Mobile phone newbie - silly questions

Snakey

I used to have a Blackberry provided by work and so never needed to even think about any of this. Now I've lost my job. Lucky me, Father Christmas brought me a Smart 4 Mini, which if nothing else at least narrowed down one set of options (i.e. which handset). But I don't know what to do with it now. I can't even get the back off the thing!

1. So, as I understand it, it's "locked" to Vodafone which means that if I don't want a Vodafone package then I need to get it unlocked, which is legal but I have to pay - is that right? How much does it cost to get unlocked? Can I just take it to anyone to get this done, e.g. dodgy-looking booths on the High Street, and the result will be the same as if I took it to the provider?

2. Next, how do I get the back off it? The instruction leaflet says pull it apart (my Blackberry used to slide), but it doesn't want to come off, and I don't know whether to try to force it or whether I'm not doing it right and if I use force it'll just break. Any thoughts?

3. I understand that (once I've got a card in there) when I'm at home I can connect to my own wireless broadband and that means I don't use the phone provider's data allowance, is that right?

4. And finally... are there any providers or packages that are especially good or bad? I've done some searching on the internet and it's clear that the answer is "it depends on what you want, stupid", and I do understand that, I'm just asking here in case anyone happens to be similar to my anticipated use and I can benefit from your experiences .

So here's me: I now work for myself so am at home most of the time, so I am anticipating not needing to use much data although when I am out and about I would like to be able to download just basic e-mails (not necessarily attachments) and to surf the net occasionally if I need to. I get free evening and weekend calls from my landline and I also have Skype on my laptop so the only calls I'd need to make would be to mobiles, I would only expect to make such calls for say 1-2 hours a month. But I do need free voicemail access, because the most likely scenario is that people will call me when it's switched off - is this usually a free service or does it count as part of your phone call allowance? And I'd want to send maybe a couple of dozen texts a month.

Ideally I'd like something that's pay as you go and never runs out, so that if it turns out I only use it for ten minutes a month it hasn't cost me £1 a minute! But it doesn't seem as if that's possible as most PAYG packages expire after 30 days - or have I got that wrong?

Any help, much appreciated. Thank you!

JJ_Egan

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/vodafone-smart-4-mini-1242791/review

grumbler

1. £20 at Vodafone, possibly 99p at ebay: Vodafone Smart 4 Turbo, Quad Core, 4G LTE, 1GB RAM, Kitkat 4.4.2: £59.00 @ Amazon

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5KpMOg4UEg

3. Yes

4. "it depends on what you want" - minutes, texts, Mb. For the latter I suggest 500Mb+, but if you use it mainly on WiFi and the settings are correct, the mobile data allowance can be smaller.

Only bundles expire after 30 days, but you don't have to buy them. One of the most popular pure PAYG options is Three's 321 - 3p/min, 2p/text, 1p/Mb without any bundles.

flashg67

1. Possibly not locked - try a different sim card first. If it is locked, Vodafone will charge, and you may have to wait a period before they will. Most mobile shops will be fine to unlock it, in my experience anyway.
2. Not sure which phone - Samsung? My S3's back pries away starting at the top. It is flimsy, but you're unlikely to break it, but it may feel like that initially...
3. Yes - just turn the wi-fi on the phone to on and connect like your laptop etc.
4. I have found '3' good value for pay as you go, and a lot of people recommend Giffgaff. Any bundles you buy will expire after 30 days, but you don't have to buy a bundle, in which case, the credit won't expire (you may need to make the occasional call to keep the number alive. Perhaps try a pay as you go and see how much you spend over a couple of months - you can convert to a better value monthly plan if you find you're using it more than you thought. IMO, spending more than £15 on PAYG usually means you ought to be looking at a pay monthly sim plan.

cookie365

1. Perfectly legal, will be cheaper at an independent dealer than from Vodafone, result will be the same. Bear in mind that the firmware may have some Vodafone specific stuff - e.g. the Vodafone voicemail number might be 'hard coded' into the phone. Chances are they'll be no more than an occasional annoyance on another network, not a show stopper.

2. No idea. If no-one else can figure it out, go to a Vodafone shop and ask them to show you.

3. Unless the phone is really terrible, you should be able to use your own wireless without even a sim in it. Obviously you won't be able to make calls or use it away from a wifi network without one though.

4. Since you've not actually said how you intend to use the phone, the answer is still

"it depends on what you want, stupid"

Snakey

Thanks guys!

Flash - The name of the phone (according to the instruction leaflet) is "Smart 4 Mini". Nonetheless, I'll have a go with a screwdriver and blame you if it falls into 20 pieces or won't go back on again . I imagine having it held together with sellotape would make me that bit safer from potential muggers anyway.

Cookie - I do waffle on for a paragraph about what my intended pattern of use would be, but I appreciate that the basic advice remains true.

kindapizzed

you can get it unlocked anywhere for £10
:T