Mobile Phone help for a dummy

Acer321

If you don't really need the mobility of a mobile phone, perhaps a "GSM Desktop Phone" would suit you.

They can be mains or battery powered and have a slot for a SIM card.

LindsayT

Thanks all for the replies.

Was thinking of smartphone until I read the post from Acer321. I don't really need the mobility of a mobile because unfortunately I am stuck in the house most of the time.

Still none the wiser as to what to do LOL.

flaneurs_lobster

Maybe reconsider your broadband renewal searches if a mobile is just going to be an unwanted complication.

Plenty of suppliers offer a 'landline' option for not much (say £5/mth plus expensive calls), maybe tell us what your current broadband setup is (FTTC? FTTP?) and costs - then tell us what the broadband comparison sites are saying about a new service with/without phone?

LindsayT

Sorry, have no idea about FTTC/FTTP.

Currently paying £31.50 for very slow broadband, phone line and calls which I make very few of and the price is about to go up.

Apparently I can get broadband only for £16. Don't know yet about with phone.

Famau

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6670338/mobile-phone-help-for-a-dummy

Another vote for buying the mobile phone and using the MSE link to lebara to get a cheap sim - I have done that and get 35gb per month for £1.77. And check first if you want EU roaming, as Lebara do provide this but some don't.

I got rid of my land line when I moved broabnad provider at the same time. I found that it wasn't needed any more and was used less and less as people started to use only my mobile number. In fact, the only calls I was getting on the landline wanted were scam calls so it was no loss !

But as others rightly say, do check that the network works for you first. I actually tried a vodafone payg sim for a month before signing up to lebara (who use vodafone) just to be sure.

redux

There may be a dilemma between getting a very cheap and simple mobile phone, and getting one that would at least do WiFi calling if the mobile network is patchy at home

Alternatively as already hinted setting up a separate VoIP landline isn't too complicated.

One or two of the cheapest broadband offers have underwhelmed people on here

Murmansk

Something we all know but the OP may not is that a smartphone needs to be charged at least every other day whereas a simple dumb phone will last probably ten days between charges.

Stuart_W

If you are happy with a desktop computer and a landline, and the main motivation here is price reduction it may be worth looking at the suggestion of @Acer321 to consider a GSM landline style phone (such as this) as your experience will be similar to now, but unlike VoIP you'll still have a phone line in a power cut. That's a feature often overlooked when considering digital lines, simply because most folk have a mobile number anyway.

All dependent on network coverage as others have saidbof course. Just invite a friend or two over for a coffee and ask them to bring their phones and check which networks work well. Then use a cheap MVNO for that signal to get unlimited calls for no more than a few pounds a month.

LindsayT

Thanks to all for your input. Friends have used their mobiles in my home before. Have been looking online at mobiles and to be honest, it's doing my head in LOL.

So I think the best thing to do is go and look at some but I am very limited as to where I can get to. The nearest is Argos and quite a few I may have been interested in are out of stock there.

Acer321

Have a look here...

Quite a few to choose from at under £100. Bought myself a TCL 605 a few weeks ago and it was in excellent condition considering it was a customer returned item.