Best Mobile Internet/Email contract? Three X-Series Nokia E65 or T-mobile Vario III?

lellie

Hi,

I've had a PAYG phone for ages but I think it's time I went onto a contract now I have a new job.

I need a phone that will allow me to check my work email and internet access.

I'm looking to decide between three and tmobile really as they seem to have the best options for data.

On Three I'm considering a Nokia E65 with mix and match 500 with xseries gold (free slingbox). That will cost me £33 a month - hope to get about £80-100 for the slingbox on ebay. Effective 18 month cost - around £500. (Maybe less with quidco + possible referal)

On T-Mobile I'm considering the Vario III on Web N Walk 35 - £37.50 a month plus £70 for the phone. Effective 18 month cost = £745 (maybe a bit less with quidco)

I have a number of questions about either option.. any help would be appreciated.

Three:

Is the E65 any good? I'm a bit wary of new nokias as the ones I've tried seem a bit slow, but I haven't tried the E65.

I'm also wary of three. I see so many people saying to avoid them, but then they are cheap and I do believe they've improved.

I like the idea of x-series and unlimited skype and msn.

Are there any other three handsets people recommend more?

Also - I see mobile office mail is an additional add-on with three. If I have x-series will I need to also pay for this extra in order to use exchange (MS Outlook) mail? I know the exchange details etc but is exchange mail locked down at all unless you pay for the add on?

Is it possible to use outlook webmail on these phones in which case I could just view my mail that way? I know the address I need to use for outlook mobile access for my work - but is there any chance it will be locked down at all?

T-mobile:

I'm not sure I really need the full pda function of the Vario III even through it's an amazing phone. Would anyone say it was worth an extra £200?

Also the restricted internet on web and walk is a bit rubbish also. Using MSN would be good.

However I like the HTC pdas. They are great. The fact they run on windows is a bonus and I think they're more reliable than nokias.

I also think tmobile have a better reputation and customer service than three which makes me more inclined to go with them.

What option is better?? How on earth does anyone decide? Also would I be best online and getting quidco or would I be better trying to go instore and haggle a bit? Help! I can't decide!

Are there any other options I've overlooked that might be better? I don't really want the hassle of cashback deals.

Happy_Shrimper

Never been with 3 but consider them to be a good alternative to T-Mobile.
3's 3g coverage looks good, but the phones aren't as good and customer service is a bit hit and miss by the sounds of it.
They also sound a little restrictive in that they have been known to block cusomters sims if they use a phone other than one issued by 3. If they are that picky, what else could be not allowed?
I am unsure if you can connect to imap servers without buying another add-on package.
I have been with t-mobile for 18 months on web'n'walk and its excellent. IMAP mail from my ISP no problem. Streaming radio, downloads etc no issue.
No garden walled internet, although I understand 3 have also lifted this restriction though.
I'm leaning towards T-Mobile with a Vario 3 upgrade as I know what can and can't be done with their access, their customer service is excellent and UK based. The latter making it easier to deal with and generally much better as well as keeping UK service jobs in the UK! Always a consideration for me.
Coverage can be a little suspect at times, but for my geographical locations for home and work, its acceptable. Inside buildings isn't good, but thats the 1800Mhz frequency they use (along with Orange).
3s 2G partner is either O2 or Orange. It recently swapped from one to the other - I think its now Orange so building penertration may now be more of an issue.
I am now just chewing over the upgrade offer I got on the phone this evening for the Vario 3 which is favourable with new customer direct with t-mobile and retaining my 25% discount.

www.3g.co.uk forums offer a lot of info on the network operators.

Personally, I would recommend t-mobile with Vario 3, but as I've not tried 3 and they are reported to have improved a lot recently, and never used or seen a Vario 3 in the flesh, (currently Vario 1), you must take my advice with a pinch of salt!
Good Luck!

Kai

I was facing the same quandry as you, seeing as O2's data plans are so poor (rubbish allowances and so restrictive on what you can/can't do).

3's plans are cheaper - but bear in mind that it seems to be a minimum of 18 months (at least via the website). However it's not actually cheaper by that much unless you get the data plans involved. (T-mobile is 2 texts = 1 minute's allowance, 3 is 1:1 text:minutes). If you put basic Web 'n' Walk + cheapest Flext tariff vs cheapest 3 Mix 'n' Match with X-Series Silver/Gold, it's pretty much a similar price.

When comparing data though, there is only one winner really. 3 has HSPDA and a much better 3G network coverage. Also, X-Series seems to have been a great success and getting MSN Messenger and Skype inclusive of the Mix 'n' Match tariff is great (don't forget the bonus 300 3 to 3 minutes too). Also, only being £10 for X-Series Gold (plus free Slingbox) where by all accounts all ports are open is even better.

I don't know if you are dead set on the E65 - but there are some teething problems with it, although it looks good. For starters, it doesn't have HSDPA (the high speed 3G data) and also, Nokia has been very slow to issue updates to it's firmware (read the Nokia Support forums for more information: http://discussions.europe.nokia.com/discussions/).

If you want X-Series, I took the 6120 'Classic' phone instead, it doesn't have WLAN (wifi), but it does have HSDPA and a much faster processor than the E65, as well as a slightly updated Symbian operating system. It's pretty small and compact and reviews rate it highly. Best of all, it's listed as cheaper than the E65 (which is £5), the 6120c is £1 (was free a few days ago )

If you have no need for the Slingbox gubbins, then consider moving to X-Series Silver which is only £5 (there's not very much extra to the gold over the silver if you know what you are doing). Just by doing these two would save £9 on your monthly bill. Also, as you mention, you can save a bit more by taking your plan through Quidco + using a referral.

I just joined 3 and will be getting my phone on Monday. As I say, I took the 300 min/text Mix 'n' Match and X-Series Gold with 6130c for a grand sum of £25 per month, plus Quidco (sadly only £15 it seems) and referral (£30). Although, now I do kind of wish that I took out the silver instead of gold though as it's just I'm kind of sad and like to play with new things

I hope that helps you with your choice and if you happen to choose 3 and need a referral number, I'll be more than happy to help.

Kai

Happy_Shrimper wrote: »

Personally, I would recommend t-mobile with Vario 3, but as I've not tried 3 and they are reported to have improved a lot recently, and never used or seen a Vario 3 in the flesh, (currently Vario 1), you must take my advice with a pinch of salt!
Good Luck!

It's great to have another opinion (just a bit too fast for me!)

I'm not wanting to poo-poo your advice, but I've read some uncomplimentary things about the Vario 3 (as taken from another board):

This may be more general to Windows Mobile 6 devices rather than specifically the Kaiser/Vario III, but the following changes are driving me nuts:

- while in a call the display shuts off after 15 seconds or so, seemingly irrespective of the usual display/backlight timeouts, this is infuriating if you need to push buttons during the call to navigate a "press 1 for customer support" type voice menu. Is there any setting to just make it go dim rather than completely off, or to make it wake up again with just a tap of the stylus, or for it to stay on for longer? Currently in this scenario I am pushing the power button but always worried that doing that will drop the call!

- it almost always crashes after ending an outgoing call, the display gets stuck on dim and tapping doesn't work, you have to put it in to standby and then take it out of standby to get it going again. All the units we got from T-mobile are doing this, and I've seen people mention it on other forums.

- to unlock the device you have to put in your PIN and then tap UNLOCK. You never had to tap UNLOCK in WM5, it unlocked as you tapped in the last digit. Very subtle change but it's bloody annoying.

Oh and the keyboard seems smaller (but I don't think it is), I keep hitting the wrong letters on this one though compared to how many wrong letters I got on the Vario II; and it's annoying that there isn't a conventional headphones socket, you've either got to use the supplied rubbishy earphones or get an adaptor off eBay

p.s. the case is rubbish now, velcro closure is so cheap (and noisy), the vario II came with a case with a nice magnetic closure that had a bit of class about it.

Although please take it with a pinch of salt as I don't personally have one and who knows? You might like it!

lellie

Thanks for everyone that has given me some tips..

hmm I have heard the E65 has the same niggly slowness of half of the new nokies which is a pain.. It has the potential to be great.

The lack of wifi in the 6120c is a shame as in some of the offices I work at coverage might not be perfect but I would be able to pick up wifi. Then again I'd probably have my laptop so would be using that instead.. so it might not be a problem. Also what is the quickoffice app like on the 6120? Is it just document view? I probably wouldn't use it that much but it would be a nice to have.

I'm worried about how new the vario III is. They might not have ironed out all the problems. It's also more expensive - but then it will probably be worth a more than a nokia in 18 months time so that might offset the cost a little.

I really have no idea..

alnsv1000s

Also be careful with Three regarding data access abroad.

Very hit and miss, and three customer services do not seem to have a clue.

I have used TMobile access, in most of Europe and had no problems apart from the Expense.

I use a Nokia N95 and Vario 3, and funnily enough, have found the N95 for day to day use a better option.

The Vario 3 is a better option for working on docs, due to the qwerty keyboard.

With the Nokia Symbian phones you can get the office programms unlocked, for a small charge, so you can work on docs as well.

Sid_Harper

I've got a 6120 on T-mobile and it's great - the quickoffice is great too though it is view only - you can buy upgrade to allow editing for $36 or so but doing this without a keyboard? Nah!

The Vario-3 looks great on spec but the chunkiness of Windows Mobile phones put me off (would rather wait for the rumoured HTC S730) and I have to say the S60 interface feels more like a phone than my last WM2005 phone (Lobster TV) did and I like that a lot.

Do I miss any of the Windows Mobile features? No.

EDIT: looks like alnsv1000s was typing up the same when I was!

shinydoc

I have a T-Mobile Vario 3 and have had it for a few weeks now . I upgraded it from the Vario 1 at the end of my contract on Flext WnW 35.

There are suggestions above that there have been criticisms of this phone, but I haven't seen anything like that, on the contrary, it is excellent. When you think about what this does, it is unbelievable. It has a cracking low-light 3MP camera, built in GPS, HSDPA/3G, Windows Mobile 6, loudspeaker, tilting QWERTY keyboard, voice dialling, shedloads of on-board RAM so you can have have everything open and have plenty in reserve, you get the jist...

The only down side is that it is a bit of a brick, but you get everything in that brick and the battery life is very good, unless you have the GPS on [with TomTom] for ages!

TM's customer service is excellent and more importantly for some, UK based!!!!

Good luck!