3, etc
After being on the Virgin with their "300mins for £10" on a Nokia 1100 as part of their 4 for £40 for the past couple of years and recently needed to replace an MP3 player and a camera. So with no prospect of a phone upgrade and/or a sensible data tariff from Virgin, it was bye-bye.
T-Mobile's W'n'W nearly snared me but I was after a K770i and they weren't offering it with W'nW. For the same price pm I went for 3 and it's like a revelation compared to ye olde Vigin "deal". (I was sceptical at first due to mates' reception troubles 3 or 4 years back, but 3 now dropback to 02's 2G when there's no 3G signal, so I went for it and haven't had any troubles across the country.)
I'm not linked to 3 in any professional capacity. Just a very chuffed customer. Which is a rarity these days. So I'm throwing in a shout for 'em whilst data tariffs generally are being discussed.
I'm on the following package.
£18pm =Free SE K770i (keeping a Nokia devotee happy with a decent interface, 3.2MP cybershot w/ flash, decent media player, slim & stylish)
+ 300 any time/network mins/texts mix (nice and flexible and plenty for me)
+ 300 3to3 mins (trying to get my gf to switch from an archaic Sainsbury's Mobile contract(!)
+ 30 video call mins (unused)
+ Free Skype (works fine)
+ Free MS Live Messenger (unused)
+ £5 for unlimited open internet (nice to have the Gmaps and Gmail apps too) = £23pm
Nokia N95(/8GB) would have been an extra £6(/£12) pm more.
Downside: 18mth contract (as most seem to be these days) and a little "overbranded" with three stuff on the phone (shortcuts and stuff).
And while we're on it. The whole Broadband through a dongle thing that T-Mobile and 3 do is pretty nifty too. £25 gets ya 7GB pm (fine for "standard browsing use" i'd have thought?).
So for £48pm I could have a pretty comprehensive broadband+mobile service for little (if any) more than It costs for a standard BT line rental + Basic Sky/BTVision/Tiscali (or Virgin 3play). Only thing missing is the TV, but tbh, the basic subscription TV packages only give you a gnatts chuff more than Freeview anyway, so meh. And, on the upside, none of that connection/installation/set-up/joining fee nonsense or waiting around on your day off for the engineer to arrive.
As for 02/Orange (with their broadband misadventures) and Vodafone (with their cosy-in-bed-with-BT plan) - makes you wonder what they're messing around at.
Props to 3 and T-Mobile, I say for their sensible pricing and simple service.