get a top end phone. The extra cash spent will earn itself back in no time at all through saved frustration and compromises.
It's going to be a "tool" for you. I'm a mechanic by trade and cheap tools in the long run end up being the most expensive. Same counts for every profession.
In pure business terms it's a no-brainer - go and buy the best phone you can possibly get the cash together for, make peace with the £20 a month spend, see it all as a business investment and then concentrate on doing what you really want to do with the phone (apps, etc). I know you said "not for sale", but you never know - you may inadvertently create the next ebay...:cool: