Mobile Phones - What do you have?

Former Member

(ps is in here for maximum exposure on advice of Jo7)
Hey Guys and Girls,

I have been sat around playing with my phone for a while this afternoon and been having a chat with friends on msn. It seems that lots of my friends have completely different varied choices with their phone handsets. It intrigues me as well as to why people make the choice between PAYG and contract. I'm on a contract and it saves me a lot of money with the amount of data and text messages I send, but I also understand people use pay as you to help budget their phone use.

In addition to these random thoughts that have been going on in my head, I was wondering if you guys would help me out answering a couple of questions.

1. What mobile phone handset model do you own?

2. Are you on PAYG or contract?

I'm asking these because Chris C at youthnet is currently working on a project looking into expanding TheSite.org onto mobile platforms. I think the main concern is what kind of platform people would use to access services that thesite provide online. Also if people are using smartphones, the discussion is; PAYG or contract. Some PAYG have good deals on mobile internet, better so than some contracts that people are locked into. Not only is there the chance to answer a couple of simple questions to help Chris C out, but also the chance to have a bit of a discussion about mobiles in general.

Former Member

I'm on a contract as I could get a phone (iphone 3Gs and then upgraded to Iphone 4) that would work with my laptop (I'm a mac user due to my use of audio editing and design software). I'm yet to find a PAYG that has a really good data allowance.

Former Member

I've got an HTC wildfire, so Android, with 500MB of data on a contract.

I like my contract because it pretty much covers everything I use my phone for and is a predictable monthly payment - but then I have the kind of contract that I'm pretty much never going to go over. I also have a PAYG beyond basic handset that I use occasionally - either for something where I want to keep a tight handle on costs, or be able to claim them back from somewhere. That and I swap my contract SIM into the rubbish handset if I need good battery life or its likely to get lost/damaged.

Former Member

Samsung Galaxy S II, on contract. I had to up my contract by £10 to get the phone at the end of my last contract but it's SO worth it.

Former Member

I have a Blackberry Torch with a pretty beefy data plan, and it displays webpages and most content pretty well. It is on contract and have been with vodafone for a while now, so it doesnt cost me the earth. Use it for internet, bbm, emails, twitter, facebook and allsorts. Have unlimited texts and 600 mins, sometimes I do come close to using the minutes sometimes i dont.

I also have an orange PAYG handset purely for when/if I go to the cinema (2 for 1 wednesdays), this handset cost me £10 and couldnt load the internet if you force fed it.

Former Member

Oh, my contract, right.

I have at the moment (until my contract switches in September) unlimited data, and (I *think*) when I get the new one, I get either 500MB or 1GB. Either way it's more than I think I'd use.

plugitin

I have an E71 and a K750i. I only use the E71 for internet usage (obviously). It's on 3 PAYG atm, what with my being out of the country and all. 3 is really really good with PAYG deals I find - when you top up a certain amount you get free texts, free minutes, free net - so almost like being on contract but without having to pay for something I'm not using all the time. I'm not sure what I'm going to go onto when I get back to the UK - I was thinking of getting a SIM only contract but my E71 has recently taken to turning itself on and off at random and I can't really use the K750i all the time. Also something that might be interesting for the project is that the E71 doesn't always display various pages, e.g. when TheSite upgraded the boards earlier this year and had a mobile version, it really didn't work on my phone - it just crashed on the home page and did nothing else. Not sure of the exact reasons why though!

Former Member

Scary Monster wrote: »

I've got an HTC wildfire, so Android, with 500MB of data on a contract.

Same as SM.

Although I sometimes go over the 500MB if I use my phone as a 3G thingy for my computer on long train journeys.

Former Member

iPhone, on contract (due to upgrade on Sunday!) and it's because it meets my needs much better than the others and I have looked recently too. I use it for work as well as pleasure so the 600 minutes and unlimited txt come in really hand. The music linkage is a key factor for me too...

Former Member

Samsung E-1170 an obsolete phone when I got it a year ago, now is even more obsolete, no camera, no pictures, no custom ringtones, no internet, 1 game, a laughable 'torch' application which just makes the screen white and a very slow, clunky and nonsensical menu.

Contract is unlimited texts, 100 mins of free calls and it came with a free ps3 which is why I got it. £20 a month.

Former Member

I've got one of those!

That's my cheap and cheerful PAYG handset. Does have an awesome battery life.

Former Member

Just bought a HTC HD2. Best smartphone ever.

Running Android 2.3.4. On PAYG with giffgaff - £10 goodybag. (250mins, Unlimited: texts, internet [no fair use policies]. Free gg2gg calls/texts.)

Former Member

I have got an iphone 4 on contract with 500mb or 1g data can't remember! My main reason for contract was that I was putting farrrrrrrrrrrrrrr to much money on my phone on PAYG

Former Member

An oldish model of Blackberry Curve

Former Member

samsung galaxy apollo on contract with t-mobile. it's the first contract i've had and much better value than pay as you go. i pay £10 a month and have 100 mins, which is more than enough as i have unlimited calls to the other half on his contract, unlimited texts and unlimited internet. i might not have topped up £10 every single month before but on average it's much better value.

Former Member

I have a HTC Desire on contract. Haven't got the foggiest what's included in my contract, but I use it all the time and never go over my allowance. Contract is easier, you never run out of credit at annoying times, and when you get friends and family discount from your buddy it's very affordable :thumb:

Former Member

Sony Ericsson Vivaz on PAYG so I only top up when I ain't skint.

Former Member

HTC and PAYG. I am with o2, top up ten pound a month and get unlimited texts.

JsT

End of my contract with my HTC Desire, £25 a month for 300 mins/unlimited text/2gb net which I never go over.

Very much undecided on my next phone, want to stay with HTC but tempted by Samsung Galaxy II.

Former Member

JsT wrote: »

End of my contract with my HTC Desire, £25 a month for 300 mins/unlimited text/2gb net which I never go over.

Very much undecided on my next phone, want to stay with HTC but tempted by Samsung Galaxy II.

Would you like me to tempt you further by telling you how wonderful it is ?

JsT

No ta.

Former Member

blackberry curve in white, have just swapped to PAYG from contract today due to the unemployment situation. Dont know what i get for what but am on orange for now. When i get a job i will be hotfooting it down the shops to get a new contract and Iphone on anything but orange as i get no signal in my flat with them.

Former Member

Just to check that your phone is rigged so it now picks up the t mobile signal too? That solved my no signal in the house with orange problem.

Former Member

Scary Monster wrote: »

Just to check that your phone is rigged so it now picks up the t mobile signal too? That solved my no signal in the house with orange problem.

thanks, yes it is. still rubbish though.

Former Member

I have a Samsung S5620 Monte, free on a 24-month contract with Orange (though I use the T-Mobile signal as often as the Orange one). It is not exactly shite- it's infinitely better than the Motorola V2 Razr I used to have- but it's not brilliant either.

It's a smartphone but doesn't have an app store.

Former Member

HTC Desire on T-Mobile 24 month contract with about a year left. Get unlimited internet with fair usage policy of 500mb a month but it doesn't trigger until I've used between 4gb-6bg and even then I just VPN around it since they don't shut down your internet just block all traffic to high bandwidth sites like youtube or whatever.

Former Member

HTC Desire HD - Unlimited Data Plan, 600 Minutes, 500 Texts, with Tmobile Boosters (Free unlimited landline calls)

Former Member

Hellfire wrote: »

HTC Desire HD - Unlimited Data Plan, 600 Minutes, 500 Texts, with Tmobile Boosters (Free unlimited landline calls)

:wave:

Former Member

HTC Desire S on a 24 month contract with orange. Unlimited texts and 500MB on internet I think, and about 300 mins. Only got it a month ago and I love it

Former Member

Slartibartfast wrote: »

iPhone, on contract (due to upgrade on Sunday!) and it's because it meets my needs much better than the others and I have looked recently too. I use it for work as well as pleasure so the 600 minutes and unlimited txt come in really hand. The music linkage is a key factor for me too...

Update.

Now iPhone 4, lower tariff price, better minutes. It's fast and does everything I want it too. Plus, I've finally discovered the ability to read books on it like a Kindle.

The downside is that I now realise how much better it would be to actually have a Kindle. Damn you technology, damn you right to Hell.

Former Member

The best phone in the world, iPhone 4 in white 32GB.


£67 A month contract, Unlimited Texts/Calls/Picture Message and Truely Unlimited Data.