Galaxy S III pay-monthly tariffs compared The Samsung Galaxy S III went on sale in the UK today, although punters might not get their hands on it just yet. Delays with the 32GB version mean customers who want the extra memory will have to wait a few weeks, while production issues with the Pebble Blue model of either capacity has led to a similar wait for those averse to …
....but don't bother if you are with O2. The droid actually used the phrase "Not for existing customers" to me when I asked if discounts were available because their price was so far out of line with other providers.
So, that's the end of a twenty year business relationship there, then. I went with Three, if anyone cares.
GJC
My O2 business offer (also with a 20 year relationship):
Business Single 50 24M
Free Minutes 50
Data Allowance 500MB
Free Text 200
£20/month + £250 down. You need to add VAT to those - but since I don't expect to be watching many movies, sounds like a reasonable deal.
Well, their lack of staff training is not my problem. Mind you, I doubt I would have taken that offer up anyway, as it basically amounts to a 24 month lock-in and £444 over the cost of my current Simplicity tariff, for a much worse bundle of services, at which price I might as well just buy one SIM-free for £500.
Still, interesting figures, thanks.
I was with O2 a number of years back. It sounds like they haven't changed their ways.
Their best data package at the time was something like 5MB and then £2/MB after that. T-Mobile were offering a (then) massive 500MB for roughly the same price. Their retentions people kept insisting that that difference was irrelevant as I didn't currently use much data.
Just a me too, when I went to get my PAC code from O2, they conversation went like this:
Retentions: Why do you want to leave O2?
Me: You stopped giving me unlimited data, and now it is 500MB a month.
Retentions: Yes, but since we did this, you don't use more than 500MB a month.
Me: Duh? You charge me now if I use more than that.
Now I'm with Three, and can blissfully watch the cricket on my mobile without having to buy some extra capacity at tea.
Odd, I get the opposite treatment being on an iOS device with O2. First tranche of new kit and all that. Anyone would have thought that Android was the cheap cousin to iOS.
LOL.
Okay, you got me, I'm just trolling.
But to be serious, when I was on Orange, they treated me like crap. When I was on Vodafone, they treated me like crap. When I had a data plan on Three for my iPad, they treated me like crap.
O2, well, I haven't really had to deal with them as yet, but guess what, I am not expecting anything different. All mobile phone companies are, well, to overuse the word, crap.
"works out far cheaper to stick to a 12 month plan than it does over a two year stretch"
WTF? That only works if you don't bother using it for the next 12 months. For a 24 month period the Vodaphone 12month contract is the most expensive of all! Hapless users could presumably switch to SIM only for the 2nd 12 months but how many remember to do that and you didn't include that calculation anyway.
Might as well point out if you just buy the phone contract free and never turn it on it's even cheaper!
Bad enough the mobile industry has customers unable to calculate the real price of anything, now the Reg is helping spread the bollocks.
If you are looking at the total contract cost it can also be useful to look at when you can reduce the tariff. If you are only on a higher tariff to subsidise handset cost then you may be able to reduce the tariff after half the contract length.
On my current contract with O2 you can reduce the monthy tariff after half of the contract has elapsed and then by one tariff notch each month, so a 2yr £31 a month contract can be reduced to a £26 tariff after 1yr and further reduced if you don't need the relevent calls/txts. This reduces the amount you pay each month and also means that it reduces the cost of buying out the contract early if you want to upgrade a few months early.
give your current provider a call and try and wangle a special bespoke offer. Threats of switching networks have worked for me in the past."
I had a HTC Desire and was due an upgrade from February, I waited for the One X to be available, rang vodafone and they just gave me the phone for free, upped my data limit and kept my price the same.
It would appear that they have worked out that we all do that dance where we pretend to leave only to be put through to retentions where they cave in and keep the customer happy.
About time too.
"Alternatively, give your current provider a call and try and wangle a special bespoke offer. Threats of switching networks have worked for me in the past."
Most of them are wise to that now. They don't start taking you seriously until you ask for your PAC.
Even so, when I last did that with Orange, all they did was send me my PAC! I fondly remember the days when networks would transfer you to their customer retention team.
WTF. More than Iphone prices and its not even an Iphone?
I still dont understand why people pay more for their phones than their Laptops/Netbooks. Seriously, one can buy 2 decent laptops (AND ONE SMALL ANDROID TABLET WITH 3G siM SLOT) for the 24 MONTH cost of one of these.
And then get a SIm oly deal with a basic phone. Can also use the tablet as a hotspot too!
Get a life, guys.
Does the S3 have a iOS and good support from the manufacturer?
The first is personal preference (I don't dislike Android, I just prefer iOS), the latter - sorry, I've had my fingers burned by Samsung on several occasions, whereas Apple have served me well.
I also don't like large phones - too many Android handsets seem to be vying for who has the biggest screen. I'd sooner stay smaller - if I want big, I'll have a tablet.
Basically this chart has confirmed to me that I shan't be getting a Galaxy III when I upgrade in a few months.
Also, I wish vodafone would put up their prices a bit more, I've been with them for over 10 years now, but every time I reach the end of a contract they just manage to beat any other deals I can find, so I stick with them.
"Also, I wish vodafone would put up their prices a bit more, I've been with them for over 10 years now, but every time I reach the end of a contract they just manage to beat any other deals I can find, so I stick with them."
Maybe if they pay their fecking VAT bill in the future you'll be paying more?
I'm due an upgrade at the moment and am trying really hard to hold out till any of the networks get off their arse and offer the Motorola Maxx on pay monthly (seriously, where the hell is it?) because of the super-dooper battery life. Then articles like this come along and make it very very hard to resist getting the Galaxy. Stop feeding my desire for immediate gratification dammit.
Galaxy SIII, just a phone
HTC One X, just a phone
iPhone 4S, just an overpriced over hyped over marketed lump of walled garden eye candy
I recently went through some upgrade pains with Orange.
Decided to give the iPhone 4S a try, because my other half has one - sent it back after a day, boring as hell. Really, this is effectively my ipod 2g with a camera and phone on it - it's pretty ugly too. Plus too many marketing wankers at work have them.
I then gave the One X a try - really liked it, but had a massive quibble with Orange over the price it ended up costing a month, so I sent it back. I've got pretty big hands and I have to say, the One X is just too bit and difficult to hold securely - I dropped it at least 3 times. The USB slot is in completely the wrong place - really stupid design flaw marring an otherwise poncey phone.
Sent it back.
I'm still with my trusty HTC Desire, waiting till the end of my Orange contract next month so I can tell them where to stick their overpriced outdated tariffs.
At that point, I may join 3 and get an S3, after all, it's just another poncey phone and on paper, it's so much better than an iPhone 4S - heck, 2 year old HTC desire is better than an iPhone 4S
Did I mention I'm not impressed with the iPhone 4S?
That I had to click about 5 "agree to terms and conditions" buttons before I could even use the damn thing?
Poncey phone.
Interesting. Please, do go on with your life story.
I have a "just a phone" for work. I have a personal computer in the form of an HTC Sensation XE for personal use (including phone calls).
I'll stop there with my highlights and you can wait for my memoires in all good bookshop closing down sales.
With TMO, moving from Desire to SGS2, I got my PAC on Friday, which surprised me as I thought they'd do more to keep me.
Early Monday morning I got a call from retention 'hoping' I hadn't used my PAC, I hadn't.
I got the SGS2 (free handset) for £1 less a month than I was paying for the Desire.
I called TMO in mid-April to say I was out of work and needed to get my bill down.
They ended up reducing my bill by £10pcm and with no penalty whatsoever.
At the time, I thought this was very helpful.
At the end of April however, I got a bill for £305 pounds (I went over my minutes trying to get work) and I will be leaving TMO forever when my contract expires in April 2013.
I still don't understand why they can't send an SMS when you go even 50% over your normal monthly spend. Customer Services said they can't treat each customer on a case by case basis, but that's bullshit. Perhaps Ofcom will regulate this one day, but I'll be using a PAYG tariff (probably GiffGaff) from now on.
Anyway, long story (and cautionary tale), short, it's definitely worth haggling at every opportunity.
Because every third Google search I've done recently has been GS3 related, all my website adverts (gasp! no! I don't block them....) are GS3 related.
There's various places (buymobilephones.net and the Tesco phone shop) are doing it much cheaper than directly from the network. BMP.net have it as a free phone on £26 contract, Tesco want £80 on £26 a month, or free at £29 a month. Both of those work out cheaper than the options in the article. Direct from network is very rarely the cheapest option.
No, I don't work for either of those sites. Yes, I have had a mobile from BMP before and it was good service, and I get all my pork pies and fish fingers from Tesco without ever having had a problem.
Coming to the end of my current 24 months on an original Galaxy S I - tmobile at £10.50 a month with a £300 up front cost so in total not much over the cost of the phone alone (it was £500 new) and that was on (still should be) the 3gig data allowance they had then on Android phones, 100 mins, 100 texts, unlimited free calls to landlines.
Hoping to keep on the same contract and go to a SGSIII for a similar up front cost.
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