Blackberry curve bit the dust today due to a couple of drops of water getting in. Vodafone were most unhelpful, so i paid up the rest of the contract.

What decent phone and operator are out there?

I would imagine all network operators will share the same attitude to be honest. That's what insurance is for

And paying the rest of the contract period and not using it is just daft. Only one winner there

I know what insurance is for, but when they charge you the cost of the phone over the period of the contract for it, then it doesn't represent value for money. It also makes you suspect that they know the phones are really a bit shit and not fit for use in the uk.

Im trying to track down a orange coloured phone , that is shock,dust and waterproof,and its orange in colour,not the service provider,any one any ideas,saw it in a builders magazine,and the muppets in the phone shops dont want to know.

Yellow not orange

http://www.toughestphone.com/
http://europe.nokia.com/find-products/devices/nokia-3720-classic

At work we have 14 of these on the go – mine went swimming with me down the river Tay a few weeks back, not in its waterproof case and was fine…They live in instructors pockets and bouyancy aids, get wet n based regularly and survive well. If they do die, it is £20 for a new replacement…

I get free mobile insurance with my bank account. There's a 28 registration period during which I can't claim, but after that I'm covered.

The Nokia 3210 is legendary for its durability. When I worked for Nokia we got letters from people who'd washed them in the machine and dried them out with no issues. Another guy dropped his in the freezer and found it a few weeks later, again with no issues in getting it working again.

The other option is to have a dedicated outdoor phone that is disposable, and swap SIM cards from phone to phone.

troutwrestler you with BOS too ? the three reward accounts i have pay for my ultimate reward account each month 😉

ill vouch for the 3210 – my old one had been through the wash – dropped into wet cement – long wet rides and stuck at the bottom of camel back !
parts were cheap as chips too – screen broke and it was like a 5er to buy a new one off ebay

RBS, but now they're all owned by the same people – US!

Goan, you must have either a very cheap phone or stupidly expensive insurance!
Mine costs 5 quid a month, thats 60 quid a year, compared to around 350 for the phone. Include the £25 excess and it's still good value. Claimed twice this contract term.

My Dad recently got a landrover phone,basically a Sonim with a landrover badge. It hasn't impressed, battery life is useless. Torch comes on in his pocket and runs it down even quicker.. would not recommend.

Oh I forgot, it also won't bluetooth with his car for some reason…

I have a samsung solid great phone makes calls, does texts and a naff camera but you can drop it drown it fall on it and coat it with mud still comes back for more costs less than £75. Standby time is so good I only need to charge it once a week. Won the Gadget show best on test.

nokia 1100 pretty good too, obviously won't do anything un-phone like, but will make calls and texts whilst surviving a drowning, flying out lorry windows, knocked off 3rd floor balconies and the battery lasts for ages

TFM – the cost of my contract over the next 12 months would have been £360 to let it run. Paying it off saved me vat, internet and email charges. Call it making the best of a bad job.