Best deals for S3?

toby2111

Out of contract with eMobile,due an upgrade.Rang today expecting a good deal to move up to the S3(have S2,happy with it).Was told I'd have to pay €299 for the S3!!!The reason given was that I'm on a 50% discount price plan,pay €34.50 for unlimited calls,texts and data which is excellent value.However,I use about 300 mins and 300 texts and reckon 2GB is more than enough for me.
Had a quick look at other providers and seems 3 Classic Flex Max would suit me best,phone €39 then €40.66 per month.I could always use Viber or Cabbage for texting.Or is there other deals out there?Or should I wait for the S4?

StaticNoise

The S3 is still a killer phone, and even though the S4 is a lot better, for many it doesn't warrant a change. If you think the S3 rocks, go for it. Other options are the HTC One (4G ready), the Note II (my device) or a Nexus device.

You've two options: go with a network here, and buy the phone from them, or go and buy an unlocked model from the internet (via an official website, like Amazon).

Three are the best for value, depending on your needs: I would always recommend them first. However, Meteor have a €49 plan where the phone is free, with 200 minutes, 5GB data, and 200 texts. If you go for the latter, you can get 20% off your bill with a voucher I can supply you (but I didn't give it to you).

AlmightyCushion

The classic flex max plan is only €20.33 a month sim only. Over two years you would save nearly €490. Add the €39 you have to pay for the phone up front and that brings us up to about €529. You could easily get the S3 less than that. If you can afford to pay for the phone up front, then that would definitely be the way to go.

MAC2013

You should also have a look at the Samsung S3 mini. It's slightly smaller and the camera is 5 megapixel rather then 8 however the rest if the features should be very similar and it's a lot cheaper. Buying the mini straight out is approx €250 so you would get it a lot cheaper as an upgrade. I bought it recently and I'm really happy with it.

toby2111

StaticNoise-sent you a PM.
Not interested in S3 mini,read reviews online and supposedly its not even as good as the S2.
Yeh,I'm tempted to go SIM only and buy phone myself upfront.Still not sure if 350 flexi units will be enough for me.I missed out on an unlocked S3 last night on eBay,from an Irish seller.Sold for about €325 which seems good price.Anyone know anywere I could get unlocked S3 for decent price?Seem to be around £350 sterling on amazon.co.uk

AlmightyCushion

Another option for you going sim free.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056920233

ShadowHearth

Why on earth would you go for s3 now. The prices are really inflated on it. Wait a bit for s4 or get experia z. I won't be surprised if its going to be even cheaper. Emobile offered me experia z for 300eu on 30eu plan. For you deal should be even better.

A lot better phone too. Don't pay extra for s3, just because it is popular. Don't understand me wrong. It is still a good phone, but it is becoming iPhone of android world.

AlmightyCushion

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Why on earth would you go for s3 now. The prices are really inflated on it. Wait a bit for s4 or get experia z. I won't be surprised if its going to be even cheaper. Emobile offered me experia z for 300eu on 30eu plan. For you deal should be even better.

A lot better phone too. Don't pay extra for s3, just because it is popular. Don't understand me wrong. It is still a good phone, but it is becoming iPhone of android world.

The S2 didn't drop by much if anything when the S3 was released so that's not a guarantee.

ShadowHearth

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

The S2 didn't drop by much if anything when the S3 was released so that's not a guarantee.

That's sort of my point. It is being technologically behind, but it is still more desirable just because it is S3 ( S2). Just have a look at offers for S3 with all operators. More expensive deals then on newer or better phones ( arguable I know ).

toby2111

Is the xperia Z a better phone than the S3?Had a look at an experia Z,kinda felt too big in my hand.

ShadowHearth

toby2111 wrote: »

Is the xperia Z a better phone than the S3?Had a look at an experia Z,kinda felt too big in my hand.

This sort of proves my point. People don't know other devices, but just blindly go for s3.
Experia z is way faster and more power phone then s3. It has quad cpu , 2gb ram and 1080p screen. 14megapixel camera and some water resistance too.
S3 is not bad phone ( already can see fanboys breathing heavily and sharpening pitchforks ) , but it is old technology. Experia z is superior in any given way. And it should be, it is a lot newer phone.
Size wise they should be very similar. S3 is not really a compact phone in the first place. I prefer design and feel in hand of experia z. It feels a lot better build then s3, which does feel like cheap Chinese toy in hand.

AlmightyCushion

ShadowHearth wrote: »

This sort of proves my point. People don't know other devices, but just blindly go for s3.
Experia z is way faster and more power phone then s3. It has quad cpu , 2gb ram and 1080p screen. 14megapixel camera and some water resistance too.
S3 is not bad phone ( already can see fanboys breathing heavily and sharpening pitchforks ) , but it is old technology. Experia z is superior in any given way. And it should be, it is a lot newer phone.
Size wise they should be very similar. S3 is not really a compact phone in the first place. I prefer design and feel in hand of experia z. It feels a lot better build then s3, which does feel like cheap Chinese toy in hand.

The S3 has a quad core processor too and I think it slightly out performs the Xperia Z. 1080P is pointless on such a small screen, it's just there for the spec sheet. From real world usage there is very little difference between them.

toby2111

Personally,I prefer the feel of the S3 to the Xperia Z and HTC One.I'm sure the 3 of them are top phones.I'm not a Samsung fanboy so don't mind jumping from brand to brand(but won't go back to Apple,Android all the way!).Just looking for a decent phone,easy to navigate,surf net,take a few photos/vids etc.I'll prob upgrade again within 2 years.

ShadowHearth

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

The S3 has a quad core processor too and I think it slightly out performs the Xperia Z. 1080P is pointless on such a small screen, it's just there for the spec sheet. From real world usage there is very little difference between them.

Even if processors are matched z still has double the ram. Even if you think 1080p is pointless it is still way superior screen over s3. Like it or not it does look better. Camera on z is better. Extra water resistance ( nice bonus). Better build quality ( can be down to general feel of phone, so arguable). S3 is not near z in any given way overall. Still a good phone, but paying contracts like this for s3, when there are better alternatives for similar price is not smart in my books.

'll, I know it got a but carried away. If you really love s3, then go for it. It is your choice and no one else's. What I am trying to say is, that you should properly check competition, instead of going blindly s3. Who knows, maybe even lumia 920 would be a lot better choice for your needs. You never know.

I will say this too, before I get branded fan boy myself.
s3 is a good phone. I don't think people should take long contracts for it anymore. If you buy it fully for around 380eu, then it is a great phone. If you got s3 already, then stick to it, no point upgrading it, it is still good phone.
Then again, it is not equal or better to/then Z or HTC one.

Danger781

Get a Nexus 4 on Three PAYG / Sim Only. Best possible option in the long run.