[MrMister111]

After a cheap BB deal for daughter. Think the 9300 might be better ad its 3G compared to the 8250.

I'm on Virgin media TV package at mo and they do a 10/month reduced from 18/month which would be great but if you leave which I may it for a up to 18.

[Dodgy_Geezer]

3G is not important for email, chat or any social media junk. If you're thinking of jumping ship from Virgin, cheapest option would be to get a second hand BlackBerry and a free PAYG sim like O2 with a £5 per month BB package that includes your choice of inclusive mins/texts.

[MrMister111]

well I still haven't got the phone and have to have it for her birthday by Sat this week!! Been looking and the 3G is the one to go for, but can't find it very cheap, cheapest is prob £15/month for 100mins+500txts, 500Mb internet, & email. Is this the best I can get? I was hoping around £10/month

Also if you buy a BB 3G on PAYG, when you buy a voucher for a top up, does it include BB services? i.e. BBm & email, how does this work on PAYG?

cheers

[MrMister111]

well I still haven't got the phone and have to have it for her birthday by Sat this week!! Been looking and the 3G is the one to go for, but can't find it very cheap, cheapest is prob £15/month for 100mins+500txts, 500Mb internet, & email. Is this the best I can get? I was hoping around £10/month

Also if you buy a BB 3G on PAYG, when you buy a voucher for a top up, does it include BB services? i.e. BBm & email, how does this work on PAYG?

cheers

[jnbeck]

Not sure if virgin are the same but with Orange you have to subscrive to the BIS service which is £5 per month on PAYG. When you top up it does not come with the service, they simply deduct the £5 from your credit at the same time every month. If you have no credit then the service stops.

[Dodgy_Geezer]

Play.com currently have the BlackBerry Pearl 3G for £90 brand new on PAYG Voda and it's in girly girl pink too


http://www.play.com/Mobiles/Mobile/4-/17063058/BlackBerry-9105-Pearl-3G-Vodafone-Pre-Pay-Pay-As-You-Go-Mobile-phone-Pink/Product.html

As for how it works on PAYG, as s7beck said, you buy the voucher and it's deducted from that every month.

Voda charge a fiver a month for the BB service if you go for the handset above.

[MrMister111]

The pearl is an older phone I was looking at the BB curve 3G (9300). They all seem to be expensive the BB phones and the tariffs.

Can find it for 15/month with free phone, enough mins,txts, BB services but its a 24 month contract, can't see a) the phone lasting that long, or b) she keeping same phone for 2 years!

mmmm

[Dodgy_Geezer]

If it helps, I have both the Curve 3G and Pearl 3G and much rather prefer the Pearl 3G which has:

- a much sharper and clearer screen
- higher resolution display
- better camera with an LED flash and autofocus
- is more pocketable
- cheaper than the Curve 3G

Otherwise, you can easily find the Curve 3G for less than 150 notes, Play.com were selling them recently on Voda for 130 quid. Try checking out the classifieds on AVF too.

[MrMister111]

Was after a contact as think will be cheaper in long run with the BB services.

Found talk mobile £15/month 100+500+1Gb+BBM & BB email. Free curve 3G on 24month contract. Good deal? Can't seem to find a better one?

[guypb]

What did you go for in the end? My daughter wants a Blackberry for Xmas but I can't stretch to a 24 year contract at £15 per month - that becomes quite a costly present!!

I'm not on Virgin so can't go with their deal.

Was thinking about PAYG. Was thinking of buying a cheap 8520, but not sure about how the Blackberry messaging works - any ideas?

[MrMister111]

I didn't want the cost over the 24months either but has to bite the bullet.

I went with the 9300 and 15/month, 24month contract, so total of £360.

Tbh BB deals are all expensive when I've looked, I didn't want to be tied in to Virgin so TalkMobile was cheapest.

The 9300 is a better phone than 8250 and its same price on contract anyway.

I asked in Orange for BB PAYG and its an extra £5/month for BB services eg BBM, BB email, so you still need mins & txts cost on top of this!

I asked her if sure she wanted a BB, and was a yes, Android touch screens were maybe bit cheaper, but again not that much really. With a Android though, I could have bought the handset SIM free and got a Giff gaff or chatter, or other SIM only deal, but again these don't do BB deals with BBM and BB email.

If you do find a cheaper way pls post I'd be interested.

Let us know what you decide

[guypb]

Thanks for your advice MrMister

I think I am going to go T-Mobile PAYG.

The phone is between £100 - £150 (dependant on which one she goes for, she will have to make up the difference out of her Xmas money).

T-Mobile have a promotion where the 1st 6 months BB Services are free. They are then £20 per 6 months after that. Yes she will have to pay for calls and texts, but mostly texts are on BB messaging anyway.

I feel really tight as most of her friends seem to be on contract, but I can't commit to £360 over 2 years for a one off present. I have 2 other daughters to worry about and they are being told "no phones" full stop!!

I was going to start looking at SIM only deals later down the line, but I didn't appreciate there are no SIM only deals for BB.

I am also slightly nervous that the £15/month contract will get exceeded due to excessive internet/abroad phone calls etc.. Heard some right horror stories from neighbours and on the radio. I'd rather start on PAYG even if it is possibly slightly costlier, though my daughter will have to fund top ups from pocket money.

Grrr this is damn hard work for a Xmas present!

[guypb]

Just noticed the 8520 is now £120 - it was £100 yesterday!!!

[guypb]

Originally Posted by MrMister111

I went with the 9300 and 15/month, 24month contract, so total of £360.

Tbh BB deals are all expensive when I've looked, I didn't want to be tied in to Virgin so TalkMobile was cheapest.

The 9300 is a better phone than 8250 and its same price on contract anyway.

Did you know the £15/month is EXCL VAT!

[MrMister111]

Originally Posted by guypb

Did you know the £15/month is EXCL VAT!

Woah it better not be! Will check now, I'll be well? !?(? If it is!

You say that T-Mob is £20 for 6 months BB services, is that for the whole 6 months? You get unlimited BBM and BB email for 6 months for £20? That's a great deal then, then she'd only need the mins and texts on top of that?

[guypb]

Did you check the VAT? I am lead to believe the £20 covers BBS for 6 months - I'm off to T-Mobile in town to check the small print!!!

[guypb]

Despite the shop assistant at T-Mobile denying all knowledge of such a deal (the £20 - 6 months BB services etc..), and then treating me like a complete moron who wants to spend £30 per month on a contract, it turns out it is true. PAYG for my daughter then I think!

[lowmans100]

I had looked at getting a Blackberry for my missus and the O2 sim only pay&go options were

1) Simplicity Sim £10.50 (100mins 500 texts) plus Blackberry Bolt on £5
2) Text and Web for Blackberry £15 (500 UK texts, 500MB UK data plus BlackBerry email & unlimited Wi-Fi)
3) Text & Web £10 (300 UK texts, 500MB UK data & unlimited Wi-Fi) plus Blackberry Bolt on £5

We went for an Android phone in the end but took the Text & Web option because you keep the top up as credit for calls where with the Simplicity deals the top up pays for the inclusive mins and text only.

O2 | Pay & Go tariffs | Get up to 10% of top-ups back and surprises

edit: I think the Text & Web tariffs are only available online.

[MrMister111]

Originally Posted by guypb

Did you check the VAT? I am lead to believe the £20 covers BBS for 6 months - I'm off to T-Mobile in town to check the small print!!!

Looks line it doesn't include the VAT!! Oops, Now stuck with a 18/month deal for 2 years! Not happy, hate it when they "hide" these fees, include VAT as most pay it!

Not happy but nothing I can do now. That t-mob sounds good but what happens after the 6 months?