Looking for a mobile phone contract...

Foebane72

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As of now I've decided I'm sick and tired of the endless problems I have with PAYG mobile phones, and decided to go for a contract phone instead.

There are certain conditions I want to meet, though:

1. I want to retain my current number (as it is on my PAYG phone)
2. I want MP3 playback
3. I would like at least 16 Gb memory, either internally or through a microSD card slot.

That's all I can think of for now, so can anyone recommend any good models or deals for a reasonable monthly price (say around £15 total), or the best shop/website for such deals? And should I take out insurance as well, or is that included in the package?
 
Last edited:
Check out Three's website, some £18 per month deals (unlimited data, 5000 texts and 300 minutes) with phones that fit that criteria. Insurance will be extra.
 
If you change networks you simply need to obtain your PAC code and use it within 30 days

The other two conditions falls within the capabilities of all but the most basic of throwaway handsets.
And should I take out insurance as well, or is that included in the package?
Very unlikely to. Check out your home contents insurance or bank account, as mobile phone cover may be included or an extra
 
I've a gut feeling that this thread may drag on......
 
OP, what's your current phone? does it meet or can it meet your requirements #1 and #2? as if it does, have you considered a SIM only contract?

Also some general points, have a think about how many bundles minutes/texts you want/need and how big would you want your internet allowance to be
 
pandemic said:
Wouldn't touch Three with a barge pole, terrible customer service. T-mobile have some really cheap contracts with some android phones contracts starting at £7/month https://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/android-smartphones/android-phones/

And I'm sort of the opposite. Yes, Three have had signal issues in the past so best to check the reception in your area (Three have a checker on their website) but they are really good for their data speeds. I've had good experiences with T-Mobile in the past but since they merged with Orange, their customer service seems to have declined. Also the data network is not as good IMO.
 
T-Mobile in the past but since they merged with Orange, their customer service seems to have declined. Also the data network is not as good IMO.

+1,

On the data front with T-Mobile, I'm currently with them and while I like my contract and will probably stick with them, will admit that their data network doesn't seem as fast as the others especially when compared to o2 (the network I was with before I switched)
 
I'd still like it to be a contract phone as I can't afford to pay for a smartphone all in one, but my plans have changed concerning transferring my current number to it. I wouldn't mind keeping the current one just to hold contact details for the time being, or for making emergency calls.

What about loss, damage or theft to a contract phone? Is this what the insurance is for?

Also, I indicated I would like my new mobile to double as an MP3 player, but I can't find information on microSD card slots or memory capacities - why don't they mention these if they can play MP3s? I'd like my entire library on the phone at once, preferably.

It's still early days yet, so I'm still looking.
 
Probably because it is a given the media player software can access files on the built-in memory and expandable memory alike. Just how old is your current phone?
 
Probably because it is a given the media player software can access files on the built-in memory and expandable memory alike. Just how old is your current phone?

My current phone is a Nokia 2310, which is very basic even if it has a small colour screen, and I think I got it back in 2007.

Can someone clarify the implications for me if my contract phone is lost? I'd choose insurance, but I don't think I could afford to pay for the whole thing.
 
if you lose it, then you have no phone ... all they'll do is post you a replacement SIM for you to use in your replacement phone (your old Nokia phone), might charge you a few quid for that

I've never had this insurance in my life, never intend to
 
+1,

On the data front with T-Mobile, I'm currently with them and while I like my contract and will probably stick with them, will admit that their data network doesn't seem as fast as the others especially when compared to o2 (the network I was with before I switched)

That's because they used to cap the speed originally caps at 320kbps, then upped the cap to 1mbps, but it looks like they've finally removed all caps. On my test last week I got 3.2mbps.
 
one thing i always say to any of may mates make sure you can get reception everywhere you use it. eg my mate got a mobile on O2 then spent 10 mins braging about how he gets twice as many mins and twice as much internet as me for only £3 more a month. unfortunatly he cant get any reception at work from O2 so for 8 hours a day his phone is totally usless. where as me on orange get recepetion all day long.

basicly choose network first then phone.
 
OP, what's your current phone? does it meet or can it meet your requirements #1 and #2? as if it does, have you considered a SIM only contract?

What I originally suggested, I think was rather lofty considering that I think mobile phones are a pain in the bottom, but useful. Most of the time, I don't take my present Nokia out with me, but treat it very much like a landline phone at home.

I was thinking about combining my MP3 player and phone into one, but considering the last paragraph, I have a perfectly great MP3 player which does exactly what I want.

Having a mobile phone contract might seem ideal to get your hands on the major smartphones, but if they're lost or damaged you're screwed - I don't think no-one's yet told me what the insurance covers.

I had thought of keeping my present number, but I don't mind getting a new number as it's easy enough for me to keep a list of my contacts' numbers and simply tell them the new one.

I am now seriously considering a SIM-only contract.

As I said, my current Nokia phone functions perfectly, I have a perfectly decent separate MP3 player which has worked fine for me this last year (Rockbox rocks as well!) and I don't particularly need internet on the go.

I'm only investigating more flexible options because of the frustration that can be caused by PAYG:

Imagine you're calling a helpline number where you speak to an operator, and you have only a few pounds left on your phone. Your money on the SIM is dwindling fast and you're nowhere near getting your problem fixed.

Then the money runs out and the call ends mid-way, and you're screwed!

You then have to go through the rigmarole of putting more money on the PAYG SIM, then recalling the helpline number to get back where you were, which eats into more money!

My poor housemate once spent £80 this way on calls to Virgin Media to sort a broadband connection problem, because of PAYG! NEVER AGAIN, he vowed. So he got a contract phone instead.

So I'm willing to go for a SIM-only contract as well. I do NOT want my money running out in the middle of calls! :D
 
SIM only new phones will cost you upfront...be warned.

To answer the questions/doubt about 3, I have a 10Gb/£15 a month tariff for data on my work iPad that never fails. My work cellphone is also on 3 but i never see the bills, whereas my personal iPhone 4s was free on 3 but is £35.00/month on a 36 month contract but i am an early adopter and like new toys
 
I'm only investigating more flexible options because of the frustration that can be caused by PAYG:

Imagine you're calling a helpline number where you speak to an operator, and you have only a few pounds left on your phone. Your money on the SIM is dwindling fast and you're nowhere near getting your problem fixed.

Then the money runs out and the call ends mid-way, and you're screwed!
The market has come a long way. Cannot think of any network not offering PAYG with free text and/or min allowance, even with a sub-£10 top-up. Anyone on a strict PAYG deal paying per text and minute without any allowances included need to do some shopping. You can probably save money simply by switching plans with the same network
 
OP approx what are your monthly allowance needs and your available budget? May also be relevant to advise of your current network, notwithstanding it is easy to switch
 
Well, in the end I went with a Virgin Mobile SIM-only contract, which costs only £10 and consists of unlimited texts, 1Gb internet and 250 minutes. This was set up on the same SIM card and number immediately.

This does mean I can text as much as I like and get no extra charges, have over four hours talking on the phone before I'm charged extra, right?

Also, doesn't the first £10 payment come out immediately from the Direct Debit before you can start using it? Or is it at the end of the month?

It's just that at one point the amount I owed was £9.27, then I make a simple short call and after that I discover that it's gone up to £11.96!! Does this mean that since I haven't made a payment yet, I can't use my 250 minutes?
 
Does this mean that since I haven't made a payment yet, I can't use my 250 minutes?
Rolling sim-only contracts typically require direct debit for payment, so your allowance starts when the first payment is taken. Assuming you mean to say you walked into a store today and signed up, just wait until you are notified it has begun (by text or looking online, dunno how Virgin work but imagine they are the same as others)
 
Rolling sim-only contracts typically require direct debit for payment, so your allowance starts when the first payment is taken. Assuming you mean to say you walked into a store today and signed up, just wait until you are notified it has begun (by text or looking online, dunno how Virgin work but imagine they are the same as others)

Yes, it is one of those and I did get a message indicating it had started, so I figured I'd start using it right away.

What I said in my last post, I realised what had happened:

When you find out the amount you have spent so far when you call 789 Option 2 on a Virgin Mobile phone, it seems it's updated every 15 minutes.

Before I made the short call, I called Virgin Media on their 0845 number to check if there was a major outage, because my Broadband connection went down this afternoon because of the major rains we've had. That was the cause of the differences I mentioned in the last post, but since I checked 789 immediately after the 0845 call, it hadn't registered yet. So I thought the short call I made after was the cause.

Yes, I know there's an actual free number for the VM thing, I forgot all about it. :facepalm:

The short call I made after was to a landline, and the reduced minutes showed up on 789, so that's fine.

I assume I can call any 07 mobile phone number in the UK and ONLY use up my allotted minutes and incur no extra costs?
 
Foebane72 said:
Yes, it is one of those and I did get a message indicating it had started, so I figured I'd start using it right away.

What I said in my last post, I realised what had happened:

When you find out the amount you have spent so far when you call 789 Option 2 on a Virgin Mobile phone, it seems it's updated every 15 minutes.

Before I made the short call, I called Virgin Media on their 0845 number to check if there was a major outage, because my Broadband connection went down this afternoon because of the major rains we've had. That was the cause of the differences I mentioned in the last post, but since I checked 789 immediately after the 0845 call, it hadn't registered yet. So I thought the short call I made after was the cause.

Yes, I know there's an actual free number for the VM thing, I forgot all about it. :facepalm:

The short call I made after was to a landline, and the reduced minutes showed up on 789, so that's fine.

I assume I can call any 07 mobile phone number in the UK and ONLY use up my allotted minutes and incur no extra costs?

Yes but just be cautious of 070 numbers. They look like mobile number but are actually premium rate that can cost upto £1.50 a minute.
 
Yes but just be cautious of 070 numbers. They look like mobile number but are actually premium rate that can cost upto £1.50 a minute.

Thanks, Qwerty321! I'd heard about those 070 numbers, but I just wanted confirmation.

:thumbsup:
 

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