WhatsApp - Any Cost in Data Allowance?

Astec

This really is being made to be more difficult than needed...

If you want to text without international SMS charges , there are a few data based services...


Whatsapp, line, viber, tango, telegram (loads more)...all are free (whatsapp 1 year only), and aren't that data hungry. If you have WIFI at home, it'll just use that data, or you can buy a data plan. You won't need much data, but other apps on the phone will also use it. Do be aware that you can't send or receive messages (both you and your daughter unless your connected (to either mobile data or WIFI), it'll just queue them till your next connected.


I'd also recommend both tango or viber for voice calls, both are much better than Skype IMO.

NiftyDigits

Astec wrote: »

This really is being made to be more difficult than needed...

If you want to text without international SMS charges , there are a few data based services...


Whatsapp, line, viber, tango, telegram (loads more)...all are free (whatsapp 1 year only), and aren't that data hungry. If you have WIFI at home, it'll just use that data, or you can buy a data plan. You won't need much data, but other apps on the phone will also use it. Do be aware that you can't send or receive messages (both you and your daughter unless your connected (to either mobile data or WIFI), it'll just queue them till your next connected.


I'd also recommend both tango or viber for voice calls, both are much better than Skype IMO.

Whoosh!! This thread is about purchasing a suitable mobile telephone and accompanying bundle at the lowest price. Not about which Applications are available.

NiftyDigits

JWhite wrote: »

Just asked my daughter what her phone is and she said it is an iPhone4S and she has now downloaded Whatsapp. Don't know if she can use Viber on that, will have to check.

Yes, she can.

Likely the whole range of the above mentioned.

The issue really is to get you access at the best possible price.
I have tried to outline the cheapest overall options including data.

As you are finding out, it's a minefield out there unless you know exactly what you are doing.

As you can see, people here are most helpful to genuine queries.
So ask away before you take the plunge.

NiftyDigits

JWhite wrote: »

Just been into Carphonewarehouse who told me the cheapest texting option was with "3" and suggested I go to another shop a few yards away to ask them about the package with 3. I went there and they told me their texting charges using the apps and data works out about the same as other networks. So I popped into T-Mobile and guess what, they told me the same ! They said data costs are pretty much the same when it comes to using the Apps. The one at T-Mobile said the texting charge is only really affected by the "package" and what you get. They give you 250Mb and unlimited texts for £10 per month. She also said if you connect to the wifi you get them cheaper but as she said they are almost the same on all the networks for data usage.

Took a look at the Nokia Lumia 250, it looks good but the Qwerty keyboard is a bit on the small side as it only fills half of the screen, I think I would have to use a plastic stick until I got used to the size of the keys (lol). They do a next one up Nokia Lumia 625 (I think it was) which was a slightly larger phone with a slightly larger keyboard for £99.99 (a bit more than I wanted to pay).

Also at Carphonewarehouse, they said you get the "deal" price if you stay on your own network as a loyalty discount on the Nokia Lumia 520. If I wanted to swap to T-Mobile it would be £20 more expensive for the same phone.

They have confused you a little. You don't want to buy any package with them and you certainly don't want or need to spend £10 per month.
You want the phone as a standalone.
It's what I tried to explain when I wrote that the phone is but one facet.

The people recommending other phones have not included running costs, as they prefer to assume that you will use it mainly or only via WiFi.

I prefer to think differently. That unless you switch mobile data off completely, there is likely to be 'creep' (some data used here and there which could add up) especially if you don't have a data bundle.

For me, it is better to have your data usage covered from the beginning. At approx. £3 per month, it's a good deal.

But you need a phone. You can go with one of the Blackberry phones to which I linked, from £32 or one of the more expensive alternatives offered, for instance Lumia 520. The cheapest option for that is to get it as an upgrade for £60. But then you would be locked to Orange. To buy it open to any network costs around £85.


To add another level of complication....
What about your other friends? How do you communicate with them?

Leodogger

NiftyDigits wrote: »

They have confused you a little. You don't want to buy any package with them and you certainly don't want or need to spend £10 per month.
You want the phone as a standalone.
It's what I tried to explain when I wrote that the phone is but one facet.

The people recommending other phones have not included running costs, as they prefer to assume that you will use it mainly or only via WiFi.

I prefer to think differently. That unless you switch mobile data off completely, there is likely to be 'creep' (some data used here and there which could add up) especially if you don't have a data bundle.

For me, it is better to have your data usage covered from the beginning. At approx. £3 per month, it's a good deal.

But you need a phone. You can go with one of the Blackberry phones to which I linked, from £32 or one of the more expensive alternatives offered, for instance Lumia 520. The cheapest option for that is to get it as an upgrade for £60. But then you would be locked to Orange.


To add another level of complication....
What about your other friends? How do you communicate with them?

Email or text or landline. I only phone off my mobile if I am out of the house or travelling and need to contact someone urgently.

Leodogger

NiftyDigits wrote: »

They have confused you a little. You don't want to buy any package with them and you certainly don't want or need to spend £10 per month.
You want the phone as a standalone.
It's what I tried to explain when I wrote that the phone is but one facet.

The people recommending other phones have not included running costs, as they prefer to assume that you will use it mainly or only via WiFi.

I prefer to think differently. That unless you switch mobile data off completely, there is likely to be 'creep' (some data used here and there which could add up) especially if you don't have a data bundle.

For me, it is better to have your data usage covered from the beginning. At approx. £3 per month, it's a good deal.

But you need a phone. You can go with one of the Blackberry phones to which I linked, from £32 or one of the more expensive alternatives offered, for instance Lumia 520. The cheapest option for that is to get it as an upgrade for £60. But then you would be locked to Orange. To buy it open to any network costs around £85.


To add another level of complication....
What about your other friends? How do you communicate with them?

If I am on PAYG which I am, I would have to pay £10 for the top-up anyway, at least I would to get the Lumia 520 at the special price from Carphonewarehouse I think, which costs £59.95 if I stay locked to orange.

NiftyDigits

JWhite wrote: »

If I am on PAYG which I am, I would have to pay £10 for the top-up anyway, at least I would to get the Lumia 520 at the special price from Carphonewarehouse I think, which costs £59.95 if I stay locked to orange.

It's not a 'special price' if being locked to Orange is not in your best interests.

I suggest that you don't rush into anything at this point. Unless you switch mobile data off completely, you are likely to incur data costs. You should find out the cost of using data with Orange before you make a commitment.


Open a Fishtext account to send International SMS in the meantime.

Leodogger

NiftyDigits wrote: »

It's not a 'special price' if being locked to Orange is not in your best interests.

I suggest that you don't rush into anything at this point. Unless you switch mobile data off completely, you are likely to incur data costs. You should find out the cost of using data with Orange before you make a commitment.


Open a Fishtext account to send International SMS in the meantime.

From what I was told in the T-Mobile shop, she said that the data costs for texting are very similar with all networks although of course she may just have been trying to persuade me to go with them Obviously their basic "package" costs are all very similar at 12p per text. Without the package I am not sure.

How do you turn off mobile data ?

Leodogger

JWhite wrote: »

From what I was told in the T-Mobile shop, she said that the data costs for texting are very similar with all networks although of course she may just have been trying to persuade me to go with them Obviously their basic "package" costs are all very similar at 12p per text. Without the package I am not sure.

How do you turn off mobile data ?

This is a really good website and allows you to sort on specific elements of cost with different mobile companies:

http://mobilenetworkcomparison.org.uk/compare/

Looks like "3" is the cheapest which is what Carphonewarehouse told me but when I went into the shop he told me they were all the same, I am wondering if he thought I meant the price of packaged texts rather than the cost of data for using Apps?

NiftyDigits

JWhite wrote: »

From what I was told in the T-Mobile shop, she said that the data costs for texting are very similar with all networks although of course she may just have been trying to persuade me to go with them Obviously their basic "package" costs are all very similar at 12p per text. Without the package I am not sure.

How do you turn off mobile data ?

Because you keep asking them about texting. In their eyes that is the SMS service.

You will not be using the SMS service to communicate with your daughter. The Applications described here use data, much like your laptop.
So you use them either via WiFi or mobile data using the mobile phone SIM.

You can turn mobile data off, but then you won't be able to use the applications unless you are within WiFi range. So outside the home, they simply won't work....unless you find somewhere offering free WiFi access.

In my opinion, this puts another burden on you. Having to remember to switch mobile data on and off and not having an idea of how much it will cost you when you do.

With the package that I mentioned earlier, you should have access everywhere, signal permitting.

If you intend to stick with Orange, you need to find out data costs per MB with Orange, if you don't intend to have a package or bundle.