Mobile Upgrade

[Gavin Scott]

Ok, so we chatted about this before, but I agreed on a mobile deal from Orange yesterday, and took receipt of the new handset today.

Just wondered what your thoughts are on this deal - bearing in mind I've been a long term customer of Orange.

1 x Nokia 6220 Classic handset (new, not reconditioned), complete with accessories and voice activated GPS map thingy
200 Cross-network anytime minutes
3000 Texts
8GB SD memory card included

for £15.00 per month.

Apparently my average minutes usage is 102m - so this seems like it should be ok - taking into account my Orange magic numbers which make up the lion's share of my calls.

The phone itself has all the features of my last with the addition of a 5MP camera with xenon flash, GPS, video-out and a nicer set of headphones.

Googling around last night I found similar deals for £25.00 per month *slashed* to £17.50 - which of course it means its only worth £17.50.

I have a week to make up my mind.

Should I negotiate harder for more minutes?

You thoughts, please.

[Ronnie Rowlands]

200 free minutes? I'd mud wrestle the Queen for a deal like that. I pay £15 a month and get 500 free texts and calls that cost me 40p a minute. My credit runs dry really quickly and it sucks. I'd take it, Gavin. Go forth and don't look back.

[Gavin Scott]

Thanks for the feedback Ronnie. Just fired it up (been charging all afternoon), and aside from the plasticy feel to it, I think its an ok little handset. I have an E65, and the screen is almost exactly the same. The maps function is good (looks just like google maps - starting with a globe zooming all the way into my street), which *might* come in handy one day.

The camera is good - and eclipses the one on my current handset (which isn't a megapixel and doesn't have a flash), so I'm quite looking forward to taking some snaps. I seem to have missed out on that fun for the past few years.

I'm sure I've used more than 200 chargeable minutes a month in the past - but its tricky to tell with my magic numbers deal. If I didn't have that I'd probably run into 500+. Yes, I'm a gas bag.

Unlimited texts appeals in a big way, and the £15 a month is a real draw - but if I thought this was an average kind of deal for everybody, i.e. I'm not actually being rewarded for my loyalty, then that would take the shine off it somewhat.

I've got the weekend to mull this over, then I can call them to discuss it.

[marksi]

My O2 Carphone Warehouse loyalty deal in June was a new Nokia N78, 500 any network minutes, 1000 texts and 200MB internet for £25 (18 months). And I've just signed up with O2 Broadband for home which is £10 a month for 16MB.

Your deal sounds good. I'd go for it. Though if you don't need 3000 texts (that's 100 a day!) why not try and get say, 1000 texts and some internet instead?

[Gavin Scott]

My O2 Carphone Warehouse loyalty deal in June was a new Nokia N78, 500 any network minutes, 1000 texts and 200MB internet for £25 (18 months). And I've just signed up with O2 Broadband for home which is £10 a month for 16MB.

Your deal sounds good. I'd go for it. Though if you don't need 3000 texts (that's 100 a day!) why not try and get say, 1000 texts and some internet instead?

I can add in evening/weekend unlimited internet for £5 a month - but I've only used it the once when my home broadband fell over. I can add it in at any time, though.

The salesman was quite blunt in saying the N series handsets (especially the 95 and new 96) nearly all end up faulty because of the symbian OS. I don't know if this is true - but from apocryphal evidence from mates they're not the most reliable.

I also said to him that, as my average bill is circa £40, I would be prepared to pay a flat £30 and know that my usage would never exceed the allowances. I'd still be better off in pocket.

He quite forcefully suggested that there is no point in me paying more when I could cover all my bases with this deal. A sensible suggestion if I don't exceed the minutes. I'd rather have 500 for safety.

[cdd]

Of course, Stuart Dunderhead will wait until you've purchased the contract and seven days have gone by before telling you you're a PLANK! for taking the deal etc I can tell you it's a lot better than my contract, though.

How come you don't want an IPhone any more, may I enquire?

[Gavin Scott]

Of course, Stuart Dunderhead will wait until you've purchased the contract and seven days have gone by before telling you you're a PLANK! for taking the deal etc

How come you don't want an IPhone any more, may I enquire?

Oh I still want one but I, *sigh*, don't need one.

It sucks, really. I have to be smarter about where I spend my money, and this seems as good a place to start as any.

[Alexia]

I'm actually growing out of the iPhone, and even the Blackberry.

For what you've got Gav, you're only paying 5 quid more than me a month and getting a supremely better deal, although I am still, and will always be no matter what, on PAYG. I just cannot allow myself to lose control of my mobile spending.

Handset is always personal - if it suits you and your needs, who am I or any of us to tell you otherwise. My only concern is with your choice of network. My mother has Orange and my father and I have O2. We are never without signal (unless you count the time we were down a coal mine) and she frequently loses hers whenever we drive through the Brynglas tunnels. Hows Orange's coverage up there in Alba?

[Gavin Scott]

I'm actually growing out of the iPhone, and even the Blackberry.

For what you've got Gav, you're only paying 5 quid more than me a month and getting a supremely better deal, although I am still, and will always be no matter what, on PAYG. I just cannot allow myself to lose control of my mobile spending.

Handset is always personal - if it suits you and your needs, who am I or any of us to tell you otherwise. My only concern is with your choice of network. My mother has Orange and my father and I have O2. We are never without signal (unless you count the time we were down a coal mine) and she frequently loses hers whenever we drive through the Brynglas tunnels. Hows Orange's coverage up there in Alba?

The 3G can be hit and miss, but the GSM is rock solid for me.

I think I may have made my decision, inadvertently and catastrophically.

I was grilling a pepper with some cheese about an hour ago and foolishly dropped the grill pan in a most dramatic way. Phone and accessories are tickety boo - they were on the table.

But the open box with all the relevant paperwork in it, laying on the floor, got a dollop of grilled cheese in it, and now I'm too ashamed to send it back, even if I wanted to.

Gah.

[Sput]

But it's Scotland! That's to be expected isn't it?

[Gavin Scott]

But it's Scotland! That's to be expected isn't it?

That's true. Hmm. I could return it in a deep-fried folded-over pizza.

It would be more robust than the box and would slip through their letterbox easier.