Hi all,

Can anybody please give me some iPhone 4 advice? I know I won't be able to get one for a while as the demand for them has been so huge but maybe if I get some advice on here now I will know what to order when they become available again.

Its a while since I've had a new phone and I am not that technical so please bear with me...

I really want a new iPhone 4 but I'm unsure what deal to go for. I don't actually use my phone to text or for calls that much but I'd really like to have access to the internet when I'm out and about so that is the main thing I would like. I am currently on a pay as you go deal with Orange and want to stay with them and keep the same number.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't understand SIM only deals or unlocking phones etc so if this is involved in any suggestions, please could you explain what they are (sorry if I sound thick). I also don't understand how the internet works on iPhones or wi-fi so for any deals that have limits, I may need a bit of clarity. Thanks in advance.

Jay

Have a look here to see what Orange offer tariff wise on the iPhone 4.

I'm not sure with regard to their SIM only plans if they would offer you a Micro SIM if you asked for one, but you could always ask, although they do offer a dedicated SIM only plan for the iPhone if you sourced one from elsewhere.

Would you consider changing networks or do you really want to stay with Orange? The thing is, Tesco mobile are currently one of the cheaper options out there and you could make considerable savings if you moved to them (you can port your number across, too).

Edit: It says on the iPhone SIM only page that the plans come with a standard SIM, so aren't compatible with the iPhone 4 yet, so your options are limited to the tariffs including the phone with Orange.

Thanks Mystic Eddy.

The main reason I wanted to stay with Orange was because I wanted to keep the same number. When I changed from Vodafone to Orange it was a nightmare keeping my old number, although I did manage to keep it in the end. Vodafone were very reluctant to give me the code to pass to Orange so I am guessing the same would happen again if I were to change from Orange to another network. I would be happy to go with another network if it was easy enough to keep my number though and the deal was more suited to me.

i transferred my number from Orange to O2 last year and i had no problems, sent my code out within a few days.

I have just got my PAC code off o2 without any hassle and have just phoned Tesco with it. Its that simple mate!

If your *only* reason for staying with Orange is so you can keep your number, then I would seriously have a look at the other networks, if that's all that is holding you back.

Porting your number from one network to another should not be an issue. Ofcom rules state that you must receive your PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) within 2 working days of the request.

Once you have the PAC, you then have 30 calendar days to give it to another network. If it doesn't get used, it expires & your current account & number carry on as if nothing happened.

For your low usage, a SIM only plan or PAYG would be best, if you can afford the high up-front cost of the phone (£499/£599 for the 16GB/32GB SIM free unlocked, probably £20 less than that for a locked one on PAYG).

Personally, I think O2's PAYG plans are better value than Orange's, if you want data.

O2's "Text & Web" PAYG tariff will give you 300 SMS & 500MB data for topping up £10 per month.

With Orange's "Dolphin" PAYG tariff, you get 300 SMS & 250MB of data, for topping up £10 per month. As well as Orange's data offering actually being lower than O2's, it also only lasts for the first 12 months.

Both also give WiFi (BT Openzone & The Cloud with O2, BT Openzone with Orange), but again Orange's WiFi only lasts for 12 months.

I think O2 have better SIM only plans too (Orange only seems to have one option).

If you can't afford the high up-front cost of a PAYG / SIM free iPhone 4, then your only other option would be to get a Pay Monthly contract, where you get the phone a lot cheaper due to it being subsidised, but have a higher monthly cost.

http://shop.o2.co.uk/new-iphone/tariffs.html

http://shop.orange.co.uk/iphone/choose-your-4g-plan

http://shop.orange.co.uk/iphone/choose-sim-only-plan

If switching networks though, always check your potential new network's coverage for your area & anywhere else you would likely use the phone! You don't want to switch, & then find you get a crap signal compared to your previous network.

For a really good breakdown of what each network offers for PAYG & other types of plan, have a read of this:

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/cheap-iphone


Tesco actually offers the best deals so far for Pay Monthly contracts, and its PAYG deals look very good too:

http://www.tescodirect.com/p/inc/spe...ne/tariffs.asp

It uses O2's network however, so is not worth it if you find that your O2 coverage is crap.

Thanks for your help Matt D, that's really useful. Thanks to everyone else too.

I think I may make some enquiries regarding the O2 PAYG deal and buy an unlocked phone. I assume the phone comes with a SIM card? As I have heard that the new iPhone 4 is not compatible with normal SIM cards.

I will need to check the O2 signal in my area though because I used to be on Vodafone and it was rubbish so I changed to Orange which has been great. That was another reason for wanting to stay with Orange because I can actually speak to people on my mobile if I want to.

Please could somebody explain to me what the difference is between PAYG and SIM only if possible?

Right I've just checked network coverage for Orange and O2 for where I live just for comparison as my Orange signal at the moment is not too bad...

The signal on O2 is standard (best you can get is high). The signal on Orange (what I have currently) is good (best you can get is excellent). On that basis I would say they are probably pretty similar and therefore the O2 deals are seriously worth considering. Does that sound right?

The iPhone 4 takes micro SIMs.

If you get a phone on a Pay Monthly contract, you get a micro SIM with it.

If you buy one unlocked from Apple, you can get a micro SIM for a SIM only plan with it (e.g. O2's Simplicity), or you supply your own micro SIM if you have got one yourself from a Network.

O2 is not yet selling the phone itself PAYG, so if you wanted one on O2 PAYG you'd need to buy SIM free unlocked from Apple & get hold of a micro SIM from O2 (but I'm not sure how easy it is to get hold of one at the moment for PAYG, or if you're a new O2 customer... You'd need to check with O2).

Orange is selling it PAYG already, AFAIK, so should provide a micro SIM with the phone.


PAYG: The phone itself is not massively subsidised (PAYG iPhone 4 is only £20-30 cheaper than SIM Only), & you are not tied to any kind of contract. The phone is locked to a certain Network. You just top up a certain amount each month, via whichever top up method you choose. Depending on the PAYG plan, you may get certain allowances on top of your actual credit (e.g. £10 top up would give x SMS plus y MB on top of the actual credit).

SIM Only: The phone is unsubsidised, and also should be unlocked, but unlike PAYG you do have a contract... but it's a "SIM Only" contract, which is cheaper than a standard Pay Monthly contract because there's no subsidy to pay back. Networks tend to offer 30 day rolling and 12 month SIM Only plans. 30 day plans give the freedom to change if you want, while 12 month plans lock you in for longer but offer higher allowances or a lower monthly cost. You'll pay more than PAYG (e.g. £20 per month), but get more out of it.

Best way to see the difference is to look at the tariff links, and see how it varies depending on what you go for.

As always, the best to go for depends on your own usage and what you are willing and able to pay.


If your current phone is unlocked, another way to check reception would be to get a PAYG SIM for O2 (or any other Network you may want to try), and then just stick it in your phone and see how it does...OK, it'd cost you a fiver or whatever, but you'd get a better idea of reception than what some map claims.

Or ask friends/family what their reception is like if any of them use a different network to you in your area.

Thanks for the advice, still got a while to decide so am considering a few options at the moment.