It's that time again....

[Resurrection Man]

.... I read somewhere that most people who sign up for an expensive deal that offers X free texts and Y free calls a month rarely use more than a small proportion of either.

That's the thing. I know exactly how many minutes I use and I do get my value out of my package. But if I end up with a smart phone then I will need some data included and there I have no idea how much I might use!

[gurnemanz]

I didn't think I needed a smart phone but got an HTC Wildfire on Android for about £150 a year ago on pre-pay. It's been great. I don't use it heavily as a phone but it is useful to be able check internet sites and email when out and about. I can frequently get online via wifi free of charge (BTwifi and others) or I pay £1 per day to use 3G if I'm desperate and there's no wifi. You can read stuff on the free kindle app and snap away if you haven't brought your camera. I have a free satnav app (Navfree) which works well with GPS without needing internet access. + Lots more fun apps if you're so inclined.

[Resurrection Man]

I think that I have reached a decision helped by the many comments and ideas here.

I did look at the iPhone. I am amazed at the success of the Apple marketing machine because every mobile provider's site seemed to offer packages for the iPhone and the rest. The iPhone always had its own section. However, having looked at the styling compared to other phones such as the Samsung SII and SIII and the HTC One S and One X, I found the styling clunky. I don't have any issue with the functionality and Siri seems to have some potential. And as a Mac user the integration should be seamless. There are some good deals as well, for example from 3. But all a tad expensive and hard to justify.

There are two phones at the top end...the SIII and the One X but while the screens are simply stunning, they are on the large size for my taste. Plus the plans are pricey or you pay through the nose upfront.

Then there are the two in the band below. The SII and the One S. Again simply stunning displays and with a smaller form factor. But again, the plans seem a bit steep for my needs.

So another hard look. Just why do I want a smartphone? Do I really need one? That's where gurnemanz lit up my 'lightbulb' and the answer is 'only occasionally'. I use the internet way too much...I should be out in the workshop now rather than typing this up..and if I had a smartphone in the house and kept fiddling with it then LOML would get, understandably, annoyed.

So 'occasional' use means I don't need an excessive amount of data in my plan. 100Mb a month should be more than adequate. There seem plenty of phones that come with a reasonable display for occasional use and, moreover, are free.

After an exhaustive study of plans, it is clear that I will be leaving Orange after some 20 odd years as their plans just aren't competitive. The best value for me is Talkmobile from Carphone Warehouse but I will need a PAC code from Orange before I can sign up. So I shall wait a week or so.

[Dave2002]

That's the thing. I know exactly how many minutes I use and I do get my value out of my package. But if I end up with a smart phone then I will need some data included and there I have no idea how much I might use!

Not sure how it works with your potential device and your pattern of usage, but I started with something stupid like 15 Gbytes/month on an iPad with service from 3 and realised quickly that that I was using nowhere near that much. Then I put it down to 1 Gbyte/month, and even then I don't use it all. I think I'm lucky enough to still only be paying £7.50/month for that. With another iPad, this time on an Orange contract, we started at about 250 Mbytes/month, but eventually found that was not enough, so I think it's up to around 500 Mbytes/month - cost about £10/month. If you use maps or anything even slightly more demanding you could go over 100 Mbytes/month. Whether this matters may depend on your provider. Some have had an exorbitant policy of charging ludicrous prices on some plans if you go over the limit, though most are now reasonable. If you get to a £1 per Mbyte incremental rate then you can lose money very quickly, so avoid such tariffs like bubonic plague.

[Resurrection Man]

Had a radical rethink and came to the conclusion that the amount of 'smartphone' use I will give it outside the home is going to be pretty minimal. I don't need it as a sort of 'hub' for work, whatever and so it's just really going to be there for very occasional use, I think. So abandoned plans for state of the art or even no-so-state-of the art and spending money upfront. Orange came back with a good package ...virtually the same cost as I was paying before ut with 250MB of data thrown in a month. And a free Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 phone. Which I have now been using for a week or so and have to say what a cracking phone it is. The built-in satnav app works very well and its voice recognition is a real boon rather than tippy-typing with the end of my nail on those tiny characters! Call quality better than my previous phone as well. So all in all a happy bunny.

[johnb]

I've recently been thinking about replacing my ancient Nokia and was also wondering about the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2.

These "free" phone packages seem attractive but, of course, the phone isn't free at all. It's cost is built into the monthly charges that are made over the minimum term of the contract. I'm more tempted to buy an unlocked phone (£182 from, say, Simply Electronics) and start off with a free Pay as You Go sim from Asda (who use the Vodafone network) then top up as necessary. Once I know my pattern of usage I can change to some other fee structure or network if necessary.

[Edit] PS I've seen people recommending giffgaff PAYG (uses the O2 network) - free sim and, say, a "goodybag" of 250mins calls, unlimited data and texts for £10.

[Dave2002]

Re msg 19, last month was unusual, and I must have used a lot more, so the bill more than doubled up to over £16. However I know why, or at least think I do. I was away for a while and used network browsing via 3G much more than usual. If this happened every month I'd be changing to a different tariff. I'm not expecting that to happen though. It does indicate that I used more than 1 Gbyte however.

[Resurrection Man]

@johnb....I looked into these smartphones quite extensively. Leaving aside the iPhone, I came to the conclusion that there were several levels of smartphone. At the very top is the Samsung SIII and HTC One X...both beautiful phones...display a tad large for my likes but also at a price premium.

Next level down is the Samsung SII and HTC One S...

Then there is the next level where the Galaxy Ace 2 resides. I read loads and loads of reviews of the phones in this category and came to the conclusion that the Ace 2 was head and shoulders above the rest.

And lastly there are some real budget entry smartphones but with a limited performance to match

[johnb]

Thanks for sharing your research. Although I haven't looked extensively as yet I did notice that the Samsung Galaxy Ace2 was the one of the very few sub £300 smartphones in Which's top 23 and that it has had good reviews. Whether I do replace my aged Nokia is finely balanced at the moment!