Where can I get the best deal?

A couple of things to take into consideration; one of the reasons I tend to get a new phone at the end of a two year contract is that the batteries normally start to lose their ability to hold a charge, and can need charging a couple of times a day if you are a heavy user.

Also every network except O2 are introducing roaming charges if you take your phone abroad.

If you go with a third party deal that piggy backs one of the main providers' networks, the coverage isn't always as good.

I personally have just gone with an Affordable Mobiles deal on O2. The Samsung A53 offers 5G readiness, has a very good camera, and is a complete doddle to set up.

It's also new to the market, and seems to be bang up to date on the technology front.

JJsPix very true about the battery. With some phones (e.g. iPhones) it can be cost-effective to get them swapped, but I am not sure this always holds true.

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

Edited by Unfocussed Mike

Rob Stanley said

Sim only or phone & sim contract from Tesco Mobile.. cheaper than GiffGaff and Tescos prices are fixed for the duration of your contract.

And if you have ClubCard Plus - you get double data on the primary phone

S10 battery replacement costs £60 or so

FiL said

Just remembered, I found my deal on this site:

https://www.affordablemobiles.co.uk/

Edited by FiL

Thanks for this link :)

JJsPix said

A couple of things to take into consideration; one of the reasons I tend to get a new phone at the end of a two year contract is that the batteries normally start to lose their ability to hold a charge, and can need charging a couple of times a day if you are a heavy user.

Also every network except O2 are introducing roaming charges if you take your phone abroad.

If you go with a third party deal that piggy backs one of the main providers' networks, the coverage isn't always as good.

I personally have just gone with an Affordable Mobiles deal on O2. The Samsung A53 offers 5G readiness, has a very good camera, and is a complete doddle to set up.

It's also new to the market, and seems to be bang up to date on the technology front.

Networks which piggy back the 02 network don’t get;  4G calling/VoLTE or  Wi-Fi calling, which is no great loss as it’s flaky at the best of times or data rollover..  Overall coverage, upload & download speeds are exactly the same as 02.  02 WILL keep hiking the prices up during the period of contract though, whereas with tesco mobile the price is fixed for your contract period.

Rob Stanley said

JJsPix said

A couple of things to take into consideration; one of the reasons I tend to get a new phone at the end of a two year contract is that the batteries normally start to lose their ability to hold a charge, and can need charging a couple of times a day if you are a heavy user.

Also every network except O2 are introducing roaming charges if you take your phone abroad.

If you go with a third party deal that piggy backs one of the main providers' networks, the coverage isn't always as good.

I personally have just gone with an Affordable Mobiles deal on O2. The Samsung A53 offers 5G readiness, has a very good camera, and is a complete doddle to set up.

It's also new to the market, and seems to be bang up to date on the technology front.

Networks which piggy back the 02 network don’t get;  4G calling/VoLTE or  Wi-Fi calling, which is no great loss as it’s flaky at the best of times or data rollover..  Overall coverage, upload & download speeds are exactly the same as 02.  02 WILL keep hiking the prices up during the period of contract though, whereas with tesco mobile the price is fixed for your contract period.

Very true, but you pay more per month with Tesco (£24 pcm as opposed to £21.95pcm), get less data (25 gb as opposed to 35) and it's a 36 month contract as opposed to 24. If you take the Affordable Mobile deals on offer.

Those Tesco prices are also only available to clubcard holders.

I didn't go too deeply into sim only deals but Tesco didn't seem to be that good on those either. It seems as though if you want more than 6gb of data, you have to go for their unlimited deal, which adds an additional £20pcm. That would take the price of their sim only deals over what you would pay for a phone and data package.

Apart from that, as I say in my original submission, using an old phone with a sim only deal isn't as straightforward as you might imagine.

If getting a battery replaced costs about £60, you might as well get a new phone, in my opinion. But that is only my view.

And it is possible to change a battery yourself, providing you have some basic manipulative skills. That might be a decent option for some.

Fairphone 4: ethically sourced components, 5G enabled, 48 mpx front camera, repairable! (back flips off to replace the battery or any of the modules, eg. new screen costs £70 and is user replaceable)

anagliff said

Fairphone 4: ethically sourced components, 5G enabled, 48 mpx front camera, repairable! (back flips off to replace the battery or any of the modules, eg. new screen costs £70 and is user replaceable)

Sounds like a good idea. But I couldn't find any network deals with it.

It seems as though you have to buy the phone then use a sim with it? It looks as though it is ethical, but at rather a price.

I stopped automatically getting a new phone every time a contract expired.
I went contractless sim with giffgaff and held on to my existing phone. when it stops working i'll consider changing it (and i'll never do a contract again).

I absolutely don't - nor does anyone else really - need a new phone every 2 years (what will it do that the current one can't and is that worth £1500?) and this ownership model being so prevalent is really destructive imo.

JJsPix said

anagliff said

Fairphone 4: ethically sourced components, 5G enabled, 48 mpx front camera, repairable! (back flips off to replace the battery or any of the modules, eg. new screen costs £70 and is user replaceable)

Sounds like a good idea. But I couldn't find any network deals with it.

It seems as though you have to buy the phone then use a sim with it? It looks as though it is ethical, but at rather a price.

it's not expensive as phones go at all - if you want to save money buy your mobile outright and £6 a month sim-only contract

outright...
fairphone 256GB: £569
iphone 13 pro 256GB: £1,149

with contract...
fairphone + giffgaff £10/mo for 24 months : total cost =  £800ish
iphone + vodafone 24mo contract deal : total cost = £1200-1400ish

Fraser_S said

I stopped automatically getting a new phone every time a contract expired.
I went contractless sim with giffgaff and held on to my existing phone. when it stops working i'll consider changing it (and i'll never do a contract again).

I absolutely don't - nor does anyone else really - need a new phone every 2 years (what will it do that the current one can't and is that worth £1500?) and this ownership model being so prevalent is really destructive imo.

Fraser_S said

JJsPix said

anagliff said

Fairphone 4: ethically sourced components, 5G enabled, 48 mpx front camera, repairable! (back flips off to replace the battery or any of the modules, eg. new screen costs £70 and is user replaceable)

Sounds like a good idea. But I couldn't find any network deals with it.

It seems as though you have to buy the phone then use a sim with it? It looks as though it is ethical, but at rather a price.

it's not expensive as phones go at all - if you want to save money buy your mobile outright and £6 a month sim-only contract

outright...
fairphone 256GB: £569
iphone 13 pro 256GB: £1,149

with contract...
fairphone + giffgaff £10/mo for 24 months : total cost =  £800ish
iphone + vodafone 24mo contract deal : total cost = £1200-1400ish

I do get it. And with the Fairphone, it is easy to upgrade due to its modular design when necessary.

But it is pricey for what it is. I also think that you are not comparing like with like.

The Fairphone falls into the "affordable phone" category, whereas the iphone represents the very top of the range phone (and is, in my view about as unethical as you can get).

To do a reasonable comparison, you need to compare it to other affordable phones. In my case, I've just gone for the Samsung A53. at £21.95 pcm for 24 months. No up front cost. Unlimited minutes, and texts plus 35gb of data. £526.80.

I must confess that the constant changing of phones is a bit of a "shiny new thing" syndrome. I doubt that I will go for another new phone. But then I quite like poking around things and trying to repair them. I'm hoping that a battery change won't be that difficult.

I would just say though that if £70 for a new screen is typical for the pricing of parts for the Fairphone, I would begin to look askance at the true ethics behind the phone.