Smart Phone

[Chri5]

Rabbit, the solution to the pager...

Pagers were great, on the way to deepest Wales doing 80 mph and the pager goes off asking you to call a number. Stop at next services am hour later and find the job cancelled.

Dynamic comms...

 

[securespark]

For £774 I can get a 4G ready Note II on T Mobile (with 3G SIM) with 500/5000/UL.

Or, for the same money I can get an unlocked 3G Note II with same T Mobile deal.

 

[bernardgreen]

Pagers were great, .

Christmas Day, 11:30 and the pager bleeped, ( With no children I had taken the holiday duty for the 24-7 maintainance ) Called the customer's control room. " No faults, we just wanted to wish the on call engineer a happy Christmas "

 

[securespark]

Don't do on-call any longer, but I wish my Christmas on-calls were like that...

 

[securespark]

Huh, posted this without finishing it off...

For £774 I can get a 4G ready Note II on T Mobile (with 3G SIM) with 500/5000/UL.

Or, for the same money I can get an unlocked, unbloated 3G Note II with same T Mobile deal.

I rang the Samsung shop in Westfield today. They apparently sell their phones in partnership with P4U.......

You can't buy their LTE handsets unlocked. Not in the UK anyhow.

From HK, you can.

For the price of a second hand 3G handset off ebay, I can get a brand new unlocked 4G one sourced from HK, choose a one month SIM and, for the same money as a contract, have the freedom of the networks. In reality, though, I am attracted to 3 as they offer 4G for the same money as 3G when it becomes available.

My thinking is that if I am investing in a phone like this, it needs to be as future-proof as possible.

So, could I please ask:

1. Would you buy a 3G or 4G handset?

2. Would you buy on contract or unlocked?

 

[Tim84]

Be careful buying a 4G phone from HK - will it be on the same frequency as 4G in the UK? EE currently runs on 1800mhz, shortly I think 900mhz and 2100mhz too. Voda will be different, as will O2. It may, therefore be a false economy buying a 4G HK phone thinking you can use it on all UK networks.

3 are not going to charge a premium; likely because their 4G will be pants so it's not worth paying for!

- I would buy contract

- I like 4G, but I'm a big data user and don't pay my own bills

 

[securespark]

I have heard that 3 have upped their speeds already, sort of halfway house, 3.5G, if you like!

Those speeds can be appreciated on non 4G handsets like the Note II (N7100).

To be fair, the HK-sourced one says the frequencies are:

LTE 800 / 1800 / 2600

Don't think a UK-sourced N7105 will be different.

But at the moment, I'm thinking, sack the hassle. For the price difference, I'll buy one here & unlock it if need be. Orange do a Note II for 500 + a tenner top up which I can use, plus they will unlock it for 20.42.

Then I'll stick a SIM from 3 in it.

I have a free unlock procedure for Note II on JB, but it has no guarantees: wanna risk it on £500's worth of kit???

The other option is to get a Note II on contract from T Mobile.

Argos are selling a SIM-free Samsung SIII (I think) which they say will not work with 3. What's the reason for that? Do you know?

 

[securespark]

Tim, I would buy contract on 3.

They don't have a Note II LTE yet (supposedly due out on Friday, according to 3 advisor I spoke to on the phone the other day).

But the biggest issue is the cost.

Again, I don't know the cost because it's not out yet on 3's website, but, if you compare 3's Samsung SIII LTE with CPW's non-LTE SIII, on the same tariff, the LTE is 845 and the non-LTE is 624.

That's one heck of a hike for LTE.

Yet, if you buy it PAYG, it's not that much dearer than other phone shops.

Weird.

 

[securespark]

Went today. Note II LTE (N7105) is out tomorrow on 3. PAYG is 510, 10 quid more than the N7100.

Handy to know that they would unlock it straight away for £15. Most networks make you wait at least 3 months and charge more.

 

[securespark]

Shop carefully, guys!!!

Another "deal" spotted:

Again a Note II, but this could be a phone & tariff you're looking to buy....

Same phone, same provider, same retailer, same tariff.

One deal costs £920 over 24 months, the other £677.


A WHOPPING £243 difference.

Del Boy eat your 'eart out, my son!

 

[securespark]

£41 a month Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited £79.99
£46 a month Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited £29.99
£61 a month Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited £19.99

Now, I know the S4 is desirable, but this is ridiculous!

Which of those plans would you buy? One costing you...

a. £1064?

b. £1134?

c. £1484?

 

[chapeau]

My thinking is that if I am investing in a phone like this, it needs to be as future-proof as possible.

Disagree. Current 3G phones will be fine for years to come.

So, could I please ask:

1. Would you buy a 3G or 4G handset?

2. Would you buy on contract or unlocked?

Second hand/refurbished 3G smartphone of your choice on ebay, giffgaff for service. A galaxy S2 is all you need until you make your bleeding mind up but by the time that happens they'll be rolling out 6G !!!!!

 

[bhm1712]

i swapped an SIII for an iPhone 5 and the iPhone 5 is a cut above. Id be the first to dismiss iPhones previously - hated the very mention of them, and didnt want to be part of the "sheeple".Now im a convert and i regret being so stubborn with it before. Its quite simply the best phone ive ever owned out of a Galaxy S, HTC Desire, HTC oneX, Galaxy SII and SIII. the software is much faster than android counterparts, it never ever stumbles in terms of locking up, and although a small phone compared to others now, it sure feels well made.

Im on 3 with mine and on 3G im getting between 6-8 mb/s depending what time of day. Thats faster than my broadband at times.....

 

[enyam]

Im on 3 with mine and on 3G im getting between 6-8 mb/s depending what time of day. Thats faster than my broadband at times.....

They aren't worth jack down this part of the world.

 

[bhm1712]

They are prett good here.... Orange and t-mobile the worst for signal round us.