Mobile Phone network choice.

[DogsiWoo]

Hey guys,

I've just been bought an O2 XDAIIi because of my GCSE results, and because it's an XDA, it's gonna be locked to O2. It should arrive Wednesday (Darned Bank holiday!) and I am wondering which network would be best for it? I'm on Virgin PAYG with a Samsung C100 (Dropped only 3 times, last drop was about a year ago.) at the mo and find I recieve texts sometimes hours late, I get a bad signal (If I get one at all!) at work and in my house, so I would want to change. My sister is on O2 PAYG (Motorola V620) and she says they are bad becuase her phone switches off and she misses calls and sometimes texts, but considering her phones gets dropped about 6 times a day (No joke.) I would say it is just the phone that is damaged and not the network being bad? Is it worth unlocking it to another network? If so, what do you guys think?

Cheers,

Karl

[asteroid]

dropping the phone isnt going to do it much good.

I have found leaving phone on 24/7 seems to cause little software bugs to appear, like the phone wont respond to incoming calls or texts, so turning it off sometimes like when you go to bed is good idea. BTW, this has happened with my Motorola RAZR V3, a V525 and a V60i

[asteroid]

btw who actually makes the O2 XDA? prob best if you find a web site or forum directly for it, if its unlocked or the firmware updated (do this with great care) you might find some extra features that some providers 'castrate' with phones that have the service provider's badging all over the software.

[Taxation]

i got a tesco phone,because i get a discount,then got it unlocked to go onto 02 ,because all my numbers were on an 02 sim, and couldnt be bothered to change :D

[DogsiWoo]

Asteroid: I don't like my phone on overnight as I find it pointless tbh, so I guess that may point more to Virgin being a bad network then. It seems Motorolas have a tendency to do that ort of thing that my sister is experiencing then?

On the point of who makes the XDA, I'm not sure, as it looks like it's a standard(ish) model that gets rebranded by the network. I seem to remember reading somewhere on the net in the last day or two that the mainboards are manufactured by the same company that manufactures the circuitboards in HP/Compaq Ipaqs. The phone isn't unlocked, as far as I know it is still on O2. What's the chances of bricking the phone when trying to unlock it?

Tax: What phone did you get? And what's the O2 network like?

[djgandy]

O2 and Orange are by far the best. They have been for a long time in my opinion.
I have tried T-Mob and Virgin (same thing basically) in the past and the signal was very poor even in very built up areas. Plus their call charges are high and plans are rubbish! Also a few people i have spoken to in the past few weeks happen to use virgin. What do they always complain about? Have a guess.

The best PAYG option is the o2 free sim with 300txt's.

If you are going contract, pic O2 or Orange, both offer good packages. Vodaphone have pretty decent too, not sure how competitive their contracts are though.

Avoid T-Mob/Virgin for the above mentioned signal reasons.

There is also 3, and unless you use that **** don't bother. I wouldn't bother anyway. I have the internet for all that stuff. If i'm out and about doing something then thats what im doing. I can't think of the scenario where i think to myself, "I must drive to the middle of nowhere and look up some 3G content"

[djgandy]

Has just looked at post date! :oops:

I haven't been on here for a long time!

[DogsiWoo]

I actually ran out of credit (finally) on my Virgin sim, so I put in an o2 PAYG 300 free texts sim that my sister got with her phone and sim. The signal does seem better, and the free texts do come in handy!

[Nox]

T-Mobile Web n Walk - need I say more :)

Nox

[djgandy]

T-Mobile Web n Walk - need I say more :)

Nox

hah, i forgot about that. Thats the only reason i'd get one ;)

[Midget]

sorry if this is a bit late but i'm an xda (actually made by HTC) enthusiast, i suggest you take a look at http://www.xda-developers.com, just a bit of advice, please dont like it when a newbie posts 'help me' or along those lines as we have spent many hours creating a wiki that shoudl awnser most questions about your phone, so my advice is to read that first :D

(vodafone ftw)

[DogsiWoo]

I have actually used xda forums. It's a great community. The amount of software the users develop for free is great :D

[Midget]

what's your nick there? mine is Midget_1990, i'm currently working on the WM5 build for the blueangel device, maimach (you must have heard of him, he makes all the big discoveries :P) has just found a hack that makes our devices faster than they were in 2003se and than most nativ wm5 phones so i'm over the moon right now :D

[DogsiWoo]

Same as here, and everywhere for that matter buddy - DogsiWoo :P

I thought WM5 couldn't run on the XDAII? Or was it just a problem that this hack gets around?

Also, what have you got? I have the Alpine.

[Midget]

i have a Blueangel, and yes there is no wm5 release for any wm2003 phones, btu that doesnt mean we can't hack one into working :P

[David T]

I recently changed from O2 to Virgin, which was a mistake. The service has dropped by quite a bit, the credit control was pants and the texts would sometimes arrive a few days late.

It even let me write a big long text, send it, then text me back saying it wasn't going to deliver it because I had insufficient credit, the cheeky thing.

[G-Man]

T-Mobile is by far the best in any other country. It has an amazing agreement and contracts with foreign mobile coms providers. In the UK not so good.


O2 has always been a pet favorite. I like how they do things.

Vodafone for signal in wierd areas where you think you might not get it,. Vodafone were the first mobile comms providers I came accross that hid their aerials in trees!!

Virgin, they are getting better. You get some nice deals accross the whole of the virgin group.

[gwendes]

O2
Definately.
Had two contracts for two phones for a year and one got broken. They replaced the broken phone for the latest model. Got the new phone and called to cancel both contracts and I was given £180 off to stay with them. Phoned up a couple of days later to order a Nokia N80 (list £429) and after putting me on hold a few times (initially they wanted £189 for the handset upgrade) they agreed to send the new phone for free. However they discounted the charge of £189 and sent the phone free!

Because all the discounts are added in monthly installments both contracts now cost between £10 and £15 a month combined - I have a new N80 and my girlfriend a new E720.

I was really cheeky and phoned up for her upgrade - they looked at the account and said they would be happy to cancel her contract because it applied more discounts than it cost! They also told me that it was their mistake that all the discounts were on there and that there was nothing they could do to remove them!

w00t!

[beardyman]

dropping the phone isnt going to do it much good.

I have found leaving phone on 24/7 seems to cause little software bugs to appear, like the phone wont respond to incoming calls or texts, so turning it off sometimes like when you go to bed is good idea. BTW, this has happened with my Motorola RAZR V3, a V525 and a V60i


Dude.....motorola......nuff said......

[DogsiWoo]

Went with O2 in the end. Had a dodgy sim from Carphone Warehouse, so I tried one my sister had and it worked a treat. Now enjoying 300-1000 free texts each month and 10% free credit online ^_^ Thanks guys!

PS - My sister has changed her phone now. Twice infact...She's on a contract, so god help her when she gets the bill :P

[Danno]

i have been on vodafone for the last 5 years and not had any problems.

just upgraded my phone this morning, i have got a nice new sony W850i waiting at home for me to have a play with when i get home form work.

[djgandy]

i got my k800 o2 contract yesterday ;)
Infact i have 2 of them behind me but one is going back :p

O2 are good for haggling with too, they will give you great deals to keep you.

[Mr Grapes]

As today seems to be resurrect a random old thread day, I'm on three.
not had any problems for the 2 and a bit years I've been on it. could someone add this to the poll pls?

:p

[snakedoc]

Lol, I got bored! I saw methanoid reviving some oldies.

[Oscar99]

I've been on O2 ever since i was old enough to even have a mobile phone ! & i would never consider changing :p

[Mr Grapes]

when he was doing that, i had about 20 threads listed in 'new posts' all with 'last post by methanoid'....

made me lol

[thehitmen]

Well this poll in a way is irelevant as most of the networks are shared...

IMMO t-mobile has the best coverage and fastest speeds, i have been on 02 and at times its been slow, but thats because 80% off all UK iphones are on 02...

[iGoD ReleNtLeS]

looks like im the only one on virgin here :(

750 Texts 150 Mins, Nokia N97 + Unlimited tint-er-net £38.50 a month.

then i have a blackberry curve 8900 which is £80 a month on works servers so i can get my email when im travelling. Think its unlimited texts and call + internet, i have no idea but i like to rack the bill up on that one when i go abroad.

i then have about 6 different sims for use when im travelling depending on where im going.

[Vigoro]

That N97 seems like a **** of a lot a month! :o

[iGoD ReleNtLeS]

well yes it is a little, but i got mine when they first came out when the PAYG was around £400 for the handset along. but its still a pretty good deal considering the unlimited internet and i love the phone. Nokias are always the best phones for me. Had a 6280 before and that lasted me around 4 years and would probably still have it if i didnt lose it in hong kong somewhere.

700 Mins + 1200 + Unlimited Internet is £45 a month.

[Mike]

I've got a an iPhone 3G (couldn't afford the 3GS :() which cost me about £220, £20 a month for 12 months. Gives me £60 dynamic credit with some texts etc + unlimited data (internet etc)
Got it from Tescos but I believe it piggy-backs O2's network.

[tefg]

looks like im the only one on virgin here :(

750 Texts 150 Mins, Nokia N97 + Unlimited tint-er-net £38.50 a month.

then i have a blackberry curve 8900 which is £80 a month on works servers so i can get my email when im travelling. Think its unlimited texts and call + internet, i have no idea but i like to rack the bill up on that one when i go abroad.

i then have about 6 different sims for use when im travelling depending on where im going.

On Orange at the minute but thinking of going to Virgin as I'm hoping for a good deal on the HTC Desire next month when it comes out.

They ok? Got my phone and broadband with them and they are fine these days, though had lots of issues a couple of years ago, mainly billing and their (then) abysmal customer services, which seems much improved these days.

[Tainted]

Dare I say it, I'm on 3 network and I cannot fault them as yet. I've had the phone from July and have yet to get a bill over £16 for the month and that gives me a mix of 700 mins or texts and I got a free C510 and a cracking little Samsung bluetooth headset as a free gift too.

All in all, very pleased with it so far. I was apprehensive before taking the contract but as I've said already, no complaints yet...

[iGoD ReleNtLeS]

On Orange at the minute but thinking of going to Virgin as I'm hoping for a good deal on the HTC Desire next month when it comes out.

They ok? Got my phone and broadband with them and they are fine these days, though had lots of issues a couple of years ago, mainly billing and their (then) abysmal customer services, which seems much improved these days.

Yeh they have really stepped up their act lately. Never had any problems with them on the mobile site of things, always have a good network coverage. And they didnt even mind me reducing my contract from 1200 Texts and 500 Mins which was £35 a month, down to 750 Texts and 150 Mins to £25 a month, i also get 1000 Landline mins along with that, and i think the internet is something of around 50p for a meg, not to great, i may be wrong, i never use it anymore as i have my blackberry. I pay £1 a month for a full printed bill with all the calls i have made on the phone, but you can also access that information on the internet as well.

[waba]

im on virgin, their rolling month contracts are very good, and its 30p to use the internet each day, not matter how much u download...if u dont use it that day, u dont pay! only problem i have is the signal sometimes, generally its absolutly fine but may play up in one or two odd places (streatham!!!!)