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Help, Please!
peterfoster
Posts: 781 Forum Member
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My daughter's contract with Orange is now up and she wants a new phone. She has given me the following clues as to her requirements-
1. Internet availability
2. Minimum 5mps camera
3. A full keyboard which slides out
4. Touch screen
I've just spent an hour googling and feel I am no further forward. We're looking for something that hasn't been out long. I'd be grateful to hear suggestions. She uses social networking sites a lot. Also, I've heard that using a mobile phone for internet access is expensive. What's the best way, please, to limit the costs, possibly by limiting the usage on a monthly basis or paying a fixed price for unlimited use of the internet. Her current/last contract with Orange was for 600 minutes a month and unlimited texts. Apologies for the somewaht rambling nature of this posting. I'm reluctant just to ring up Orange and say "our contract is up so what do you suggest we do...." Thanks.
1. Internet availability
2. Minimum 5mps camera
3. A full keyboard which slides out
4. Touch screen
I've just spent an hour googling and feel I am no further forward. We're looking for something that hasn't been out long. I'd be grateful to hear suggestions. She uses social networking sites a lot. Also, I've heard that using a mobile phone for internet access is expensive. What's the best way, please, to limit the costs, possibly by limiting the usage on a monthly basis or paying a fixed price for unlimited use of the internet. Her current/last contract with Orange was for 600 minutes a month and unlimited texts. Apologies for the somewaht rambling nature of this posting. I'm reluctant just to ring up Orange and say "our contract is up so what do you suggest we do...." Thanks.
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Comments
Samsung Tocco Ultra
Samsung Jet
When it comes to internet usage and costs virgin charges 30pence per day on some of packages.
Im on £15/month and get 200 minutes, 100 minutes to other virgin phones, 2000 texts. If you make one net connection it clocks up the 30pence daily charge but no other charges for that day after.
This is with nokia 5800music express touchscreen (no slideout keyboard but the touch screen full keyboard is pretty good for us).
ps.this also has free satnav as well and its pretty good.
Nokia N97 meets the requirements.....
It lists all the manufactures and shows all their phones. Should help you find something suitable!
Must you stick with orange? On T-Mobile you can get the LG In-Touch Max which fits your daughters needs perfectly!
It has a slide out keyboard
It has the Android operating system which has great social network support
The Android operating system is also very customizable, with lots of apps too!
And there is a 5MP camera included.
There is a £20 deal where you can get 300 minutes, a Flexible Booster (Unlimited texts is one of the most popular, and would probably be best for your daughter), and unlimited internet! All with this phone for FREE.
If you NEED 600 minutes, then for £25 a month you can get all the above, but with 900 minutes instead. And just to let you know, T-Mobile is being merged with Orange soon anyway.
If it must be Orange, then try the Motorola DEXT. With very similar specs as the LG In-Touch. This also includes the Android operating system, and slide-out keyboard.
If you call up Orange, perhaps using the T-Mobile price plan quote (if you like the offer that is), as orange have a system where you build up money by being on contract. This money is saved up to be put towards your next contract with them, so they can offer you some of their best deals (threatening to leave also gives them a good kick).
I hope you find a good phone for your daughter!
My daughter and her mother (i.e. my wife....) have been down the town this afternoon to look at actual phones! The tell me they were very impressed by a nice young man who works for Phones4U....He told then his name was Dan....hopefully it wasn't "Whittling Dan...."
Anyway. My daughter has boiled down her requirements to-
HTC Desire and
Nokia X6
I'd be interested in hearing what you guys feel about these choices....
I would personally say the HTC Desire. I have had the Nokia 5530 (which runs the same operating system as the X6), and the HTC Hero (the phone which the HTC Desire is an upgraded version of, using the same operating system as the HTC Desire). In my opinion, Nokia's OS is rubbish, limited applications, and in my opinion really awkward to use.
The HTC Hero's OS is great, really intuitive, lots of apps and it is very simple, but feature-rich. The HTC Hero is a great phone, but the HTC Desire is loads better! A better camera, updated software, and now features a great screen and multi-touch.
The HTC Desire is also a bit more 'flashy' as well, it has lots of features where you have to slide your fingers and drag things out which is a lot more fun. It can also be connected up to lots of Social networking sites, and you can see whats going on in all of them straight from your homepage.
Personally I think there is no competition, the HTC Desire for definate.
My daughter, predictably, has opted for the HTC Desire.
Most networks won't have the phone available for sale until the end of the month although Vodafone are offering it for £30 a month on a 2 year deal with unlimited texts, 500mb of internet and 600 minutes. Virgin Media are offering the same terms except 800 minutes and 1gb internet. Orange, our existing supplier, don't have prices yet although, curiously, carphonewarehouse and Phones4U are quoting prices for Orange - Upgrade terms as above but for 500 minutes and 500mb of internet. T-Mobile have the phone. Deal 1-
Pay £129 for the phone and £20 per month for 600m, 500 texts and 500mb of internet. If you factor in the £129 (£5.37pm) this gives a monthly charge of £25.37.
Deal 2-
As deal 1 except pay £60 for the phone and £25 per month giving monthly charge of £27.50.
Wanna bet?
I have one and its delicious!
However, the HTC Desire does not have a slide out keyboard which is one of the requirements your daughter wanted
So many times I have seen hotly anticipated handsets turn out not to set the world on fire.
Shiny and flashy can be attractive at first. But once the novelty wears off, is the time to make a considered opinion about the handset.
Well, I'm sure you're quite right, tomorrow, but she has actually seen the phone so I assume her requirements as stated to me originally were a movable feast....
Such is the way with 18 year old girls....
There is a big difference in the hardware though. The 5530 has a resistive touch screen and the X6 a capacitive touch screen. How big a difference this really makes, I have no idea.