Mobile phone...advice please...

Right, I'm absolutely useless  concerning mobile phone, I never bought one and the Ms is sending LOUD and CLEAR signals that this is something who HAS to be in the Xmas presents package this year....I know I'm early but I'm sure that they are few mobile phone experts on the forum and any advice would be really appreciate...

I already started to make some researches on the subject but it's a bit like learning to speak Chinese if you know what I mean.. so if any of you have suggestions of the like what to absolutely avoid.?..which ones have the best package.?..best covering.?..etc..1 conditions is, has to be pay as you go...

It might sound weird to ask you guys but like I said, I never bough one and in the shop I feel that they can see that i don't speak the language..   the last thing I want is her to open that present with a Oh..right..thanks babe... ..

Thanks in advance ladies and gents...

Will it be her first mobile phone mate? And how much roughly are you willing to spend? Do you know what sort of features she would like to have, such as playing songs or taking pictures? Or is it just a case of getting a phone and anything else that's included with it is a bonus?

Personally, I've always thought Nokia phones are good. From my experience they're simple to use, durable and you can pick up a decent pay as you go one from around £50, with features such as a camera and bluetooth.

Yup Nokias are good phones
Motorolas are quite complicated, especially for a first phone!
Sony Ericssons have the best cameras IMO.

As Kenny said it depends what you want it for really. And when you go to get one don't let them fool you into getting a contract if you don't want one.

Keep away from LG. Complete RUBBISH. (looks fancy tho..)

Keep away from LG. Complete RUBBISH. (looks fancy tho..)

Good point Watt. What are LG actually good at anyway other than having the same initials as Lloyd Grossman?

With regards to networks, as far as I'm concerned O2 are head & shoulders above when it comes to pay as you go, but to reap the most rewards everyone you know neds to be on O2 as well.

At the moment I only top up my phone with £15 a month. For this I get 500 text messages & 1mb of internet usage per month free of charge. On top of this I also get an O2 numbers bolt on which gives me 1000 minutes a month to O2 numbers for onl £5, half a penny a minute, still leaving me with £10 a month for calls to other networks which does me as most people I call are on O2. Every three months I get 10% back on all my top-ups, and as a little extra for nothing I also get a random 'treat' thrown in each month, usually something worth about £1 in free calls or texts etc. To me this is better than a contract, without the risk of doing what I do every time I get a contract, calling people for the sake of it & running up a large bill.

With regards to handsets, for me if you want one that will last I would go for a Nokia, but if you want one with lots of features I would go for a Sony Ericsson. As Nic said they tend to have better camera's, and they double up as an MP3 player with plenty of memory.

I have a contract phone with Vodafone.

Network coverage always very good.  I pay £35 a month but to be completely honest I don't know how many texts or minutes I get and unless I@ve been abroad my bill is always about £35.67 a month.

I'm not really a big mobile user to be completely honest.  I'm one of them typical men who can hang on till I get in the house, or it'll wait till I see you a week on Saturday, kinda guy.

I have a contract phone with Vodafone.

Network coverage always very good.  I pay £35 a month but to be completely honest I don't know how many texts or minutes I get and unless I@ve been abroad my bill is always about £35.67 a month.

I'm not really a big mobile user to be completely honest.  I'm one of them typical men who can hang on till I get in the house, or it'll wait till I see you a week on Saturday, kinda guy.

I'm on Orange who are excellent on contract but I was with 02 on Pay As You Go! Definitley the way to go if thats what you're after!

With regards to phone manufacturers, Sony Ericsson is by far the best option! Me mate got a Samsung on contract and is actually selling the phone (worth about £300, brand new) to get a Sony Ericsson, his is that bad!

Nokia's have started to slip recently apparently, and everyone I know who has at one point had a Sony Ericsson hasn't gone to anyone else when they've got new phones!

i once bought six mobile phones at one, they were really cheap
i put 3 in each pocket
and put them on vibrate,
i got my only mate to ring them all day
best day of my life

but i have sore gonads the next day, so i took them back and said they were a health and safety risk

 

Have you got kids if so take one with you and pick one you can understand and the kids can show you how simple it is to use,not one with all the mod cons just a basic
phone that lets you ring and accept calls and text nothing too comlicated,Good luck Cy.

My mate has just got an iPhone, he says you can not forward a message. Is this true?
Any one with an iPhone verify this or is it "user error".

My mate has just got an iPhone, he says you can not forward a message. Is this true?
Any one with an iPhone verify this or is it "user error".

Apparently this is true - although I don't have an iphone myself. But if you google 'forward a text message on an iphone', you'll get a good few results saying you can't.

Thanks, Apple sometimes are really dreadful.

Time for me to get a new mobile soon.  My contract is nearly up on my Samsung G800. The worst phone I have ever owned.

I was thinking iPhone, but I'm thinking of getting the Google G1 with T-Mobile.

Decisions decisions.

Sony Ericssons are great.

Sony Ericssons are great.

Totally agree, I've been using the Ericssons for a number of years now ( bar having the Samsung G600 for a VERY short period in the middle), have never had any problems with Ericsson phones and think i'll always stick with these ones.  Got the K770i at the moment and only got this one cos my boy broke the screen on my old phone, was looking for something cheap just until I can get my free upgrade in May but must say this is one of the best phones I've had.

Had a SE.  Hated it.

Won't be going back to them.

It's either Nokia, Apple or this HTC G1 phone.

I'm seriously considering switching from pay as you go to contract.

Reckon I'll be needing a new phone soon and I spend about 20 - 25 quid a month on pay as you go.

Just wondering if I'd get a decent phone on contract for that amount a month? I'm totally in the dark about this contract lark.

I'm seriously considering switching from pay as you go to contract.

Reckon I'll be needing a new phone soon and I spend about 20 - 25 quid a month on pay as you go.

Just wondering if I'd get a decent phone on contract for that amount a month? I'm totally in the dark about this contract lark.

£20-£25 you should get a good deal with that. Avoid the 12 month contracts as the phones you will be offered will be poor, also the 24 month contract is too long, (wish I took my own advice there), so it's an 18 month one. Personally I would go direct to the Network shops and not a 3rd party one, as you only deal with the main man, and not the lakey if anything goes wrong.
If you already have a decent 'phone and are willing to keep it, the Simplicity on O2 is great, contract but you can cancel it at any time from month to month, and you should get great deals with that.
But remember once you signed it bloody difficult/imposible to change either the phone or contract, so shop around and play with the phones in the shops alot. Make a list what you want the phone to do, Internet, Camera, games and MP3 etc. If you need a memory card which are cheaper and which fit inti which 'phones. Go to WHSmiths and look through "What Phone" those mags give good reviews. Go to the manufactures web sites and have a look what is coming up, there may be a 'phone out next month which is more to your liking than is what is on offer now.

£20-£25 you should get a good deal with that. Avoid the 12 month contracts as the phones you will be offered will be poor, also the 24 month contract is too long, (wish I took my own advice there), so it's an 18 month one. Personally I would go direct to the Network shops and not a 3rd party one, as you only deal with the main man, and not the lakey if anything goes wrong.
If you already have a decent 'phone and are willing to keep it, the Simplicity on O2 is great, contract but you can cancel it at any time from month to month, and you should get great deals with that.
But remember once you signed it bloody difficult/imposible to change either the phone or contract, so shop around and play with the phones in the shops alot. Make a list what you want the phone to do, Internet, Camera, games and MP3 etc. If you need a memory card which are cheaper and which fit inti which 'phones. Go to WHSmiths and look through "What Phone" those mags give good reviews. Go to the manufactures web sites and have a look what is coming up, there may be a 'phone out next month which is more to your liking than is what is on offer now.

Cheers RedPuppy, that was the sort of advice I was looking for mate.

No worries, glad to be of help. Remember that if internet is our bag this usually costs more on top of the contract. (except iPhone)

No worries, glad to be of help. Remember that if internet is our bag this usually costs more on top of the contract. (except iPhone)

So is the iphone the only one out there where internet is included in the contract and you get charged extra on the others out there?