Advice on monthly plan and network

[Flat Eric]

Going to get a 5s today if I can

I then want to get a sim only deal,
I'm currently on orange, and the deal offered is 3gb 4g data unlimited minutes and texts for £31 a month

Or.....

I've had a quick browse on Vodafone, and they've got an offer on, 6gb data,
Unlimited texts and minutes with a 6 month spotify thingy. All for 26 a month

Now logic tells me this is a better deal, but I've never been with Vodafone before, I've been with orange since my first ever phone.

What's their coverage like? Customer service decent?

Will I be able to keep my current mobile number too? Or will I need a new one if i change network


Cheers

Chris

 

[H182]

I've not been much of a vodafone fan recently, but it depends on your area for coverage. I went with three's one plan. 2000 minutes, 5000 texts, unlimited data £15 a month. If you would prefer to stay with orange tell them you want to leave for another network because of the better deal, and see if they'll match or better it. They wouldn't do in my case so they gave me a PAC code which I used to transfer my number to three.

I had been with orange 13 years before I moved, but had no issues at all with three.

 

[Tim.]

Check on their website to see what coverage is like in the top 3/5 places you spend most of your time.

You should never need a new number when you change networks, those days have long gone (I think).

Customer Service between all the providers is comparable, isn't it? John Lewis is the only place I would say have decent customer-focussed service, everywhere else is poor in comparison.

 

[imprezaworks]

Personaly stick with Orange and see if they can get close to the Vodafone deal?

 

[riz]

I didn't like Vodafone. Service was great but coverage was poor.

Have you looked at Three?

Personally I always get a cashback sim only deal and buy the phone outright.

 

[Amos91]

Coverage is poor on Vodafone. Always better or the same with EE from my experience.

 

[Flat Eric]

I've looked at three at their one plan for 15 pounds a month

My brothers told me to look on giffgaff too. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Am I right in thinking the three plans aren't for 4G?

I did tell orange about the deal with Vodafone and they didn't want to know.

 

[rctempire]

EE - I have a HTC One with it, I checked 4 postcodes of main places ill be, all 4G. Perfect.

GiffGaff for sure, cheap as chips, great coverage by o2 network. Honestly perfect if you don't mind paying for the Phone upfront.

Failing that Virgin Mobile are now doing iPhones, so check them out too.

Three (3) doesn't have 4G just yet, but will be I think next year.


Don't get me wrong 4G is fantastic, just a bit pointless as 3G is the standard. Plus 4G is way over priced.


Speaking of which, deal direct with the network (not shops, not via brokers) via the network directly and you will score a better deal.

If your with orange right now, call up, say you wish a great deal and don't mind paying for the phone, instant savings for you right there and then.

(DONT BUY A PHONE DIRECT FROM NETWORK if your wanting the whole phone, buy it elsewhere, then get a SIM only deal)

 

[Flat Eric]

Ye I've bought the phone on Saturday, so all I'm after now is a sim only deal
Not too fussed with 4G I guess

 

[rctempire]

Take your pick honestly,
GG is great for 30 day rolling contracts and huge data.

But normal networks will tie you in for 12 months at least at a snip too.

 

[Flat Eric]

Well I've called orange, best they could do was 16 a month with 1.5gb data, unlimited calls and texts. That's 3G though.

I think I'm going to order a sim from giff gaff and then I can swap and change month to month.
4G isn't crucial is it really. I've made do with 3G for so long, plus I use wifi wherever I can

 

[imprezaworks]

4g is very good tbf

 

[Flat Eric]

Best 4G deals are 21pounds plus iirc

Really worth it?

 

[imprezaworks]

Personally for me, I like it. Depends on where you live but reverts to 3G if there's no 4g.

 

[Flat Eric]

Sorted out a sim with giff gaff, 12 quid, 250 minutes, unlimited texts and internet. Plus it's month to month.

Called up orange to get unlock code for the 4S so it's ready to sell

 

[Steve]

Don't calls fall back to 3G hence all the dropped calls, 4g is data?

 

[Tim.]

4G allows faster data transmission speeds than 3G, which are faster than 2.5G etc.

I think voice calls are carried on the highest level available service according to your location & price plan. If you're making a voice call on 4G, move and it drops to 3G, then you lose that too and drop to a lower level of service there's no reason why the call should drop, in my opinion.

 

[msremmert]

Sorted out a sim with giff gaff, 12 quid, 250 minutes, unlimited texts and internet. Plus it's month to month.

Called up orange to get unlock code for the 4S so it's ready to sell

Until last week I actually used to work for Tesco Telecoms. If it's minutes you were after, Tesco could have given you a better deal on a month-to-month.

I've been very impressed with 3 recently. Their customer service has a bit to be desired but their network is 100% 3G. You either have HSDPA or you're in the dark. (Hence their name) I sent a friend of mine around the Beacons with a 3 sim card and told him to lose signal. He even had full 3G on the Black Mountain. Go figure.
You will also get 4G for free when they release it making them the cheapest in the UK for that option.

O2 and Vodafone I've found to be very average. If calling and texting is all you want to do then they're both great but their data coverage cannot touch that of EE/T-Mobile/Orange or 3. Infact in my opinion they're downright piss poor but each to their own. I live in Wales and O2 doesn't seem to care much about Wales.

GiffGaff are truly unlimited though which I like (and yes they use O2) They don't really have a customer service (but they're so cheeeeap!) They have no issue with you doing whatever you want providing you're not tethering, though in my experience Android devices will tether anything as they don't care, iPhones get told by the network whether they can tether or not.