I have never had a contract phone before and I was wondering about how best to do it. I know phone shops that you don't get a cooling off period so you can try the phone properly.

I was thinking it could be better to order a phone online through a network directly, so that I could have a cooling off period.

What about using a website such as mobiles.co.uk or just going in-store to the carphone warehouse instead?

The carphone warehouse seem to do all of the major networks.

I wouldn't need a lot of minutes as I text more.

I have been looking at both touch screen and qwerty keyboard phones. If I choose a touch screen it would need to be at least 3.5 inches and no bigger than 4.3 inches.

I would like to be about to read text on-screen clearly.

The touch screen phones I have been looking at are:

HTC HD7
HTC Desire HD
HTC trophy
HTC Mozart
Samsung Galaxy S

The Qwerty Keyboard phones are:

Nokia E5
Blackberry Torch
Blackbery 9780

I have seen the HTC Desire HD on a T-Mobile 24 Month Contract
Upfront Cost - £90.

Any comments/advice?

Thanks in advance.

You get cooling off period through carphone warehouse stores, phones 4u stores and vodafone stores for certain

Not by law you don't so it's worth asking the question before signing your name in the shop.
If you want a legal cooling off period, order online or by phone.

Well it is legally binding its in the contract terms and conditions

I'm sure that (in-store) phones4U make you tick a box to say you understand that there is no cooling off period.

They definitely do them......maybe its just certain networks