recommend a UK mobile?

[Fat Tone]

I'd like to get wifey a better phone. Her current one is so old its still on the BT 'U' tariff, which is a cheap pay-as-you-go with 5p texts. She's not a big user, so we can't really justify monthly contracts, but I want to get her something with plenty more features. The old one can't be muted and that was a real pain the other day.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

T.

PS She won't be happy if I get the 'latest and greatest' and give her my 3410 - mores the pity

[The PIT]

I've got a good one. None. Can't be hassled by anyone.

[Fat Tone]

Thank TP. Where can I get one?

[GNEP]

Send me 200 quid and I'll send you one

[borat]

nokia's are the best out there though there a little common if you want something quite unusual, depends on your price range really as for networks depends what you want to use it for, vodaphone are the only ones with good gprs coverage if that was ever an issue but orange pay as you go has always been the best for me though they have just put all texts up to 12 p each which is silly.

[GNEP]

if you push orange hard enough they will match any other tariff. But really she should just be on the same network you are to keep costs down. And a cheap Nokia all the way.

[Paddy]

I thought you could get Nokia phones on the cheap???

[Paddy]

if you push orange hard enough they will match any other tariff.

Its called the 'Orange Value Promise' - they don't need pushing. Mentoin that and they will price match to the penny.

[uberlad]

Have all Orange message tariffs gone up? It was a major selling point a while ago that they had the cheapest texts (voda etc charge vat on a 10p msg).

I'm voting Nokia. 8310 perhaps?

Uberlad

[Fat Tone]

Originally posted by Paddy
I thought you could get Nokia phones on the cheap???

If I settle on a Nokia I'll see if I can It would be good to transfer the SIM...or would the SIM prevent me using modern features?

[Paddy]

It might... some features could be disabled... SIMs can easily be unlocked though. I have some Nokia software floating about...

[Pace]

Originally posted by uberlad
Have all Orange message tariffs gone up? It was a major selling point a while ago that they had the cheapest texts (voda etc charge vat on a 10p msg).

I'm voting Nokia. 8310 perhaps?

Uberlad

3310 are nice basic phones, with 3330 (adds WAP) and 3410 (download Java) being minor upgrades. The 3510i has colour and Java downloads too.

Orange should be able to get you a 6310i for free with a contract, then convert the contract to pre-pay after 12 months. You could probably get 20min/month for ~£12 and 60min/month for ~£17, so that's ~£140-£200 for a years contract and the phone.

Is that an option?

Not checked the price of pre-pay recently, but if you want something better than 3410 then the price-premium of contracts is not that much. Depending on what you mean by low-usage it could be very cheap. Another contract option is the Everyday50 - 1p/min calls. Gives you 50min every evening for £15/month (i.e. 1500 minutes).

P.

[Fat Tone]

Thanks Pace - some good food for thought. I hadn't thought of contract/convert. I like that idea, at the <£15/month level.

The 6310i seems to essentially be a BlueTooth enabled version of my 3410. I think I'd like to go for something with colour (well it is supposed to be a present!) and some sort of entertainment features. Bluetooth isn't essential, but I suppose I could get a dongle and synchronise with the PC.

I'm on O2 P-A-Y-G btw.

Cheers

T.

[Edit: fixed typo on my phone model]

[GNEP]

Ooh hang on - just a thought here but I am pretty sure that when the Girlf went travelling she changed her contract for one with no monthly fee but higher call costs (she only used it for texting anyway 'cos she was on the other side of the world).

That way she kept her number etc. So I guess that Orange do that sort of tarriff as well. Not sure if you could get a phone thrown in free though - she had had her "normal" (everyday 50 as well i think) contract for almost a year... it's probably worth a trip to carphone warehouse to be honest - even if it is to get their advice and look at the phones. They've been pretty good for us.

[RedRed]

With Orange, you can 'buy out' of your contract, if you want to. You pay a fraction of your monthly tarrif for the balance of the year you have left.

you can then go back to pay as you go, saveing a few bob, if you want. Also, if you have been with them a year, yo can migrate to say a Virgin tarrif, (mine, and virgin arent available here ) which has no rental, pay for the calls - its like pay-as-you-go, without running to the Garage for £20 top-up cards!

I must say that I couldnt be happier with Orange - there is plenty of options to choose from online, and plenty of shops to go to if there are problems - they dont differentiate....

There is one small fly in the ointment.....

would it not be better to get her on O2, if you are? cheaper that way usually......