iPhone tariffs are crazy, what else should I buy instead?

speedboatchase

I know that such a noob q but im pretty hopeless with phones, my current one doesnt have a camera and turns off a few minutes into every call! I originally wanted the iPhone because it had the real internet (instead of the "mobile internet)and a 8 gb memory (I need an MP3 player).

However I refuse to pay those tariffs and unless it was fairly easy etc I might consider an unlocked iPhone. But aside from that possiblity, what the best phone on the market with actual internet and 8gb memory? Blackberry? N95? And whats the best price I could get?

Thanks if anybody is able to help

Oafley Jones

speedboatchase wrote: »

I know that such a noob q but im pretty hopeless with phones, my current one doesnt have a camera and turns off a few minutes into every call! I originally wanted the iPhone because it had the real internet (instead of the "mobile internet)and a 8 gb memory (I need an MP3 player).

However I refuse to pay those tariffs and unless it was fairly easy etc I might consider an unlocked iPhone. But aside from that possiblity, what the best phone on the market with actual internet and 8gb memory? Blackberry? N95? And whats the best price I could get?

Thanks if anybody is able to help

The N95 8gb is probably your best bet. Also, despite the marketing of "real internet" on the iphone it is lacking in some areas such as flash, unlike the N95. I've a touch and while the browser is lovely to navigate, the lack of flash means a lot of web sites don't work.

speedboatchase

Ya ive been looking at that and the LG prada phone. Problem with the N95 though is the crazy prices ive seen. Seen it sim free on a uk site for £300 and then sim free on an Irish for 549eur, which was taking the piss

xanthor

speedboatchase wrote: »

Problem with the N95 though is the crazy prices ive seen. Seen it sim free on a uk site for £300 and then sim free on an Irish for 549eur, which was taking the piss

speedboatchase wrote: »

And whats the best price I could get?

How much did you want to spend? Models like the iPhone and N95 aren't particularly designed with economy in mind.

speedboatchase

It really depends, I want to get value for money and seeing those tariff prices for the iPhone tells me I wont get that. I'm looking for a fairly high up the range phone, just something I can use internet and 8gbs on. I think the Blackberry has the internet but not the mp3 and the lg has too little mp3 storage. So it probably is between the N95 and iPhone. What is the N95 price and price plans in comparison to the iPhone?

richieg

Are you bill pay or PAYG.
The blackberry can play MP3 and can be expanded with memory cards but it is only really available on bill pay as you can use the blackberry features on PAYG.

List what you want out of a phone and you might get some better advice

xanthor

speedboatchase wrote: »

It really depends, I want to get value for money and seeing those tariff prices for the iPhone tells me I wont get that.

speedboatchase wrote: »

I'm looking for a fairly high up the range phone, just something I can use internet and 8gbs on.

A value for money high end phone is something of a contradiction in terms.

As an example however, my monthly rental for an N95 8GB on Vodafone is averaging out at around 35 euro per month.

That's using about half of the 500 MB data bundle, with no more than 4 or 5 calls/texts per week.

speedboatchase

Looking for either a sim free phone or bill, whichever would average out cheaper for the model. I dont mind spending 40 euro a month but that would the maximum. Dont care about a camera at all, would just look for a phone with the internet and 8gb memory for MP3s

whiterebel

Vodafone are doing the N95 for between €169 and €229 at the moment. Both O2 and Vodafone told me that they have a lot of them coming back with screen and slider mechanism problems. I didn't get that or the iPhone after.

speedboatchase

Ive seen the N95 for £250 unlocked from CEX, but obviously that would be a UK site. I know there's an entire thread for that but would I need to further unlock it if I bought it, for my Irish sim? Im studying in England at the moment so ive a UK and Irish sim

whiterebel

speedboatchase wrote: »

Ive seen the N95 for £250 unlocked from CEX, but obviously that would be a UK site. I know there's an entire thread for that but would I need to further unlock it if I bought it, for my Irish sim? Im studying in England at the moment so ive a UK and Irish sim

Have a look at vodafone.ie for the tariffs for the N95

richieg

You can pick up a regular N95 of ebay fro 250 euro and buy an 8GB card for 40 euro. I have done it and it is working brilliantly. I am using vodafone PAYG.
For the internet i downloaded opera mini which is free and its great

strecker

@o.jones,
The last poster is right: opera mini brings you the 'real internet' to any phone you want... Maybe you should consider 'experimenting' a bit with that, because (no offence!) you seem a bit caught up in the iphone mania...?! Get a nice middle of the road phone that you like? They would all give you decent mp3 players, a 2-3 mp camera, email and 'the internet' via opera mini! Jumping straigh onto a top-range n95/8 or iphone might overwhelm and you'd end up regretting it! But if you'd buy, e.g., an e51 now, youd get used to a modern allround gooder, and in 6 months or so you can buy a high end phone much cheaper!

Well, just a thought...
Enjoy

gerryk

richieg wrote: »

For the internet i downloaded opera mini which is free and its great

I used to think so until I found out that Opera proxies all data, including SSL.