1p Mobile (www.1pmobile.com) has finally launched.
1p Mobile hasn't done very much marketing as of yet, possibly because of several months of delays in launching.
They are a new UK MVNO with the cheapest PAYG rates of any network.
1p Mobile's PAYG rates are a flat 1p per minute, 1p per text and 1p per MB of data.
This beats Three's 321 PAYG rates, but there is a big catch.
The 1p Mobile website is almost mis-selling their services:
They state that there's no contract, but by signing up to this service you're bound by an agreement that to cancel the service you'll give them 30 days notice. This includes obtaining your PAC code if you want to transfer your number to a different mobile network - That's a contract in my eyes, and it's blurring the lines between PAYG and contracts.
Secondly, you don't get these great PAYG rates on a PAYG service - you must top up your account by £5 every 30 days - This is completely contradictory to what 1p Mobile states on their website: They say that there are "no bundles to buy", yet every 30 stays your credit expires.
That's purchasing a bundle to me and you.
So, altogether this service is a bit of a con.
You have to spend £5 every 30 days to get the 1p per unit rates, so casual PAYG users will find that their credit has disappeared after the first month.
No credit? No service.
Admittedly, this mix and match approach could work for some people who regularly spend £5 a month buying a PAYG bundle from another mobile network, only to find that they don't have enough minutes or megabytes.
- There aren't many PAYG networks who offer 500 minutes for £5, so for some people this tariff could be great.
What irks me is the fact that 1p Mobile forces customers into buying a £5 bundle every month in order to use their mobile. There's no ability to have credit in reserve, so you are effectively tied in to a £5 a month contract.
For anyone wanting to sign up to 1p Mobile, they use the EE network and are hoping to provide 4G from mid October 2016, though with a maximum of 500MB (assuming you won't make a single call or send a text in this time), that 500MB won't get you very far.
Customer service is UK based (Alton, Hampshire), and I'll expect that they'll get a lot of calls from people who find that their credit has been taken after the first 30 days.
It's a novel idea which T-Mobile ran with a number of years ago.
Kontakt Mobile have offered a similar (but much better value) service for a few years now on the Vodafone network, and at least you don't lose all of your credit with them every month.
I test a lot of PAYG networks and I'm glad to see another UK MVNO, even if it is yet another one that uses the EE network.
However, 1p Mobile is taking the pee: It's a rolling, compulsory £5 a month bundle/contract which actually doesn't offer good value, unless your mobile use very closely matches this 1p per unit pricing structure.
I shan't be testing 1p Mobile.
Saturday 1 October 2016
Friday 26 August 2016
Mobile Network Coverage in the South of England - Back to giffgaff
Where I live, all four UK mobile network operators have "good" coverage.
In reality they can all be a bit flaky.
Earlier this year EE vastly improved their coverage in my area, and after doing a few speed tests I decided to give them a go.
I have been using EE MVNO Life Mobile for several months because they are cheap and provide a good allocation of minutes, texts and data on a 30 day rolling contract.
However, I have had a few issues with a weak signal on this network over the past week or so, despite a day where there was no signal whatsoever due to a "mast upgrade" - If anything, the signal is now much worse.
So I have been looking at the various SIM only and PAYG options (even referring to my own PAYG bundles website) to see if I can find a better deal which works.
The best network for coverage is Vodafone, but they are too expensive and their customer service puts me off (I had a terrible experience with them a few years ago, and by the sounds of it they have become progressively worse). Vodafone's main UK MVNO Talkmobile was the best option, but their customer service is even worse (see my previous blog post)!
After a bit more research I've discovered that O2 has the best coverage for my area. Three's is pretty terrible and EE isn't good enough.
I don't want to pay O2's prices, though, so the best value (once again) becomes their own MVNO giffgaff.
Giffgaff do have some pretty reasonable PAYG monthly bundles, and you can easily change your bundle each month - or even buy a new one if you run out of minutes/data.
However, data speeds (and even reliability) on giffgaff have been pretty abysmal over the years, so I needed to do some of my own speed tests.
None of my speed tests would set the world alight: 0.55-1.6mbps download speeds were typical, but for my needs this should be acceptable, and I'm hoping that I'll get much better voice coverage than with EE, so I am considering moving back to giffgaff in September.
What annoys me is that all four UK network operates claim 99% of UK population coverage, yet they tend to ignore that fact that their geographical coverage is pretty rubbish.
The only network I've ever used with good voice/text coverage is Vodafone, yet EE and Three bang on about how great their coverage is at every given opportunity - It's a hard fact that they need to learn that their coverage really is not all that great.
New MVNO "1p Mobile" is supposed to launch in September. If/when this new network does get off the ground I'll consider trying them out, but this depends very much on what network they'll be piggybacking on.
I suspect that it'll be EE, because so many MVNOs use EE's network, so this might be a non-starter.
It's been a year since I last used giffgaff as my main network, so I hope that I'm not disappointed this time around.
In reality they can all be a bit flaky.
Earlier this year EE vastly improved their coverage in my area, and after doing a few speed tests I decided to give them a go.
I have been using EE MVNO Life Mobile for several months because they are cheap and provide a good allocation of minutes, texts and data on a 30 day rolling contract.
However, I have had a few issues with a weak signal on this network over the past week or so, despite a day where there was no signal whatsoever due to a "mast upgrade" - If anything, the signal is now much worse.
So I have been looking at the various SIM only and PAYG options (even referring to my own PAYG bundles website) to see if I can find a better deal which works.
The best network for coverage is Vodafone, but they are too expensive and their customer service puts me off (I had a terrible experience with them a few years ago, and by the sounds of it they have become progressively worse). Vodafone's main UK MVNO Talkmobile was the best option, but their customer service is even worse (see my previous blog post)!
After a bit more research I've discovered that O2 has the best coverage for my area. Three's is pretty terrible and EE isn't good enough.
I don't want to pay O2's prices, though, so the best value (once again) becomes their own MVNO giffgaff.
Giffgaff do have some pretty reasonable PAYG monthly bundles, and you can easily change your bundle each month - or even buy a new one if you run out of minutes/data.
However, data speeds (and even reliability) on giffgaff have been pretty abysmal over the years, so I needed to do some of my own speed tests.
None of my speed tests would set the world alight: 0.55-1.6mbps download speeds were typical, but for my needs this should be acceptable, and I'm hoping that I'll get much better voice coverage than with EE, so I am considering moving back to giffgaff in September.
What annoys me is that all four UK network operates claim 99% of UK population coverage, yet they tend to ignore that fact that their geographical coverage is pretty rubbish.
The only network I've ever used with good voice/text coverage is Vodafone, yet EE and Three bang on about how great their coverage is at every given opportunity - It's a hard fact that they need to learn that their coverage really is not all that great.
New MVNO "1p Mobile" is supposed to launch in September. If/when this new network does get off the ground I'll consider trying them out, but this depends very much on what network they'll be piggybacking on.
I suspect that it'll be EE, because so many MVNOs use EE's network, so this might be a non-starter.
It's been a year since I last used giffgaff as my main network, so I hope that I'm not disappointed this time around.
Talkmobile Customer Service Experience
I've had a dual SIM phone for a few weeks and I'm really beginning to see the advantages of having one.
However, I have a main mobile number and don't want an alternative number, if I can help it. So, to keep things simple I've been toying with the idea of getting either a PAYG SIM for emergency use, or a data SIM card to go into my phone's second SIM slot.
For an emergency SIM, I can't fault Vodafone's network: I have never lived anywhere in the south of England where there isn't a good Vodafone signal for calls and texts. Looking at Ofcom's coverage maps, it's clear that Vodafone does have the best coverage for many miles around north Hampshire.
But Vodafone PAYG is stupidly expensive! They have hidden their new (July 2016) PAY pricing away on the Vodafone website so that you can't discover that it'll cost you 55p per minute!
Anyhoo, Vodafone are just too expensive and my thoughts were to try one of the few Vodafone MVNOs as an alternative - Talkmobile.
Talkmobile have come under a lot of fire over the past two years for really bad customer service (unexpected billing charges, crippling people's credit ratings through putting defaults on their credit files, etc.), so I am a bit wary of them.
Seeing how I won't be using this spare SIM very much I wanted to know how long my PAYG credit would last if I used Talkmobile, so I went onto their webchat.
I never got an answer to my question: All that the CS adviser wanted me to do was take out a SIM only contract with them. She refused to answer my question about PAYG and kept badgering me with their SIM only "deals".
I soon gave up and closed the chat window, as it was clear that if this is what Talkmobile's customer service is like, I (and you) would be better off giving them a very wide berth.
Talkmobile, you can't expect customers to put any faith in you if your customer service is this bad.
However, I have a main mobile number and don't want an alternative number, if I can help it. So, to keep things simple I've been toying with the idea of getting either a PAYG SIM for emergency use, or a data SIM card to go into my phone's second SIM slot.
For an emergency SIM, I can't fault Vodafone's network: I have never lived anywhere in the south of England where there isn't a good Vodafone signal for calls and texts. Looking at Ofcom's coverage maps, it's clear that Vodafone does have the best coverage for many miles around north Hampshire.
But Vodafone PAYG is stupidly expensive! They have hidden their new (July 2016) PAY pricing away on the Vodafone website so that you can't discover that it'll cost you 55p per minute!
Anyhoo, Vodafone are just too expensive and my thoughts were to try one of the few Vodafone MVNOs as an alternative - Talkmobile.
Talkmobile have come under a lot of fire over the past two years for really bad customer service (unexpected billing charges, crippling people's credit ratings through putting defaults on their credit files, etc.), so I am a bit wary of them.
Seeing how I won't be using this spare SIM very much I wanted to know how long my PAYG credit would last if I used Talkmobile, so I went onto their webchat.
I never got an answer to my question: All that the CS adviser wanted me to do was take out a SIM only contract with them. She refused to answer my question about PAYG and kept badgering me with their SIM only "deals".
I soon gave up and closed the chat window, as it was clear that if this is what Talkmobile's customer service is like, I (and you) would be better off giving them a very wide berth.
Talkmobile, you can't expect customers to put any faith in you if your customer service is this bad.
Thursday 18 August 2016
Is a 5 inch screen on a phone the #newnormal ?
Four years ago I got my first top of the range handset - It was the Samsung Galaxy S3 (I9300).
Prior to this I was using a curvy little Samsung Galaxy Fit (S5670), which had a diddy 3.3 inch screen.
First impressions were astounding: My new Galaxy S3 was massive compared to my little Galaxy Fit!
The Samsung Galaxy S3 was a top of the range handset back in 2012, and could easily be considered to be the most cutting edge handset of the time. However, on looking back now, its 4.8 inch screen is actually a bit on the small size, its 1GB of RAM is actually laughable and that great 8MP camera really isn't that great anymore.
But, back in 2012, the Galaxy S3 really impressed people. I remember pulling out my new phone in the pub and people couldn't help notice how big the phone was. Certainly my jean pockets noticed the extra large phone after many years of carrying phones which were small enough to easily fit into your hand.
It's hard to think that a screen size of 4.8 inches is now pretty much the minimum I'd expect a smartphone screen to be. My current phone (Homtom HT3 Pro) has a 5 inch screen, and I wouldn't think of going any smaller than this.
I've just checked the comparative dimensions of my Homtom and the Galaxy S3, and my Homtom is around 1cm taller, yet it doesn't look or feel that big.
I have become used to smartphones which are this size, but four years ago I did think that maybe I'd made a mistake getting the Galaxy S3 - it felt too big for a very long time. I even switched to a tiny Nokia Lumia 620 halfway through my contract just so that I could put a mobile into my pocket easily!
Is 5.5 inches going to be too big for a smartphone screen? It's definitely "phablet" size, but I would certainly consider 5.5 inches to be perfectly ok: I got used to using mobiles with 5 inch screens easily enough, so and extra half a inch isn't going to make that much difference.
Prior to this I was using a curvy little Samsung Galaxy Fit (S5670), which had a diddy 3.3 inch screen.
Samsung Galaxy S3 vs Samsung Galaxy Fit
- Two Samsung phones that were a galaxy apart in terms of size
First impressions were astounding: My new Galaxy S3 was massive compared to my little Galaxy Fit!
The Samsung Galaxy S3 was a top of the range handset back in 2012, and could easily be considered to be the most cutting edge handset of the time. However, on looking back now, its 4.8 inch screen is actually a bit on the small size, its 1GB of RAM is actually laughable and that great 8MP camera really isn't that great anymore.
But, back in 2012, the Galaxy S3 really impressed people. I remember pulling out my new phone in the pub and people couldn't help notice how big the phone was. Certainly my jean pockets noticed the extra large phone after many years of carrying phones which were small enough to easily fit into your hand.
It's hard to think that a screen size of 4.8 inches is now pretty much the minimum I'd expect a smartphone screen to be. My current phone (Homtom HT3 Pro) has a 5 inch screen, and I wouldn't think of going any smaller than this.
I've just checked the comparative dimensions of my Homtom and the Galaxy S3, and my Homtom is around 1cm taller, yet it doesn't look or feel that big.
I have become used to smartphones which are this size, but four years ago I did think that maybe I'd made a mistake getting the Galaxy S3 - it felt too big for a very long time. I even switched to a tiny Nokia Lumia 620 halfway through my contract just so that I could put a mobile into my pocket easily!
Is 5.5 inches going to be too big for a smartphone screen? It's definitely "phablet" size, but I would certainly consider 5.5 inches to be perfectly ok: I got used to using mobiles with 5 inch screens easily enough, so and extra half a inch isn't going to make that much difference.
Monday 8 August 2016
O2 Telephone Sales: LISTEN to your Customers!
Recently I requested a free SIM from O2 to test their services.
Shortly after I placed the order, one of their salesman called me on my phone to try to sell me something. I still can't figure out what he was trying to sell me, as the SIM I ordered was PAYG and yet he was trying to get me to take a contract with O2.
Admittedly, his sales pitch was bouncy and he was quite cheery, but he really needed to reign in his sales pitch: He was so fast paced I didn't have a clue what he was trying to sell - Was it a SIM only contract or one with a phone? (He neglected to say until right at the end of the call.)
Worse still he didn't listen to anything that I said: You've got to listen to your customers' needs before you can decide what to sell them, but this guy didn't want to know.
When I eventually managed to get a word in, my current contract stopped him dead in his tracks - there was no way that O2 could match what I am getting from Life Mobile (who he hadn't heard of).
- Note to O2 Sales Trainers; ensure that your salespeople know your competitors!
The salesman then carried on to offer me a "deal" which was roughly half of my current minutes, the same data allocation and more than double the price. Obviously, this was a pointless pitch, but he did say that O2's customer service was great and "came with love".
I'm not sure if I want "love" from O2...
His next pitch was for half of what I am getting from Life Mobile, but for £2 extra per month.
Did he seriously think that I'd take that offer?
Still, he got points for trying, and it was clear that he was enjoying trying to get customers to take up their offers.
Shortly after I placed the order, one of their salesman called me on my phone to try to sell me something. I still can't figure out what he was trying to sell me, as the SIM I ordered was PAYG and yet he was trying to get me to take a contract with O2.
Admittedly, his sales pitch was bouncy and he was quite cheery, but he really needed to reign in his sales pitch: He was so fast paced I didn't have a clue what he was trying to sell - Was it a SIM only contract or one with a phone? (He neglected to say until right at the end of the call.)
Worse still he didn't listen to anything that I said: You've got to listen to your customers' needs before you can decide what to sell them, but this guy didn't want to know.
When I eventually managed to get a word in, my current contract stopped him dead in his tracks - there was no way that O2 could match what I am getting from Life Mobile (who he hadn't heard of).
- Note to O2 Sales Trainers; ensure that your salespeople know your competitors!
The salesman then carried on to offer me a "deal" which was roughly half of my current minutes, the same data allocation and more than double the price. Obviously, this was a pointless pitch, but he did say that O2's customer service was great and "came with love".
I'm not sure if I want "love" from O2...
His next pitch was for half of what I am getting from Life Mobile, but for £2 extra per month.
Did he seriously think that I'd take that offer?
Still, he got points for trying, and it was clear that he was enjoying trying to get customers to take up their offers.
Saturday 6 August 2016
Definitive Android vs Windows Phone Roundup
Android vs Windows Phone - A Definitive List of Pros and Cons
For two and a half years I have been testing mobile phone operating systems (Android and Windows Phone), mainly because these two mobile platforms are (generally) affordable and are ubiquitous on lower end/budget phones.
I have never bothered with iOS as it's too expensive and I have never understood why a basic mobile operating system should be so restrictive and expensive - My first encounter with iOS didn't even match my Nokia (Symbian) smartphone of the time, and iOS simply hasn't evolved enough to convince me that it's simplistic but clunky interface is worth tying myself in to the iOS ecosystem.
First things first - I loved Android when it first came out, but I have never liked the poor battery life and requirement for ever increasing amounts of memory needed to run the OS.
Back in 2012 I got a Samsung Galaxy S3, which was the best smartphone of its day. One year later, the battery life was struggling to last more than eight hours and there was some lag evident.
I tried a Windows Phone (Nokia Lumia 610) which was slow, but reliable.
Since then, I have been continually swapping between Windows Phones (8, 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile) and Android phones running 4.4, 5 and 5.1
Throughout this time I have learned a lot about the pros and cons of both Windows Phone and Android.
I have written this list of pros and cons for both operating systems because every "Windows Phone vs Android" review simply breaks things down into what each OS looks like, with a brief mention of how Windows Phone and Android perform.
My lists break down the benefits and disadvantages of Windows Phones and Android phones. It doesn't matter which version of each OS you are running, as the list applies to all versions.
Windows Phone - Advantages:
Windows Phone works well as a "phone" - Calls and texts are simple. It's easy to block contacts and the native SMS app works well.
Windows Phone works well as a "phone" - Calls and texts are simple. It's easy to block contacts and the native SMS app works well.
Live Tiles - Each one is basically a widget which gives you updates such as calendar events, email details, etc.
WiFi - You can leave WiFi on all of the time without reducing battery life too much, and it's very easy to connect to public WiFi networks.
NO LAG - Windows Phones don't lag, even the cheapest phones are very nippy.
Battery life is excellent.
The cameras are usually pretty good.
You can customise the colours and Live Tile colours quickly and easily.
Windows Phone - Disadvantages:
Outlook email and calendar apps are pretty poor.
Windows Maps is very inaccurate, missing location information and freezes when navigating.
Apps are generally very poor, and there are very few alternatives to the stock apps.
Cortana doesn't notify you of anything, so not much use as a personal assistant. And the Live Tile doesn't display any information.
The keyboard is really poor. Autocorrect is horrifically random.
Voice recognition is really, really bad!
Cortana search is awful, and search results are filled with sponsored adverts.
Bing is nowhere near as good as Google Search.
The Edge browser struggles to display websites correctly and often crashes.
You're stuck with Groove Music for syncing your music, which is expensive and poor.
Photo syncing? You're stuck with OneDrive. Other apps are passable, though there is Dropbox.
Microsoft apps ask for ratings continuously.
Apps force close regularly.
Quiet Hours often doesn't turn on or off.
The Action Centre notifications are unactionable.
Microsoft app support is nil.
Word/Excel, etc. are slow to open.
You currently can't buy Windows Phones any more now that Microsoft have stopped production and no other manufacturer wants to risk losing money on a dying OS.
Android - Advantages:
Everything syncs, even if you use alternative platforms, there are apps available.
The apps are good quality.
Google Maps is brilliant and navigation is excellent.
Voice search is fantastic.
Alarms and Silent Hours work really well.
Google Keyboard is brilliant.
Loads of phones available at all different price brackets.
Android - Disadvantages:
Lag is a problem, even on high-spec phones.
Apps are quite large, needing more storage space.
I've yet to find a SMS app which works really well.
The dialler (phone) app isn't intuitive, but it's good.
Want on the spot calendar visibility? You need a big calendar widget.
Want to see what the weather forecast is at a glance? You also need a widget for this.
Android phones can be much more expensive.
Notifications are key to functionality as there are no icon notifications.
Battery life is usually pretty awful.
WiFi and Bluetooth need turning on/off to conserve battery life.
You currently need at least 2GB of ROM and 16GB of RAM to have a half decent Android experience.
Friday 5 August 2016
Android Flip/Clamshell Smartphones in the UK
Exactly one year ago LG released the LG Wine Smart flip phone in Europe. One year on and this design still hasn't managed to make a comeback to Europe and the UK.
There are still plenty of people who clamour after a clamshell phone, but if you want one you are stuck with a proprietary operating system which - if you're lucky - might feature limited web browsing and email access.
So what happened to the LG Wine Smart?
Will we see any other clamshell smartphones in the UK? Probably not. It's not a big enough market and given that most of the main (and upcoming) manufacturers are almost exclusively using Android, to keep up with the competition there is little option other than to design a phone which has at least a 5" display, and nobody really wants physical phone buttons anymore.
Flip phones are huge in Japan, but maybe it needs a fashion movement to get them going elsewhere in the world.
It would be nice to see some more innovative designs in the world of phones: Rectangular slabs all look identical these days and there is nothing to make this design any more appealing without some radical design changes.
The LG Wine Smart - Do people even want flip phones these days?
So what happened to the LG Wine Smart?
- Firstly, no resellers took stock for ages, and if you wanted one of these phones you would have to track one down online. They still cost around £100.
- LG made a massive mistake by sticking Android onto a phone with a 3.2" display - It's not really big enough to be that much use. Given that this phone was (supposedly) aimed at the senior market, there's no point having big buttons and a tiny screen.
- It isn't stylish! Clamshell phones have typically been aimed at the fashion-conscious. This phone looked like it was made to match a glasses case from the 1980s. Why didn't LG put some thought into the design, rather than bunging Android into a basic "senior phone" design?
- On top of all of this, there is absolutely no external notification LED or screen: Ten years ago, most clamshell designs incorporated some form of external notification feature, and these were often quite stylish.
The Nokia 7020 was a fashionable clamshell phone from 2009 - It was relatively cheap (£80-90) and had an animated secondary display. Most importantly, Nokia had actually put some thought into the aesthetics of this phone.
Flip phones are huge in Japan, but maybe it needs a fashion movement to get them going elsewhere in the world.
It would be nice to see some more innovative designs in the world of phones: Rectangular slabs all look identical these days and there is nothing to make this design any more appealing without some radical design changes.
Friday 22 July 2016
New Mobile Network Coming Soon: "1p Mobile"
I spend a lot of time assessing mobile networks and trying to find the best/cheapest PAYG tariffs, so when I discovered a new company called "1p Mobile" a few months ago I realised that the UK could soon be seeing a brand new and (potentially) very cheap MVNO.
1p Mobile was apparently going to launch in July 2016, but it looks like this has been delayed.
The 1p Mobile website - www.1pmobile.com - is now live, but only has a countdown clock to (presumably) 1p Mobile's official launch date in early September 2016.
The 1p Mobile Twitter account is live, but not at all active yet.
I am looking forward to seeing a new MVNO in the UK.
We have lost quite a few in the last twelve months: GT Mobile, Mobile by Sainsbury's and As You Go Mobile have all folded - and Post Office Mobile is going to close in August 2016.
I have approached 1p Mobile to try to find out what network they will be using, but I haven't received any communication from them.
I will hazard a guess that 1p Mobile will be using the EE network, as this seems to be the most popular choice for MVNOs, especially as The People's Operator have just switched from EE to Three, which has left a sizeable gap in the market.
I hope that 1p Mobile manage to launch on time and establish themselves quickly: As You Go Mobile launched and then shut down their website after only a few weeks, before sinking without trace in June this year.
I will certainly be interested to see how 1p Mobile handle their launch, as so far they have done zero marketing.
For a new operator to not even have begun marketing at this late stage, I can't see how they are going to gain a foothold in what is already a crowded and volatile market.
Given that their launch is much later than first anticipated, it echoes As You Go Mobile's rapid decline.
Most potential customers don't really understand MVNOs, and they certainly couldn't name that many of them apart from the major players such as Tesco Mobile, so 1p Mobile will have to work damned hard to market themselves - Or they simply may not bother and vanish without anyone realising that they existed!
When 1p Mobile does go live, I'll check the full details and report back here, as well as updating my PAYG tariffs website.
1p Mobile was apparently going to launch in July 2016, but it looks like this has been delayed.
The 1p Mobile website - www.1pmobile.com - is now live, but only has a countdown clock to (presumably) 1p Mobile's official launch date in early September 2016.
The 1p Mobile Twitter account is live, but not at all active yet.
I am looking forward to seeing a new MVNO in the UK.
We have lost quite a few in the last twelve months: GT Mobile, Mobile by Sainsbury's and As You Go Mobile have all folded - and Post Office Mobile is going to close in August 2016.
I have approached 1p Mobile to try to find out what network they will be using, but I haven't received any communication from them.
I will hazard a guess that 1p Mobile will be using the EE network, as this seems to be the most popular choice for MVNOs, especially as The People's Operator have just switched from EE to Three, which has left a sizeable gap in the market.
I hope that 1p Mobile manage to launch on time and establish themselves quickly: As You Go Mobile launched and then shut down their website after only a few weeks, before sinking without trace in June this year.
I will certainly be interested to see how 1p Mobile handle their launch, as so far they have done zero marketing.
For a new operator to not even have begun marketing at this late stage, I can't see how they are going to gain a foothold in what is already a crowded and volatile market.
Given that their launch is much later than first anticipated, it echoes As You Go Mobile's rapid decline.
Most potential customers don't really understand MVNOs, and they certainly couldn't name that many of them apart from the major players such as Tesco Mobile, so 1p Mobile will have to work damned hard to market themselves - Or they simply may not bother and vanish without anyone realising that they existed!
When 1p Mobile does go live, I'll check the full details and report back here, as well as updating my PAYG tariffs website.
Amazon App for Windows Phone Discontinued
The other day I had an email from Amazon:
Hello,
Our records indicate that you have previously installed the Amazon App for Windows Phone from the Microsoft App Store.
We will be retiring the app you currently have on your device, meaning its contents will no longer be updated. You will still have access to the app until 15 August, 2016.
We encourage you to visit Amazon.co.uk on your mobile browser where you will have access to our newest shopping features and customer experience.
We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Regards,
Customer Service Department
What does this mean? Is Amazon going to focus on delivering a dynamic, adaptive website which works well on all mobile web browsers - or is this the beginning of the end of app development for Windows Phones?
I'm not surprised at Amazon's decision. They have never really supported Windows devices, but it could be the first in a long line of developers deciding to kill off their work for Windows.
Even Microsoft-owned Skype will no longer work on Windows 8.1 devices from autumn 2016!
Microsoft keep on shooting themselves in the foot: They create a version of Windows which becomes unsupported after a couple of years. App developers are then forced to start from scratch each time.
Windows 10 is supposed to resolve this problem, yet things still seem to be following the same trend.
I have heard (anecdotally) that some web developers will be ceasing app development (for all platforms) due to the expense required - This money could be better spent on writing adaptive websites, which does make sense.
But, some people still insist on having apps (even if they barely use them), and whilst there are smartphones, people will want apps. I just hope that Microsoft realise that Windows apps are also supposed to work on all of their Windows devices - not just phones.
Hello,
Our records indicate that you have previously installed the Amazon App for Windows Phone from the Microsoft App Store.
We will be retiring the app you currently have on your device, meaning its contents will no longer be updated. You will still have access to the app until 15 August, 2016.
We encourage you to visit Amazon.co.uk on your mobile browser where you will have access to our newest shopping features and customer experience.
We look forward to seeing you again soon.
Regards,
Customer Service Department
What does this mean? Is Amazon going to focus on delivering a dynamic, adaptive website which works well on all mobile web browsers - or is this the beginning of the end of app development for Windows Phones?
I'm not surprised at Amazon's decision. They have never really supported Windows devices, but it could be the first in a long line of developers deciding to kill off their work for Windows.
Even Microsoft-owned Skype will no longer work on Windows 8.1 devices from autumn 2016!
Microsoft keep on shooting themselves in the foot: They create a version of Windows which becomes unsupported after a couple of years. App developers are then forced to start from scratch each time.
Windows 10 is supposed to resolve this problem, yet things still seem to be following the same trend.
I have heard (anecdotally) that some web developers will be ceasing app development (for all platforms) due to the expense required - This money could be better spent on writing adaptive websites, which does make sense.
But, some people still insist on having apps (even if they barely use them), and whilst there are smartphones, people will want apps. I just hope that Microsoft realise that Windows apps are also supposed to work on all of their Windows devices - not just phones.
Thursday 7 July 2016
PAYG Mobile Network Changes
One year ago I set up my long awaited website mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com
The mobile industry is highly volatile, and for years there have been positive and negative changes to tariffs and allocations which have benefited or adversely affected consumers.
In the year since I created my website, there have been some massive changes to tariffs.
Mobile contracts have become far more expensive (>£40/month) and allocations of data have been reduced.
4G is becoming more widely sold as the norm, though there are still many MVNOs which still don't provide 4G services.
PAYG monthly bundles have become worse value than they were in mid 2015.
I've often chosen MVNOs and monthly bundles due to the great value that they have offered. A year ago, even many SIM only contracts were only slightly better than PAYG bundles, and of course most of these contracts were based on 12 month contracts.
In July 2016, there are very few MVNOs that offer great value, so my website is struggling to really "sell" consumers PAYG bundles as a viable alternative to monthly contracts.
This change has been brought about due to MNOs clawing in more revenue.
These examples demonstrate just how tough the mobile industry is. Most MVNOs fold within a few years, and the fact that some of these haven't lasted anywhere near that long shows that no one network is safe.
Scratching around for a good value mobile deal has - once again - become much harder.
I'm currently still using Life Mobile as my main network. For £6 a month on a rolling contract I get all the minutes, texts and data that I need for my everyday use. I can't find anything else that comes close enough to this deal apart from Talkmobile.
I'd like to switch to Talkmobile, but all I ever read about them puts me off: Their contract customers (like parent MNO Vodafone) are complaining of being overcharged for mobile use, which then leads to a default on their credit file - Something that I'm not willing to risk!
Who currently offers the best PAYG bundle value?
I hate to say it, but giffgaff does.
There is currently so little good choice, that giffgaff's 30 day bundles are actually the best value for general mobile use.
Personally, I feel that giffgaff's bundles are really poor value from £10-15, and their PAYG prices are now the highest amongst MVNOs, which really ought to put a lot of customers off. Plus, there is also the major issue of giffgaff's data service which simply doesn't work for thousands of customers.
The mobile industry is in a bit of a mess. Many have threatened to increase prices due to brexit, as well as increase prices to cover the lost revenue from changes to European roaming charges.
All of this is squeezing the price of using your mobile in the UK, and right now PAYG monthly bundles and contracts are all pretty poor value.
The mobile industry is highly volatile, and for years there have been positive and negative changes to tariffs and allocations which have benefited or adversely affected consumers.
In the year since I created my website, there have been some massive changes to tariffs.
Mobile contracts have become far more expensive (>£40/month) and allocations of data have been reduced.
4G is becoming more widely sold as the norm, though there are still many MVNOs which still don't provide 4G services.
PAYG monthly bundles have become worse value than they were in mid 2015.
I've often chosen MVNOs and monthly bundles due to the great value that they have offered. A year ago, even many SIM only contracts were only slightly better than PAYG bundles, and of course most of these contracts were based on 12 month contracts.
In July 2016, there are very few MVNOs that offer great value, so my website is struggling to really "sell" consumers PAYG bundles as a viable alternative to monthly contracts.
This change has been brought about due to MNOs clawing in more revenue.
- Vodafone, for example have killed off one of their few MVNOs (Mobile by Sainsbury's), leaving a real gap in the market.
- Since O2 MVNO giffgaff provided 4G "at no extra cost" in September 2015, their data speeds have been getting progressively worse, yet their prices have increased.
- Post Office Mobile launched in July 2015 with some brilliant value PAYG bundles, but soon reduced allowances to sustain their business. They are to close down this network in August 2016.
- GT Mobile similarly had some good value PAYG bundles, then later increased their prices. GT Mobile has just closed and become part of Lycamobile.
- As You Go Mobile launched in April 2016. By June 2016 the website had been offline for a few months with an announcement that there would be more news in late June. There was a delay of several days, and now their website simply doesn't work and this MVNO has folded.
These examples demonstrate just how tough the mobile industry is. Most MVNOs fold within a few years, and the fact that some of these haven't lasted anywhere near that long shows that no one network is safe.
Scratching around for a good value mobile deal has - once again - become much harder.
I'm currently still using Life Mobile as my main network. For £6 a month on a rolling contract I get all the minutes, texts and data that I need for my everyday use. I can't find anything else that comes close enough to this deal apart from Talkmobile.
I'd like to switch to Talkmobile, but all I ever read about them puts me off: Their contract customers (like parent MNO Vodafone) are complaining of being overcharged for mobile use, which then leads to a default on their credit file - Something that I'm not willing to risk!
Who currently offers the best PAYG bundle value?
I hate to say it, but giffgaff does.
There is currently so little good choice, that giffgaff's 30 day bundles are actually the best value for general mobile use.
Personally, I feel that giffgaff's bundles are really poor value from £10-15, and their PAYG prices are now the highest amongst MVNOs, which really ought to put a lot of customers off. Plus, there is also the major issue of giffgaff's data service which simply doesn't work for thousands of customers.
The mobile industry is in a bit of a mess. Many have threatened to increase prices due to brexit, as well as increase prices to cover the lost revenue from changes to European roaming charges.
All of this is squeezing the price of using your mobile in the UK, and right now PAYG monthly bundles and contracts are all pretty poor value.
Saturday 2 July 2016
Android vs. Windows 10 Mobile. Again.
A few weeks ago I was waiting for an important phone call on my Microsoft Lumia 640. The phone started to ring but the touchscreen absolutely refused to unlock, despite increasingly frantic upwards swipes.
Eventually, I managed to unlock the phone before I missed the call.
- This shouldn't happen to any phone, but the one reason that I've stuck with Windows Phones has been the solid call and text handling. Now that this is a bit dodgy, I've decided to go back to Android for the second time this year.
Now that I'm back to using Android, I miss the simplicity of Windows Phone, but everything seems to work a lot better. This is a pity, because Windows Phone has always been a lag-free, easy to use affair, but Android appears to have caught up.
Ok, without Windows Phone I miss the Live Tiles, the dark interface, the easy call and text handling, but everything on Android seems more "fluid". Oh, and of course the apps are far better quality - including (crucially!) the browser.
And Google Maps is of course much better at finding directions and re-routing you than Microsoft Maps.
But, Android lags badly. I've gone into the developer options and limited the maximum number of running services to four, which makes the phone usable.
I've also installed Greenify, which helps to boost battery life by about a third!
I miss my Lumia phones, but each time I consider going back to them I remember how many more things now "just work" with Android - whereas a year ago Windows had the edge overall for day to day ease of use.
The other main reason that I'm not returning to Windows 10 Mobile is that Microsoft will not be manufacturing any more handsets.
OEMs are now left to carry the torch for Windows Phone, which let's face it is heading in the same direction that BlackBerry did a few years ago. I can't see many manufacturers building Windows Phones at any point in the next few years, by which time anyone who may be considering moving to this OS will have surely sided with Android or iOS.
Here in the UK, unless you buy one of the current handful of Microsoft Lumia phones available, your choice is limited to a couple of mediocre (but good value) handsets from BLU, as well as another cheap (but good value) Windows 10 Mobile from Bush (which is currently available SIM free from Argos for about £50).
Once these handsets have sold, even though there will be a gap in the market, I can't see any company filling this Windows Phone shaped gap at any point.
If my handset breaks, or I want a different handset, I want to be able to buy one: Android gives you a choice of handsets at different price points, Windows Phones are becoming rarer by the day.
Eventually, I managed to unlock the phone before I missed the call.
- This shouldn't happen to any phone, but the one reason that I've stuck with Windows Phones has been the solid call and text handling. Now that this is a bit dodgy, I've decided to go back to Android for the second time this year.
Now that I'm back to using Android, I miss the simplicity of Windows Phone, but everything seems to work a lot better. This is a pity, because Windows Phone has always been a lag-free, easy to use affair, but Android appears to have caught up.
Ok, without Windows Phone I miss the Live Tiles, the dark interface, the easy call and text handling, but everything on Android seems more "fluid". Oh, and of course the apps are far better quality - including (crucially!) the browser.
And Google Maps is of course much better at finding directions and re-routing you than Microsoft Maps.
But, Android lags badly. I've gone into the developer options and limited the maximum number of running services to four, which makes the phone usable.
I've also installed Greenify, which helps to boost battery life by about a third!
I miss my Lumia phones, but each time I consider going back to them I remember how many more things now "just work" with Android - whereas a year ago Windows had the edge overall for day to day ease of use.
The other main reason that I'm not returning to Windows 10 Mobile is that Microsoft will not be manufacturing any more handsets.
OEMs are now left to carry the torch for Windows Phone, which let's face it is heading in the same direction that BlackBerry did a few years ago. I can't see many manufacturers building Windows Phones at any point in the next few years, by which time anyone who may be considering moving to this OS will have surely sided with Android or iOS.
Here in the UK, unless you buy one of the current handful of Microsoft Lumia phones available, your choice is limited to a couple of mediocre (but good value) handsets from BLU, as well as another cheap (but good value) Windows 10 Mobile from Bush (which is currently available SIM free from Argos for about £50).
Once these handsets have sold, even though there will be a gap in the market, I can't see any company filling this Windows Phone shaped gap at any point.
If my handset breaks, or I want a different handset, I want to be able to buy one: Android gives you a choice of handsets at different price points, Windows Phones are becoming rarer by the day.
Saturday 7 May 2016
Back to Windows Phone after TWO MONTHS on Android
There are times when I firmly believe that not one of the major smartphone operating systems is actually any good.
This isn't an iOS vs Android vs Windows 10 Mobile showdown, merely my thoughts on what is a journey in the world of mobile phones.
When I used feature phones back in the day (2001-2010), all I wanted was a way of syncing my important data (contacts and calendar).
To be honest, I'm beginning to feel that I want to go back to this basic concept after just two months of Android use!
Two months ago I became frustrated with Windows Phone (8.1) and most notably the HERE Maps app that crashed continually on me on every journey that I made. This frustration made me move all of my contacts, calendar and email back from Windows Phone to Google/Android.
So what went wrong? Well, not one but two Android phones later, I don't think that it's possible to use any Android phone for longer than one month without the damned thing lagging like half a rabbit.
I've tried hard resetting both phones, but still they lag.
When an app took over a minute to open, that was the final straw and I have promptly moved all of my services back from Google into the clutches of Microsoft.
I'm past caring if the apps are rubbish. I just want a smartphone that syncs my contacts, email and calendars and makes calls/sends texts - Windows Phone does that, whereas Android has required tinkering, menu after menu of settings - and the OS still lags.
Windows 10 Mobile is good, and not dissimilar to Android 5.1+ but it still has problems, but at least it works as a phone.
This isn't an iOS vs Android vs Windows 10 Mobile showdown, merely my thoughts on what is a journey in the world of mobile phones.
When I used feature phones back in the day (2001-2010), all I wanted was a way of syncing my important data (contacts and calendar).
To be honest, I'm beginning to feel that I want to go back to this basic concept after just two months of Android use!
Two months ago I became frustrated with Windows Phone (8.1) and most notably the HERE Maps app that crashed continually on me on every journey that I made. This frustration made me move all of my contacts, calendar and email back from Windows Phone to Google/Android.
So what went wrong? Well, not one but two Android phones later, I don't think that it's possible to use any Android phone for longer than one month without the damned thing lagging like half a rabbit.
I've tried hard resetting both phones, but still they lag.
When an app took over a minute to open, that was the final straw and I have promptly moved all of my services back from Google into the clutches of Microsoft.
I'm past caring if the apps are rubbish. I just want a smartphone that syncs my contacts, email and calendars and makes calls/sends texts - Windows Phone does that, whereas Android has required tinkering, menu after menu of settings - and the OS still lags.
Windows 10 Mobile is good, and not dissimilar to Android 5.1+ but it still has problems, but at least it works as a phone.
Sunday 17 April 2016
Giffgaff Outage 2016
Last week O2 MVNO giffgaff experienced the first major outage of 2016.
As usual, customers took to the online-only Help and Support section, but were fobbed off with the usual "It's not our fault, we can't do anything about it" excuses that were relayed from giffgaff themselves via the online community of customers.
I do use giffgaff, but never as my main network as the service is far too unreliable day to day - as well as experiencing more outages every year than any other network that I've used.
On average, giffgaff has around four outages nationally/regionally every year, which can't always be attributed to O2 or parent company Telefonica.
O2 manages to hold onto a much more acceptable network failure rate than giffgaff, which does make you wonder if "cheap and cheerful" is maybe not the best policy if you want a reliable mobile service.
I hope that giffgaff eventually manage to sort out these regular outages, as it would be a shame to see this network operator fail after five years. As Britain's third largest MVNO, giffgaff should have big enough balls to fix these problems quickly, if not prevent them from occurring as often.
The least that giffgaff should do is hold their hands up and tell customers that it is their fault for not investing in more robust systems, rather than hiding behind the online community of customers and saying that there isn't anything that they can do.
As usual, customers took to the online-only Help and Support section, but were fobbed off with the usual "It's not our fault, we can't do anything about it" excuses that were relayed from giffgaff themselves via the online community of customers.
I do use giffgaff, but never as my main network as the service is far too unreliable day to day - as well as experiencing more outages every year than any other network that I've used.
On average, giffgaff has around four outages nationally/regionally every year, which can't always be attributed to O2 or parent company Telefonica.
O2 manages to hold onto a much more acceptable network failure rate than giffgaff, which does make you wonder if "cheap and cheerful" is maybe not the best policy if you want a reliable mobile service.
I hope that giffgaff eventually manage to sort out these regular outages, as it would be a shame to see this network operator fail after five years. As Britain's third largest MVNO, giffgaff should have big enough balls to fix these problems quickly, if not prevent them from occurring as often.
The least that giffgaff should do is hold their hands up and tell customers that it is their fault for not investing in more robust systems, rather than hiding behind the online community of customers and saying that there isn't anything that they can do.
As You Go Mobile Network Collapses?
Only a few months ago, a new O2 MVNO entered the UK market.
As You Go Mobile offered 6p/minute, 5p/text and 3p/MB PAYG rates (no monthly bundles) on the O2 network.
Proving that the MVNO market is a dynamic - and very tough - place, the company appears to have gone bust.
Around the 7th of April 2016, the As You Go Mobile website appeared to have been taken offline, with Google reporting issues with the website's security certificate.
I went to the company's Twitter account to see what was going on. They currently have four followers (including myself) and are following one other Twitter account, so it's safe to say that they aren't using this as their primary means of contact!
I tried to contact them, but they have not responded to either of my requests for information, so all I can do is assume that the company has sunk without trace.
The As You Go Mobile website is no longer visible, though there is a holding page that says asyougomobile.com is currently unavailable.
If As You Go Mobile has folded already, this wouldn't be a surprise, as MVNOs go under regularly, though this is the first time I've seen an active MVNO fold within such a short space of time.
It's a pity if As You Go Mobile has folded already, as they were offering some very good value, basic PAYG rates on the O2 network.
Given that O2 MVNO giffgaff has recently increased their standard PAYG rates to a rather outlandish 15p/minute, As You Go Mobile were really good value for low users, and certainly much better value than the other new O2 MVNO GT Mobile, whose national rates are bizarrely poor value (19p/text, 19p/minute to a mobile!?)
My own best value PAYG bundles website has been updated today to reflect the possibility that As You Go Mobile has ceased trading.
If As You Go Mobile respond to me, I'll update my website and this blog accordingly.
As You Go Mobile offered 6p/minute, 5p/text and 3p/MB PAYG rates (no monthly bundles) on the O2 network.
Proving that the MVNO market is a dynamic - and very tough - place, the company appears to have gone bust.
Around the 7th of April 2016, the As You Go Mobile website appeared to have been taken offline, with Google reporting issues with the website's security certificate.
I went to the company's Twitter account to see what was going on. They currently have four followers (including myself) and are following one other Twitter account, so it's safe to say that they aren't using this as their primary means of contact!
I tried to contact them, but they have not responded to either of my requests for information, so all I can do is assume that the company has sunk without trace.
The As You Go Mobile website is no longer visible, though there is a holding page that says asyougomobile.com is currently unavailable.
If As You Go Mobile has folded already, this wouldn't be a surprise, as MVNOs go under regularly, though this is the first time I've seen an active MVNO fold within such a short space of time.
It's a pity if As You Go Mobile has folded already, as they were offering some very good value, basic PAYG rates on the O2 network.
Given that O2 MVNO giffgaff has recently increased their standard PAYG rates to a rather outlandish 15p/minute, As You Go Mobile were really good value for low users, and certainly much better value than the other new O2 MVNO GT Mobile, whose national rates are bizarrely poor value (19p/text, 19p/minute to a mobile!?)
My own best value PAYG bundles website has been updated today to reflect the possibility that As You Go Mobile has ceased trading.
If As You Go Mobile respond to me, I'll update my website and this blog accordingly.
What is Handset Fatigue?
The latest buzzword to be passed around by mobile phone retailers and resellers is "handset fatigue".
What is handset fatigue? To start with, it's not badly designed smartphones bending or cracked LG G3s.
The term refers to customers simply having too much choice in the mobile marketplace.
Global smartphone sales are slowing, especially in the EMEA regions, and much of this is down to smartphone saturation - where most people who want a smartphone now have one.
Smartphones have also come on in leaps and bounds, and a capable smartphone can be bought for around £100 these days. Many potential customers simply don't need to buy the latest smartphone, especially if the one that they already use is perfectly ok to use.
I'm not a fan of upgrading for the sake of it, unless I have effectively reached the end of my current phone contract, in which case I'd expect a downgrade to a SIM only contract, or a shiny new smartphone on another 24 month contract.
Certainly, the recently released Samsung Galaxy S7 is a good example of this: The Galaxy S6 that many customers own is still barely a year old. These customers are probably on a two year contract, and does the S7 really offer that many new features to require customers to upgrade? Probably not.
Customers have grown wise to SIM only contracts, and many will use these whilst their current smartphone is still working. Porting your number in/out of a network operator is much easier these days, and given that monthly tariffs for the latest flagship phones is now around the £50 a month mark, it's hardly surprising that people are sticking with what they've got until the contract term ends and they can get a much cheaper SIM only contract.
The other reason that handset fatigue is kicking in is down to the sheer number of new high end phones that are released every year.
Each manufacturer is pushing out ever more phones in the £200+ region, and many of these are now so similar it's understandable that customers can't see the reason to upgrade.
- High end phones are the "feature phones" of today, and marginal improvements between them isn't enough to warrant ditching last years' model for one that has a fingerprint scanner, for example.
Even last years' upcoming manufacturer Huawei is touting their latest handset, the P9, but with a £449 price tag, this is a pretty expensive phone from a manufacturer who is known for decent budget phones. Why would anyone choose this over a Samsung Galaxy S6?
Handsets are all very similar, and to be honest are pretty uninteresting these days. A year ago one of my favourite mobile phone websites Mobile Gazette closed down due to new smartphones being black, slabby phones with no outstanding features. Five or ten years ago, Mobile Gazette was filled with weekly handset releases which made you actually look forward to getting a new phone - as well as wanting a different one only a few months later, as they all had something that set them apart from other phones.
Handset fatigue = Lack of choice in a world of all very similar smartphones.
What is handset fatigue? To start with, it's not badly designed smartphones bending or cracked LG G3s.
The term refers to customers simply having too much choice in the mobile marketplace.
Global smartphone sales are slowing, especially in the EMEA regions, and much of this is down to smartphone saturation - where most people who want a smartphone now have one.
Smartphones have also come on in leaps and bounds, and a capable smartphone can be bought for around £100 these days. Many potential customers simply don't need to buy the latest smartphone, especially if the one that they already use is perfectly ok to use.
I'm not a fan of upgrading for the sake of it, unless I have effectively reached the end of my current phone contract, in which case I'd expect a downgrade to a SIM only contract, or a shiny new smartphone on another 24 month contract.
Certainly, the recently released Samsung Galaxy S7 is a good example of this: The Galaxy S6 that many customers own is still barely a year old. These customers are probably on a two year contract, and does the S7 really offer that many new features to require customers to upgrade? Probably not.
Customers have grown wise to SIM only contracts, and many will use these whilst their current smartphone is still working. Porting your number in/out of a network operator is much easier these days, and given that monthly tariffs for the latest flagship phones is now around the £50 a month mark, it's hardly surprising that people are sticking with what they've got until the contract term ends and they can get a much cheaper SIM only contract.
The other reason that handset fatigue is kicking in is down to the sheer number of new high end phones that are released every year.
Each manufacturer is pushing out ever more phones in the £200+ region, and many of these are now so similar it's understandable that customers can't see the reason to upgrade.
- High end phones are the "feature phones" of today, and marginal improvements between them isn't enough to warrant ditching last years' model for one that has a fingerprint scanner, for example.
Even last years' upcoming manufacturer Huawei is touting their latest handset, the P9, but with a £449 price tag, this is a pretty expensive phone from a manufacturer who is known for decent budget phones. Why would anyone choose this over a Samsung Galaxy S6?
Handsets are all very similar, and to be honest are pretty uninteresting these days. A year ago one of my favourite mobile phone websites Mobile Gazette closed down due to new smartphones being black, slabby phones with no outstanding features. Five or ten years ago, Mobile Gazette was filled with weekly handset releases which made you actually look forward to getting a new phone - as well as wanting a different one only a few months later, as they all had something that set them apart from other phones.
Handset fatigue = Lack of choice in a world of all very similar smartphones.
Sunday 20 March 2016
Microsoft Lumia 950 Review/Trial
Microsoft UK have been kind enough to lend me a Lumia 950 and the Continuum dock for ten days.
This isn't a full review, but I'll note down all of my thoughts, which should be helpful to prospective buyers.
I've owned several Lumia phones over the years, and a year ago I decided to ditch Android and tie myself in to the Microsoft ecosystem for good.
Last year, I used the Lumia 535, 635 and 640 - All of which are relatively cheap, decent Lumia phones.
Let's get one thing straight right from the start: Lumia phones are all very nippy, don't suffer from lag, solid and (for a smartphone) relatively simple to use. You never need to close apps, hunt for too many settings or install task management apps to get your battery to last all day (unlike Android). You can leave WiFi on when you leave the house and your battery will be fine. Connecting to public WiFi networks is automatic and requires no user input.
First impressions of the Lumia 950
It's got a very crisp screen! It's a real standout feature, after using the low end Lumias.
It's plastic.
There's no way of avoiding this issue - The handset is plastic and doesn't look like you've paid £500 for it. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to say if it's any different to the £100 Lumia 640, apart from the metallic buttons on the side of the phone.
It has a dedicated camera button.
Too many phones are missing this feature - A feature which was standard on Windows Phones until Microsoft took over. A dedicated quick launch camera/shutter button is a great idea, but given that you have to pay a premium for one, why not just include them on the cheaper handsets?
It has a USB C connector - Which means that all of your standard USB connecting devices are now obsolete. Again.
Thanks to the mobile industry, we have yet another "standard" charging option forced upon us five years after they told us that all phones would be expected to use the same USB chargers to minimise electronic waste.
Cheers for that.
And that's it.
The Lumia 950 is an unremarkable phone.
The Continuum "Dock"
This is a great accessory, which if I had the spare cash I would certainly buy.
I'm not sure what it's purpose is, though: It is basically a micro desktop PC. You plug your Lumia 950 into it, connect it to your TV and use the wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a fully fledged Windows 10 PC!
The first problem with this is that it's not powerful, so it'll never replace a desktop PC - but for many users this is unnecessary. The Continuum kit is great, if you have a spare bit of space, and if I was considering getting a new laptop or desktop PC for use at home for general PC work, this would be brilliant.
The drawbacks of the Continuum dock:
There are lots of cables - Ok, the keyboard and mouse are wireless, but your Lumia 950 needs to be plugged in to the box, which needs a power supply, and it needs to be connected to your TV.
It's a messy affair, with more wires than you would expect - And it's hardly portable, unless Microsoft are going to sell a carry case for the whole lot.
The keyboard is awful. It folds in half, making you think that Microsoft actually believe that the Continuum kit is portable. The keyboard is just plain awful to use, and you'll soon be forking out extra cash for an alternative, mechanical keyboard soon after purchase.
Continuum doesn't really serve a purpose. It's a great idea, but it's more like an accessory for the Lumia 950.
The good:
The mouse is pretty great, and as a PC I can't fault Continuum for everyday tasks.
However; The Continuum pack needs to be able to be used with every Lumia phone. There's no way that it's worth buying the Lumia 950 just to be able to use the Continuum dock.
Microsoft are really missing a trick here. Get Continuum to work with any Lumia phone and it'll sell in bucketloads. As an accessory to the 950? I'm afraid that it doesn't cut it.
Back to the Lumia 950
It's fast, responsive and doesn't lag, but then neither do any of the other Windows 8.1 and above smartphones.
The camera is excellent, as is the screen. However, I'm very happy with my own Lumia 640, so I'm unwilling to pay another £400+ for a better camera and screen.
Windows 10 Mobile is very good. The Edge browser actually allows you to view and use most websites (Windows 8.1 doesn't).
The settings menu is still a bit of a jumble, and there are now settings tucked away inside other settings (much like Android 5.1). The settings search facility is pointless in this regard.
The new Action Centre is a bit of an Android 5.1 ripoff: It now needs an extra swipe and/or tap to be able to access a setting or check something, which is not a welcome change. I ditched Android last year because the OS needed additional swipes and taps to perform the same functions as it did in Android 4.4
Windows 10 Mobile is perfectly acceptable - and I'm glad to see that it's heading to most Lumia handsets very soon - Which of course makes buying a Windows 10 Mobile handset a bit pointless at the moment.
The apps are the same disastrous affair on Windows 10 Mobile.
For years, I've not cared too much that Windows Phone apps are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
However, I recently had to use my "trusty" Lumia 640 as a satnav, using its offline maps to navigate. Once again, Lumia let me down (HERE Maps froze on me) and directed me through the centre of Basingstoke. Luckily, I know the area and found a different route, only for HERE Maps to freeze again.
HERE Maps froze/crashed on me no less than six times that day - and it's a regular occurence on all Lumia phones. I've been (almost) willing to put up with this for a year now, but on testing the Lumia 950 in the same situations I've found that it's just as bad.
Windows 10 Mobile feels a lot like Android 5.1, with it's pull down and swipe/tap Action Centre, so apart from the Metro interface, there's not a lot between the two operating systems.
I have, at least temporarily gone back to Android, as Google Maps works, where the various Lumia mapping/navigation apps don't.
I have to say that the transition between the two operating systems has been easy. Maybe Windows Phone is taking too many tips from Android Lollipop?
What I'm missing most at the moment is easy call and text barring on Android (too many sub menus), and setting custom message tones isn't possible.
I also miss the battery life of the Lumia phones. Android lasts about 12 hours with moderate use, whereas Windows Phone will go 16-17 hours with the same usage.
The Metro live tiles are clean, informative widgets. I don't want lots of Android homescreens filled with widgets just to see basic information (number of unread messages, for example).
And of course there is the general nippiness of Windows Phone compared to Android.
But, for now, I am back on Android. My Lumia 950 trial could have convinced me to stick with the OS, but it hasn't.
I love the basics of Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile, but I need reliability and apps that actually work.
Sorry Microsoft: You could have had something great if you had let Nokia sell your phones cheaply when Android could barely be used as a phone, but now you are playing catch up to operating systems that are now quite reliable.
Windows 10 Mobile works, but not quite well enough. It's getting on a par with Android, but the apps really let the whole OS down as the core apps don't work well enough and are very rarely updated.
Some Windows advocates are crying out for a Surface Phone, but that's going to be a pricey handset and let's face it, it'll still be hobbled by the app situation.
The Lumia 950 is a good phone, but there is no way that it's worth paying five times the price of the perfectly adequate Lumia 640. The Continuum dock is a nice accessory, but it's a bit of a gimmick.
This isn't a full review, but I'll note down all of my thoughts, which should be helpful to prospective buyers.
I've owned several Lumia phones over the years, and a year ago I decided to ditch Android and tie myself in to the Microsoft ecosystem for good.
Last year, I used the Lumia 535, 635 and 640 - All of which are relatively cheap, decent Lumia phones.
Let's get one thing straight right from the start: Lumia phones are all very nippy, don't suffer from lag, solid and (for a smartphone) relatively simple to use. You never need to close apps, hunt for too many settings or install task management apps to get your battery to last all day (unlike Android). You can leave WiFi on when you leave the house and your battery will be fine. Connecting to public WiFi networks is automatic and requires no user input.
First impressions of the Lumia 950
It's got a very crisp screen! It's a real standout feature, after using the low end Lumias.
It's plastic.
There's no way of avoiding this issue - The handset is plastic and doesn't look like you've paid £500 for it. In fact, you'll be hard pressed to say if it's any different to the £100 Lumia 640, apart from the metallic buttons on the side of the phone.
It has a dedicated camera button.
Too many phones are missing this feature - A feature which was standard on Windows Phones until Microsoft took over. A dedicated quick launch camera/shutter button is a great idea, but given that you have to pay a premium for one, why not just include them on the cheaper handsets?
It has a USB C connector - Which means that all of your standard USB connecting devices are now obsolete. Again.
Thanks to the mobile industry, we have yet another "standard" charging option forced upon us five years after they told us that all phones would be expected to use the same USB chargers to minimise electronic waste.
Cheers for that.
And that's it.
The Lumia 950 is an unremarkable phone.
The Continuum "Dock"
This is a great accessory, which if I had the spare cash I would certainly buy.
I'm not sure what it's purpose is, though: It is basically a micro desktop PC. You plug your Lumia 950 into it, connect it to your TV and use the wireless keyboard and mouse and you have a fully fledged Windows 10 PC!
The first problem with this is that it's not powerful, so it'll never replace a desktop PC - but for many users this is unnecessary. The Continuum kit is great, if you have a spare bit of space, and if I was considering getting a new laptop or desktop PC for use at home for general PC work, this would be brilliant.
The drawbacks of the Continuum dock:
There are lots of cables - Ok, the keyboard and mouse are wireless, but your Lumia 950 needs to be plugged in to the box, which needs a power supply, and it needs to be connected to your TV.
It's a messy affair, with more wires than you would expect - And it's hardly portable, unless Microsoft are going to sell a carry case for the whole lot.
The keyboard is awful. It folds in half, making you think that Microsoft actually believe that the Continuum kit is portable. The keyboard is just plain awful to use, and you'll soon be forking out extra cash for an alternative, mechanical keyboard soon after purchase.
Continuum doesn't really serve a purpose. It's a great idea, but it's more like an accessory for the Lumia 950.
The good:
The mouse is pretty great, and as a PC I can't fault Continuum for everyday tasks.
However; The Continuum pack needs to be able to be used with every Lumia phone. There's no way that it's worth buying the Lumia 950 just to be able to use the Continuum dock.
Microsoft are really missing a trick here. Get Continuum to work with any Lumia phone and it'll sell in bucketloads. As an accessory to the 950? I'm afraid that it doesn't cut it.
Back to the Lumia 950
It's fast, responsive and doesn't lag, but then neither do any of the other Windows 8.1 and above smartphones.
The camera is excellent, as is the screen. However, I'm very happy with my own Lumia 640, so I'm unwilling to pay another £400+ for a better camera and screen.
Windows 10 Mobile is very good. The Edge browser actually allows you to view and use most websites (Windows 8.1 doesn't).
The settings menu is still a bit of a jumble, and there are now settings tucked away inside other settings (much like Android 5.1). The settings search facility is pointless in this regard.
The new Action Centre is a bit of an Android 5.1 ripoff: It now needs an extra swipe and/or tap to be able to access a setting or check something, which is not a welcome change. I ditched Android last year because the OS needed additional swipes and taps to perform the same functions as it did in Android 4.4
Windows 10 Mobile is perfectly acceptable - and I'm glad to see that it's heading to most Lumia handsets very soon - Which of course makes buying a Windows 10 Mobile handset a bit pointless at the moment.
The apps are the same disastrous affair on Windows 10 Mobile.
For years, I've not cared too much that Windows Phone apps are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
However, I recently had to use my "trusty" Lumia 640 as a satnav, using its offline maps to navigate. Once again, Lumia let me down (HERE Maps froze on me) and directed me through the centre of Basingstoke. Luckily, I know the area and found a different route, only for HERE Maps to freeze again.
HERE Maps froze/crashed on me no less than six times that day - and it's a regular occurence on all Lumia phones. I've been (almost) willing to put up with this for a year now, but on testing the Lumia 950 in the same situations I've found that it's just as bad.
Windows 10 Mobile feels a lot like Android 5.1, with it's pull down and swipe/tap Action Centre, so apart from the Metro interface, there's not a lot between the two operating systems.
I have, at least temporarily gone back to Android, as Google Maps works, where the various Lumia mapping/navigation apps don't.
I have to say that the transition between the two operating systems has been easy. Maybe Windows Phone is taking too many tips from Android Lollipop?
What I'm missing most at the moment is easy call and text barring on Android (too many sub menus), and setting custom message tones isn't possible.
I also miss the battery life of the Lumia phones. Android lasts about 12 hours with moderate use, whereas Windows Phone will go 16-17 hours with the same usage.
The Metro live tiles are clean, informative widgets. I don't want lots of Android homescreens filled with widgets just to see basic information (number of unread messages, for example).
And of course there is the general nippiness of Windows Phone compared to Android.
But, for now, I am back on Android. My Lumia 950 trial could have convinced me to stick with the OS, but it hasn't.
I love the basics of Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile, but I need reliability and apps that actually work.
Sorry Microsoft: You could have had something great if you had let Nokia sell your phones cheaply when Android could barely be used as a phone, but now you are playing catch up to operating systems that are now quite reliable.
Windows 10 Mobile works, but not quite well enough. It's getting on a par with Android, but the apps really let the whole OS down as the core apps don't work well enough and are very rarely updated.
Some Windows advocates are crying out for a Surface Phone, but that's going to be a pricey handset and let's face it, it'll still be hobbled by the app situation.
The Lumia 950 is a good phone, but there is no way that it's worth paying five times the price of the perfectly adequate Lumia 640. The Continuum dock is a nice accessory, but it's a bit of a gimmick.
Windows Phone vs. Android
You know how it is: Every now and then (about 18 months) you grow "bored" of your current smartphone. It works perfectly well but you see new releases and think "I want something new".
I have reservations about this nowadays. Google wants everyone to go for the latest version of Android, which is released on a yearly basis. Only a select few mobiles are ever updated to the latest version, so there is either a requirement to upgrade to the latest handset, or you stick with what you have and hope that it doesn't become obsolete within two years.
iPhones are another story - They rarely last two years, so if you are tied in to that ecosystem you are pretty much compelled to upgrade as soon as you are able to do so.
Windows Phone thankfully allows the majority of handsets to update to the latest version (Windows 10 Mobile should be available to all Lumia phones with over 1GB of RAM within the next few weeks).
But sometimes you need a change.
I have used Android phones since 2010, but have dipped into Windows Phone for months at a time since then.
I recently bought a Microsoft Lumia 640, which is a decent phone, and thought that I'd be tied in to the OS forever more. However, I recently used it as a satnav, and the HERE Maps app crashed, restarted and froze at least six times on a very important journey. This isn't the first time that this has happened - I've experienced this problem on a Nokia Lumia 620, 635 and a Microsoft Lumia 535.
The fact is that I need my phone to work reliably as a satnav occasionally, and whilst the HERE Map app is great for offline navigation, it's no use if it doesn't work.
Microsoft UK were kind enough to loan me a Lumia 950 on a ten day trial recently.
It runs Windows 10 Mobile, and whilst things like the Edge browser are a massive improvement, and you can finally attach files to emails when replying(!) it is still way behind Android's capabilities.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise that all smartphones are only as good as the apps that they use, and the apps available for Windows Phone are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
A year ago I decided to ditch Android in favour of Windows Phone, and I have put up with the limitations for a year. When my 1st generation Moto G updated to Android 5.1 I was horrified at the requirement to swipe or tap additional times to sort out notifications, and the settings are still hidden in wierd places.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise just how similar Window 10 Mobile is to Android 5.1, but at least Android doesn't have the same limitations.
So, thanks to Microsoft for the trial, but all it has really done is made me go back to my old Moto G to see if I prefer it to Windows Phone - And I believe that I do.
Over the last year I'd never had said that I'd be going back to Android, but it's simply more useful on a phone. Many ignore Windows Phone due to the perceived "app gap", but when core apps simply don't cut the mustard, you have to wonder why you are putting yourself through this torture.
My 1st generation Moto G is still good. It's certainly no worse than any of the lower end Lumia phones, and at least everything "just works" - I used to prefer Windows Phone because it "just worked", but having compared Android 5.1 with Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile, I feel that Windows is merely borrowing ideas from Android and yet still managing a sub-par job of it.
Will I stick with Android now? For now, yes.
I've moved my calendar and email back to Google, and everything works how I would expect it to on a smartphone. I don't feel like I have to get my laptop out every other day to complete tasks that I had to put off due to the limitations of Windows Phone.
Oh, and Google Maps works brilliantly.
Going back to what I said about many people wanting to change their phones regularly: Most people don't switch operating systems, but they should at least give it a go occasionally.
Being part of Microsoft's trial community has been interesting. Some users do appear to be considering moving from Android to Windows.
Having been firmly in the Windows camp for a while, I doubted that I'd find myself heading back to Android, but after only a week with my Moto G, I can't see myself reinvesting in Windows Phone.
I have reservations about this nowadays. Google wants everyone to go for the latest version of Android, which is released on a yearly basis. Only a select few mobiles are ever updated to the latest version, so there is either a requirement to upgrade to the latest handset, or you stick with what you have and hope that it doesn't become obsolete within two years.
iPhones are another story - They rarely last two years, so if you are tied in to that ecosystem you are pretty much compelled to upgrade as soon as you are able to do so.
Windows Phone thankfully allows the majority of handsets to update to the latest version (Windows 10 Mobile should be available to all Lumia phones with over 1GB of RAM within the next few weeks).
But sometimes you need a change.
I have used Android phones since 2010, but have dipped into Windows Phone for months at a time since then.
I recently bought a Microsoft Lumia 640, which is a decent phone, and thought that I'd be tied in to the OS forever more. However, I recently used it as a satnav, and the HERE Maps app crashed, restarted and froze at least six times on a very important journey. This isn't the first time that this has happened - I've experienced this problem on a Nokia Lumia 620, 635 and a Microsoft Lumia 535.
The fact is that I need my phone to work reliably as a satnav occasionally, and whilst the HERE Map app is great for offline navigation, it's no use if it doesn't work.
Microsoft UK were kind enough to loan me a Lumia 950 on a ten day trial recently.
It runs Windows 10 Mobile, and whilst things like the Edge browser are a massive improvement, and you can finally attach files to emails when replying(!) it is still way behind Android's capabilities.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise that all smartphones are only as good as the apps that they use, and the apps available for Windows Phone are years behind their Android and iOS counterparts.
A year ago I decided to ditch Android in favour of Windows Phone, and I have put up with the limitations for a year. When my 1st generation Moto G updated to Android 5.1 I was horrified at the requirement to swipe or tap additional times to sort out notifications, and the settings are still hidden in wierd places.
Trialling the Lumia 950 made me realise just how similar Window 10 Mobile is to Android 5.1, but at least Android doesn't have the same limitations.
So, thanks to Microsoft for the trial, but all it has really done is made me go back to my old Moto G to see if I prefer it to Windows Phone - And I believe that I do.
Over the last year I'd never had said that I'd be going back to Android, but it's simply more useful on a phone. Many ignore Windows Phone due to the perceived "app gap", but when core apps simply don't cut the mustard, you have to wonder why you are putting yourself through this torture.
My 1st generation Moto G is still good. It's certainly no worse than any of the lower end Lumia phones, and at least everything "just works" - I used to prefer Windows Phone because it "just worked", but having compared Android 5.1 with Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile, I feel that Windows is merely borrowing ideas from Android and yet still managing a sub-par job of it.
Will I stick with Android now? For now, yes.
I've moved my calendar and email back to Google, and everything works how I would expect it to on a smartphone. I don't feel like I have to get my laptop out every other day to complete tasks that I had to put off due to the limitations of Windows Phone.
Oh, and Google Maps works brilliantly.
Going back to what I said about many people wanting to change their phones regularly: Most people don't switch operating systems, but they should at least give it a go occasionally.
Being part of Microsoft's trial community has been interesting. Some users do appear to be considering moving from Android to Windows.
Having been firmly in the Windows camp for a while, I doubted that I'd find myself heading back to Android, but after only a week with my Moto G, I can't see myself reinvesting in Windows Phone.
Saturday 20 February 2016
Job News and Why I've Joined a Contract-only Mobile Network.
It has been a while since I last updated this blog - sorry.
I have had a rough start to 2016.
My employer of five years has been getting progressively worse. I have spent the last two years in a thankless job doing QA work on products that simply aren't fit for purpose. As a Quality Inspector, there is a limit as to how much I was willing to put my name to a product that doesn't fit the bill.
In addition, the fact that 75% of my time was spent sitting around waiting for work to come in, I couldn't justify this to myself and have taken the decision to leave my current employer.
I am still involved with a few minor projects in the mobile industry. No matter what job I do as my main focus, I will always have an interest in mobile telecommunications.
So, time for a blog update!
2015 saw me test out a few mobile networks for myself. Most notably giffgaff.
Whilst I spent several years being unable to use O2/giffgaff as a network due to their patchy coverage, I followed giffgaff's growth. I first joined the network in 2014, but it was short lived - Their data coverage is very poor and when I did manage to get a data connection on my phone, it didn't work.
In 2015, I tried again - mainly due to giffgaff offering 4G for no additional cost in my area.
It was a waste of time and money: The data speeds on giffgaff are useless. I struggled to use email on my phone, which has been a pretty bad introduction to 4G.
Recently, I updated my mobile network reviews on my website (mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com/mobile-network-reviews.html), which I'm sorry to say for giffgaff, haven't painted their network in a good light.
After my second bad experience with giffgaff, I returned (again) to Three.
My mobile usage has dropped recently, so 321 PAYG on Three was costing me around £5 a month, which is hard to beat. This low cost, combined with the reliability of the Three network meant that I was even considering taking a contract with them.
However, a few weeks ago I was playing around with an EE PAYG SIM card and found that I not only got 3-4 bars of signal (0-2 bars was the previous average in this area), but it was HSDPA.
A few checks on the coverage maps confirmed that EE now provide very good coverage for 2G, 3G and reasonable 4G across my entire area now.
There are a number of EE MVNOs, and currently USwitch are offering some good exclusive deals on Life Mobile.
Life Mobile (via USwitch) provide 1500 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of data for £6 a month, on a one month rolling contract. Customer support is UK based, and I've already found them to be very good, friendly and efficient - They even reply to emails personally and effectively.
Given that I can easily go over a £5 monthly spend on my mobile, this £6 a month package should cover all of my needs. It really is fantastic value.
If I need more data, I can just call up customer services and have a very reasonably priced bundle added to my tariff for that month, which is great.
My own quest for the best value PAYG mobile tariffs continues, but I feel that at this point I have to admit that I feel that £6 for such a good 30 day SIM only contract can't be beaten. I'm not tied in to a contract (it's a 30 day contract, people!), it covers all of my requirements and most importantly the signal is reliable.
As much as I try to champion PAYG bundles, no network can beat SIM only deals as good as this one - Why should we pay more when we can get more, for less?
I have had a rough start to 2016.
My employer of five years has been getting progressively worse. I have spent the last two years in a thankless job doing QA work on products that simply aren't fit for purpose. As a Quality Inspector, there is a limit as to how much I was willing to put my name to a product that doesn't fit the bill.
In addition, the fact that 75% of my time was spent sitting around waiting for work to come in, I couldn't justify this to myself and have taken the decision to leave my current employer.
I am still involved with a few minor projects in the mobile industry. No matter what job I do as my main focus, I will always have an interest in mobile telecommunications.
So, time for a blog update!
2015 saw me test out a few mobile networks for myself. Most notably giffgaff.
Whilst I spent several years being unable to use O2/giffgaff as a network due to their patchy coverage, I followed giffgaff's growth. I first joined the network in 2014, but it was short lived - Their data coverage is very poor and when I did manage to get a data connection on my phone, it didn't work.
In 2015, I tried again - mainly due to giffgaff offering 4G for no additional cost in my area.
It was a waste of time and money: The data speeds on giffgaff are useless. I struggled to use email on my phone, which has been a pretty bad introduction to 4G.
Recently, I updated my mobile network reviews on my website (mobile-networks-uk.weebly.com/mobile-network-reviews.html), which I'm sorry to say for giffgaff, haven't painted their network in a good light.
After my second bad experience with giffgaff, I returned (again) to Three.
My mobile usage has dropped recently, so 321 PAYG on Three was costing me around £5 a month, which is hard to beat. This low cost, combined with the reliability of the Three network meant that I was even considering taking a contract with them.
However, a few weeks ago I was playing around with an EE PAYG SIM card and found that I not only got 3-4 bars of signal (0-2 bars was the previous average in this area), but it was HSDPA.
A few checks on the coverage maps confirmed that EE now provide very good coverage for 2G, 3G and reasonable 4G across my entire area now.
There are a number of EE MVNOs, and currently USwitch are offering some good exclusive deals on Life Mobile.
Life Mobile (via USwitch) provide 1500 minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of data for £6 a month, on a one month rolling contract. Customer support is UK based, and I've already found them to be very good, friendly and efficient - They even reply to emails personally and effectively.
Given that I can easily go over a £5 monthly spend on my mobile, this £6 a month package should cover all of my needs. It really is fantastic value.
If I need more data, I can just call up customer services and have a very reasonably priced bundle added to my tariff for that month, which is great.
My own quest for the best value PAYG mobile tariffs continues, but I feel that at this point I have to admit that I feel that £6 for such a good 30 day SIM only contract can't be beaten. I'm not tied in to a contract (it's a 30 day contract, people!), it covers all of my requirements and most importantly the signal is reliable.
As much as I try to champion PAYG bundles, no network can beat SIM only deals as good as this one - Why should we pay more when we can get more, for less?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)