Best way of getting a smartphone?

After 5 years with a company blackberry I’m changing jobs so I need to jump back into the mobile phone market.

I think I want a Galaxy II, as bewilderingly the new Google phone doesn’t have an SD slot.

I don’t like the idea of these new two year contracts but are they still way cheaper than buying a phone outright? Where’s good to buy – presumably wandering like a lost lamb into a Carphone Warehouse is the same as walking through the Bronx with a “Mug Me Please, I have lots of cash” sign?

ta,

thebunk

have a look on the ‘3’ website – £25 a month for minute/text/data bundle with free iphone 4/htc/other smartphone.

Mug someone..

Depends on the phone- I bought my Defy outright and then got a SIM only deal, worked out about the same as a 24 month contract but obviously you’re splashing it out in one go.

Defys are pretty cheap too, dnno how it would work out for one of the more upmarket phones- I think it’ll largely depend on how much you dislike the idea of a 2 year contract.

Gary_M – Member
have a look on the ‘3’ website – £25 a month for minute/text/data bundle with free iphone 4/htc/other smartphone.

will take a look but have heard bad things about 3 reception?

banks – Member
Mug someone..

😈 I don’t want an iPhone…

What sort of data plan will I need – will mostly be using it for playing games, checking email, web surfing etc. What uses up data that I might want to do – other than video streaming?

Virgin are doing the S2 free at £31 pm if you’re a Virgin Media customer

What uses up data that I might want to do – other than video streaming?

Streamed Maps (i.e. Google Maps) and Internet Radio can both chomp through the allowance.

… but wifi usage does not, so if you’re surfing from home etc, make sure you’re on your wifi network rather than using data.

There are 18 month contracts to be had, just that places offer you the two-year ones by default. As a rule of thumb, the shorter the contract and the less you pay per month (ie, the more you pay up front), the cheaper it is overall. Choose the lowest monthly tariff which gives you enough minutes / texts / data for your usage, and I’d say 500Mb of data is finger-in-the-air reasonable for a smartphone. When I was on an unlimited data tariff and using it with impunity I was getting through about 500Mb a month. Being careful, I’m nowhere near that, though I don’t really stream media through it or anything.

Be aware that some contracts (O2 for example) let you switch to a lower tariff halfway through – check the fine print.

Doing this can work out the cheapest option.

My better half and I have been using e2save for the last probably 6 years. You pay up front for the contract and get cashback by cheque (redemption) which covers some or most of the contract cost. My partner got a HTC Wildfire S which does everything we need, with unlimited data on T-mobile for around £6 per month after cashback, but that was 18 months ago.

The only risk with cashback websites is if they go under / disappear as you are still contracted in to pay the provider the full fee for the length of the contract, but e2save are part of Carphone Warehouse and we have successfully claimed cashback for years. Just need to remember to send off the original phone bill every three months and get a cheque through the post.

May or may not have an offer for the phone you want, but worth searching around online. If you definately want the Galaxy S II then just search for that… T-mobile seem to do mostly unlimited data.

By far, this site is the best at tariff comparison:

Bill Monitor[/url]

I pay about £20 pm for a LG Optimus 2

Might be selling an (unlocked) SGS2 soon…not got around to deciding to sell or keep, and advertising yet, but if it was of interest let me know….about £300 I reckon.

will take a look but have heard bad things about 3 reception?

Not had any issues with 3 reception.

Re data allowance 1gb a month is fine for me but you can get an extra 2gb for £5.

Haggling.

I’ve got a galaxy s2 for 26 quid a month on orange panther 36 (should be 36 quid), 600 minutes, unlimited texts, 1 gig of data.

You can also get 25% off any tariff if your firm uses orange for their mobiles.

tron – haggling in an Orange shop? On the phone? Or threatening to leave?

You can haggle a lot in phone shops. They work on comission, it’s up to them how much they earn (and you save).

OK cheers. Should be funny – I suck at haggling!

Just work out the best deal online/whereever for what you want, write it down, go in and ask them if they can beat it. If they can, write it down, take to next shop…repeat.

GIFF GAFF for payg sim deals on the o2 network.

S2 for £25 a month on Tesco?

about £21 http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/offer/24OR159000/&inticd=dotw/%5B/url%5D

TheBunk, I did my haggling over the phone as an existing customer. I rang up and asked for a deal, they offered a fiver off Panther 31. Rang back and asked for a PAC code, they started ringing me a lot and offered me a tenner off panther 36. just be ready to cite a few others prices. And bear in mind that most operators will give about 25% off.

Don’t bother with the likes of phones 4u, had to haggle just to get a free s2 on panther 31, which I’d the standard on the orange website… Go direct to the operators, preferably on the phone as they’ll have the lowest costs rather than retail stores and you get distance seeking act rights.

When I was on an unlimited data tariff and using it with impunity I was getting through about 500Mb a month.

Laffs! Back when I first got my 3G iPhone O2 were still generous and had unlimited data. I used to listen to 6Music from around 10 to 3.30 most days. Turns out that’s about 500Mb per week, so 2Gb/month or so.

Well, yeah, but I didn’t do that.

If you do decide to get the handset outright, try CEX. I have had a few from them and had no issues. They have a grading system that is easy to understand and most of their B grade phones are only B due to the lack of box etc. Still have a charger though.

You could yo what I did and get a cheap android phone to see if you like it, then splash the cash for a better model.

Quidco, Free galaxy, 12.99 a month, 70 quid cashback

bewilderingly the
new Google phone doesn’t have an SD slot.

I have a Nexus S, I really wouldn’t worry about the lack of SD slot…