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Orange Free Sim Cards,

www.orange.co.uk/freesimpack
and these are the best on the market today, i changed from o2 300 texts to this,
quick overview, (with what the site doesnt tell you)
You top up by £10 each month minimum and get to keep all credit
£10 = 300 free texts the next month
£20 = 600
£30 = 1000
1mb off free wap each month,
and you need to text something to a number (confirm when register simcard) tied into the first £10 (no extra cost) you get 600 minutes to ring any other other orange phone from 7pm to midnight everyday for the next 5 years.
and finally to cap the deal, 1mb free gprs is fine for wap user phones etc, but those using a pda will realise that running actual web on your phone kills a mb in no time, £1 bolton addable at anytime in the day gives you free unlimited access to gprs until midnight that night, only available on pay as you go and activate through 450 (31411, i think)
Hope this helps, Saved me a fortune, i wanted to upgrade my m1000 (Hymalaya, xdaII) to the m5000 (Universal,exec) but orange could not beat this with a contract deal. the sim cards are normally £1 or 50p each but free at the moment,

The only problem with these Orange SIMs is that they are not 3G, but if you can live with that, then fine.

Price drops?

Anyone how long it would be till we start seeing price drops happening with the sim free phone?
Tbh i just cant justify spending 514 quid on a phone. ive worked it out if i went to o2s Sim only contract and move my Be internet to O2 [same network i know] Under an 18 month contract ill only save 480 quid. While that sounds good having to fork out 512 quid up front doesn't.
So any ideas on when the price drops will show up?

NutsyUK said:
Anyone how long it would be till we start seeing price drops happening with the sim free phone?
Tbh i just cant justify spending 514 quid on a phone. ive worked it out if i went to o2s Sim only contract and move my Be internet to O2 [same network i know] Under an 18 month contract ill only save 480 quid. While that sounds good having to fork out 512 quid up front doesn't.
So any ideas on when the price drops will show up?
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Not for sometime to come. Check out the prices of Kaisers a year on...It varies wildly:
http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=...GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wf
But it's still quite high. A £100 less a year on? Hardly worth the wait if you ask me. In a yers time the Touch Pro will be replaced by something fancier anyway!!!

Will it work with "3?"

hi
Will the touch pro work with the "3" network? I ask because I understand they use a different frequency to most other UK networks.
thanks

Should work fine dude.
They just dont use GSM, they are a 3G (UMTS) only carrier.

mrvanx said:
Should work fine dude.
They just dont use GSM, they are a 3G (UMTS) only carrier.
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Hi MrVanx .. cheers for thr reply.
It's just u found a stonker of a deal for myself;
6 month contract, 300 texts/minutes, internet max which is unlimited 3G/HSDPA, Free Nokia 3120/4GB Micro SD card (phone sells for at least £50). And this is for £20 a month. Buy through quidco and get £32.50 cashback, plus whatever i make on selling the nokia. So rather than costing us £120 for 6 months it should cost somewhere in the region of £50!
Not that I don't trust you there vanx but i think i might wander down to the local shop and try a 3 sim in there just to check it's ok =P
also 3 carry the kaiser and there's no huge differences in the network/connectivity areas between the Tytn 2/Raphael, right? Also what you're saying is as long as the handset has 3G it'll work with 3?
cheers
mitch

Mitch92uK said:
Hi MrVanx .. cheers for thr reply.
It's just u found a stonker of a deal for myself;
6 month contract, 300 texts/minutes, internet max which is unlimited 3G/HSDPA, Free Nokia 3120/4GB Micro SD card (phone sells for at least £50). And this is for £20 a month. Buy through quidco and get £32.50 cashback, plus whatever i make on selling the nokia. So rather than costing us £120 for 6 months it should cost somewhere in the region of £50!
Not that I don't trust you there vanx but i think i might wander down to the local shop and try a 3 sim in there just to check it's ok =P
also 3 carry the kaiser and there's no huge differences in the network/connectivity areas between the Tytn 2/Raphael, right? Also what you're saying is as long as the handset has 3G it'll work with 3?
cheers
mitch
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Click to collapse
If the kaiser works.....the raphael will work. Full stop

Mitch92uK said:
Hi MrVanx .. cheers for thr reply.
It's just u found a stonker of a deal for myself;
6 month contract, 300 texts/minutes, internet max which is unlimited 3G/HSDPA, Free Nokia 3120/4GB Micro SD card (phone sells for at least £50). And this is for £20 a month. Buy through quidco and get £32.50 cashback, plus whatever i make on selling the nokia. So rather than costing us £120 for 6 months it should cost somewhere in the region of £50!
Not that I don't trust you there vanx but i think i might wander down to the local shop and try a 3 sim in there just to check it's ok =P
also 3 carry the kaiser and there's no huge differences in the network/connectivity areas between the Tytn 2/Raphael, right? Also what you're saying is as long as the handset has 3G it'll work with 3?
cheers
mitch
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LOL, you are making things complicated for yourself just listen to mr Vanx, ANY european 3G phone will work with the 3UK network, but they have a strict policy of only using the phones they issue with their sims, so DO NOT go to the shop and ask or you will get a lecture on how 3 Sims only work with 3 phones and using their sims in other phones will erase all data and set your phone on fire.
They do this because if you use a 2G only phone with one of their sims it will force you onto the O2 network (their backup network if you need to make a call but are in an area with no 3G coverage), however they have to pay O2 by the minute when you use their network, even though for you it is just a part of your included minutes.

As long as you buy an HTC branded device offline then I can assure you it will work on any network (assuming the bands are supported in your country, as you're talking about 3 I am assuming you're UK based).

To address the O2 issue, in phone settings you can set the band to UMTS(2100) only which would solve that problem.
LOL I worked at Argos (still do but am leaving soon) and some of the pay-and-go hansets from 3 had the SIM card physically cemented into the device!! I couldnt believe it.

Mitch92uK said:
Hi MrVanx .. cheers for thr reply.
It's just u found a stonker of a deal for myself;
6 month contract, 300 texts/minutes, internet max which is unlimited 3G/HSDPA, Free Nokia 3120/4GB Micro SD card (phone sells for at least £50). And this is for £20 a month. Buy through quidco and get £32.50 cashback, plus whatever i make on selling the nokia. So rather than costing us £120 for 6 months it should cost somewhere in the region of £50!
Not that I don't trust you there vanx but i think i might wander down to the local shop and try a 3 sim in there just to check it's ok =P
also 3 carry the kaiser and there's no huge differences in the network/connectivity areas between the Tytn 2/Raphael, right? Also what you're saying is as long as the handset has 3G it'll work with 3?
cheers
mitch
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Click to collapse
Can you post a link to that deal - Seems quite good

duke748 said:
Can you post a link to that deal - Seems quite good
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three always do good deals, just keep an eye on their website, my wife got a new nokia 6200 (a useful symbian phone that she uses with tomtom) + 1100 any network mins + 300 extra "3" only mins + every text she sends knocks only 1 min off her 1100 voice mins all for £19.50 per month, and this was direct from 3's web site

6 month Mix and Match 300 contract - http://threestore.three.co.uk/mixnmatchtariff.aspx?tariff=0
£32.50 cashback for the contract - http://www.quidco.com/3-mobile/
How much the free phone (Nokia 3120) goes for on ebay - http://phones.shop.ebay.co.uk/items...120&_sacat=3312&_fromfsb=0&_trksid=m270.l1313

I got my Touch Pro a couple of weeks ago.
Put my "3" SIM in, it configured everything itself. All working fine - no problems at all.

I guess the main downside having to be on 3G all the time is the huge hit on battery time... I personally wouldn't do that unless you're happy charging your phone all the time.

Manni01 said:
I guess the main downside having to be on 3G all the time is the huge hit on battery time... I personally wouldn't do that unless you're happy charging your phone all the time.
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Actually, because of the way that 3G works and uses less power to hold on to a signal, you get better standby time on 3G than you do on GSM. But the higher power used while transmitting kinda buggers that up. That's why you always see Higher standby time but lower talk time for UMTS/HSDPA.

rhedgehog said:
Actually, because of the way that 3G works and uses less power to hold on to a signal, you get better standby time on 3G than you do on GSM. But the higher power used while transmitting kinda buggers that up. That's why you always see Higher standby time but lower talk time for UMTS/HSDPA.
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Click to collapse
I know the theory, but I also know that I get two day+ from my Kaiser when I'm on 2G, and less than 10 hours when I'm on Auto/3G (minimum use, ie few calls, few texts, BT on for headphone/headset, bit of mp3). And I'm in a very good 3G area (more than 4 bars all the time), the mast is 2 blocks down, and I'm in a loft, so ideal reception... It's true that I use push email (instant), so I do use data (but why buy a touch pro if you only need text msg?).
So frankly, unless you're happy to get short battery life, or are charging most of the time (at a desk), I would try using 3 on a phone like the touch Pro. Maybe with an extended battery?

Are vodafone doing any special offers on Touch Pro?

Looks like I'm going to have to pay myself out of my T-mobile contract and go vodafone.
I see on their website that they are throwing in a bluetooth headset + in car holder. Am I likely to be able to get anything else if I phone up or go to Vodafone shop such as in car charger etc ?
Only paying £30 for the Flext35 with web and walk and looks like it'll be around £38 for the Vodafone deal with free phone.
Cheers,
Andy

Hi Andy, Make sure you sign up with quidco.com first. Clear all your cookies from your browser and them go through them. Should be able to make 90 or 100 quid from signing up.

Any reasons to not go Vodafone?
I've been waiting for T-Mobile to bring out the Touch Pro for what seems like so long I've nearly had enough!
Even though I'm on a good deal with T-Mobile, might go Vodafone with this.....................
Anyone got any ideas why I shouldn't??
Charging over 500mb data a month??
Any other downsides??
I think coverage is better than T-Mobile in Scotland?

JamieMag: Legend, hadn't even thought of that. £90 quid pays for almost half of buying out my T-Mobile Contract, top work fella!
/Edit: Just had a look at the T+C's and they don't cover business purchases of which the Touch Pro is one. Any ideas on how to get round this issue?
/Edit2: Should really read more closely, according to Quidco, a business purchase is worth £100!!! http://www.quidco.com/vodafone-business/ Awesome.
Roblpm: I've not found any downsides with vodafone. Of every network I've come across they have the best coverage down south / in London. Perhaps this will encourage T-mobile to get their testing expedited or treat customers better.

One further thing, if I want to sign up online for this phone online with Quidco cashback you have to go to via the business site. Is this ok?

Voda is terrible. Coverage around here (Nr Manchester) is awful. Flat out doesn't work around Manchester Oxford Road, didn't work for me when I worked in East-Central London and signal varies a lot in Lytham - even in areas where the website says I should get full 3G.
I only have one other friend stupid enough to be on voda and we joke that we can never get hold of each other because one of us is bound to have either no signal or 'network busy'.
I get 'network busy, try again?' about 1 in 5 calls I make. We joke that 'the other person on voda in Lytham must be trying to make a call'

Can anyone comment on coverage in south east? Everyone at work seems happy with them. Cheers

andyfield said:
Can anyone comment on coverage in south east? Everyone at work seems happy with them. Cheers
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From London, Maidstone and Ramsgate/Margate I've always had good signal and usually HSDPA. I'm going to upgrade to the Touch Pro tomorrow
Hopefully £35 for 600 minutes, Unlimites Texts and Unlimited Data. The phone better be free too! (I believe it will be!)

I live in the South East and work in London and the reception is brilliant. There are black spots for every network and this seems to get greater the further out into Kent you go, but this is probably level in comparison with other operators.
Never had an issue with Vodafone myself and have had service where others haven't (of course this works in vice versa).
At the end of the day I feel it is just personal preference and I am happy to have been with Vodafone for 10-12 years or so.

Great stuff, thanks for the feedback. As you say all networks will have their strong and weaker areas.

Just wanted to double check that this quidco thing worked for you guys ? and also what deals did you get with voda there are 2 almost identical deals which appeal to me
1= £40 per month for 750 mins 250 texts and unlimited data (phone = £150)
2= £45 per month for 750 mins 250 texts and unlimited data (phone = £ free)
deal 2 is cheaper over the 18 month period
PS all prices are after VAT

To those that have a voda TP, does the phones shell have Vodafone branding on it, or is it a standard HTC phone case (no voda logo)?

I got a vodafone touch pro a week ago.
Has discreet branding at bottom of screen in white font and on back case.
Phone comes with vodafone rom with red/white touchflo interface and only omission from HTC advertised spec is youtube prog is missing! However using coreplayer instead.
I got a better deal by going direct to vodafone than by using Quidco and the standard internet offer. On £35 for 500 mins / 100 texts and unlimited internet. Phone was free. Got 2 months line rental free and a bluetooth headset thrown in. Got this deal by going into vodafone store and then chipping away, threatening to go to O2 etc. They tried to get me on the higher price plan but this is perfectly adequate for me. You can also downgrade/upgrade after 9 months.
My first HTC handset so have only been brave enough to change the icons to the HTC 3d so far. Actually quite like the bright vodafone touchflo so will keep it for now.

thebearhack said:
I got a vodafone touch pro a week ago.
Has discreet branding at bottom of screen in white font and on back case.
Phone comes with vodafone rom with red/white touchflo interface and only omission from HTC advertised spec is youtube prog is missing! However using coreplayer instead.
I got a better deal by going direct to vodafone than by using Quidco and the standard internet offer. On £35 for 500 mins / 100 texts and unlimited internet. Phone was free. Got 2 months line rental free and a bluetooth headset thrown in. Got this deal by going into vodafone store and then chipping away, threatening to go to O2 etc. They tried to get me on the higher price plan but this is perfectly adequate for me. You can also downgrade/upgrade after 9 months.
My first HTC handset so have only been brave enough to change the icons to the HTC 3d so far. Actually quite like the bright vodafone touchflo so will keep it for now.
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Click to collapse
Was this a new contract or upgrade please?

guess where I am going today

ice_coffee said:
Just wanted to double check that this quidco thing worked for you guys ? and also what deals did you get with voda there are 2 almost identical deals which appeal to me
1= £40 per month for 750 mins 250 texts and unlimited data (phone = £150)
2= £45 per month for 750 mins 250 texts and unlimited data (phone = £ free)
deal 2 is cheaper over the 18 month period
PS all prices are after VAT
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've gone for deal 2 via Quidco. I've used quidco with dell before when buying a laptop and got the cash ok after around 3 weeks. I think the contract has to run for at least 1 month before they credit you though.
Enjoy

thebearhack said:
I got a better deal by going direct to vodafone than by using Quidco and the standard internet offer. On £35 for 500 mins / 100 texts and unlimited internet. Phone was free. Got 2 months line rental free and a bluetooth headset thrown in. Got this deal by going into vodafone store and then chipping away, threatening to go to O2 etc. They tried to get me on the higher price plan but this is perfectly adequate for me. You can also downgrade/upgrade after 9 months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is this a 12 or 18 month plan? I intend calling Vodafone and using this info to get the same deal

I just got a cracking deal from Voda in store, BIG THANKS to thebearhack for the suggestion
***£30*** per month for 750 mins 250 texts and unlimited data (phone = £ free)
+ I got a free nokia headset worth £30 + a free pay as you go sim
The only downside is that it is a 2 year deal, but TBH although my last three contracts have been 18 month I have ended up staying for 2 years as I waited for a new phone to be released so I dont mind.

My deal was 18 month 'business' plan. The fact that I don't have my own business was ignored! I am new to vodafone as far as they are concerned last phones were in my wife's name.

thebearhack said:
My deal was 18 month 'business' plan. The fact that I don't have my own business was ignored! I am new to vodafone as far as they are concerned last phones were in my wife's name.
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mine was a 2 year business plan, (apparently I own my own business !!! I wonder what I do maybe im an international playboy millionaire )

[Q] Best One S Deal (UK) ?

I am looking to replace my HTC Desire with a One S when my contract ends in 3 weeks time. The best deal I can currently find is as follows:
200 min / 3000 sms / 500 MB @ £21.50/month (24 months)
Phone cost £39.99
On O2 network being offered by Phones4U
Anyone know of a better deal around?

Wait a couple of weeks until T-mobile get it and ask them to do a price match (or better it). I just did this with the Xperia S and they beat the current £21.50 O2 deal by nearly £100 (over a 24 month period).

sh500 said:
Wait a couple of weeks until T-mobile get it and ask them to do a price match (or better it). I just did this with the Xperia S and they beat the current £21.50 O2 deal by nearly £100 (over a 24 month period).
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Click to collapse
Yeah that is my plan
Have already refused the retention department's current offer. Just waiting for them to start stocking the One S (after April 5 presumably) and I will try again.

Yeah, as always the case, the first offer they make you isnt usually even tempting.
The second person I spoke to said "they were from a slightly different department" and therefore were able to better the original offer...hmmmm, nothing to do with the fact a competing provider had a better deal - oh and of course the customary threat to leave
I like the look of the One S but the screen resolution and 16GB limit on storage is off putting. I have to last the phone for the next two years so need to look ahead. The One X is simply to big (4.7") for me.
Not seeing many reviews on the net for either of the S or X.

What a difference a day makes. All the O2 £21.50 offers have disappeared today...!

ascot17 said:
What a difference a day makes. All the O2 £21.50 offers have disappeared today...!
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http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/phone/xperia_s_from_sony/?&cid=ppcgoo&gclid=CNPT9vKn9q4CFS4NtAodSzY7xw
There are still a couple of places doing them, although o2 direct is not one of them. Seemed a bit strange as to why they were much cheaper than all other providers. just a one week promotion i guess.

I meant the HTC One S offers, not the Xperia but thanks anyway...

Oh, I must have missed all of the £21.50 offers on the One S...

Current best deal?:
300 min
unlimited sms
250MB data
FREE phone
£21/month on T-Mobile from mobilephonesdirect
(Buy it through Topcashback and get £30.30 cashback)!