Mobile Phone down

Mobile Networks:
My Motorola-Timeport mobile has just died, we've been friends now for
more than 4 years. Whether I'm sitting in the Desert or at the table
in Las Vegas it has never failed me. Now it's dead so I must change.

Phones are phones....right? However, choosing a good reliable network
is different.

Which network should I avoid?
Which network should I use?

Current Text = 100 (and rising) per month
Talk about 150 minutes per month.

I was just about to push the button to order a phone from T-Mobile but
I decided to check the FOAK first.

 

Just my two penneths after experience with a few networks:

Vodafone - Best coverage, best support, not the cheapest.

Virgin - Not bad price for PAYG but persistent top-up problems.

o2 - **** all in the way of support. Half hour call queues are not
unusual and then the noob call centre bloke talks to tech support for
another five minutes while you get cut off. When you do phone back and
explain that bluetooth and MMS aren't working, he'll ask you three times
what the problem is and then put you on hold again while he talks to
SWK. Network coverage is ok but call quality is poor. Prices on a par
with Vodafone.

3 - Not tried 3 but 500 mins x-net for 15.99 a month is good.

Orange - never used. Never would. Never liked any of their advertising
campaigns.

 

In terms of phone checkout the Siemens SX1. Carrie just received one and
it's sooo sweet.
On networks, Voda or Orange. The latter being (now) France Telecom is likely
to be going downhill though.

 

http://www.qtel.com.qa/

 

No, I don't need Tri-Band. PhoneCards"R"US is better and cheaper.

 

I've been with Orange since they were a pip but they've gone a bit
pricey now.

BTW, welcome back...I think.

 

O2 was one I was seriously considering.

It is but there are lots of deal. Because I'm with Orange now I don't
get any of the deals. I should change my name! Again.

Vodaphone seems to be the most expensive.

 

Most of the carriers have switched to GSM (it's called PCS here). The
Motorola v400 is a quad band and mine worked fine in Ireland and the UK
(Vodafone/T-Mobile). T-Mobile is fairly big here and Virgin has a
smaller network.

 

Top ups? I just get my bill direct debited.

No line rental, cheap calls, job done.

 

Virgin have no network in the UK, they are a MVNO and partner with T-Mobile

 

My work phone is 02, I'm not impressed with the signal quality here when
compared to Virgin (rebadged T-mobile), or Orange.

 

Virgin have no network in the UK, they are a MVNO and partner with T-Mobile[/QUOTE]

Maybe they are partnering with someone here too then. I don't use Virgin
but I see their handsets for sale in all the stores.

 

If you top up by credit card, you get a 10% call bonus at the end (or
whenever you started) of the month.

I did o2 because the calls worked out around the same as Virgin, but I
got a new phone, bluetooth, mms and all that good (that doesn't work
properly) stuff.

 

i have a nokia 6230 with vodafone 200min got no complants

 

This is the plan I'm on now but I need a new phone.

 

If you don't want to change networks, there are some affordable sim-free
options.

http://www.phones4u.co.uk/shop/shop_justphones_main.asp

 

*No Complaints*

Is that an optional extra? ;-)

 

Oh, I dunno. Any company that runs a month of wordless teaser ads with
"Einstein on the Beach" as a soundtrack automatically gets my custom ...

(or they would if I didn't work in a Faraday cage with a tiny internal
Vodafone cell)

 

Not any more, it depends on where you want to go though - most of
europe is ok without dd

--

MRO# - cant remember

TDM850 - Gone
GSXR750 - Waaaaaaah, flash flash, bugger, burble burble

 

Molly was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Check if they've got any special offers for new subscribers on at the
moment. When my phone got nicked earlier this year I was rather close
to going to '3' instead but their customer retention department put me
on a rather good tariff that was new customer-only, rather than have
me wander off somewhere else.