Choosing The Right Mobile And Network For You (Buyers Guide: Mobile Phones)

Member Name: TUVOK

Product:	Buyers Guide: Mobile Phones
Date:	23/12/01 (950 review reads)
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Advantages: Choice

Disadvantages: Can be confusing

I work in mobile phones, have previously worked for a Mobile Billing Company, and I currently work in network services for one of the major networks. I hope I can contribute some useful Information for those looking for advice. To get the best package I would recommend first choosing the network, then phone, then the tariff you will be paying, as explained in more detail below. This op has been updated 6.4.02.

Which Network?

There are 4 networks in this country, Orange, Vodaphone, Cellnet O2(it will be called just O2 soon, which is the new name for BT Cellnet which is now independent of BT) and One 2 One. The first 3 have similar amounts of customers and coverage with one 2 one lagging a little behind in terms of customers and amount of population covered. They all claim to cover 98% (1-2-1) or for the others, 99% of the population, however, dont be fooled by this, as in terms of actual LANDMASS in the uk, its around 85%. Other Networks such as Genie, Virgin,Fresh, use one of the main networks for their customers (Genie use Cellnet O2, Fresh Use 1 2 1 and Virgin use 1 2 1).

Firstly, when buying a phone, the main choice is prepay or contract? Prepay have become very expensive within the last few months, prices of handsets have in some cases doubled as all four networks have begun promoting contracts as a better option, this is partly so that they can gain more money from contract payers as there is a guaranteed monthly line rental that they receive whether the customer uses the phone or not. The money is needed to help them pay for the next generation of networks and phones after they shelled out billions for the rights to the next generation in mobiles in a few years. As a rough guide, If you are using a mobile for upto 15 minutes a week then a prepay option may be better. If longer than this then the value of a 12 month contract with inclusive minutes in exchange for a monthly line rental may be better value. Its important to choos
e a network which offers good coverage in your area and one which most of your friends are on, as calling people on the same network as you is far cheaper. (but see "which tariff" section below which I have updated)

Each network has its black spots of coverage and there is not really one best network, it depends on where you use the phone.

To get an idea of coverage in your area the best thing is to either get hold of each networks main number and call them with your postcode and ask them for a coverage check. Alternatively, one of the mobile high street retailers will often do this for you. Of the high street retailers, I would recommend the carphone warehouse for choice and independent advice. They offer all networks and do not promote one over the other. Here is a list of other High street retailers and the Networks that they are owned by:

THE LINK- 40%Owned By Cellnet O2 - Dont offer Vodaphone

PHONES 4 U - Owned by Vodaphone.

Mobile Phone Stores -Owned By Cellnet O2 and only offer Cellnet O2

DX - Owned by Cellnet O2.

Pocket Phone Shop- owned by 121.

Vodaphone and Orange also have their own shops which as you can imagine, only offer their own products.


So as you can see by going into one of these stores its possible that they will try and set you up with the network which owns the shop, not always a good thing. I find that the carphone warehouse are the best in terms of independent advice as well as general good customer service.

Price

Its a fact that if you want to go abroad then its far cheaper to do so with a contract phone than prepay - expect to pay between £1 and £3 on prepay for making and receiving a call! You still pay for receiving a call when abroad but the charges are much cheaper on contract, especially as there are extra add ons that for a small charge(£3 approx a month) you can make and receive calls at vastly reduced rates. As
an example, Cellnet O2 have international Traveller service which, within Europe reduces incoming calls from 94p/min to around 28p/minute. Outgoing calls are also reduced and its best to ask each network about their pricing before signing up if you are going abroad. Cellnet O2 and Vodaphone have agreements with more countries than 121 and Orange at the moment and have done for some time, although the others are slowly catching up. If you want to travel to the USA or Canada you will need a Tri band Phone or one that works on the 1900 mhz frequency. Most phones are dual band and work on 900mhz (Cellnet O2 and Vodaphone cellsites) and 1800 mhz (Orange and 121 cellsites). The phones will usually only make use the "other" frequency when abroad. Cellnet O2 and Voda do have a few 1800mhz cellsites though in the UK.

WHICH PHONE
Check out latest Pictures/models/news/reviews online at independent site www.gsmarena.com or here on dooyoo! For cheaper offers on phones you can buy directly over the net, some places to buy are www.mobileshop.com, www.mobilerepublic.com, www.extele.com, www.carphonewarehouse.com


As a rule, you will find that Cellnet O2 And Vodaphone offer more phones and at a slightly cheaper price than Orange and One 2 One, I dont really know why this is, probably has something to do with phone companies agreements to supply the networks. Cellnet O2 and Vodaphone have been around for longer so I presume they are higher in the pecking order. Orange and 121 tend to get the phone much later so if you want the latest phone go for BT Cellnet or Vodaphone. When choosing a handset the main points are: size/weight/looks/ease of use/reliabilty/signal strength. Phones with external aerials are generally better at holding onto a signal than those with internal aerials. Lithium batteries are best as you can charge them everyday without getting "memory effect" which can occur in Nimh or Nicad batteries which you are only supp
osed to charge when they are flat. With Lithium you can just charge for an hour each day/night and always have the phone ready, you can do this with the other types but this may result in the battery not lasting as long. generally Nimh battries lose their charge power gradually after a year, Lithium last longer. The best thing to do when buying your phone is to look on the web or in shops for the model you like, read up on the reviews for it and then go and try it put instore, most retailers are more than happy to let you compare phones this way, after all its your money and you will probably be using the phone for a year at least, so take the chance to have a go instore, even if you dont buy.

Nokia phones are probably the most popular still, simply because they are very easy to use, have loads of good features and are very pocketable with no external aerials to bulge out of your bag/pocket. This can mean that in areas of poor reception the signal will not be as good. Also with many of their phones you can change the cover if the phone gets scratched or you fancy a change. Predictive text allows you to send sms messages very quickly and although other manufacturers are including this more in their phones, its not as good as the version used by Nokia.


Motorola are U.S based. Their phones are reliable/Durable but have been known to be somewhat more difficult to use. No replaceable covers . They dont have T9 predictive text input but use their own version called Itap which takes longer to use.


Ericssons are considered to be easier than Motorola but harder than Nokia to use. Most Ericssons dont have predictive sms although the latest models do although its worth testing out before you buy. Sony handsets have a "jog dial" which is a wheel used to scroll and select options by pushing it in and out. Some people love this, others hate it. Personally I dont like it as you have to use your left hand for the jog dial and n
eed your other hand also to use the phone. Sony and Ericsson have now merged to become SonyEricsson.



Most new models have WAP and GPRS which means you can view text based web pages. I dont find this much use myself, its slow and even with the new GPRS phones which offer faster access its only good for those who are really addicted to stocks and shares/news/weather on the move. Its a bit of a novelty for most people which soon wears off. The main reason for most people buying a mobile is to make calls and send text messages. There are many phones and its best to go into a shop to check their size, weight, looks, feel before you buy. This is especially the case if buying from an online retailer.



WHICH TARIFF
This is a very important area and one where many people make a mistake, they choose a tariff then get their bill and realise its not the right one for them, tariffs are always changing and there are many different ones which makes it difficult to choose the right one. The good thing is that you can almost always change to a more suitable tariff if you are not happy with the one you are on. For example one tariff may offer loads of free off peak/weekend minutes but charge a small fortune for peak rate calls while another may offer less free minutes but have lower daytime call charges. Its best to get a list of all current tariffs which you can get in magazines such "what Mobile" "what cellphone" and "mobile Choice" which are around £3-4 each and can be found at WHSMITH or a carphone warehouse brochure (which is free) these also give reviews and information on the various phones available. Then you can sit at home and look at what each one offers and make an informed decision rather than be sold a package by a sales rep who may only be interested in commission. Tariffs are Split into 3 main areas, off peak/low use for those who dont want to use their phones much and usually make calls at
evenings and weekends. Expect to pay between £13 and £15 a month for these. In terms of free inclusive minutes, Orange everyday 50 is one of the most popular at 50p/day (around £15/month) rental for 50 free off peak mins a day. 121 Have just introduced a tariff with unlimited off peak minutes (although its actually limited to 3000 minutes which is 50 hours-PLENTY! This costs £20 month.

Medium use/Peak and Offpeak user tariffs range in price from £15 to £40 a month. High user/Business tariff range from £13.99 a month with no free inclusive mins but low rate calls, to Orange "talk 10000" which gives 10000 fre minutes at a cost of £940/month. This used by large businesses.
One more advantage of getting a contract phone certainly with Cellnet O2 is that at the end of the contract if you want to disconnect then they will usually offer you some excellent deals to stay with them. You often get the chance of a new phone and a "pay upfront" package where you pay a lump sum in advance which covers the whole line rental for the next year. eg instead of paying £18/month line rental you pay £79.99 for the whole year. This means big savings for you. The network will also offer 20% reduction on call rates after the first year or £2.50 off line rental, I am sure that each network will have its own incentives and offers. As of this update (7th April 2002) 121 and Orange currently offer a Consumer Monthly tariff which includes 100 free minutes to any network, its £25 a month on 121 and £30 on Orange which gives 200 mins to any network, On 22nd of April I can reveal that Cellnet O2 are introducing a new range of Tariffs which Include bundled mins to ANY network, prices will start at £15/month for O2-30, 30 mins to anyone, £18 for O2-50,50 mins to anyone and 25 free sms or £25 for O2-100 which gives 100 mins to anyone and 100 free sms. The other Networks may follow this by introducing their own similar tariffs.


Personally I
have always used Cellnet O2 and have always had good coverage where I live In Leeds, and I currently use Nokia 8210 which I find very easy to use and pocketable. Happy Hunting!

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