Mobile phone advice wanted

[floppybootstomp]

My mobile phone contract runs out December 8th and I'm looking to get me's a new 'free' phone and sign up for another 12/18 months.

As such I'm something of a desired object to the one million plus mobile phone sales persons out there.

I was with Orange for ten years, they were ok apart from they insisted on locking all the phones they supplied to their own network and stamping their badge on everything. Good coverage though. I'm currently with 02 but their network coverage is crap where I live. I can't get a signal in my own home, I have to step outside or sometimes if I'm lucky the phone will receive in the bedroom.

And here's an irony: On the 02 network, I had no signal in the 02 (The Dome). Is that pathetic or what? Bit of a shame, cos I quite fancied an i-Phone but there ya go, as 02 are the sole network supplier for the i-Phone I've just saved meself £270.00

What I'm after is some advice. Good networks? I'm looking towards anybody else except 02 and Orange. Good independent dealers? I tried Dial-a-phone online but they have no manned phone line and I'm blowed if I'll deal with somebody I can't talk to.

After having just spent the best part of three hours looking at models and reading lots of reviews I've come down to this choice: The Sony Ericsson K810i. Seems to have everything I want and has had mostly great reviews. It's successor, I think the K850i, has had dozens of crap reviews, so that's why I've chosen an older model.

I looked at the Nokia N95 but it's a brick and seems to be unreliable, according to reviews.

And yes, I know I'm supposed to be boycotting Sony but hell, I come before my own principals and I like this phone. And besides, I'm not really paying for it

This is what I'm after:

Sony-Ericsson K810i - Free with contract
Bluetooth headset (to be paid for)
1Gb Memory Stick (to be paid for)
Headphone adaptor to take normal headset (to be paid for)
I need to keep my current number so PAC code required from 02 (This is why I need at least phone contact with contract supplier)
About £35.00 a month, 300 minutes-ish, not bothered about free texts, don't use 'em much.
Direct Debit billing is ok.
I don't want insurance.

So, if there's anybody out there who can point me to a dealer or a deal from a network that suits, I'd be really pleased to hear from you.

Also, anything positive or negative about the K810i would be good to hear, as would any experiences you have with the phone you're using at the moment.

Thanks for reading this

 

[floppybootstomp]

Don't all rush at once now......

 

[psd99]

Hi Flopps,

I did not see this one honestly.

I have been with T-Mobile for a good 8 years now. The coverage is great, it's like that in most of London.


Would you be interested in looking at cashback deals?

I found this really good website that I reccomend wholeheartedly : http://www.phoneboxdirect.co.uk/

I used them about two years ago for my old man's phone. They are based in Bingham, Nottingham. If you are a person that can remember to send back your bills, you will indeed get all or most of your money back according to a deal.

I reccomend T-Mobile as a phone network. I think they have been good to me over the years. Good customer service, an attractive bill with colours, good reception, cheap calls. I am on a price plan called FLEX T. It gives me £200 worth of credit a month on which I can use phone calls, texts any time any network all for £18 a month. But obviously I have been with the company for a while to merit this deal.



psd99

p.s you can keep your original number if you do get a new line.

 

[psd99]

good websites to compare phones even post on the forums like I do there:

www.mobileburn.com

www.gsmarena.com

the k810 is an old phone surely?!

 

[nivrip]

any experiences you have with the phone you're using at the moment.

I have a Nokia something or other which works perfectly. I change my phone every 9 months or so for free - when one of my daughters decides she needs the latest all singing, all dancing version. I simply put my SIM card into the new phone.I take it because otherwise it would go in the bin. I use my telephone for making telephone calls - I don't use or need all the other garbage that comes with phones now.

As you can probably guess, I don't use the phone much and I use Pay As You Go - I put £20 in in February and still have some credit left. It's mainly for my wife's peace of mind when I go hiking - in case I fall down and break my leg. It, of couse, doesn't get a signal in most of the places I go walking but I don't tell her that.

 

[psd99]

I use Pay As You Go - I put £20 in in February and still have some credit left.

That is quality I like that.

 

[Abarbarian]

That is quality I like that.

Ha Ican beat that . Put £10 on me pay as you go before last christmas and still have credit left . I only use the phone to call out the AA if I break down .

 

[psd99]

Ha Ican beat that . Put £10 on me pay as you go before last christmas and still have credit left . I only use the phone to call out the AA if I break down .

lol
that's easy

I put £10 on my 02 more than 2 years ago
still got £8.60 left on it!!

 

[Ian]

If the k810i is anything like the k800i, then you'll love it I'm sure

Carphonewarehouse has this deal on which looks good:

http://shop.carphonewarehouse.com/pay-monthly/sony-ericsson/k810i-ivory/orange/

700 mins, 100 texts, free off peak calls. It's on orange though! Works out at 17.50 for 12 months, then 35 for 6 months.

It might be worth going into to somewhere like CPW or Phones4u and see what they can do - always haggle It wouldn't surprise me if you can get what you wanted for well under £35/month.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I actually like some of that 'garbage' that comes with modern handsets

I particularly like the idea of having an FM radio with the phone I've chosen. But mostly, must admit, I use it just as a phone.

What a bunch of tightwads you all are.....

You might drop dead tomorrow but at least you'll die happy knowing you've saved all that money

I walked into a T-Mobile shop today and outlined to a rather surly sales assistant what I wanted and he just said 'We can't do it' and that was that, he more or less refused to talk to me after that. I can see he has a fine career in sales ahead of him

I do need a contract phone as my phone is vital to my work and I do actually use it a fair bit whilst cruising around this fair metropolis.

In the end I went for this one: EDIT: link didn't work but it was from e2save, a division of Carphone Warehouse, was with Virgin, 200 minutes, 300 texts and £30.00 a month. 12 month contract, free phone and £90.00 cash back if I send back bills 2, 6 & 8. And I bought a 1Gb memory stick and an adapter so the phone can take a conventional set of headphones.

I will get a Bluetooth headset from a high street shop at a later date.

So, to anybody who gave input - I thank you

 

[nivrip]

You might drop dead tomorrow but at least you'll die happy knowing you've saved all that money

Very true

 

[Ian]

Did you get the K810i in the end?

 

[floppybootstomp]

Did you get the K810i in the end?

I did

And, as mentioned, an adapter so it will take a normal 3.5mm stereo jack for normal headphones and a 1Gb memory stick.

This leaves me with a perfect Samsung D900 with Box, manual, all accessories which is currently selling on E-Bay for around £60.00. Even Cex (a chain of shops dealing in used computer bits and other stuff) are offering between £55.00 - £72.00 depending on model.

So, what with cashing in three bills, this does seem to be working out quite well

I just hope I actually like the phone (It arrives Monday morning)