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Chris on a bike, this is confusing.
My old (think brick) phone has finally bitten the dust and won't charge, so I'm girding the bullets, biting my loins and buying a smartphone.
The range of handsets is boggling enough, then there's 2G 3G 4G and 2Gb 4Gb 8Gb 16Gb. There's Kitkats and Jellybeans and Windows and Androids and Apps and Apples and Blackberries and Oranges.
I decided to restrict the market by price - I'm an infrequent user. So I went to uSwitch and used the sliders and...
... a package has come up at £7.50 a month, free smartphone (some Nokia cheapy), a bunch of minutes, texts and 500Mb data. So far so good. But then I see they are doing cashback - £180 to be precise.
It's a 24 month contract, so my maths says I'll get my 250 minutes a month, 1000 texts and 500Mb for 2 years, and a handset, for nothing.
I went as far as checkout and, yes, the price to pay was zero.
Are they just relying on me a) not meeting the cashback rules and b) going over my allowance? What's the catch??
Oh, and what should a low intensity user (emails, a few UK calls, and looking up the weather forecast) get? Nothing fancy - I'll likely as not break/lose it; cheap as chips is fine.
Head is hurty, so help appreciated.
J
My old (think brick) phone has finally bitten the dust and won't charge, so I'm girding the bullets, biting my loins and buying a smartphone.
The range of handsets is boggling enough, then there's 2G 3G 4G and 2Gb 4Gb 8Gb 16Gb. There's Kitkats and Jellybeans and Windows and Androids and Apps and Apples and Blackberries and Oranges.
I decided to restrict the market by price - I'm an infrequent user. So I went to uSwitch and used the sliders and...
... a package has come up at £7.50 a month, free smartphone (some Nokia cheapy), a bunch of minutes, texts and 500Mb data. So far so good. But then I see they are doing cashback - £180 to be precise.
It's a 24 month contract, so my maths says I'll get my 250 minutes a month, 1000 texts and 500Mb for 2 years, and a handset, for nothing.
I went as far as checkout and, yes, the price to pay was zero.
Are they just relying on me a) not meeting the cashback rules and b) going over my allowance? What's the catch??
Oh, and what should a low intensity user (emails, a few UK calls, and looking up the weather forecast) get? Nothing fancy - I'll likely as not break/lose it; cheap as chips is fine.
Head is hurty, so help appreciated.
J
In reply to JJL:
Speaking from experience (I used to work in a phone shop) something like 70% of people who take out those £7.50 / month Talkmobile deals go way over their allowance and get hit by massive bills. That's how they make their money. 500MB of data is enough if you are a very occasional 3G user but even right now it's easy to go over just from Facebook use alone, and by the time your contract ends in late 2016 even 1GB might be restrictive.
Everyone is different, though. I know some people who use less than 200MB a month. Others of my acquaintance regularly burn through 5-6GB on 4G, and they're not even heavy users.
P.S. The £7.50 / month also won't include VAT and picture messaging will be charged extra.
Speaking from experience (I used to work in a phone shop) something like 70% of people who take out those £7.50 / month Talkmobile deals go way over their allowance and get hit by massive bills. That's how they make their money. 500MB of data is enough if you are a very occasional 3G user but even right now it's easy to go over just from Facebook use alone, and by the time your contract ends in late 2016 even 1GB might be restrictive.
Everyone is different, though. I know some people who use less than 200MB a month. Others of my acquaintance regularly burn through 5-6GB on 4G, and they're not even heavy users.
P.S. The £7.50 / month also won't include VAT and picture messaging will be charged extra.
Post edited at 14:19
In reply to JJL:
My Dad just last month bought his first smartphone. I recommended him the new Moto G (2014 edition), which was (not sure what deals are about now) £145 from Amazon.
It is a fantastic handset for the price - nice large display, smooth performance, decent camera - and buying the phone outright means you have the flexibility to go with a cheap SIM-only deal, with the option to shop around and change it if you realise you're using more data than you initially thought you would.
My Dad just last month bought his first smartphone. I recommended him the new Moto G (2014 edition), which was (not sure what deals are about now) £145 from Amazon.
It is a fantastic handset for the price - nice large display, smooth performance, decent camera - and buying the phone outright means you have the flexibility to go with a cheap SIM-only deal, with the option to shop around and change it if you realise you're using more data than you initially thought you would.
In reply to JJL:
That sounds like a pretty good deal to me, I'd go for it.
Just connect to Wi-fi at home/ at work and if you use the data sparingly then you'll be well within your allowances.
That sounds like a pretty good deal to me, I'd go for it.
Just connect to Wi-fi at home/ at work and if you use the data sparingly then you'll be well within your allowances.
In reply to eltankos:
To give you an idea how easy it is to go over 500MB, a customer of mine in February this year rinsed 625MB after 25 minutes on the Android Facebook app. He was completely unaware that the Facebook app is a data hog (or that they could monitor data use from the system settings).
I agree that it's perfectly feasible to stay within this limit if you know what you're doing and have modest needs, but the OP stated they haven't had a smartphone before. It takes time to get a feel of how much data you're using and how much you actually need.
> That sounds like a pretty good deal to me, I'd go for it.
> Just connect to Wi-fi at home/ at work and if you use the data sparingly then you'll be well within your allowances.
To give you an idea how easy it is to go over 500MB, a customer of mine in February this year rinsed 625MB after 25 minutes on the Android Facebook app. He was completely unaware that the Facebook app is a data hog (or that they could monitor data use from the system settings).
I agree that it's perfectly feasible to stay within this limit if you know what you're doing and have modest needs, but the OP stated they haven't had a smartphone before. It takes time to get a feel of how much data you're using and how much you actually need.
In reply to Durkules:
The moto G is indeed a great phone for the price. I had one in for repair a while back and was mightly impressed with the spec. It had a new screen fitted which cost to customer was only £45 inc me fitting it.
OP
Something like a second hand galaxy ace or iphone 3 and get a sim only deal from tesco or giff gaff. It'd cost very little per month, own the phone outright and have no contract. As OAH suggested, its very easy to go over your contractual limit, I have a sim only deal from EE thats 13.99 per month - 200 mins, unlimited texts and 500meg. I'm not a heavy internet user on my phone and 90% of the time it is connected to a wifi network anyway. Changing wife and I to sim only was one of the better things I've done. Daughter wanting an iphone 5S and last night we did the sums -
option 1
2 year contract @ £45 per month
£45 x 24 = £1080
option 2
second hand iphone 5S £220 (ish)
sim only deal like mine £13.99
13.99 x 24 = 335.76
Total cost £558.76
iphone cost price in option 1 is £745 with relation to option 2!
Thats an extreme example but it does show what the bones really are once you scrape away the fluff
The moto G is indeed a great phone for the price. I had one in for repair a while back and was mightly impressed with the spec. It had a new screen fitted which cost to customer was only £45 inc me fitting it.
OP
Something like a second hand galaxy ace or iphone 3 and get a sim only deal from tesco or giff gaff. It'd cost very little per month, own the phone outright and have no contract. As OAH suggested, its very easy to go over your contractual limit, I have a sim only deal from EE thats 13.99 per month - 200 mins, unlimited texts and 500meg. I'm not a heavy internet user on my phone and 90% of the time it is connected to a wifi network anyway. Changing wife and I to sim only was one of the better things I've done. Daughter wanting an iphone 5S and last night we did the sums -
option 1
2 year contract @ £45 per month
£45 x 24 = £1080
option 2
second hand iphone 5S £220 (ish)
sim only deal like mine £13.99
13.99 x 24 = 335.76
Total cost £558.76
iphone cost price in option 1 is £745 with relation to option 2!
Thats an extreme example but it does show what the bones really are once you scrape away the fluff
In reply to JJL:
Don't get a Galaxy Ace, or in fact anything to do with Samsung. Samsung are shite. Also don't get an iPhone less than a 5 unless you want to be frustrated by how slow it is.
A Moto G or a Nexus 5 would both be good choices for a cheaper end smart phone that's both 4G and suitably powerful.
Don't get a Galaxy Ace, or in fact anything to do with Samsung. Samsung are shite. Also don't get an iPhone less than a 5 unless you want to be frustrated by how slow it is.
A Moto G or a Nexus 5 would both be good choices for a cheaper end smart phone that's both 4G and suitably powerful.
In reply to JJL:
Beware buying handsets outright. Even though they may be unlocked, many lock to the first network they attach to. It generally isn't necessarily cheaper to buy handset + deal separately. Don't be scared of cashback offers though. They are used by resellers to drive sales and if they hit their sales targets (set by the operators) they get a cash bonus some of which is handed back to the consumer. If they miss those targets, you will still get your cash back so don't fret.
Beware buying handsets outright. Even though they may be unlocked, many lock to the first network they attach to. It generally isn't necessarily cheaper to buy handset + deal separately. Don't be scared of cashback offers though. They are used by resellers to drive sales and if they hit their sales targets (set by the operators) they get a cash bonus some of which is handed back to the consumer. If they miss those targets, you will still get your cash back so don't fret.
Post edited at 15:06
In reply to JJL:
Moto G by far best value on the market. You can't go wrong with that one for a first smartphone.
Nice review there : youtube.com/watch?v=KFD0Nm2dOHw&
Moto G by far best value on the market. You can't go wrong with that one for a first smartphone.
Nice review there : youtube.com/watch?v=KFD0Nm2dOHw&
Post edited at 15:06
In reply to RomTheBear:
Or save even more and get a Moto E if you're not bothered about camera spec ( I got one and put the difference towards an actual compact camera with 20x optical zoom which is ace!!!). The phone itself is perfect for my needs.
> Moto G by far best value on the market. You can't go wrong with that one for a first smartphone.
Or save even more and get a Moto E if you're not bothered about camera spec ( I got one and put the difference towards an actual compact camera with 20x optical zoom which is ace!!!). The phone itself is perfect for my needs.
In reply to wilkie14c:
To me there is very little point in getting a smartphone unless you are going to use it as one. And if you're going to use it as one, you want a decent one. At least 8GB preferably 16 (32 or a big SD card if you're going to want music on it), and a contract with 1GB of data at least.
If you aren't going to use it as a smartphone, don't get a smartphone. Get a cheap Nokia dumbphone for next to nothing on a SIM only contract or PAYG, and enjoy the fact that it weighs nothing, the 2 week battery life and ability to throw it on the floor without damage.
Neil
To me there is very little point in getting a smartphone unless you are going to use it as one. And if you're going to use it as one, you want a decent one. At least 8GB preferably 16 (32 or a big SD card if you're going to want music on it), and a contract with 1GB of data at least.
If you aren't going to use it as a smartphone, don't get a smartphone. Get a cheap Nokia dumbphone for next to nothing on a SIM only contract or PAYG, and enjoy the fact that it weighs nothing, the 2 week battery life and ability to throw it on the floor without damage.
Neil
Post edited at 15:13
1
In reply to Kid Spatula:
For making a few UK phone calls, checking email and the weather? I propose that you sir have been taken in by hype and 'the need for speed'. Phone shops dream of customers like you
The point was basic (by todays standards) smart phones like the 3GS and galaxy ace are capable of ringing and texting a fair bit more besides. The constant need for speed and upgrades means these capable little phones can be had for £40 on facebook buy and sell groups. If they fit your needs why not?
> A iPhone 3 would essentially be a paperweight now, as would a Galaxy Ace.
For making a few UK phone calls, checking email and the weather? I propose that you sir have been taken in by hype and 'the need for speed'. Phone shops dream of customers like you
The point was basic (by todays standards) smart phones like the 3GS and galaxy ace are capable of ringing and texting a fair bit more besides. The constant need for speed and upgrades means these capable little phones can be had for £40 on facebook buy and sell groups. If they fit your needs why not?
In reply to Kid Spatula:
Again, it all comes down to requirements. Most smartphone users don't actually download any apps at all, and both of these units will run their built-in software just fine (if you resist the temptation to install updates!) An iPhone 3 might have issues rendering some newer websites in Safari, but otherwise it will work exactly the way it did when it rolled off the production line.
Of course, the user who wants to use apps on their phone will quickly run into limitations with either of these machines.
> A iPhone 3 would essentially be a paperweight now, as would a Galaxy Ace.
Again, it all comes down to requirements. Most smartphone users don't actually download any apps at all, and both of these units will run their built-in software just fine (if you resist the temptation to install updates!) An iPhone 3 might have issues rendering some newer websites in Safari, but otherwise it will work exactly the way it did when it rolled off the production line.
Of course, the user who wants to use apps on their phone will quickly run into limitations with either of these machines.
In reply to Neil Williams:
I see you point neil of course but as the OP has never had a smartphone before does he want to go in big, sign up for 2 years and then find he can't get on with the phone or its op sys? Probably not so hence a suggestion of cheap as chips and get a feel
I see you point neil of course but as the OP has never had a smartphone before does he want to go in big, sign up for 2 years and then find he can't get on with the phone or its op sys? Probably not so hence a suggestion of cheap as chips and get a feel
In reply to wilkie14c:
Snap!
It's easy to be fooled into thinking that everyone needs the latest and greatest gimmick, when in fact most users simply don't. Phone shops (and the tech media) are very good at convincing people that they need more than they actually do.
For the record, my current phone of choice is a Nokia 6230i from 2002
Snap!
It's easy to be fooled into thinking that everyone needs the latest and greatest gimmick, when in fact most users simply don't. Phone shops (and the tech media) are very good at convincing people that they need more than they actually do.
For the record, my current phone of choice is a Nokia 6230i from 2002
In reply to wilkie14c:
It's a good point, though also going "cheap as chips" may put the OP off because it won't be as nice to use as a more recent phone.
Here's a genuine recommendation - try picking up an HTC One S second-hand. You'll get one quite cheap, and they are still very usable with modern apps etc. I only got rid of mine because I knackered the charger socket. (It's not a design flaw so far as I know, I just don't look after technology half as well as I should).
Neil
It's a good point, though also going "cheap as chips" may put the OP off because it won't be as nice to use as a more recent phone.
Here's a genuine recommendation - try picking up an HTC One S second-hand. You'll get one quite cheap, and they are still very usable with modern apps etc. I only got rid of mine because I knackered the charger socket. (It's not a design flaw so far as I know, I just don't look after technology half as well as I should).
Neil
Post edited at 15:25
In reply to Only a hill:
No harm in a dumbphone if all you want to do is text and make calls. But if going for a smartphone IMO you want a decent one or will just get frustrated.
Neil
No harm in a dumbphone if all you want to do is text and make calls. But if going for a smartphone IMO you want a decent one or will just get frustrated.
Neil
In reply to JJL:
I took at talkmobile £7.50 special offer, 500MB data, few hundred mins voice and unlimited texts. It's done me just fine. I read email, check the weather and train times on my phone and never gone near my data allowance. I don't use the facebook app though. I'm upgrading soon as I would like to be able to use Strava/mapmyride and other apps that are a bit of a strain for the Galaxy Ace that I have. If all you want is email and the odd weather check a cheap as chips job is fine.
I took at talkmobile £7.50 special offer, 500MB data, few hundred mins voice and unlimited texts. It's done me just fine. I read email, check the weather and train times on my phone and never gone near my data allowance. I don't use the facebook app though. I'm upgrading soon as I would like to be able to use Strava/mapmyride and other apps that are a bit of a strain for the Galaxy Ace that I have. If all you want is email and the odd weather check a cheap as chips job is fine.
In reply to Only a hill:
I'm perfectly happy with my iphone 4 despite the fact I have 3 iphone 4S's, 2 iphone 5's, an iphone 5C and an iphone 5S in the house of which I can use any one of them if I want. Ok so I run an Apple repair business so biased towards apple products but that is simply from a repairability sudy of apple vs android but I did offer the ace next to the iphone 3 in the suggestion to remain imparcial
I'm perfectly happy with my iphone 4 despite the fact I have 3 iphone 4S's, 2 iphone 5's, an iphone 5C and an iphone 5S in the house of which I can use any one of them if I want. Ok so I run an Apple repair business so biased towards apple products but that is simply from a repairability sudy of apple vs android but I did offer the ace next to the iphone 3 in the suggestion to remain imparcial
In reply to bigbobbyking:
The thing is, unless you're very disciplined, when you get a smartphone you'll soon find it can do far more for you than you originally imagined. Then you wish you hadn't taken a two-year contract on something that's way under-spec.
(This is why second hand might be a good option - there's the chance to upgrade if you really want more).
Neil
The thing is, unless you're very disciplined, when you get a smartphone you'll soon find it can do far more for you than you originally imagined. Then you wish you hadn't taken a two-year contract on something that's way under-spec.
(This is why second hand might be a good option - there's the chance to upgrade if you really want more).
Neil
In reply to wilkie14c:
Unless completely computer/phone illiterate, I would recommend someone buying a budget phone to go Android rather than Apple, as the latter are generally priced at the premium end of the market. Though Apple kit is probably better placed for a first time user of any technology or someone very bad with it, anyone who can use Windows normally will manage to use Android just fine.
(I'm not anti-Apple, I'm typing this on a Macbook Pro, bought mainly because of the Retina display and robust design - when Windows 10 comes out it may yet become a Windows machine!)
Neil
Unless completely computer/phone illiterate, I would recommend someone buying a budget phone to go Android rather than Apple, as the latter are generally priced at the premium end of the market. Though Apple kit is probably better placed for a first time user of any technology or someone very bad with it, anyone who can use Windows normally will manage to use Android just fine.
(I'm not anti-Apple, I'm typing this on a Macbook Pro, bought mainly because of the Retina display and robust design - when Windows 10 comes out it may yet become a Windows machine!)
Neil
In reply to Neil Williams:
I had a HTC desire S and it was great! Although not a design 'fault' I do see a lot of phones / tablets with the micro usb socket buggered. Its just too easy to try and insert the charger upside down without realising. It bends the wafer carrying the contacts and eventually it'll snap off. Its fiddly and I have to do them under a microscope but new sockets can be fitted. some phones have seen sense and have the socket on a separate daughter board (S4 mini)
> Here's a genuine recommendation - try picking up an HTC One S
I had a HTC desire S and it was great! Although not a design 'fault' I do see a lot of phones / tablets with the micro usb socket buggered. Its just too easy to try and insert the charger upside down without realising. It bends the wafer carrying the contacts and eventually it'll snap off. Its fiddly and I have to do them under a microscope but new sockets can be fitted. some phones have seen sense and have the socket on a separate daughter board (S4 mini)
In reply to Neil Williams:
Agreed. I still have to put new music on my dads ipod for him. Itunes isn't easy to get the best out of it eh?
windows 10? They haven't got windows 8 right yet have they?
Agreed. I still have to put new music on my dads ipod for him. Itunes isn't easy to get the best out of it eh?
windows 10? They haven't got windows 8 right yet have they?
In reply to wilkie14c:
I don't think micro USB will be around for that much longer. It's going to be replaced by a new reversible USB standard within the next few years (rather like Apple's Lightning connector, only much more robust).
I don't think micro USB will be around for that much longer. It's going to be replaced by a new reversible USB standard within the next few years (rather like Apple's Lightning connector, only much more robust).
In reply to wilkie14c:
Google Play Music is pretty good - sync from your PC/Mac (I just pointed it at the iTunes directory) then download from the phone - but only do it from Wifi unless you like big bills! More intuitive than syncing via iTunes.
Worth noting that it uses high bit rate MP3s, though, so you will get less on your phone than you think if most of your collection is AAC.
Neil
Google Play Music is pretty good - sync from your PC/Mac (I just pointed it at the iTunes directory) then download from the phone - but only do it from Wifi unless you like big bills! More intuitive than syncing via iTunes.
Worth noting that it uses high bit rate MP3s, though, so you will get less on your phone than you think if most of your collection is AAC.
Neil
Post edited at 15:55
In reply to Only a hill:
Yes I've read something along those lines, the 'uni-connector' or something. The lightning connector is a revelation compared to everything else out there to be honest.
Little tip to any micro usb users - put a dab of tippex on the top side of the plug so you'll never be in doubt which way it plugs in
Yes I've read something along those lines, the 'uni-connector' or something. The lightning connector is a revelation compared to everything else out there to be honest.
Little tip to any micro usb users - put a dab of tippex on the top side of the plug so you'll never be in doubt which way it plugs in
In reply to wilkie14c:
Lightning is great as a design, but the advantage of micro USB was the standardisation it led to, which makes carrying multiple devices much less of a faff.
Neil
Lightning is great as a design, but the advantage of micro USB was the standardisation it led to, which makes carrying multiple devices much less of a faff.
Neil
1
In reply to Only a hill:
also perfectly possible on most smartphones to restrict mobile data usage in the settings.
also perfectly possible on most smartphones to restrict mobile data usage in the settings.
In reply to JJL:
Use Giff Gaff, where you can change your allowances whenever you like and leave whenever you like. You're not tied in.
Then get a Motorola Moto G Smartphone, an excellent value phone where you get a lot for your money. If you don't know what you want you probably don't need anything expensive.
Use Giff Gaff, where you can change your allowances whenever you like and leave whenever you like. You're not tied in.
Then get a Motorola Moto G Smartphone, an excellent value phone where you get a lot for your money. If you don't know what you want you probably don't need anything expensive.
1
In reply to JJL:
Nice. Having had some smartphone mishaps recently, I am on a Nokia 6303 at the moment (which can hold music actually...) and was irrationally fretting about "music on my next holiday" then remembered that in 2010 I did just fine with a Walkman and 3 tapes. And THIS TIME I have waterproof Walkman Yay
Nice. Having had some smartphone mishaps recently, I am on a Nokia 6303 at the moment (which can hold music actually...) and was irrationally fretting about "music on my next holiday" then remembered that in 2010 I did just fine with a Walkman and 3 tapes. And THIS TIME I have waterproof Walkman Yay
In reply to dsh:
It does look a good bit of kit, though I think 8GB storage is a bit short-sighted as with more than a few apps that will soon get irritating. Though it does have an SD slot.
Neil
It does look a good bit of kit, though I think 8GB storage is a bit short-sighted as with more than a few apps that will soon get irritating. Though it does have an SD slot.
Neil
Post edited at 16:50
In reply to JJL:
So I got a moto g after a few people on here and some friends recommended it. Ace phone. If I don't use it much I could get 5 plus days out of the battery. Buy a 32gb sd card off Amazon for 12 quid and your good to go. Unless you somehow use 40gb of data.
As for a contract if you have the call time you will get used to using it and may go over. O2 told me in the shop that when I have 5gb of data that's all I have to use, over that it cuts out or is throttled. They won't change me for any more. Plus with Android you swipe down on the screen, press the icon in the top right, click the mobile data button and you can see how much you have used, what is using it, restrict background data for the main offendor and set overall limits or warnings for how much you have used.
So I got a moto g after a few people on here and some friends recommended it. Ace phone. If I don't use it much I could get 5 plus days out of the battery. Buy a 32gb sd card off Amazon for 12 quid and your good to go. Unless you somehow use 40gb of data.
As for a contract if you have the call time you will get used to using it and may go over. O2 told me in the shop that when I have 5gb of data that's all I have to use, over that it cuts out or is throttled. They won't change me for any more. Plus with Android you swipe down on the screen, press the icon in the top right, click the mobile data button and you can see how much you have used, what is using it, restrict background data for the main offendor and set overall limits or warnings for how much you have used.
Post edited at 16:54
In reply to Neil Williams:
Yup just whack in an SD card. I have the 4G version over here, I don't know if that's available in the UK or if the OP even needs it but it's a great phone. I had GiffGaff before I went and they didn't have 4G then. Either way I'd definitely go with buying the phone and being on a month to month deal than being tied into a contract for 24 months. The prices are always going down.
Yup just whack in an SD card. I have the 4G version over here, I don't know if that's available in the UK or if the OP even needs it but it's a great phone. I had GiffGaff before I went and they didn't have 4G then. Either way I'd definitely go with buying the phone and being on a month to month deal than being tied into a contract for 24 months. The prices are always going down.
In reply to dsh:
SD card helps, but not always - for instance, some apps won't transfer. (Some phones e.g. Sony Xperia Z3 don't support apps to SD at all).
Neil
SD card helps, but not always - for instance, some apps won't transfer. (Some phones e.g. Sony Xperia Z3 don't support apps to SD at all).
Neil
Post edited at 17:12
In reply to Neil Williams:
Well fortunately the Moto G does ...
> SD card helps, but not always - for instance, some apps won't transfer. (Some phones e.g. Sony Xperia Z3 don't support apps to SD at all).
> Neil
Well fortunately the Moto G does ...
In reply to ByEek:
Been doing this for the pass few years and now wouldn't do it any other way. Savings can be substantial for phones 3/4 months after release and you get more control.
> Beware buying handsets outright. Even though they may be unlocked, many lock to the first network
Been doing this for the pass few years and now wouldn't do it any other way. Savings can be substantial for phones 3/4 months after release and you get more control.
In reply to Only a hill:
...... and a fu*k sight cheaper!
> rather like Apple's Lightning connector, only much more robust.
...... and a fu*k sight cheaper!
In reply to JJL:
Nothing to contribute to the thread, but I raise my hat to you.
> Music not required - I still have my Walkman tape player for that!
Nothing to contribute to the thread, but I raise my hat to you.
In reply to Neil Williams:
I've got an HTC Desire X, which was solidly mid-range when I got it and is probably a bit long-in-the-tooth now, and a 500MB contract.
I mostly use it for actual phone stuff, email, basic web browsing (reading blogs when I'm on the train, for instance) and maps with the odd bit of Map My Ride and occasional silly games, and haven't had an issue with the 500MB. I'd probably advise against going for the absolute cheapest phone unless you have to, though - the odds are that at some point in the next couple of years you'll come across an app you want that you want that assumes that your phone isn't too prehistoric.
> The thing is, unless you're very disciplined, when you get a smartphone you'll soon find it can do far more for you than you originally imagined. Then you wish you hadn't taken a two-year contract on something that's way under-spec.
I've got an HTC Desire X, which was solidly mid-range when I got it and is probably a bit long-in-the-tooth now, and a 500MB contract.
I mostly use it for actual phone stuff, email, basic web browsing (reading blogs when I'm on the train, for instance) and maps with the odd bit of Map My Ride and occasional silly games, and haven't had an issue with the 500MB. I'd probably advise against going for the absolute cheapest phone unless you have to, though - the odds are that at some point in the next couple of years you'll come across an app you want that you want that assumes that your phone isn't too prehistoric.
In reply to dsh:
Re: apps not being able to be moved to the SD card. I think it's more to do with the new versions of Android (kitkat or whatever it's called) than the make of phone.
Re: apps not being able to be moved to the SD card. I think it's more to do with the new versions of Android (kitkat or whatever it's called) than the make of phone.
Post edited at 18:38
In reply to Ridge:
AIUI Android has never supported it directly, its a very common vendor add on. Google doesn't like SD cards as they would rather you used their cloud services.
Neil
AIUI Android has never supported it directly, its a very common vendor add on. Google doesn't like SD cards as they would rather you used their cloud services.
Neil
In reply to Neil Williams:
Sorry to highjack the thread, but you've made me curious. What's the advantage of syncing like this, over just plugging the phone into USB and dragging the files over? That's what I've always done.
> Google Play Music is pretty good - sync from your PC/Mac (I just pointed it at the iTunes directory) then download from the phone - but only do it from Wifi unless you like big bills! More intuitive than syncing via iTunes.
Sorry to highjack the thread, but you've made me curious. What's the advantage of syncing like this, over just plugging the phone into USB and dragging the files over? That's what I've always done.
In reply to JJL:
Thanks for this - very timely as I'm finally out of contract on a sim-only deal - my Samsung Galaxy S2 is now 3 years old and is officially munted. I was determined to keep it for a year longer than its contract but I really do need to change it now. I use lots of smart phone functionality but I don't want to spend a lot - Mr TC the Gadget King/Apple Fanboy is trying to encourage me towards an iPhone 5S but I like wilkie14c's thinking on how it all stacks up financially.
Is it still possible to lever bonkers deals by threatening to leave one's current provider? I've been with Orange (or EE as they are now) for 15 years but as EE are a pile of poo with lousy coverage, I'm thinking of heading for Vodafone...
(sorry JJL - all this isn't directed at you, it's more just general musings aimed at the thread as a whole, if anyone wants to share any advice...)
Thanks for this - very timely as I'm finally out of contract on a sim-only deal - my Samsung Galaxy S2 is now 3 years old and is officially munted. I was determined to keep it for a year longer than its contract but I really do need to change it now. I use lots of smart phone functionality but I don't want to spend a lot - Mr TC the Gadget King/Apple Fanboy is trying to encourage me towards an iPhone 5S but I like wilkie14c's thinking on how it all stacks up financially.
Is it still possible to lever bonkers deals by threatening to leave one's current provider? I've been with Orange (or EE as they are now) for 15 years but as EE are a pile of poo with lousy coverage, I'm thinking of heading for Vodafone...
(sorry JJL - all this isn't directed at you, it's more just general musings aimed at the thread as a whole, if anyone wants to share any advice...)
Post edited at 18:49
In reply to Tall Clare:
Mrs Ridge has my old S2, and it's still a bloody good phone, (prefer it to my Z1 compact TBH). Must say I'm tempted to bin EE next time round as well.
Mrs Ridge has my old S2, and it's still a bloody good phone, (prefer it to my Z1 compact TBH). Must say I'm tempted to bin EE next time round as well.
In reply to Ridge:
Mine was great but now a) the screen is cracked, b) it drains batteries with breathtaking speed, even replacement batteries, so I've now resorted to carrying round a spare power pack (£10 from Tescos - very good!), c) it decides it's not going to download data until I've switched it off and on again, at which point it thinks it's hilarious to drain the battery on me, d) it switches off the 'phone' app when I'm trying to make/answer calls. This last is the most exasperating aspect.
I'm very aware that phones are full of minerals that are dug up in dubious circumstances by people in places like the DRC, and as a luddite I like to make my machinery last, but I do think it's time for this one to be replaced. That said, it'll probably take me until next year to make a decision about a new one...
Mine was great but now a) the screen is cracked, b) it drains batteries with breathtaking speed, even replacement batteries, so I've now resorted to carrying round a spare power pack (£10 from Tescos - very good!), c) it decides it's not going to download data until I've switched it off and on again, at which point it thinks it's hilarious to drain the battery on me, d) it switches off the 'phone' app when I'm trying to make/answer calls. This last is the most exasperating aspect.
I'm very aware that phones are full of minerals that are dug up in dubious circumstances by people in places like the DRC, and as a luddite I like to make my machinery last, but I do think it's time for this one to be replaced. That said, it'll probably take me until next year to make a decision about a new one...
1
In reply to Hooo:
You can upload your entire music collection to 'the cloud', which you can then access via any devic. Songs can also be cached so you don't need to be online to listen to them.
You can upload your entire music collection to 'the cloud', which you can then access via any devic. Songs can also be cached so you don't need to be online to listen to them.
In reply to JJL:
Prob' not really what the Op is looking for but since we are on UKC forums and since rockfax are soon going to be releasing guidebook app has anyone got any experience of the Decathlon phone? Saw a demo one in store yesterday but it wasn't working. It promises to have a really long lasting battery and to be "The world's first "mountainproof" smartphone"
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/quechuaphone-50-id_8294081.html
If not this phone then are there any other recommendations based on robustness? My galaxy S3 mini is all battered.
Prob' not really what the Op is looking for but since we are on UKC forums and since rockfax are soon going to be releasing guidebook app has anyone got any experience of the Decathlon phone? Saw a demo one in store yesterday but it wasn't working. It promises to have a really long lasting battery and to be "The world's first "mountainproof" smartphone"
http://www.decathlon.co.uk/quechuaphone-50-id_8294081.html
If not this phone then are there any other recommendations based on robustness? My galaxy S3 mini is all battered.
Post edited at 20:12
In reply to Tall Clare:
Emergency services and the whole of the UK's train operating companies use Vodafone because its the widest coverage apparently.
Advice to anyone buying a second hand phone off an auction site:
Always ask the seller for the phones IMEI number. If there is anything dodgy you'll get a refusal or fail to answer. If you do get the number then head over to http://www.checkmend.com/uk/ and enter the number, pay your 2 quid and you'll get the report emailed to you. Its like a hpi check for phones, you'll see if the phone is lost, stolen, on contract, insurance claim etc etc
Emergency services and the whole of the UK's train operating companies use Vodafone because its the widest coverage apparently.
Advice to anyone buying a second hand phone off an auction site:
Always ask the seller for the phones IMEI number. If there is anything dodgy you'll get a refusal or fail to answer. If you do get the number then head over to http://www.checkmend.com/uk/ and enter the number, pay your 2 quid and you'll get the report emailed to you. Its like a hpi check for phones, you'll see if the phone is lost, stolen, on contract, insurance claim etc etc
In reply to JJL:
Thanks everyone.
There seem to be two schools of thought:
Moto G (I can get at £110 at Argos) plus Giffgaff 10p/minute and £5/500Mb
or
The freebie package I described. "Freebie" is 40p/minute and 10p/Mb for anything over the allowance, and I don't think it's choked/alerted when you hit it. Free limit is 250 mins plus 500Mb.
Therefore the Moto setup for 2 years at the freebie limit usage is £110 + 24 * (£5 + £25) = £830
So, splitting that between calls and data, I'd have to go over limit by 43 minutes/month and 172Mb/month, and I just don't know how likely that is.
Thanks everyone.
There seem to be two schools of thought:
Moto G (I can get at £110 at Argos) plus Giffgaff 10p/minute and £5/500Mb
or
The freebie package I described. "Freebie" is 40p/minute and 10p/Mb for anything over the allowance, and I don't think it's choked/alerted when you hit it. Free limit is 250 mins plus 500Mb.
Therefore the Moto setup for 2 years at the freebie limit usage is £110 + 24 * (£5 + £25) = £830
So, splitting that between calls and data, I'd have to go over limit by 43 minutes/month and 172Mb/month, and I just don't know how likely that is.
In reply to JJL:
Why would giffgaff cost £30 a month? £10 a month gets you 500 minutes + 1GB.
I think the Nokia deal would most likely be cheaper, but with the Moto G you'd have a much more pleasant experience when using the phone, which I personally think is worth paying extra for.
Why would giffgaff cost £30 a month? £10 a month gets you 500 minutes + 1GB.
I think the Nokia deal would most likely be cheaper, but with the Moto G you'd have a much more pleasant experience when using the phone, which I personally think is worth paying extra for.
In reply to Hooo:
You don't have to be by your PC to change what you have on the phone to listen to (I'd need a 128GB SD to get it all on, if it'd even fit that). You can also stream, but it's the "I want to listen to this and I'm not at home" thing that is my primary use case.
It also upgrades the quality of your older low-bit-rate MP3s (but beware, it makes it all bigger so if you think it will all fit in a particular sized SD it won't).
Neil
You don't have to be by your PC to change what you have on the phone to listen to (I'd need a 128GB SD to get it all on, if it'd even fit that). You can also stream, but it's the "I want to listen to this and I'm not at home" thing that is my primary use case.
It also upgrades the quality of your older low-bit-rate MP3s (but beware, it makes it all bigger so if you think it will all fit in a particular sized SD it won't).
Neil
Post edited at 09:34
In reply to wilkie14c:
I think the train companies use it for historical reasons, what used to be BRT (British Rail Telecommunications) was bought by Racal, which was then bought by Vodafone, or something like that.
They now have their own system called GSM-R that is being rolled out, and offers guaranteed service of some kind for train to signaller communication.
Neil
I think the train companies use it for historical reasons, what used to be BRT (British Rail Telecommunications) was bought by Racal, which was then bought by Vodafone, or something like that.
They now have their own system called GSM-R that is being rolled out, and offers guaranteed service of some kind for train to signaller communication.
Neil
In reply to JJL:
And my phone (£37 a month, unlimited calls/texts, 5GB internet, and a high end handset i.e. Sony Xperia Z3 Compact) works out as £888 for two years (plus 30 quid for a 64GB SD card). Always do the sums - the Moto G seems very poor value based on your plan there.
Edit: I guess you got the prices wrong, though, based on someone else's reply?
Neil
And my phone (£37 a month, unlimited calls/texts, 5GB internet, and a high end handset i.e. Sony Xperia Z3 Compact) works out as £888 for two years (plus 30 quid for a 64GB SD card). Always do the sums - the Moto G seems very poor value based on your plan there.
Edit: I guess you got the prices wrong, though, based on someone else's reply?
Neil
Post edited at 09:34
In reply to Tall Clare:
Yes, I'm sim only and the deal I got from o2 by insisting I was going to leave works out cheaper than any of the introductory offeres. Just make sure you do have a back up plan.
I'm on Moto E and Mrs S is on Moto G and we're very happy..... we spend the money we could have spent on iphones on nice things that don't make us unwilling owners of U2 albums
> Is it still possible to lever bonkers deals by threatening to leave one's current provider?
Yes, I'm sim only and the deal I got from o2 by insisting I was going to leave works out cheaper than any of the introductory offeres. Just make sure you do have a back up plan.
I'm on Moto E and Mrs S is on Moto G and we're very happy..... we spend the money we could have spent on iphones on nice things that don't make us unwilling owners of U2 albums
In reply to JJL:
that moto g for £110 looks like it will be locked to vodafone.
if you are not going to vodafone, get the sim free one at £150
i use the £10 giffgaff goodybag (that someone else suggested to you about) gives you
500minutes
unlimited UK texts
1Gb of data
if that turns out not to be enough data then the £12/m tarrif gives you
3Gb
and remember with giffgaff it's Pay as you go, every month you can increase or decrease your goodbag depending on your usage... unlike a contract you are locked in to for 2 years
and if the coverage isn't suitable in your area (it's o2's network) then you can simply switch to a different provider.
i may have just convinced myself lol
that moto g for £110 looks like it will be locked to vodafone.
if you are not going to vodafone, get the sim free one at £150
i use the £10 giffgaff goodybag (that someone else suggested to you about) gives you
500minutes
unlimited UK texts
1Gb of data
if that turns out not to be enough data then the £12/m tarrif gives you
3Gb
and remember with giffgaff it's Pay as you go, every month you can increase or decrease your goodbag depending on your usage... unlike a contract you are locked in to for 2 years
and if the coverage isn't suitable in your area (it's o2's network) then you can simply switch to a different provider.
i may have just convinced myself lol
Post edited at 10:37
In reply to rallymania:
Is it not possible to unlock? Or will that cost £40 anyway?
> that moto g for £110 looks like it will be locked to vodafone.
> if you are not going to vodafone, get the sim free one at £150
Is it not possible to unlock? Or will that cost £40 anyway?
In reply to Neil Williams:
He must have done.
Now then (and Clare this might interest you), leaving aside the fact that I dropped the thing after 8 days' use and put big cracks in the screen, and leaving aside the fact that in September I lost it (uninsured!), I did last December negotiate - without trying particularly hard - a Nokia Lumia 920 on Vodafone on a 24 month contract at £12.75 per month. On paper at the time this "beat" any "buy the handset and get SIM only" possibility, aside from the "being locked in to a contract" aspect. Only 250Mb per month though, which I thought would be fine as previous bills from my Galaxy S2 and Huawei G300 showed that I was barely touching 100Mb (usually below 50Mb) as I only really use email and Facebook and very occasional browsing. As others have said, the FB phne app now seems to eat data and I've had to be careful with that 250Mb this year.
But back to the pricing. My £12.75 per month gave me that handset (damn good if a little clunky) and my usage for 2 years, for £306. This was based on a combination of "I always get 25% off official pricing due to being a long term customer" plus a mild threat to leave.
I am not recommending this handset particularly, nor Vodafone, but that £830 figure got my attention!
> Edit: I guess you got the prices wrong, though, based on someone else's reply?
He must have done.
Now then (and Clare this might interest you), leaving aside the fact that I dropped the thing after 8 days' use and put big cracks in the screen, and leaving aside the fact that in September I lost it (uninsured!), I did last December negotiate - without trying particularly hard - a Nokia Lumia 920 on Vodafone on a 24 month contract at £12.75 per month. On paper at the time this "beat" any "buy the handset and get SIM only" possibility, aside from the "being locked in to a contract" aspect. Only 250Mb per month though, which I thought would be fine as previous bills from my Galaxy S2 and Huawei G300 showed that I was barely touching 100Mb (usually below 50Mb) as I only really use email and Facebook and very occasional browsing. As others have said, the FB phne app now seems to eat data and I've had to be careful with that 250Mb this year.
But back to the pricing. My £12.75 per month gave me that handset (damn good if a little clunky) and my usage for 2 years, for £306. This was based on a combination of "I always get 25% off official pricing due to being a long term customer" plus a mild threat to leave.
I am not recommending this handset particularly, nor Vodafone, but that £830 figure got my attention!
In reply to Blue Straggler:
I know it's pricey, but I still don't get why anyone would get something as useful and powerful as a smartphone then limit what they can do with it for the sake of a few quid's worth of data. 1GB is a sensible minimum and isn't all that expensive these days.
Neil
I know it's pricey, but I still don't get why anyone would get something as useful and powerful as a smartphone then limit what they can do with it for the sake of a few quid's worth of data. 1GB is a sensible minimum and isn't all that expensive these days.
Neil
In reply to Neil Williams:
I agree. I was surprised that by upgrading a handset and presumably installing a new FB app, my usage went up three-fold. I wasn't really meaning to digress into data plans specifically. I was just comparing my 24-month price plan of £306, to the £830 one. I imagine I could have gone to 1Gb for maybe £5-£8 extra per month on contract. That would still put me at £306 + (24* £8) = £498 over that time period, with a phone that spec-wise and price-wise is "ahead of" the Moto G, regardless of real world comparisons. Moto G purchase and SIM only was one of the options I looked at a year ago actually!
I agree. I was surprised that by upgrading a handset and presumably installing a new FB app, my usage went up three-fold. I wasn't really meaning to digress into data plans specifically. I was just comparing my 24-month price plan of £306, to the £830 one. I imagine I could have gone to 1Gb for maybe £5-£8 extra per month on contract. That would still put me at £306 + (24* £8) = £498 over that time period, with a phone that spec-wise and price-wise is "ahead of" the Moto G, regardless of real world comparisons. Moto G purchase and SIM only was one of the options I looked at a year ago actually!
In reply to Neil Williams:
I have never gone over 750Mb and I am a heavy (but reasonable) user in that I don't stream box sets or music to my phone. I use emails, facebook app and a lot of web on the train including the odd video. I also download quite a lot of podcasts on the go.
I now use about 120Mb a week. Having said that, my chromebook munches through 120Mb a day quite happily and I haven't worked out how yet. I have BT wifi at home and that lets me log onto any BT hotspot automatically anywhere in the UK and that may well be keeping my mobile data down quite a lot.
I have never gone over 750Mb and I am a heavy (but reasonable) user in that I don't stream box sets or music to my phone. I use emails, facebook app and a lot of web on the train including the odd video. I also download quite a lot of podcasts on the go.
I now use about 120Mb a week. Having said that, my chromebook munches through 120Mb a day quite happily and I haven't worked out how yet. I have BT wifi at home and that lets me log onto any BT hotspot automatically anywhere in the UK and that may well be keeping my mobile data down quite a lot.
In reply to Neil Williams:
I can see the point now, thanks. Although not relevant to me. Nor, I suspect, the OP - who still uses cassettes!
Now I seriously doubt it does that. It's pretty much impossible to genuinely improve the quality. All it can do is a bit of clever processing that makes the defects sound less offensive. A low bit-rate file doesn't have the information in there, how could it possibly be restored?
> You don't have to be by your PC to change what you have on the phone to listen to (I'd need a 128GB SD to get it all on, if it'd even fit that). You can also stream, but it's the "I want to listen to this and I'm not at home" thing that is my primary use case.
I can see the point now, thanks. Although not relevant to me. Nor, I suspect, the OP - who still uses cassettes!
> It also upgrades the quality of your older low-bit-rate MP3s (but beware, it makes it all bigger so if you think it will all fit in a particular sized SD it won't).
Now I seriously doubt it does that. It's pretty much impossible to genuinely improve the quality. All it can do is a bit of clever processing that makes the defects sound less offensive. A low bit-rate file doesn't have the information in there, how could it possibly be restored?
In reply to Neil Williams:
I'd consider myself a heavy smartphone user and 500MB is fine for me. The only time I've gone over is when the internet was broken at work and I used my phone as a hotspot.
Must be all that streaming off Google Play that you do
I'd consider myself a heavy smartphone user and 500MB is fine for me. The only time I've gone over is when the internet was broken at work and I used my phone as a hotspot.
Must be all that streaming off Google Play that you do
In reply to JJL:
Forget cashback deals. I tried and was constantly refused the quarterly cash regardless of the amount of info I presented, they always said something was missing, it wasn't.
Best way I have found is to buy a secondhand iphone from ebay, or elsewhere and a pay monthly simcard. That way you are in control.
Forget cashback deals. I tried and was constantly refused the quarterly cash regardless of the amount of info I presented, they always said something was missing, it wasn't.
Best way I have found is to buy a secondhand iphone from ebay, or elsewhere and a pay monthly simcard. That way you are in control.
In reply to Hooo:
Because when the upload occurs, they don't waste gigabytes storing your music on their servers as well as everyone else's individually, unless they haven't already got it themselves. Like iTunes Match, you get their copy, which was ripped at a higher quality.
Neil
> Now I seriously doubt it does that. It's pretty much impossible to genuinely improve the quality. All it can do is a bit of clever processing that makes the defects sound less offensive. A low bit-rate file doesn't have the information in there, how could it possibly be restored?
Because when the upload occurs, they don't waste gigabytes storing your music on their servers as well as everyone else's individually, unless they haven't already got it themselves. Like iTunes Match, you get their copy, which was ripped at a higher quality.
Neil
In reply to Hooo:
The thing that took me over 1GB was Internet radio as well as occasional tethering. Though it depends on your usage - I have spent spells doing a lot of business travel, and using my phone extensively while travelling. But videos and music will soon get you above a few hundred MB.
Neil
The thing that took me over 1GB was Internet radio as well as occasional tethering. Though it depends on your usage - I have spent spells doing a lot of business travel, and using my phone extensively while travelling. But videos and music will soon get you above a few hundred MB.
Neil
In reply to Hooo:
Neil is probably referring to iTunes Match or Amazon or Google's equivalent. They both replace your crappy files with shiny new, fat ones from their library. No clever processing necessary. Just a honkin' great pile of download... Of course, it might mean you have to put up with Amazon's 'Loudness Wars' processed tracks.
http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/itunes-match/?cid=wwa-uk-kwg-music-com
> Now I seriously doubt it does that. It's pretty much impossible to genuinely improve the quality. All it can do is a bit of clever processing that makes the defects sound less offensive.
Neil is probably referring to iTunes Match or Amazon or Google's equivalent. They both replace your crappy files with shiny new, fat ones from their library. No clever processing necessary. Just a honkin' great pile of download... Of course, it might mean you have to put up with Amazon's 'Loudness Wars' processed tracks.
http://www.apple.com/uk/itunes/itunes-match/?cid=wwa-uk-kwg-music-com
In reply to Neil Williams:
That's what I thought. For me (and the OP, I suspect) 500MB a month is fine. I have no interest in watching video on my phone, and while I do have an internet radio app I can't remember the last time I used it.
To the OP: A smartphone is an incredibly useful tool, and if you use it as a tool rather than as entertainment then you don't need a lot of data.
> The thing that took me over 1GB was Internet radio as well as occasional tethering. Though it depends on your usage - I have spent spells doing a lot of business travel, and using my phone extensively while travelling. But videos and music will soon get you above a few hundred MB.
That's what I thought. For me (and the OP, I suspect) 500MB a month is fine. I have no interest in watching video on my phone, and while I do have an internet radio app I can't remember the last time I used it.
To the OP: A smartphone is an incredibly useful tool, and if you use it as a tool rather than as entertainment then you don't need a lot of data.
Post edited at 09:05
In reply to Neil Williams:
So it doesn't upgrade the quality, it replaces them with Google's copy. This is interesting, I've done a Google on it to see how it works. Unfortunately, all I've managed to find out is that lots of people are annoyed that it's replaced their tunes that contain swear words with censored versions
> Because when the upload occurs, they don't waste gigabytes storing your music on their servers as well as everyone else's individually, unless they haven't already got it themselves. Like iTunes Match, you get their copy, which was ripped at a higher quality.
So it doesn't upgrade the quality, it replaces them with Google's copy. This is interesting, I've done a Google on it to see how it works. Unfortunately, all I've managed to find out is that lots of people are annoyed that it's replaced their tunes that contain swear words with censored versions
In reply to Hooo:
Yes, basically that's how it does it. Though I think you're being pedantic over wording - it does provide you upgraded quality (subject to the error noted above), it does this by using their copy instead of yours.
I would *guess* it works similarly to Shazam (Google that).
Neil
Yes, basically that's how it does it. Though I think you're being pedantic over wording - it does provide you upgraded quality (subject to the error noted above), it does this by using their copy instead of yours.
I would *guess* it works similarly to Shazam (Google that).
Neil
Post edited at 09:19
In reply to Hooo:
Of course if the OP is choosing an outright purchase of their phone, which with the cheaper phones makes more sense, they can see how it goes for a couple of months and change up/down as necessary.
It's complicated by some of the networks making the allowance a hard limit (like O2) and others allowing browsing and other low bandwidth activity even after it's been hit (my old T-Mobile tablet contract does this, we used over 10GB tethering laptops via it for a week despite me having a 1GB contract, and nobody cared as it was a one-off), and others again charge heftily when you go over.
Neil
Of course if the OP is choosing an outright purchase of their phone, which with the cheaper phones makes more sense, they can see how it goes for a couple of months and change up/down as necessary.
It's complicated by some of the networks making the allowance a hard limit (like O2) and others allowing browsing and other low bandwidth activity even after it's been hit (my old T-Mobile tablet contract does this, we used over 10GB tethering laptops via it for a week despite me having a 1GB contract, and nobody cared as it was a one-off), and others again charge heftily when you go over.
Neil
In reply to Neil Williams:
What's "tethering" please?
> The thing that took me over 1GB was Internet radio as well as occasional tethering.
What's "tethering" please?
In reply to JJL:
Connecting your laptop, tablet or similar device to the Internet via your phone.
Neil
Connecting your laptop, tablet or similar device to the Internet via your phone.
Neil
In reply to Neil Williams:
Ah. Thanks. So wouldn't happen unless I set out to make it so (which I wouldn't)?
Ah. Thanks. So wouldn't happen unless I set out to make it so (which I wouldn't)?
In reply to Neil Williams:
That's useful info, and something I didn't know. Do you know which networks do this? I'm currently on O2, which is crap and i can't wait to get back to Vodafone.
> It's complicated by some of the networks making the allowance a hard limit (like O2) and others allowing browsing and other low bandwidth activity even after it's been hit
That's useful info, and something I didn't know. Do you know which networks do this? I'm currently on O2, which is crap and i can't wait to get back to Vodafone.
In reply to Neil Williams:
Hey, it wouldn't be a proper UKC thread without some pedantry
But I'm not just being pedantic for fun. From a technical point of view, they are very different things. Identifying your tunes and replacing them with a high quality file is clever, upgrading the quality of your old files is impossible. That's what made me curious about what you were saying.
> Yes, basically that's how it does it. Though I think you're being pedantic over wording
Hey, it wouldn't be a proper UKC thread without some pedantry
But I'm not just being pedantic for fun. From a technical point of view, they are very different things. Identifying your tunes and replacing them with a high quality file is clever, upgrading the quality of your old files is impossible. That's what made me curious about what you were saying.
In reply to Hooo:
My old-style T-Mobile contract does that, I don't know if that carried forward to EE though.
O2 cuts you off "dead" at the end of your allowance, and you can't easily buy another GB either. Though I have generally been satisfied with O2.
Neil
My old-style T-Mobile contract does that, I don't know if that carried forward to EE though.
O2 cuts you off "dead" at the end of your allowance, and you can't easily buy another GB either. Though I have generally been satisfied with O2.
Neil
Post edited at 17:38
In reply to Neil Williams:
I moved from Vodafone to O2 a year ago, and found the coverage much worse. Especially away from towns.
They do stop browsing dead when I hit the data limit, but strangely I still receive emails. Dunno how that works.
I moved from Vodafone to O2 a year ago, and found the coverage much worse. Especially away from towns.
They do stop browsing dead when I hit the data limit, but strangely I still receive emails. Dunno how that works.
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