Mobile upgrade help

[Mabs]

so, im looking at a new phone, as mine is 3 years old and started being a bit wank, wont sync etc

currently on Orange contract, but they no longer offer "loyalty discounts on handset" (got £195 off my last phone upgrade, 3 years ago), so , having been a customer of theirs for 14 years, i can now get £1.50/month off my line rental

so prob going to tell them to jog on and go elsewhere.

Im looking for a cheapish contract with a phone that will last me a year or 2 (using the Desire HD and it wont upgrade to new android without fucking around with it, part of the reason i want a new one) , text, phone, few photos + mp3 is all i use it for

thoughts ?

 

[Bodhi]

I'd probably be looking at an older flagship phone, rather than one of the current mid-rangers, you'll tend to get a more powerful and more frequently updated device as a result. Pretty sure I've seen something like the Xperia Z for around £21 a month, which will easily last 2 years and still have a decent amount of grunt at the end of it.

Other manufacturers are of course available on request, so maybe something like a Galaxy S3 (although I would rather fellate Raven pre-clinic visit than have any mobile made by Samsung) may be up your street. My use is similar to yours (with a bit of web browsing, social media and 9Gag thrown in) and the Z is ideal, really chuffed with it.

Your mileage may vary etc etc

 

[Raven]

Go to a phone shop and play around with the demo units and look at a few online reviews.

As said in previous threads

Samsung S4, excellent phones under the hood but feel a little cheap and delicate to hold. Monstrous battery life for a modern phone, I charge mine every 4-5 days on light use. Still wish I had gone for the HTC one though.
Nexus 5, as per the Samsung but far better made, don't know about battery life.
Sony Xperia, terrible phones on the whole, waterproof though so ideal for when you have sexual relations with Sony equipment like previous posters and need to wipe off in a hurry.
Iphone, no...just no.

 

[soze]

You will need to find a traif that fits but the Nexus 5 for under £20 is a great phone. As a Nexus there is no messing about with updates you get them in good order and for a long time.

P.S. I still think the 5s is the best phone on the market. I will not tell you why but seeing as people can just so no I will just say yes!

 

[Mabs]

yea i was looking at the Nexus5, was recommended it, but as per op, they dont do phone discounts any more, which is wank, and im reticent to spend £200 on one

 

[MYstIC G]

What's your target monthly spend?

Would you pay a lump to own the handset if it meant the deal was better?

 

[Mabs]

What's your target monthly spend?

Would you pay a lump to own the handset if it meant the deal was better?

as little as possible, and yes within reason, and i know both arent likely but it seems to be piss-taking rather than just "some more"

and as a 2nd Q, .. providers? ive been warned off Vodaphone, but any thoughts on others ? getting conflicting info from people as per usual

/edit
and am i likely to get any better deals if i ring them and say im leaving rather than upgrading ? :c

 

[Raven]

Very much depends on area. O2 is best round here but crap elsewhere in the country. EE did well in a recent study in which Vodaphone finished bottom.

 

[Mabs]

Very much depends on area. O2 is best round here but crap elsewhere in the country. EE did well in a recent study in which Vodaphone finished bottom.

yeah im on Orange, or ORANGETMOBILEEEwhatever they are now.. and the bloke i spoke to earlier did tell me that...about 4 times in 3 minutes ;c

 

[MYstIC G]

as little as possible, and yes within reason, and i know both arent likely but it seems to be piss-taking rather than just "some more"

and as a 2nd Q, .. providers? ive been warned off Vodaphone, but any thoughts on others ? getting conflicting info from people as per usual

/edit
and am i likely to get any better deals if i ring them and say im leaving rather than upgrading ? :c

Pick up a Moto from Tesco mobile, either on contract for about £30 a month. Or you could buy the Moto G for £110 and get a sim only deal from them for about £10-15 a month.

 

[Ch3tan]

Yeah, I got the missus a mot g from tesco. Amazing phone got the price. Buy it offline, unlock for a fiver and go sim free on any network

 

[old.user4556]

A very recent ratings piece on mobile providers:

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...vodafone-flops-in-network-performance-1233489

As someone who switched to Vodafone from GiffGaff - what a fucking mistake. Jesus, worst network i've ever been on - dropped calls, woeful data performance, sometimes 3G just doesn't work in some areas of Edinburgh, terrible "slopey shoulder" customer service - I could go on. The only reason I went with them is that I get 20% off the line rental through my work so the price was very attractive.

Everyone one of my colleagues has a Vodafone work phone and 3G wasn't working for anyone for weeks. Vodafone refused to accept there was an issue until one of the senior directors complained to Vodafone directly. Suddenly it started working.

Worst network out there, shower of incompetent cunts. Avoid.

 

[Tilda]

I dont know if its the network, but I really love Giffgaff. Cheapest deals by farm, lots of flexibility with packages (busy month, buy a bigger plan) and I have had no connectivity problems.

If I were upgrading now, I'd do Nexus 5 and Giffgaff. Nexus 5 is a brilliant phone and still leads the pack, also, half the price of any competitor.

 

[Embattle]

A very recent ratings piece on mobile providers:

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone...vodafone-flops-in-network-performance-1233489

As someone who switched to Vodafone from GiffGaff - what a fucking mistake. Jesus, worst network i've ever been on - dropped calls, woeful data performance, sometimes 3G just doesn't work in some areas of Edinburgh, terrible "slopey shoulder" customer service - I could go on. The only reason I went with them is that I get 20% off the line rental through my work so the price was very attractive.

Everyone one of my colleagues has a Vodafone work phone and 3G wasn't working for anyone for weeks. Vodafone refused to accept there was an issue until one of the senior directors complained to Vodafone directly. Suddenly it started working.

Worst network out there, shower of incompetent cunts. Avoid.

My dads business phone is on Vodafone and it is really quite bad in terms of signal and quality.

Personally I'm now on Giffgaff with my N5.

 

[Bigmac]

I switched from Vodafone to Three and it's the best move I've made. Everything is just so much better.

 

[Lamp]

Giffgaff is good, but the occasional outages are very annoying

As for new phones:

HTC One M8
Samsung Galaxy S5
Sony Xperia Z2
Nexus 5
LG G2

All these phones are good. The M8 is probably the best looking and feeling in the hand with excellent sound, but its ultrapixel technology results in photos with too much noise (poor detail) and over exposure in bright sunlight.