Smartphone newbie, what plan to go on?

Chris_5339762

Hi folks,

Been really tempted to get a smartphone for ages now, but my problem is that I find it really hard to justify the cost of its ongoing use. Given how good Boards is for advice in the other parts of it I usually frequent, I thought I'd ask the good people in here.

Backstory: I have a €40 Samsung brick at the moment, bought about six years ago and on O2 PAYG. Its may be years old, but does calls and texts nicely. I've used O2 since the start by force of habit; for so long in fact that the SIM has Digifone written on it. I barely use it; if I'm near a computer I'll send texts from there and I get free offpeak calls to landlines off UPC so I barely ever make calls on it. Long story short: My balance is €8 and I had most recently topped up by €20 in July 2012. So I barely spend any money on it at all.

What I would use it for I think is apps and low data emails/internet on the go; with the occasional phonecall or text. In a way, I'd use it more like a tablet (hooking it up to wifi where possible), but all the tablets are too big (I have one). I want something pocketsized that I'll have with me, so I definitely need a phone. I played around with the HTC One V, so I've pretty much decided to get that sim free for about €230 off an Amazon seller. I really don't need anything faster or more expensive as I won't be using it THAT much.

The problem, is what to do next. I clearly don't need a plan, I do NOT want to pay a monthly fee for calls/text/data as I'm clearly not going to use anything like enough.

What options do the Irish providers do for someone like me, if anything? Really I'm looking for PAYG calls, PAYG texts and PAYG data. I spoke to O2 months ago and they kept saying pretty much that I have to have a monthly fee of sorts for the Internet. I don't mind that, as long as its not extortionate (in my eyes anyway!)

Anyone any ideas? I don't mind which provider I use, I have no brand loyalty!

Thanks a million.

Davy

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

In a way, I'd use it more like a tablet (hooking it up to wifi where possible), but all the tablets are too big (I have one). I want something pocketsized that I'll have with me, so I definitely need a phone.

Have you played with the ipad mini? Is that still to big for what you want?


After that their is to many choices. Any phone will do browsing and emails, facebook etc, just depends how much you want to use. Same with data, plenty of different bundles, or addons on payg or then AYCE with three once you topup by €20. You then buy the €4.99 500mb addon after the 30days if you dont want to top up by €20 again. That plan includes 3000 sms to any network so might be worth looking at.

Chris_5339762

Oops, forgot that I posted this thread! Yeah iPad mini is too big... my 7inch tablet is ok but too big for pockets... and something like the Galaxy S3 is far too big for a phone IMO.

How much roughly would PAYG data work out as costing in general? Can I even use my current PAYG topups with O2 with data, or do I have to buy an internet addon of sorts to 'activate' data?

peckerhead

48months will do you (virtually) unlimited texts and calls to all networks, plus 20 minutes calls to landlines, plus 3GB data, for €20/month. And uses the O2 network. One-month rolling membership, no contract.

coylemj

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Oops, forgot that I posted this thread! Yeah iPad mini is too big... my 7inch tablet is ok but too big for pockets... and something like the Galaxy S3 is far too big for a phone IMO.

What about the Galaxy S3 Mini? I'm on O2 billpay, €20 p.m. gets me 150 mins talk, 150 texts and 700MB data. If you manage your data access and use Wi-Fi when out and about where it's available, that data allowance should be more than enough for e-mail and casual browsing.

If you can afford to buy the phone sim-free, it's cheaper than going on to a smartphone plan. O2 wanted me to sign up for €40 p.m. for two years which would have meant paying them €480 over two years on top of my current plan for a phone that I was able to buy from Amazon UK for just over €300 and I'm not tied to any contract and have an unlocked phone.

mickydcork

coylemj wrote: »

What about the Galaxy S3 Mini? I'm on O2 billpay, €20 p.m. gets me 150 mins talk, 150 texts and 700MB data. If you manage your data access and use Wi-Fi when out and about where it's available, that data allowance should be more than enough for e-mail and casual browsing.

If you can afford to buy the phone sim-free, it's cheaper than going on to a smartphone plan. O2 wanted me to sign up for €40 p.m. for two years which would have meant paying them €480 over two years on top of my current plan for a phone that I was able to buy from Amazon UK for just over €300 and I'm not tied to any contract and have an unlocked phone.

Hi coylemj

What plan is this that you are on? Did you get that through a sim only deal with O2?

coylemj

mickydcork wrote: »

Hi coylemj

What plan is this that you are on? Did you get that through a sim only deal with O2?

When I last came off contract I went on to O2 Simplicity 150, it's €15 p.m. for 150 mins talk & 150 txts plus €5 p.m. for 700GB data. That's billpay obviously.

With the increase in VAT from 21% to 23%, it's now €20.33 p.m. if I avoid any extras like dialling 1890 numbers.

A few months before the end of my last contract, I got a phone call from a nice lady in O2 telling me that because I was such a valued customer blah blah blah she would give me a 10% discount off my monthly (smartphone) contract provided I signed up for another xxx months.

I asked her what model phone I could get as an upgrade in return for extending the smartphone contract, the answer was none so I politely told her what to do with her discount, the fcuking nerve of them!

Chris_5339762

I've never been offered a discount after being a customer for 15 years! Bastards!

riggsfitz

Three offer a sim only rolling contract for €20.33 a month 350 flexi units (1 unit = 1 min or 2 text) and all you can eat data. Get a payg sim first ti check coverage in your area.

Access

Chris i would be in the same boat as you at the moment... i am looking to get my missus a Galaxy S3 (will buy sim free online) and she is currently with tesco mobile as they are on O2 network and coverage is fine out our way.

I know she is going to text and use the internet a good bit when away from the houses Wifi... so i spotted tesco mobile have a 10000 text and 10000 min to all networks with 15GB data for €35 a month sim only plan (dont know if its rolling month to month or fixed term as i havent checked that out yet but it seems good value as she would use €30 a month credit normally as it stands now)

Am going to wait till end of this month though as galaxy S4 being released, so the S3 might drop in price.

I cant find a better plan then this at the moment for the money... anyone got anything better out there lately?