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Getting an iPhone - advice please |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 309
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Getting an iPhone - advice please
I want to get an iPhone 4 on Vodafone to replace my current phone (I'm using pay as you go on Vodafone) and also keep my current number. I really want to get it asap as I'm going away for a week next Saturday and want it before then. Sorry if any of this sounds silly, I'm getting a bit confused trying to work out what the best and cheapest option is.
I was going to get the £25 per month 2 year contract but then realised that the Vodafone "freebees" with pay as you go let you have free texts and internet at better value than the contract every time you top up (even though the handset would cost more, I'd work out paying less altogether). What I want to know is: 1. Is this "freebees" thing reliable? Would it be a worthwhile better option than a contract? 2. If I bought an iPhone handset from anywhere, would I be able to just put my current pay as you go sim card into that and then get the "freebee" internet and texts or would I have to get a new one plus sim card from Vodafone and then migrate (or whatever it's called) to keep my number? Sorry for a long and complicated post but is anyone able to help? Thanks in advance for any advice!
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#2 |
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Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 298
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Don't do it!!!
Firstly the iPhone is crap, I've seen the light. I've had both the 2G (first one) and the 3G S, iPhones including the iPhone4 have nothing on the latest Androids (I currently have the HTC Desire and planning on upgrading to the Motorola Atrix in June). If you still want an iPhone wait until June/July for the iPhone 5, you'll be gutted if you sign a 2 year contract will what is soon to be the 'old' model. If you are still wanting to get one before the newer version don't go for the Vodafone deal, it's awful by comparison to others offerings like 3 (Three Network): The Vodafone contract you mention £25PM for 24 months only gives 75 minutes, 250 texts and 500MB data and you have to pay £269 for the phone. This works out at £600 in line rental over the 24 months and £269 up front for the phone - Contract Cost = £869 Three on the other hand have 2 contract deals that work out cheaper than Voda with more mins, texts and data. Deal 1 300mins, 5000texts and 500MB data for £30PM and £99 upfront for the phone. This works out at £720 in line rental over the 24 months and £99 for the phone - Contract Cost £819. £50 Cheaper and more benefits Deal 2 500mins, 5000texts and 1GB data for £30PM and £149 upfront for the phone. This works out at £720 in line rental over the 24 months and £99 for the phone - Contract Cost £869. Same price as Voda but more benefits. Personally if I were in your shoes and intent on having an iPhone right now, I would buy it out right and get a sim only 30 day rolling contract. This is what i have at the moment with Virgin Mobile. 500 Mins, 3000 texts and 1GB data £15.32 Hope this helps |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Scotland
Posts: 15,714
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Quote:
Don't do it!!!
Firstly the iPhone is crap, I've seen the light. I've had both the 2G (first one) and the 3G S, iPhones including the iPhone4 have nothing on the latest Androids (I currently have the HTC Desire and planning on upgrading to the Motorola Atrix in June). If you still want an iPhone wait until June/July for the iPhone 5, you'll be gutted if you sign a 2 year contract will what is soon to be the 'old' model. For starters the OP wasn't asking wether or not they should get an iPhone, they have already made up their mind on that. To say the iPhone is crap is completely subjective. IMHO I think android is crap; any of my mates who have one have issues with crashing and battery life and this is with so called top of the range handsets such as the Galaxy and Desire, but again that's just my opinion and I certainly wouldn't tell someone who wants an android phone to "Don't do it!!!" as it's there decision and no one else's. I do however agree that waiting until the iPhone 5 comes out isn't a bad idea but the iPhone 4 will still have a couple of years of OS upgrades so buying now wouldn't be the end of the world. |
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#4 |
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Guest
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,651
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What a load of shit!
If you like your phone all wrapped up in Apple's lovely rules and restrictions or you just wanna be one of the herd then get an iPhone. a new version is due soon... wait for it, or even better give Apple more money buy an iphone 4.0 now and in a few months time pay for a whole new handset with minor tweaks. |
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#5 |
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Guest
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,651
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freebees are grand.. if you buy a phone be it iphone or other as long as it's unlocked or on vodafone you can shove your current sim in it and carry on on vodafone pay as you go.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Manchester
Posts: 1,225
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Quote:
Firstly the iPhone is crap
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the iPhone4 have nothing on the latest Androids
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If you still want an iPhone wait until June/July for the iPhone 5, you'll be gutted if you sign a 2 year contract will what is soon to be the 'old' model.
This is a much fairer point, without so much of the 'anti-Apple' bias: Quote:
I do however agree that waiting until the iPhone 5 comes out isn't a bad idea but the iPhone 4 will still have a couple of years of OS upgrades so buying now wouldn't be the end of the world.
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If you are still wanting to get one before the newer version don't go for the Vodafone deal, it's awful by comparison to others offerings like 3 (Three Network)
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Personally if I were in your shoes and intent on having an iPhone right now, I would buy it out right and get a sim only 30 day rolling contract.
I can't believe it took one bloody post to turn this into an iPhone vs Android thread! The OP asked a question, if you can't help out without pointlessly spewing out your own opinion as fact, then don't bother! In attempt to answer your question Electroflower (apologies for the rant!): Quote:
1. Is this "freebees" thing reliable? Would it be a worthwhile better option than a contract?
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2. If I bought an iPhone handset from anywhere, would I be able to just put my current pay as you go sim card into that and then get the "freebee" internet and texts or would I have to get a new one plus sim card from Vodafone and then migrate (or whatever it's called) to keep my number?
However, your current sim will not fit as it uses a micro sim. You will need to get a new 'micro sim' off Vodafone (this will simply move your entire account over to the micro sim - it is not a port, but a 'sim swap'). They 'should' do this free. Check with customer services to be sure. The other option is to cut the sim to size yourself to fit the iPhone. There are templates on the net and I have done it myself and found it pretty easy. Note, if your sim card is old (years and years) it might not be 3G, so in that case it would be worth getting it replaced anyway. |
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Posts: 7,255
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Amazing! 4 and a half posts of iOS vs android peeing contest crap and then finally someone answers the OP's questions
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Manchester
Posts: 1,225
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Quote:
Amazing! 4 and a half posts of iOS vs android peeing contest crap and then finally someone answers the OP's questions
It does annoy me that people seem to turn nearly every question into an 'x vs. y' debate though! This was particularly annoying as the poor OP didn't even get their question answered, before the thread got hijacked. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Preston, Lancashire
Posts: 7,255
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Quote:
In fairness there was only 2-3 posts that were an "iOS vs android peeing contest" lol.
It does annoy me that people seem to turn nearly every question into an 'x vs. y' debate though! This was particularly annoying as the poor OP didn't even get their question answered, before the thread got hijacked. ). Least the OP has got an answer to their questions from your post, though I wouldn't be surprised if they have run a mile now anyway
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 270
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it's this kind of petty rivalry that made me give up the forum last year, (albeit on the apple/windows side) begining to wonder why i came back!
To the OP, i would have a look at what 3 have to offer, check your area for coverage though as the 2g signal is virtually non existent now. Also i would advise a contract with a new phone rather than a second hand one, then you will be covered by apple care. Smart phones can be expensive if they go wrong!
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: London
Posts: 309
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Haha, what have I started? ![]() I haven't run a mile, I was aware that some people may advise me against Apple/iPhones, to be honest, because I know their products aren't always as flexible etc and don't suit everyone. I like Apple products though, they're good quality and seem to suit me. I wanted something that would sync directly with my iTunes as I'm going to be using the music player quite a lot. I'm also excited by the crazy apps you can get for the iPhone like the new Fairlight synth one. I'm probably too impatient to wait for the iPhone 5 to be honest, I doubt the small improvements it will have will make much difference to me. The reason I wanted Vodafone is because I've used it for a long time and it seems to have good network coverage where I live compared to some other networks (all my family changed to vodafone because of this). It's true that the 3 deals are much better though (inc the pay as you go one) so I'm wondering whether to go for that instead now. On their network map thing, it looks like my area is covered but there is a small patch quite nearby where there's no signal. Not sure what to do... Quote:
If you buy an unlocked iPhone (i.e. direct from Apple) or a Vodafone locked iPhone this will be fine for what you need. Thanks for your advice However, your current sim will not fit as it uses a micro sim. You will need to get a new 'micro sim' off Vodafone (this will simply move your entire account over to the micro sim - it is not a port, but a 'sim swap'). They 'should' do this free. Check with customer services to be sure. The other option is to cut the sim to size yourself to fit the iPhone. There are templates on the net and I have done it myself and found it pretty easy. Note, if your sim card is old (years and years) it might not be 3G, so in that case it would be worth getting it replaced anyway. So if I order a pay as you go iPhone either from 3 or Vodafone (depending on which network I decide to use), then I'll get the new micro sim that I need with it? Sounds like I should get a new one as my current sim is very old (at least 10 years I think).Will I then be able to migrate and still use my old number for the new phone (whether it's Vodafone or 3?) |
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 3,636
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Quote:
Haha, what have I started?
![]() I haven't run a mile, I was aware that some people may advise me against Apple/iPhones, to be honest, because I know their products aren't always as flexible etc and don't suit everyone. I like Apple products though, they're good quality and seem to suit me. I wanted something that would sync directly with my iTunes as I'm going to be using the music player quite a lot. I'm also excited by the crazy apps you can get for the iPhone like the new Fairlight synth one. I'm probably too impatient to wait for the iPhone 5 to be honest, I doubt the small improvements it will have will make much difference to me. The reason I wanted Vodafone is because I've used it for a long time and it seems to have good network coverage where I live compared to some other networks (all my family changed to vodafone because of this). It's true that the 3 deals are much better though (inc the pay as you go one) so I'm wondering whether to go for that instead now. On their network map thing, it looks like my area is covered but there is a small patch quite nearby where there's no signal. Not sure what to do... Thanks for your advice So if I order a pay as you go iPhone either from 3 or Vodafone (depending on which network I decide to use), then I'll get the new micro sim that I need with it? Sounds like I should get a new one as my current sim is very old (at least 10 years I think).Will I then be able to migrate and still use my old number for the new phone (whether it's Vodafone or 3?) Enjoy it.
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Manchester
Posts: 1,225
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Quote:
The reason I wanted Vodafone is because I've used it for a long time and it seems to have good network coverage where I live compared to some other networks (all my family changed to vodafone because of this). It's true that the 3 deals are much better though (inc the pay as you go one) so I'm wondering whether to go for that instead now. On their network map thing, it looks like my area is covered but there is a small patch quite nearby where there's no signal. Not sure what to do...
Quote:
Thanks for your advice
So if I order a pay as you go iPhone either from 3 or Vodafone (depending on which network I decide to use), then I'll get the new micro sim that I need with it? Sounds like I should get a new one as my current sim is very old (at least 10 years I think).Will I then be able to migrate and still use my old number for the new phone (whether it's Vodafone or 3?) If you move to 3, you need to request a PAC code from Voda customer services to give to 3. 3 will then port your number over to your new 3 sim within a couple of days. At this point your Voda sim and any credit you had on it is dead. If you want to stay with Voda, you will need to get your sim swapped to a micro sim (this isn't the same as porting as your entire account [except any contacts and messages as they are stored locally on the sim] gets moved to the new sim.) If you buy from the store, they should be able to sort this for you when you purchase. Sim swaps are much faster than porting and usually happen within about an hour, if not instantly (although they can take up to 24 hours - not likely!) Not sure on the pay as you go upgrade process with Voda - you probably know better than me! Do they force you to topup with a purchase when you upgrade? Can you topup your old sim? Or does the topup have to go on a new sim? |
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#14 |
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Guest
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,519
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Quote:
Thanks for your advice
So if I order a pay as you go iPhone either from 3 or Vodafone (depending on which network I decide to use), then I'll get the new micro sim that I need with it? Sounds like I should get a new one as my current sim is very old (at least 10 years I think)
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Scotland
Posts: 568
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If your thinking of buying a pay as you go iPhone, then maybe you would be best buying an unlocked iPhone from apple and that will give you the flexability with any network pay as you go or sim only deals that suit you.
I think it's £510 off Apple for a 16GB sim free. |
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). Least the OP has got an answer to their questions from your post, though I wouldn't be surprised if they have run a mile now anyway