PAYG- help with options?

Collabora

Reading this the OP is on Orange PAYG and top up £5 a month to 2 months and would like to remain on orange for the same amount but with a new phone.

I dont think this will happen at that price with Orange, so best to look at the links i provided earlier which are the cheapest contract plans which will give the OP a new modern phone and ideal for low users

DLC2013 wrote: »

Ideally i'd like to stay with Orange and continue to pay a similar amount however it would be nice to get a bit more for my buck.

I currently own a Samsung S5620 which has served me well but I'm also on the look out for a modern chic handset.

Collabora

If you want another Samsung then these are the nearest to the Samsung Monte which you already have

http://shop.tescomobile.com/pay-monthly/mobile-phones/samsung/galaxy+young+2?deal=15755

http://www.talkmobile.co.uk/mobile-phone/pay-monthly/talkmobilew/Samsung/Samsung-Galaxy-Young-Blue.html?network=talkmobilew&tariffcode=TMBKM216

Herongull

Don't get a contract. Contracts are inflexible and you run the risk of huge bills if your phone is lost or stolen.

Decide what new phone you want and buy it outright. If you want to try a decent starter smartphone, the Moto G and Moto E are good choices but you need to decide what you are really looking for.

If you decide to get a smartphone, you need to go for PAYG with cheap data otherwise your phone will gobble your credit unless you keep the data switched off and just use wifi.

Three 3 2 1 is by far the cheapest PAYG and you get 150mb free every time you top up.

If you don't have decent coverage with Three and you want to stay with an Orange signal, go for a cheap virtual provider on the same signal. White Mobile is a good choice, not as cheap as Three but still pretty cheap and gives free calls and texts within network (and also free voicemail). Are you always texting the same person? Get them to switch to White and all your texts to them will be free.

Or you could just message them for free using Whatapp.

If you buy yourself a decent but reasonably priced smartphone, the cost will be equivalent to a £few per month over 2 years. If you choose the right PAYG provider you could end up paying much less than even the modest amount you currently pay for usage.

Collabora

Herongull wrote: »

Don't get a contract. Contracts are inflexible and you run the risk of huge bills if your phone is lost or stolen.

Not with Tesco Mobile you can cap it to £2.50, so no huge bills, also place a phone lock and sim lock on, so unless they know the code then both the phone and sim would by useless

Swipe

Delight mobile uses the EE network with 3-2-1 payg rates

br1anstorm

mac.d wrote: »

I used to be with Orange (as did my Mum, and her usage is probably even less than you), but came to my senses and switched to Giffgaff instead. My Mum probably tops up £10 every 6 months, and after getting a new smartphone (my old phone wasn't 3G), I switched over to 3's PAYG as its even cheaper.

Why on earth would you want to stick with Orange?

Best bang for buck option for a light user who quite likes the idea of a nice shiny smartphone (even if they won't make full use of it) seems to be a Moto G at around £115 (or maybe just the cheaper Moto E for around £65?), along with a PAYG sim from 3.

For what it's worth, I reckon I was in a very similar position to the OP (monthly PAYG spend using Virgin of under £5 on calls and texts using a non-smart phone). I agree with the quoted post above and the advice offered by Herongull.

I, too, looked at options partly because I realised that I did need some internet access (eg for emails) and smarter apps on my mobile. I reached several conclusions:

• it's not sensible or good value to lock into a contract;
• and certainly not worth doing so just for the sake of a 'free' handset;
• better to buy a suitable smartphone, unlocked. I got a Moto G 2nd gen and my wife got the slightly smaller Moto E;
• then choose the most appropriate - which means flexible - provider and package for your likely usage. In our case, the shortlist came down to two.....so I got free SIMs from both:
• Giffgaff for flexibility, as it offers various ways to buy or pay for calls/texts/data either on a straight PAYG topup basis which is not time-limited, or by so-called goodybags, packages of various sizes which last a month. Uses the O2 network, which offers decent coverage. Added bonus that calls between giffgaffnumbers (eg self and wife) are free;
• Three, whose PAYG deal called 3-2-1 is the cheapest on the market. Good if Three network covers your area. Delight Mobile is a less-well known virtual operator which offers the same tariff and uses the EE network - but their service and support seem a bit iffy. For the same reason I took other niche providers like White Mobile off my shortlist.

I'm now trying out both giffgaff and Three. So far I like giffgaff a lot: the "community" concept for advice and support works well.

The beauty of low-cost PAYG and no contract is that it's possible to trial either or both new provider without fear of problems or penalty, and you can try them using the number(s) they supply without immediately giving up your existing mobile number. Then once you are happy with one or other, and have made a choice, you can then "port " your previous, familiar, number over to the new provider. Simples!