Best UK Mobile Provider?

Rainbulimic

So my contract is coming to an end in June so I'm starting the hunt for a new handset.

I've got my eye on the Motorola Milestone

mainly because I'm currently using a G1, and I've no issue whatsoever with having a full qwerty as well as android. Also I don't want an iPhone. No really. I'm fine.

My question is which provider I should go with. I'm currently with T-Mobile, but I'm not exactly sure they're the best. My reception drops randomly for no reason even when I'm just sitting doing nothing. Also, outside of London (not that I travel out often) it's harder to find decent 3G cover.

Is Orange better? How's the 3G on Orange? And general support? Or perhaps O2? Or should I stick with T-mobile?

dukederek

I have just dropped Orange PAYG because I wanted a Milestone.

Bought one off Expansys and got the £15 a month O2 contract (sim free) with the unlimited data add-on (£5). I'm having a great time so far.

Problem with the Milestone is no-one seems to want to actually carry it, only option other than sim free is Carphone Warehouse and they wanted £35pm for 24 months for it.

I switched to O2 through asking my friends how their networks were and people with O2 were consistently enthusiastic. I notice also that you have to pay Orange a lot before they start giving you free data on contracts as well...

mere_immortal

O2 have great reception and their customer service is pretty ok.

Flip side is from what I've seen they have the most expensive/worst value Pay Monthly packages.

Anarchy Rules!

Do you have internet, TV or whatever from any of the networks? You can usually get a pretty good deal off them if you are already a customer.

Wezoin

Related Question: Travelling to the UK in May. My phone is an unlocked Blackberry 9700, its on Rogers in Canada. I want to pick up service for the month, I'll need a SIM card. Would prefer to have some data, and some texting but neither are strictly necessary. I've looked at Vodafone, and they appear to have some good deals, but their SIMs other than the pay as you go ones are on 30 day contracts and ask for 30 days notice to cancel. Would I be able to go in, buy one of their prepaid sims, and just immediately tell them I'd like to cancel in 30 days?

The pay as you go rates for most of the carriers seem a bit high and dont seem to offer data.

Any other recommendations?

Willeth

Wezoin: Pay as you Go is basically the equivalent of prepaid SIMs. Contracts usually have a minimum of 18 months. You don't want that.

O2 give out free SIMs like candy on their website, but it might take a while to get one. Poundland sells SIM cards (for a pound!) and then you only pay for the credit you use. The good thing about the O2 ones, though, is that there's some deals that give you 300 free texts when you top up £10 or so. I'd actually recommend the OP grab a few of these free ones from various places to check reception in his area before he goes for a contract, too.

Some things to note for US visitors: You only pay for outgoing, not receiving, for either calls or texts.

I'm with O2, so I don't know about other providers, but O2 have packages called 'Bolt-Ons' - they allow you to buy a chunk of data coverage for a flat rate. I'd recommend looking at the respective websites - the companies that we have are O2, T-Mobile, Vodafone, Orange, and 3.

mere_immortal

Wezoin wrote: »

Related Question: Travelling to the UK in May. My phone is an unlocked Blackberry 9700, its on Rogers in Canada. I want to pick up service for the month, I'll need a SIM card. Would prefer to have some data, and some texting but neither are strictly necessary. I've looked at Vodafone, and they appear to have some good deals, but their SIMs other than the pay as you go ones are on 30 day contracts and ask for 30 days notice to cancel. Would I be able to go in, buy one of their prepaid sims, and just immediately tell them I'd like to cancel in 30 days?

The pay as you go rates for most of the carriers seem a bit high and dont seem to offer data.

Any other recommendations?

As Willeth said O2 do a thing were you can grab a PAYG sim from their store for a tenner which is all put as credit onto the phone and if you top up a certain amount you can get free data. More info here.

Szechuanosaurus

O2 might have great reception compared to most other networks but it's an embarrassement compared to Orange. I switched to o2 for the iPhone and am desperate to switch back to Orange simply for the coverage. Besides that I have no complaints but GOD the coverage!

corcorigan

Wezoin wrote: »

Related Question: Travelling to the UK in May. My phone is an unlocked Blackberry 9700, its on Rogers in Canada. I want to pick up service for the month, I'll need a SIM card. Would prefer to have some data, and some texting but neither are strictly necessary. I've looked at Vodafone, and they appear to have some good deals, but their SIMs other than the pay as you go ones are on 30 day contracts and ask for 30 days notice to cancel. Would I be able to go in, buy one of their prepaid sims, and just immediately tell them I'd like to cancel in 30 days?

The pay as you go rates for most of the carriers seem a bit high and dont seem to offer data.

Any other recommendations?

If you need to phone home regularly there are some providers targeted almost solely at people who call/text overseas a lot.