Best mobile phone plans and/or companies?

Orange apparently has a PAYG option that includes free internet (note that their "unlimited" internet is actually 500mb/mo, but apparently I use 50mb/mo on average, and I use my 3G connection a fair amount). I don't know if their PAYG internet is 3G, but I'm on the 30-day contract Dolphin plan, and 3G works great. Worth a call, anyway.

oh cool, thanks. I saw that on their site, but that chart makes it look like only the Facebook access is free (and I don't use nor care about Facebook). So that's awesome if it's open internet usage (I never get close to using 500mb/month anyway). Thanks!

Edit: guh. Or not. A quick Google search shows that their "free internet" actually just means free access to facebook, Bevbo, and Myspace ONLY. What kind of BS false marketing is that?? (here's one link of many describing it[)

Edit: guh. Or not. A quick Google search shows that their "free internet" actually just means free access to facebook, Bevbo, and Myspace ONLY. What kind of BS false marketing is that?? (here's one link of many describing it[)

That's super lame. I wonder if you called and said you were considering swapping from O2 they'd change it? I called after I'd been with them a whole 40 days or something to say that I could get the same deal with O2 for £5 less/month, and they lowered my payment + gave me a bunch of free stuff and said I should call back again when I've been a customer longer because they'd have more options to offer me. Frankly, I was only expecting/hoping for a £5 knock off my monthly fee since I'm hardly a "loyal" customer after a month, so I was pleasantly surprised!

So can you take any phone and use it with any company? Like a iphone or blackberry? Or do certain companys only use certain phones? Because I saw on a previous reply that TMobile is supposed to get the iphone soon,  so if I had an iphone now can I use it with their sim card only plan? or a blackberry?

Do you have problems like this with O2, or are we just the unlucky ones?

I have no problems with my phone at all.  I have O2 obviously and never had an issue but honestly I barely ever "talk" on it but I do text and use the internet LOADS - more then most people should ;-)

I would email them and say sorry I think I need to leave do to lack of service.  I thought O" customer service was top notch when I emailed as I didnt have the right text plan and THEY apologized to ME and added 2 free months - I was floored.

Good luck!

So can you take any phone and use it with any company? Like a iphone or blackberry? Or do certain companys only use certain phones? Because I saw on a previous reply that TMobile is supposed to get the iphone soon,  so if I had an iphone now can I use it with their sim card only plan? or a blackberry?

Only if the phone itself is unlocked can you use it with any company.  Phones can still be locked to a network and only read SIM cards from that network...  If you buy a handset directly from the manufacturer generally they are sold unlocked and available to any network, but then not all manufacturers sell their handsets directly, hence the need to go to a set provider if you want that handset.  The only way you'd be able to use the SIM card only plan with the new iPhone is if you bought it directly from your provider (T-Mobile), but I have serious doubts that they'd be selling the iPhone without a contract.  However, if one came up on ebay or something like that you could buy the handset that way.

As of right now I don't believe Apple allow the iPhone to be unlocked.  I seem to remember this came up in a previous thread and someone went into details as to why you can't do it with the iPhone, but basically I remember it was a really bad idea to try.     (Sorry)

I am in the exact same situation as you - PAYG iPhone on O2, and their service is just so utterly horrible that I really want to switch to Orange (but I'm not seeing any options on Orange's site for doing iPhone PAYG without buying the phone from them!)...

Currently, Orange's SIM-Only plan for Iphone shows here:

http://shop.orange.co.uk/iphone/choose-sim-only-plan

It's £25 monthly - more than you want to pay.  Includes 600 minutes, unlimited texts, unlimited UK mobile internet browsing (750mb per month & not just Facebook), unlimited Wi-Fi.  (Not available for Iphone 4 yet.)

I think that perhaps since Orange has only had the Iphone since late last year, they may get more competitive with things on it as time goes on.  Hopefully.

At the moment anyway, we are a very loyal Orange household. The future's bright...  

(On July 1st, Orange & T Mobile will be part of the same company called Everything Everywhere, although they are keeping the two separate brand names, AFAIK.  Also, Orange is trialling HD Voice calling this summer - hoping for countrywide rollout later in the year.)

As of right now I don't believe Apple allow the iPhone to be unlocked.  I seem to remember this came up in a previous thread and someone went into details as to why you can't do it with the iPhone, but basically I remember it was a really bad idea to try.    (Sorry)

I believe in the UK, it's fine to have the phone unlocked (i.e. it can be used on multiple carriers), but it's still not OK (with Apple) to have it jailbroken (i.e. it has non-Apple apps on it and allows access to some of the OS features). I haven't kept up with the story in the US, I seem to remember hearing that AT&T wasn't going to stay the exclusive iPhone service provider but I'm not sure when that's ending.

I believe in the UK, it's fine to have the phone unlocked (i.e. it can be used on multiple carriers), but it's still not OK (with Apple) to have it jailbroken (i.e. it has non-Apple apps on it and allows access to some of the OS features). I haven't kept up with the story in the US, I seem to remember hearing that AT&T wasn't going to stay the exclusive iPhone service provider but I'm not sure when that's ending.

Ah, that must've been it with the apps.  I'm an Android user, so no real difference to me.   

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I'm going to have to bite the bullet and ring Orange and hope they keep to what they say on the phone.

So just to show I'm not exaggerating about how bad O2 is for me, my fiance tried to call me just now.
1. He rings me, I pick up. The call is terminated, with the hilarious error message "Call Failure: Call Failed". I took a screenshot of it!
2. I ring him back, and he can't hear me. I end the call.
3. He cals me again, and he can hear me for about 15 seconds (just long enough to get the "omg we can actually hear each other, what a concept!" out of the way) before a really loud buzzing sound comes on the line and he can barely hear me at all, so I have to shout "KEEP TALKING I CAN HEAR YOU JUST TELL ME WHAT YOU WANTED TO SAY ARRRGGHH" and he spits out his message before it becomes unbearable again.

See why I want to switch? 

My bf and I are looking to get 2 new iphones and Im wondering whether we should do PAYG or contract. We had iphones before we moved but didnt want the hassle of trying to unlock them and i wanted a new one anyway. We are here on student visas till 2012 so I can do an 18 month contract but I'm not sure if we would qualify. How stringent are there req for contracts? I sold cellphones in the US and for non residents it was pretty much impossible to get a phone so I wonder if the UK is the same. If so, who has the best iphone PAYG plan available? I really only use the internet and text. thanks!

My bf and I are looking to get 2 new iphones and Im wondering whether we should do PAYG or contract. We had iphones before we moved but didnt want the hassle of trying to unlock them and i wanted a new one anyway. We are here on student visas till 2012 so I can do an 18 month contract but I'm not sure if we would qualify. How stringent are there req for contracts? I sold cellphones in the US and for non residents it was pretty much impossible to get a phone so I wonder if the UK is the same. If so, who has the best iphone PAYG plan available? I really only use the internet and text. thanks!

I think Vodaphone is the one that carries the Iphone here. Also, getting a contract will be near impossible. The only way I got one is because we added a contract to my husbands account. I was even with T Mobile in the US for 10 years with no missed or late payment but they wont take that into consideration.

I think Vodaphone is the one that carries the Iphone here.

I believe that Vodafone was the last (so far) to the Iphone market here.  O2 was the original sole provider.  Then Orange started offering it, and now Vodafone as well.

Technically, T Mobile is part of the same company here now as Orange (the umbrella company is Everything Everywhere), although they are still keeping the separate brand names, for now.  So not sure but what T Mobile might be offering Iphone now as well?  Not sure on that, however.

Will probably be difficult to get a contract if you're new over here, with no credit history, so PAYG may be your option.  YMMV.  I'd check the various providers websites or go into the shops & chat to see what the going deals are to find the best one.

I've been in the UK for over 3 years now and mobile phone companies still seem to think I'm a credit risk, so my advice would've been to hang on to your old phones and try hard to get them unlocked.  As it sounds like you've already gotten rid of them, you're going to most likely be stuck with PAYG.

yeah holding on to the old phones was a no go. I had the original Iphone. Slower than molasses. I dont have a problem w/ paying a lot for the phones i just wondered if i could get them cheaper. Im thinking ill pay a little bit more and get them from Apple since they sell them unlocked for any carrier. That way once im home, i can go with whomever. just not sure who the best is for the plan...im leaning towards orange and 02. 02 is £15 and orange is £25 but orange gives you the 2-1 film tickets and more minutes and internet usage. sigh. so complicated.

I'm looking for a mobile phone -- to call, text, and something with a camera phone.  A basic type phone.  Does anyone know which phone company has a great international plan?  I've been looking at some and I've just been getting confused.  My hubby tells me to look for a monthly contract as opposed to a PAYG.  Can I get a phone for free and just pay for the monthly charges?  Or since I want one with an international plan will I just have to buy a SIM card and get a phone separately?  As I said I'm confused