February 6th, 2010
The iPhone isn’t a perfect phone by any measure. It can’t multi-task or show Flash content on webpages, it won’t accept external SD card memory, it is limited to a 3 megapixel camera and it requires you to use iTunes. But it’s not the only smartphone out there. There are a whole range of alternative smartphones out there which certainly give the iPhone a run for it’s money. In this article, we look at five of the top smartphone alternatives to the iPhone.
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February 1st, 2010
T-Mobile revamped their Pay Monthly tariffs today as well as extending their Pay As You Go ‘Free Texts and Internet’ offer for another month. In this article, we look at what’s new and how the new tariffs compare against the rival networks.
What has changed?
T-Mobile has entirely scrapped their old Combi, Flext and Solo tariffs. They have been replaced with new Pay Monthly tariffs (18 month or 24 month contract) and SIM Only tariffs (30 day rolling contract or 12 month contract). Pay Monthly tariffs provide customers with free/subsidised phones whereas SIM only tariffs don’t.
The new tariffs start from £10/month – one of the lowest in the market. They also feature ‘Flexible Boosters’ which allow you to customise the tariffs – this makes it possible to have features such as ‘unlimited’ internet for as little as £10/month plan.
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January 30th, 2010
Thousands of iPhone 3G contracts are coming to an end this month. This means it’s now possible to switch tariff or network and you can save between £180 and £300 over the next year by switching.
If you bought an iPhone 3G from O2 at launch in June 2008, your 18-month contract will be coming to an end this January. In this article, we explore the options which are now available to you. There are some huge savings to be made: most people should be able to save at least £180/yr with a quick phone call and other alternatives can give savings of up to £300.
Keep your iPhone 3G and Switch to O2’s Simplicity for iPhone
O2 offer two secret ‘Simplicity’ tariffs for iPhone customers who have completed their original contract. The cheaper of the two options costs £20/month giving you a saving of least £15/month on your current contract. O2 don’t advertise the tariff but we wrote about it last month and most readers have reported success in switching. It takes just a quick phone call to change (several readers said it took just 5 minutes) and you’ll start saving straight away.
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January 27th, 2010
Ken’s Tech Tips answers your most frequently asked questions about mobile broadband.
photo: Vince Alongi
One key area of growth in the mobile market recently has been mobile broadband. It’s something which is still unfamiliar to most people but I believe we’ll be seeing a lot more of it in 2009 as the mobile broadband speeds improve and consumers ask for “always-on” broadband connectivity on the move. In this guide, we explain how mobile broadband works and answer some of your most frequently asked questions. Do feel free to drop us a comment if you have questions which aren’t answered.
What is mobile broadband?
Traditionally, broadband meant a high-speed connection to the internet through your landline. Mobile broadband provides a high-speed internet connection but instead of going through your landline, it uses a 3G connection to the nearest mobile phone mast.
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January 25th, 2010
In the past year, we’ve seen the mobile networks load us up with free calls, texts and internet access on PAYG tariffs. All of the major networks now offer some kind of freebie with their Pay As You Go tariff. Towards the end of last year, we began to see tariffs offering both texts and internet access: Three’s 3Pay, O2’s Text and Web and T-Mobile’s Monthly Text and Internet Reward. It’s rare for a network to offer both calls and texts for free (as they are the major cash cows) but O2’s newly launched ‘Text and Call’ tariff does just that.
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January 21st, 2010
To tie in with the launch of the iPhone on it’s network, Vodafone has launched a “femtocell” product which aims to guarantee 5-bar signal in your home called Sure Signal. In this article, we explore the technology underlying “Sure Signal” called femtocells. We look at how they work, their benefits and downsides and whether they will take off in the UK.
What is a Femtocell?
A Femtocell is essentially like having your own personal cellphone tower. That sounds scary but a femtocell is about the size of a wireless router so you can have it in your living room. A femtocell will typically output a 3G mobile signal which your phone can recieve. It plugs in to your broadband connection and utilises that to connect to the mobile network operator (i.e. Vodafone). All of your mobile phone calls, texts and web browsing are routed through that femtocell when you are in the range of it.
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January 18th, 2010
photo: notsogoodphotography
When you originally buy your iPhone it will be locked to a specific network (i.e. it won’t work if you use a SIM card from a different network). This has two primary downsides. The first is that you can’t benefit from cheaper and better value deals on the other networks. The second is that when you go abroad, you won’t be able to use a SIM card purchased in that country – you’ll have to make calls at the expensive international rates charged by a UK network.
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January 14th, 2010
It’s interesting to see that mobile network 3, the only major network offer the iPhone, are bundling an iPod Touch with a MiFi personal hotspot accessory (T-Mobile doesn’t offer the iPhone under their own brand but they are merging with Orange this year who do offer the iPhone).
An iPod Touch is essentially an iPhone without the phone part (you can’t connect to the mobile networks; you only have Wi-Fi connectivity on the iPod Touch). However, the MiFi hotspot connects to the 3G mobile network and produces a Wi-Fi signal which can then be picked up by the iPod Touch. By using the iPod Touch in combination with MiFi, it is possible to access the internet on the go without having to worry about finding a wi-fi hotspot.
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January 11th, 2010
49 SIM-only tariffs from 3, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone listed and compared on one page.
Last month, we wrote about SIM-only tariffs and how many people are able to save about £180/yr. by switching to one. SIM-only tariffs are perfect for people who have completed the original term of their contract and are happy to keep their existing phone. They are cheaper than traditional contracts because you don’t get a new phone with it. However, it’s still worth shopping around as whichever network you go to you can keep your existing phone number. Continue Reading »
January 7th, 2010
Can’t get away from the internet even on the move? Just got a brand new smartphone such as an Apple iPhone or the new Google Nexus One? The next thing you’ll want to do is to find a SIM-only tariff which includes internet access so you don’t have to worry about running up huge bills for accessing the net. All of the major networks are now offering tariffs with internet for £20/month or less. We compare six of the UK’s top tariffs.
First things first…
Firstly, is your phone locked? If it’s a Nexus One it won’t be but there is a good chance that other phones will be locked if they were subsidised by a network when you bought it. If so, you’ll have to unlock your phone before you can use your phone on a different network.
Secondly, are you better off on Pay As You Go? The cheapest SIM-only tariff here is £15/month. If you spend less than £15/month on calls you could be better off on PAYG. Have a look at our guide on PAYG tariffs including free internet access. Of particular note, T-Mobile offers unlimited texts and internet access when you top up £10/month. Continue Reading »
