Vodafone or O2

Angelica

Hi
At the moment I'm considering buying a new mobile but I can't decide between buying the Motorola V535 on Speakeasy or the Motorola V550 or Sharp GX25 (thats around the limit of my spending at 200 euros)on Vodafone Ready to Go.Price wise the Motorola V550 is a little bit cheaper but almost everyone is telling me to avoid Vodafone as its more expensive and has poor customer service.

I'm with Meteor at the moment so I know that both other networks are dearer but I just need to be more contactable at the moment so I want a more reliable coverage. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on which phone or network to choose. Basically I want a phone that can take decent enough pictures, has fairly good features and is reliable (ie won't develop a fault after a few months like most of my previous Nokias) and a network that isn't too dear. Any advice would be great.
Thanks

byrnefm

Hi,

it partly depends where you've living - Vodafone has better coverage in some areas and O2 in others, if you're living outside of Dublin. I bought a phone for my uncle at Christmas and although I prefer O2, I had to get Vodafone for him as there is nearly zilch O2 coverage in his area.

I'm an O2 user and these are the reasons I've stuck with them for the 3-1/2 years I've had a mobile:
- no expiry on call credit (I don't make many calls)
- I can view all calls and texts I made/sent in the last month online, even though I'm PAYG
- coverage is good and in the remote area where my folks live (when I visit), it's the only network I can get
- they used to have the cheapest texting rate but the basic rate of 11c to O2 phones is still good, also you get to send up to 250 texts online for free
- I only need 550 points with Pigsback to get €5 free credit
- I feel that Vodafone is slightly more expensive, though they do have the benefit of having free voicemail

One other feature which may make the difference is that you can choose to swap off-peak and peak times - so if you're on PAYG and make mostly daytime calls, you can make the daytime as being your 'off-peak' time. (Weekends are still offpeak either way).

Hope this helps a bit!
..byrnefm

PS. my sister has a V500 (similar to those you mention) and she's very happy with the phone, especially the picture quality.

declanoneill

Angelica wrote:

Hi
At the moment I'm considering buying a new mobile but I can't decide between buying the Motorola V535 on Speakeasy or the Motorola V550 or Sharp GX25 (thats around the limit of my spending at 200 euros)on Vodafone Ready to Go.Price wise the Motorola V550 is a little bit cheaper but almost everyone is telling me to avoid Vodafone as its more expensive and has poor customer service.

I'm with Meteor at the moment so I know that both other networks are dearer but I just need to be more contactable at the moment so I want a more reliable coverage. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on which phone or network to choose. Basically I want a phone that can take decent enough pictures, has fairly good features and is reliable (ie won't develop a fault after a few months like most of my previous Nokias) and a network that isn't too dear. Any advice would be great.
Thanks

IMO Vodafone isn't really that expensive and usually cheaper then other networks. On ready to go you can get a price plan for the following:
Vodafone/Landline numbers: 10c peak/3c off peak
Other mobiles: 30c peak/ 10c off peak
Text messages: 13c (but you can get 6c text messages atm)

I don't call non vodafone mobiles much, but having looked around I can't see any network, pre or post pay that beats this for me (N.B. I'd spend, on average, 5 Euro a week on credit)

Also, I have the V550 and it's not bad, though the buttons are not intutive, but you'll get used to them

declanoneill

declanoneill wrote:

IMO Vodafone isn't really that expensive and usually cheaper then other networks. On ready to go you can get a price plan for the following:
Vodafone/Landline numbers: 10c peak/3c off peak
Other mobiles: 30c peak/ 10c off peak
Text messages: 13c (but you can get 6c text messages atm)

I don't call non vodafone mobiles much, but having looked around I can't see any network, pre or post pay that beats this for me (N.B. I'd spend, on average, 5 Euro a week on credit)

Also, I have the V550 and it's not bad, though the buttons are not intutive, but you'll get used to them

You're referring to the More to Say tariff which has a catch - a 30c minimum call charge. It looks good on paper but is only useful if you make really long calls.

The V550 and V535 are basically the same phone with a different cover.

I prefer O2 but am with Vodafone now because everyone else I know is with them, and paying 63c/min during the day is insane.

Pythia

Just on the point of customer care...
From feedback I have received, Vodafone seems to be better than o2. Not for any particular reason but that's just my general view from loads of feedback from customers as I said.
I can't compare them myself as I've always been on the same network.

There is 3 Vodafone tariffs to choose from:
here
You need to decide which is best for you.
And o2's tariffs are
here
Again which one depends on the person.
Hope that helps!

Disintegrator

10c for text message????? :eek:

We (in Russia) have charge usually about 6c (not Eurocents, but American) for 1 message,

in MegaFon (O'light tariff) - 3 cents for 1 message, 3c for 1 minute to ANY mobile (even not only to own net), 26c all other calls (including calls from Moscow to Moscow fixed nets or from Moscow to America or Australia). Communism But remember, that we pay 26? for all incoming calls (exclude from cellular nets).

---

Angelica, i think you'd better choose that network, clients of which most of your friends - it will be cheaper to call them. All other parameters about the same

Angelica

Thanks for your help everyone

I finally decided to get the Motorola V535 on O2 as a lot of my friends and family are with that network. I got a good deal on the O2 website - it was E179 instead of E219 in the shops, it's well worth checking out if anyone is looking for a new phone.

Thanks again