Orange are one of the most popular Pay As You Go mobile networks in the UK but also one of the networks with the most complicated Pay As You Go tariffs. The Orange Pay As You Go line-up consists of five different “animal tariffs”: Monkey, Dolphin, Canary, Racoon and Camel. Each of the tariffs comes with different call charges and inclusive free allowances with every top-up.

In this article, we compare the five Orange Pay As You Go tariffs to each other and look at how they compare to other Pay As You Go tariffs which are available on the market.

What are the Orange ‘Animal’ tariffs?

Orange has five Pay As You Go ‘Animal’ tariffs:

• Monkey – Aimed at younger audiences, Monkey offers inclusive access to Orange’s “Deezer Lite” music service and free texts with a monthly top-up of £5/month or more.
• Dolphin – Designed for Facebook and Twitter fans, Dolphin offers free text messages and 100MB of internet access each month with a top-up of £10/month or more.
• Canary – Canary offers inclusive evening and weekend calls as well as a small allowance of inclusive texts with a top-up of £10/month or more.
• Racoon – Racoon is Orange’s simplest tariff with a flat rate charge of 12p/minute for calls and 12p per text message. This tariff is not suitable for smartphone owners: accessing the internet costs £4/MB.
• Camel – Designed for those who regularly call overseas, Camel offers inclusive international calls with every top-up of £10/month or more.

How much do calls and texts cost on Orange Pay As You Go?

The standard Orange Pay As You Go rate is 25p/minute for calls to any network any time and 12p per text message. Customers opting in to the Racoon tariff can get calls at less than half price for just 12p/minute whereas customers opting in for Camel can get calls at the slightly discounted rate of 20p/minute. Texts cost 12p each, or 10p each on the Camel tariff. Finally, Orange charge £2/day for up to 25MB of internet access – once you run out you’ll pay Orange’s standard rate of £4 per megabyte.

Orange’s call rates are roughly in line with the rest of the major mobile networks (the “big five” networks charge approximately 25p/minute and 12p/text) although internet access is on the expensive side. Cheaper deals can be had from networks such as the O2-powered network giffgaff. They charge 10p/minute, 6p per text message and 20p/day for internet.

What free allowances do I get when I top up?

Four of the animal tariffs offer an inclusive allowance which lasts for 30 days whenever you top-up. These range from free music to free text messages. The free allowances you receive will depend on the amount you top-up by:

Free music on Monkey is through the Deezer Lite service. Off-peak calls on Canary refer to calls being made between 7pm-7am in the evenings or at weekends. Inclusive international minutes on Canary only include calls to 50 countries designated by Orange. For an explanation of what terms such as 2MB/day or 100MB/month mean, see our guide to mobile download allowances.

What happens if I don’t top up in a given month?

Orange has five 'Animal' tariffs: Monkey, Dolphin, Canary, Racoon and Camel.

If you don’t top up in a given month, you won’t receive your free allowances and will need to pay Orange’s standard rates for calling and texting. You will be receive your free allowances again when you next top-up. It is not compulsory to top-up every month.

What else do I get with Orange Pay As You Go?

Orange offers several other key benefits on their Pay As You Go packages:

• Orange Wednesday – 2for1 cinema tickets on Wednesday when you text FILM to 241 (text tickets cost 35p)
• Orange Film To Go – Free film rental from iTunes on Thursday when you text FILMTOGO to 85060
• Magic Numbers – You can nominate three Orange “Magic Numbers” through the ‘Your Account’ section of the Orange website. You’ll be able to call these numbers for up to 60 minutes for a flat rate of 25p per call. Subject to minimum £10/month top-up and not available on Racoon.

What phones are available on Orange Pay As You Go?

Orange has a full list of the Pay As You Go phones that they offer on their website. If you’d like to keep your existing phone, you can purchase an Orange Pay As You Go SIM card for your current phone. Note that you may need to unlock your phone if it was purchased on a different network.

Are there any additional bundles I can purchase on Orange Pay As You Go?

Yes. For £5/month, you could add a bundle of either 100 minutes, unlimited texts or 250MB internet to your account. The £5 payment will be deducted from your Pay As You Go credit and you’ll receive an allowance which lasts for a month.

• 100 UK minutes – £5/month (effectively 5p/minute)
  Text MINS 5 to 6620
• Unlimited texts – £5/month
  Text TEXTS 5 to 6620
• 250MB internet – £5/month (effectively 2p/MB)
  Text WEB 5 to 6620

A full list of available bundles can be found on the Orange website.

How do I select which Orange Pay As You Go ‘Animal’ plan I’m on?

You will be able to select which “animal” plan to join when you purchase your Pay As You Go phone from Orange. Alternatively, call 343 once you’ve received your phone to change plan.

How does Orange compare to other networks for Pay As You Go?

In terms of call charges, Orange is fairly expensive. At 25p per minute, 12p per text message and £2 per day for internet, Orange’s charges are roughly in-line with what the major mobile networks charge. However, they are substantially higher than what cheaper networks such as giffgaff charge (10p per minute, 6p per text message and 20p per day for internet). Although you won’t get free allowances with each top-up on cheaper networks such as giffgaff, this is often more than compensated by the cheaper airtime rates.

For an in-depth comparison, see our complete guide to the UK’s Pay As You Go tariffs.

How do I top up my Orange Pay As You Go account?

You can top-up your Orange Pay As You Go account through the Orange website, by calling 450 from your Orange mobile or at any high street store with the “top up” sign (pictured right).

How do I check Orange coverage where I live?

There is an online coverage checker on the Orange website.

I’m moving to Orange. Can I keep my existing phone number?

Yes. You’ll need to ask your existing network for a PAC code and then provide this to Orange once you’ve received your new phone. The entire process of transferring your phone number should take no more than 24 hours. Our PAC Code Finder tool provides a step-by-step guide to transferring your mobile number to Orange.

Where can I join Orange Pay As You Go?

You can join Orange by purchasing a new Pay As You Go mobile phone or Pay As You Go SIM card through their website. The Orange “Pay As You Go Offers” page may also be worth a look.

Related posts:

1. Orange hike Pay As You Go call charges by 25%, text charges by 20% from July
2. Free Pay As You Go SIM Cards – Listed, Reviewed and Networks Compared
3. O2 Simplicity SIM-only tariffs reviewed and compared

"Everything Everywhere" is the joint venture between Orange and T-Mobile.

At present, Orange customers and T-Mobile customers have access to each other’s 2G mobile phone networks through roaming. This means that when you don’t have any coverage from your home network, you’ll be able to roam onto the other network in order to make phone calls and send texts. From October 2011, this roaming arrangement is being enhanced with “seamless” roaming as well as the ability to roam for 3G services.

What’s the current roaming arrangement between Orange and T-Mobile?

Orange and T-Mobile first turned on non-seamless 2G roaming in October 2010. Non-seamless roaming meant that Orange customers could connect to the T-Mobile 2G network and T-Mobile customers could connect to the Orange 2G network. When roaming, download speeds are limited to about 80kbit/sec and it isn’t possible to switch networks mid-call. Hence an Orange customer who begins a phone call on the Orange network but loses signal from Orange wouldn’t have their call automatically switched over to T-Mobile: the call would drop instead. Under non-seamless roaming, your mobile phone will also select your home network over the roaming network whenever possible (even if coverage is much better on the roaming network).

What are the benefits of the new “seamless” and “3G” roaming arrangements?

From October 2011 onwards, Orange and T-Mobile are turning on seamless roaming for both 2G and 3G. This is a significant development for Orange and T-Mobile customers giving several key benefits:

• Your phone will automatically pick the network with the strongest signal. If you had a one-bar Orange signal and a five-bar T-Mobile signal where you live, your Orange phone would still have picked up the weaker one-bar Orange signal under non-seamless roaming. Under seamless roaming, your phone will pick up the stronger five-bar T-Mobile signal instead. This should lead to fewer dropped calls and better battery life.
• You can switch network mid-call. Under non-seamless roaming, it was not possible to switch network in the middle of a phone call without dropping the phone call. With seamless roaming, you will be able to continue your phone call regardless of whether an Orange signal or a T-Mobile signal is being used in the background.
• Faster download speeds on the roaming network. Under the old roaming arrangement, only 2G services were covered. So an Orange customer could access the T-Mobile 2G network and a T-Mobile customer could access the Orange 2G network but isn’t possible to access the roaming network’s 3G signal. Under the new roaming arrangement, both 2G and 3G networks are covered. This means that when you’re roaming, you’ll get the same high-speed downloads that you would on your home network.

Do I need to opt in to the new roaming arrangements?

No. Unlike with 2G non-seamless roaming which launched last October, there is no need to opt-in for the new roaming arrangements. The roaming arrangements will be turned on across the UK region-by-region and you’ll receive a text message to let you know when it’s been enabled on your phone.

How can I tell which network my phone is connected to?

If your phone is currently roaming on an Orange or T-Mobile mast, your phone will display the name of both networks:

• Orange customers roaming on T-Mobile will see the network name “Orange T-Mobile”
• T-Mobile customers roaming on Orange will see the network name “T-Mobile Orange”

When connected to a “home” mast, your phone will simply display the name of your network as before. In order to determine whether you’re connected to a 2G or 3G mast, look at the indicator in your phone’s status bar:

• G – GPRS (2G connection, up to 80kbit/s)
• E – EDGE (enhanced 2G connection, up to 237kbit/s)
• 3G – Basic 3G connection (up to 384kbit/s)
• H – HSDPA (enhanced 3G, up to 7.2Mbit/s)
• H+ – HSPA+ (evolved 3G, up to 21Mbit/s)

Can I still use my inclusive minutes and texts as normal whilst roaming?

Yes. You can still use your inclusive minutes and texts as normal whether you are connected to a Orange mast or a T-Mobile mast. Unlike international roaming, there are no extra fees associated with this service.

Are there any changes to the call charges or download limits?

No. You will be charged as normal regardless of whether you are connected to an Orange mast or a T-Mobile mast. Downloads on Orange masts and T-Mobile masts both count towards your normal monthly download limit.

Will a call between Orange and T-Mobile still be charged as a cross-network call?

Data roaming is free within the UK but can cost up to £8/MB outside of the UK.

A call between Orange customers and T-Mobile customers will still be billed as a cross-network call.

My phone is displaying warnings about “Data Roaming”. What does it mean?

Many smartphones are set up to display a warning when you use data/internet over a roaming connection. This is a useful feature because traditionally you only roam whilst abroad and when abroad you pay up to £8/MB for data (see our guide to what MBs means in terms of web pages, emails, etc).

Typically I advise users to disable “data roaming” on their phones. This means you won’t be stung with huge charges if you go abroad as your phone won’t use “data roaming”. The side-effect of this setting is that it may also disable data roaming within the UK across Orange and T-Mobile (which has no additional charges). The workaround is to re-enable “data roaming” but remember to turn it off before you leave the UK though or you could be stung with a huge charge.

I’m a T-Mobile customer. Can I now access services such as Orange Wednesday whilst roaming on Orange?

No. Orange services such as Orange voicemail and Orange Wednesdays are only for Orange customers. The important thing is which network you have an account with: not which network’s masts you’re connected to. The same goes for Orange customers and T-Mobile services.

Why has it taken so long for seamless roaming and 3G roaming to begin?

Virgin Mobile customers can benefit from 2G roaming on Orange.

It’s been a whole year since the launch of non-seamless 2G roaming on Orange and T-Mobile. The launch of seamless and 3G roaming was partly delayed by the Arqiva Ltd v Everything Everywhere Ltd High Court case which essentially revolved around whether combining the Orange and T-Mobile networks would breach existing contracts that the companies had Arquiva, a mobile infrastructure provider. Now that the cases have been resolved, we look forward to the launch of seamless roaming and 3G roaming on Orange and T-Mobile.

If you are interested in the technical details behind how seamless roaming and 3G roaming is enabled, see points 46-48 in the Arqiva Ltd v Everything Everywhere Ltd court document.

I’m a Virgin Mobile customer. How am I affected by these changes?

Virgin Mobile is a virtual network operator which uses the T-Mobile signal. From October 2011, Virgin Mobile customers will have access to the Orange 2G signal. Virgin Mobile customers can tell which network they are connected to by looking at the network name on their phone:

• Virgin: Connected to a T-Mobile signal (Virgin with a capital V)
• virgin: Connected to an Orange signal (2G only so slow downloads, virgin with a small v)

Please see the Virgin Mobile website in order to opt-in for Orange 2G roaming. Virgin Mobile customers will need to wait until 2012 before they are able to access a 3G signal from Orange.

How can I check Orange coverage or T-Mobile coverage where I live?

You should use the Orange coverage checker and the T-Mobile coverage checker.

Why are Orange and T-Mobile offering this service?

Orange and T-Mobile merged in 2010 to form a single company “Everything Everywhere”. “Everything Everywhere” intends to maintain both the “Orange” and “T-Mobile” consumer brands but eventually plans to merge the two networks and to reduce costs by streamlining operations. In the long term, this may mean the withdrawal of certain Orange masts or T-Mobile masts where there is a significant overlap between the two.

Related posts:

1. Orange and T-Mobile customers: Register now for enhanced reception on merged network
2. Orange’s UMA offers enhanced reception at home for BlackBerry phones
3. How to get the best reception on your phone and choose the right network

Launch the iPhone price comparison tool

The Apple iPhone 4S launched today and it’s available for purchase on contract from 6 networks in the UK: Three, O2, Orange, Tesco Mobile, T-Mobile and Vodafone. Yet there’s a whole myriad of different tariffs to consider – each with differing monthly allowances, download allowances and each tariff different combinations of upfront and monthly cost. With this new price comparison tool, we hope to make searching for the right iPhone tariff easier.

• We’ll show you in one simple table what you’ll get on each tariff: minutes, texts, data allowance and any other key features of the tariff (same-network calls, BT Openzone, visual voicemail, photo messages, etc.)
• We’ll show you the “total cost of ownership” of each tariff. This is the total amount you’ll pay over the length of your contract (including both upfront and monthly costs). We think this is a much better way of comparing tariffs rather than simply looking at either the upfront cost or the monthly cost by itself – you’ll see exactly how much it costs you over the long run. Sometimes it’s better value to pay more upfront in exchange for a lower monthly charge.
• We’ll show you the download allowances included with each tariff. Whilst most tariffs offer 500MB internet, some tariffs don’t include internet whilst others include truly unlimited “all-you-can-eat” downloads.

Full tariff listing

For a complete listing of available tariffs (without filtering), select the model of iPhone 4S you’d like:

• 16GB iPhone 4S (96 tariffs available)
• 32GB iPhone 4S (91 tariffs available)
• 64GB iPhone 4S (68 tariffs available)

Please use the form at the top of this page to find the best value tariffs based on your monthly usage.

Your thoughts, feedback and suggestions.

We are continually looking at add new features to this price comparison tool. If you’ve got any comments, please drop us a comment below: we’d love to hear from you.

Related posts:

1. Compare Samsung Galaxy S II Mobile Tariffs: Price Comparison Calculator
2. The iPhone Tariff Price Comparison Tool – with 23 iPhone tariffs
3. Compare Pay As You Go Tariffs: Price Comparison Tool

When you buy an iPhone, it’ll typically be locked to a mobile network. This means it’ll only work with SIM cards from that network (e.g. an iPhone locked to O2 won’t accept a SIM card from any other network). Most iPhones are sold locked: the exception is if you’ve purchased your iPhone directly from Apple without an airtime contract. In order to use your iPhone on another network, you’ll need to unlock it.

Unlocking your iPhone gives several benefits:

• You can save about £180/year by switching to a SIM-only contract. For example, iPhone 3G S users could switch to Three’s £15/month SIM Only deal which comes with 600 minutes, 3000 texts and 1GB internet. You’ll probably be paying around £35/month on a standard iPhone tariff for the same deal so Three’s deal saves you £240/year. You’ll get 1GB internet included too – double the 500MB offered on standard tariffs. iPhone 4 users could switch to the £15/month micro-SIM deal which offers 300 minutes, 3000 texts and 1GB internet on a 1 month rolling contract.
• You can use a local SIM card when travelling abroad. When using your UK SIM card internationally (roaming), you could often be paying up to £1.50/minute for phone calls, 50p per text message and £6/MB for internet when using your iPhone abroad. Whilst there are ways to cut your roaming bill, the cheapest option is to buy a SIM card locally in your country of travel. This will allow you to use the full feature set of your iPhone, including internet access, without having to worry about roaming bills. You’ll need an unlocked iPhone to use a local SIM card.
• You can pass on your old iPhone to a family member, friend or colleague. If you’re upgrading to a newer smartphone, you should unlock your old iPhone before passing it onto friends or family members. This will allow them to use it on the network of their choice and to benefit from the wide variety of SIM Only deals currently available.

Is it legal to unlock an iPhone?

Yes, it is perfectly legal to unlock a phone.

Unlocking your iPhone can open up a world of cheaper tariffs at home and abroad.

Mobile networks will often “lock” your mobile phone because they subsidise them. Because you can purchase a new iPhone at reduced price with a contract (subsidised by the network), they don’t want you to take their subsidised phone and to use it straight away on a different network. You can usually ask your network to unlock your phone so you can use it on other networks. Although they are under no obligation to unlock your phone, most networks will happily unlock it providing you pay an unlocking fee (usually no more than £20).

In this guide, I only discuss the official methods of unlocking your iPhone. You may find other unofficial methods of unlocking an iPhone on the internet. These methods might offer to unlock your iPhone by offering you a code or software. There is no guarantee that these methods will work: some of them are scams and some of them could render your phone unusable. Others will successfully unlock your phone but only temporarily: regular software updates from Apple often fix these loopholes and will return your iPhone to the locked state. At the very least, your warranty would probably be invalidated by unlocking your iPhone in an unauthorised manner. Please do your research very carefully and make sure you understand what you’re doing if you choose to unlock your phone another way.

How much money could I save with an unlocked iPhone?

Providing you’re no longer locked into a contract, you can usually save between £180/year and £240/year by unlocking your iPhone and switching to a SIM-only contract. The iPhone can be used on any SIM-only tariff with an inclusive data allowance.

The best deals are generally found on Three:

• £15/month for 600 minutes, 3000 texts, 1GB internet
  Available for iPhone 3G S only (12 month contract)
• £15/month for 300 minutes, 3000 texts, 1GB internet
  Available for either iPhone 3G S or iPhone 4 (1 month rolling contract)
• £25/month for 2000 minutes, 5000 Three-to-Three minutes, 5000 texts, all-you-can-eat data and free tethering
  Free mobile broadband service included when you use the iPhone’s tethering functionality (requires iPhone 4 and iOS 4.3 or later).
  Available for either iPhone 3G S or iPhone 4 (1 month rolling contract)

You can unlock savings of around £180/year by switching to a SIM-only tariff.

Aside from Three, other major networks including O2, Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone also offer SIM-only tariffs which are suitable for use with an iPhone. However, they tend to be pricier than Three’s offerings.

When selecting a SIM-only tariff, make sure you choose a tariff with an inclusive data allowance. iPhone 4 users will need to make sure they receive a micro-SIM card rather than a standard sized SIM card.

If you’re changing network, you can keep your existing phone number by requesting a PAC Code.

How do I find the IMEI number on my iPhone?

During the unlocking process, your mobile operator will ask for the IMEI number of your iPhone. The IMEI is a serial number which is unique to every mobile device. You’ll need to provide the IMEI so that your mobile operator can unlock the correct device.

There are three ways of finding the IMEI number of your iPhone:

• Go to your iPhone keypad and enter *#06# (star hash 06 hash). Your iPhone’s IMEI number should appear on the screen.
• In the iPhone menu, go to Settings > General > About. The IMEI number should be listed.
• Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes. On the iPhone information page, click on your phone number. This will cycle through several pieces of information about your iPhone of which the IMEI number will be one of them.

How do I unlock an iPhone from O2?

Pay Monthly: Your iPhone can be unlocked free of charge at any time but you’ll have to honour the entirety of your contract (you aren’t able to cancel your contract early).

Pay As You Go: It costs £15 to unlock your iPhone. This comes from your Pay As You Go balance so you should top-up by £15 or more prior to requesting an unlock. If you unlock your iPhone within the first 12 months of ownership, you’ll lose the free Web & Wifi bolt-on that O2 gives you.

It takes up to 14 days to unlock an iPhone from O2. For more details and to begin the unlock process, see the O2 website.

How do I unlock an iPhone from Orange?

Orange will unlock your iPhone for a fee of £20 providing you’ve had it for at least 3 months. The unlocking process takes between 7-10 days to complete. According to Orange:

If it’s a pay monthly phone you’ll need to call 150 free from your handset, or 07973 100 150 from a landline (call charges may vary).

If it’s a pay as you go phone you’ll need to call 450 from your handset, or 07973 100 450 from a landline (call charges may vary).

Many readers have experienced difficulties in unlocking an iPhone from Orange (see comments below) although there are some success stories too. Please do share your experiences in the comments below too!

How do I unlock an iPhone from Three?

It’s been difficult to obtain any official information on how to unlock your iPhone from Three, but various reports across the internet have suggested it costs £15.32 to unlock your iPhone from Three. You can contact Three customer services on 333 to request an unlock.

If you’ve had any experiences unlocking an iPhone from Three (successful or not!), please drop us a comment below and share your experiences!

How do I unlock an iPhone from T-Mobile?

According to the T-Mobile forum moderator, T-Mobile charge £15.32 to unlock your iPhone. You must have held your iPhone for at least 30 days on Pay Monthly or 90 days on Pay As You Go. You should contact T-Mobile customer services by dialling 150 from your T-Mobile phone.

If you’ve managed to unlock an iPhone from T-Mobile, please drop us a comment below and share your experiences!

How do I unlock an iPhone from Vodafone?

Vodafone will unlock your iPhone for a fee of £15.32 on Pay Monthly or £19.99 on Pay As You Go. For Pay As You Go customers, the £19.99 charge is taken from your Pay As You Go credit so you should top up by at least £20 prior to unlocking your iPhone. It should take no more than 72 hours to unlock your iPhone. Requests should be made through Vodafone’s online form.

See the FAQ on the Vodafone website for more information.

I’ve made a request to unlock my iPhone. What’s next?

Once you’ve informed your mobile operator you want to unlock your iPhone and made the necessary payments, your mobile operator will inform Apple. Apple maintain a central list of unlocked iPhone devices and it can take up to 14 days for your iPhone to be added to this list. Once your device is on the list, you’ll need to connect it to iTunes to complete the unlocking process.

How can I check to see whether my iPhone has been unlocked?

The easiest way to test whether your iPhone has been successfully unlocked is to insert a SIM card from a different network. All of the UK’s major mobile networks offer free Pay As You Go SIM cards.

What about stores which offer to unlock your iPhone?

Some newsagents and shops may offer to unlock your iPhone. They will usually do this by “jailbreaking” your device. This is not the recommended method of unlocking as it isn’t a permanent unlock: you’ll need to jailbreak the phone every single time Apple releases a new software update. The only official way to unlock your iPhone is through your mobile network operator and the methods listed on this page.

Related posts:

1. Orange, Vodafone launch iPhone – hold off your iPhone purchase
2. Apple iPhone 3G on Orange, T-Mobile in the UK
3. Vodafone’s £25 iPhone SIM Only tariffs reviewed & compared to O2

24 months can be a long time to hold a mobile phone contract: you never know what’ll happen and how your phone usage might change over that time. If you’re currently stuck in an unsuitable mobile phone contract, you may still be able to change it mid-contract. Of particular note O2, Orange and Three will allow you to downgrade your mobile phone contract to a cheaper deal: something which should instantly shave about £60/year from your phone bill. In this article, we look at your options for changing your mobile tariff whilst still being mid-contract.

What options do I have to change my tariff mid-contract?

The options available to you depend on the type of tariff you’re on and what changes you’d like to make.

• If you’re on Pay As You Go, you’re able to leave at any time and join another network or tariff by requesting a new Pay As You Go SIM card. This means if you’re unhappy with your mobile network for any reason, you don’t need to stick with them. You can keep your existing phone number but you may need to unlock your phone first.
• If you’re on a SIM Only contract, the same rules generally apply as on Pay Monthly. However, the shorter contracts generally mean you have a lot more flexibility. If you’re on a one-month contract, you’re able to switch network or tariff at any time with 30 days notice.
• If you’re on a Pay Monthly contract, you have the minimal flexibility to change tariff as you’ll be tied in for 18 months or 24 months. You certainly won’t be able to change network mid-contract but there are options available to change your tariff by adding/changing features and the monthly price. If you’ve come to the end of your Pay Monthly contract, you should move to a SIM-only tariff instead of changing your existing tariff – this will save you about £180/year.

In the rest of this article, we discuss the options for Pay Monthly customers to change their tariff mid-contract. There are 3 main reasons for wanting to change your phone tariff mid-contract:

• You want a new phone.
• You’d like to add new features to your tariff.
• You’ve got too much/little airtime.

We’ll take these in turn.

Can I change my phone mid-contract?

Yes, there is nothing to stop you from changing your phone in the middle of your contract, for example if you’ve taken over someone’s old device or you want to replace your phone early. If you’d like a new phone in the middle of your contract, you’ll need to buy it “SIM-free” from a retailer such as Amazon.co.uk or the Carphone Warehouse. Expect to pay between £20 and £100 for a feature phone and at least £200 for a smartphone.

Because SIM-free phones are sold unlocked and without a SIM card, you can slot your current SIM card inside and continue using your existing contract with it the. There are no charges associated with changing your mobile phone mid-contract: indeed your mobile operator may not even know you’ve changed phone.

Note that if you’re moving to a smartphone, you’ll need to add an internet add-on to your current contract. If you’re moving to a BlackBerry, you’ll need to move to a BlackBerry tariff (this isn’t always possible mid-contract).

Can I add extra features to my tariff mid-contract?

A data plan needs to be added if you upgrade to a smartphone.

If you’re changing to a smartphone or would like to add additional services (e.g. internet access, travel or international calling bundles), you can usually add these as extra packages onto your tariff. These packages are called “bolt ons” on O2, “Flexible Boosters” on T-Mobile and “add-ons” on most other networks. Log in on your mobile operator’s website for a list of packages you can add:

• Three
• O2
• Orange
• T-Mobile
• Vodafone

I’ve got too much or too little airtime. Can I change the amount of airtime I’ve got?

If you regularly find yourself with loads of extra minutes left at the end of the month or you consistently incur charges for exceeding your airtime allowance, you’re probably on the wrong contract. Thankfully some networks give you the option to change your price plan mid-contract.

If you need more airtime, you should move up a price plan (“upgrade”). Although the monthly price of your contract will increase, you should no longer running up punitive charges for calls and texts made outside of your allowance. This means you could actually save money by moving up a price plan.

If you have too much airtime, you should move down a price plan (“downgrade”). This will typically cut £5/month (or £60/year) from your phone bill. You’ll have fewer inclusive minutes after a downgrade.

The options available to you depend on your network:

* Three allow you to downgrade your contract once you’re half way through your contract (i.e. 12 months if you’re on a 24 month contract). There may be an “admin fee” involved.
** O2 and Orange allow you to downgrade your contract once you’re half way through your contract, but only once.

Three

Three allow upgrade to a higher-priced or same-price plan at any time. You can also downgrade to a cheaper tariff once you’re half way through your contract although this may involve an “admin fee”. We’ve not had any feedback on the size of the “admin fee”: if you’ve downgraded please do drop us a comment and let us know!

You can move to one of our selected price plans of equal or higher value at any time during your contract, provided you’ve kept up to date with all the payments on your existing price plan. We could also move you to a lower monthly charge if you’re finding the cost too expensive. But you’ll have to complete half of the minimum term of your contract and pay an admin fee.

Source: Three: “How can I change my current contract”

O2

O2 allows customers to downgrade to a lower priced tariff once half-way through the contract. You can downgrade no more than once in the term of your contract.

When you sign up for, or upgrade to, a new a minimum term contract you will then only be able to move to the next available lower priced tariff (with a lower rate monthly subscription than the tariff you’ve joined on) once during your minimum term. You can only do this after you are more than halfway through your minimum term.

Source: O2 Pay Monthly Tariff Terms (March 2011) – Point 3

Orange

Orange allows you to upgrade to a higher priced tariff at any time. Like on O2, you can also downgrade to a lower priced tariff but only once half-way through the contract. You can downgrade only once during the term of your contract.

You may switch to a higher Service Plan at any time. You may switch once only to the next lowest Service Plan after one half of your Minimum Term has expired, unless otherwise stated. You may switch to an equivalent Service Plan at any time after one half of your Minimum Term has expired, unless otherwise stated.

Source: Orange Network Services Terms and Conditions – Point 15.1

T-Mobile

T-Mobile’s terms and conditions make no provision for you to be able to upgrade or downgrade your contract. However, we would expect T-Mobile to be sympathetic to the case of upgrading a contract as it brings in additional revenue for the company.

We don’t have to allow You to change Price Plan.

Source: T-Mobile Terms and Conditions (November 2010) – Point 2.7

Vodafone

Vodafone do not allow downgrades mid-contract. However, you can upgrade your tariff mid-contract.

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If you’re an Orange or Three customer, you’re now able to experience “high definition voice calls” between two “HD Voice” enabled handsets. “HD Voice” phone transmit sounds with a much larger range of frequencies than standard phone calls (50Hz-7kHz for “HD Voice” calls compared to 300Hz-3.4kHz for standard calls) making it easier to distinguish who is speaking on the phone and determine exactly what they’re saying.

Why is a large frequency range important in audio?

The human voice is made up of a range of frequencies between 80Hz and 14kHz (1kHz = 1000Hz). When we listen to other people speaking or listen to music, our ears combine these different frequencies together and interpret them as sounds or voices. When certain frequencies are missing from what we hear, we sometimes experience difficulties in understand what is being said or who is saying it.

Standard phone calls only transmit frequencies between 300Hz and 3.4kHz. This means a lot of the low & high frequencies in human speech are lost. The removal of those frequencies often makes it difficult to identify who is speaking on the phone (this sometimes causes problems in conference calling with multiple participants). The limited frequency range also means call centre hold music always sounds terrible, background noise is more of a problem and certain words are difficult to distinguish over the phone (e.g. the sounds of ‘s’ and ‘f’ e.g. sailing and failing).

HD Voice phone calls can transmit a larger range of frequencies (between 50Hz and 7kHz). This leads to much better audio quality and makes it easier to distinguish different people and different sounds over the phone. According to Polycom, a company which provides “HD Voice” solutions, “by extending telephone bandwidth to 7 kHz and beyond, it is clear that one can markedly reduce fatigue, improve concentration, and increase intelligibility… this improvement is even more significant in real-world room situations, where the sound is often degraded by reverberation, projector or air conditioner noise, accented speech, and other acoustic problems”.

How does the frequency range of phone calls compare to other technologies?

photo: Noel Feans

Standard phone calls transmit a much smaller range of frequencies than those which are transmitted over radio, television and audio CDs. “HD Voice” increases the frequency range of mobile phone calls so it better resembles the audio range on TV or radios. However, the frequency range of “HD Voice” is still much smaller than what is transmitted over radio and television.

Rory Cellan-Jones from the BBC has a audio comparison between a “HD Voice” call and a standard phone call.

What do I need to use HD Voice?

Both parties in the call must have a “HD Voice” compatible handset in the 3G reception area of a “HD Voice” enabled network. Your mobile phone network will automatically switch to “HD Voice” when these conditions are fulfilled.

The "HTC Desire HD" is compatible with "HD Voice" on Orange

At present, only Orange and Three support HD Voice. The following network/handset combinations are supported:

• Orange: HTC Desire HD, Nokia N8, Nokia E5, Nokia X6, Nokia 5230, Sony Ericsson Elm, Samsung Omnia 7
• Three: Nokia C7, Nokia E7, Nokia N8

HD Voice calls are charged at the same rate as standard calls. HD Voice is not currently supported on other UK networks.

Can I make cross-network calls using HD Voice?

No. At present it is not possible to make a cross-network “HD Voice” phone call between Orange and Three. According to Three, they’re looking to roll out cross-network “HD Voice” calls in the future so watch this space.

What happens if I’m in a 2G signal area?

If either party is in a 2G signal area, your call will connect as a standard call without using the “HD Voice” technology.

Why is it taking so long for HD Voice to roll-out in the UK?

The standards behind “HD Voice” (technically called AMR-WB or G.722) were agreed as early as 9 years ago in 2002 with the first 3G networks in the UK rolling out in 2003. It could be pertinent to ask why the “HD Voice” roll-out has taken so long in the UK as the technology and infrastructure have both been around for a long time.

You'll need 3G coverage to use "HD Voice".

One explanation is that “HD Voice” simply increases costs for the mobile network operator (“HD Voice” calls use about double the network bandwidth per call) whilst at the same time generating no additional revenue for the network (the price charged is the same as for a standard call). Given the effect on the balance sheet of the mobile operators, it is no wonder they’re dragging their heels on HD Voice.

Do voice-over-IP services such as Skype use “HD Voice”?

Yes. Given a sufficiently fast internet connection, most voice-over-IP services such as Skype and “Google Talk” use some kind of wideband-audio technology. Although the technology used is not necessarily the same G.722 codec used for “HD Voice” calls over a mobile network, the effect is the same.

Where can I get a “HD Voice” compatible handset?

Click through either to the Orange or Three websites. The following phones are “HD Voice” compatible:

• Orange: HTC Desire HD, Nokia N8, Nokia E5, Nokia X6, Nokia 5230, Sony Ericsson Elm, Samsung Omnia 7
• Three: Nokia C7, Nokia E7, Nokia N8

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1. Orange hike Pay As You Go call charges by 25%, text charges by 20% from July
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3. O2′s “Text and Call” PAYG tariff offers free texts and calls

What changes are being made from the 1st July 2011?

As of the 1st July 2011, Orange are increasing the prices on calls, texts and voicemail for Pay As You Go customers as follows:

• Call charges increasing to 25p/minute. The price of standard calls is increasing from 20p/minute to 25p/minute. This applies for all outgoing calls to UK mobiles and UK landlines.
• The minimum call charge rises to 25p. The minimum call charge rises from 20p to 25p. This means you’ll be charged 25p for all calls you make which are shorter than one minute.
• Texts increasing to 12p per message. The cost of sending a UK-bound text message rises from 10p to 12p.
• Voicemail now costs 25p. The cost of the answer phone service rises from 20p/minute to 25p/minute.

To partially compensate for the price rises, customers on the Dolphin and Monkey plans will now receive 400 free text messages and 100MB internet instead of 300 free text messages and 100MB internet when they top up by £10. The free text messages expire after 30 days.

On the whole, these are fairly significant price rises for Orange Pay As You Go customers and very few people will benefit from the increases in the free allowances.

How do the new Orange call charges compare with other networks?

After July’s price rises, Orange becomes one of the more expensive tariffs for outgoing calls. Of the big five, T-Mobile probably offers the cheapest calls at 20p/minute and 100 free minutes with a £10 top-up (get a free T-Mobile SIM card). Looking beyond, budget networks such as Giffgaff and ASDA Mobile offer calls at 8p/minute.

* On O2 Pay As You Go, the cost of calls to landlines and other O2 mobiles drops to 5p/minute after the first 3 minutes.

For more information, see our guide to Pay As You Go tariffs and free Pay As You Go SIM cards.

How can I cut the cost of calls on Orange Pay As You Go?

Switching to the "Racoon" tariff will halve the cost of calls to 12p/minute.

You can halve the cost of your phone calls by asking Orange Customer Services to move you to the Racoon tariff. Racoon has a flat-rate of 12p for calls and texts but you won’t get any free allowances when you top-up. Also, it’s not suitable for smartphones (there is no inclusive internet with a top-up and internet is incredibly expensive on Racoon).

According to Orange, “The Racoon plan does not come with benefits such as Bright Top Ups, Magic Numbers, Reserve Tank, and Phone Fund, but it does come with Orange Wednesdays.”

I’m leaving Orange. Can I keep my existing phone number?

Yes. You’ll need to ask Orange for a PAC Code and then you’ll need to provide this to your new network. Our PAC Code Finder tool can take you through the process of transferring your phone number. Please note that you may need to unlock your phone.

Where can I find out more about the Orange price changes?

Orange have set up a webpage detailing some of the key price plan changes. For a full listing of all the charges on Orange Pay As You Go from July, see the Orange Pay As You Go Price Guide (1st July 2011). Until the 1st July, the old call charges apply – refer to the 8th December 2010 price guide.

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1. Vodafone increase Pay As You Go call and text prices by 20%
2. O2′s “Text and Call” PAYG tariff offers free texts and calls
3. Orange and Three offer “HD Voice” phone calls for improved call quality

If you’re looking to buy a new Pay Monthly contract on Orange, you could save between £7.56/month and £10.10/month on high-street prices by buying online and using a voucher code (expires 3rd April 2011). In this article, we outline how you can obtain your discount, some of the phones available on Orange and how you can keep your existing phone number when you switch to Orange.

How much is the discount?

The voucher code offers a £5/month discount on 24-month Pay Monthly contracts of £20/month or above (adding up to a saving of £120 over the 24 months). Combining this with the online discount which is offered on all tariffs of £25/month and above and you could save up up to £10/month compared to high street prices. This amounts to £240 over the course of the contract.

The exact level of saving depends on the cost of the contract you select:

For example, using the voucher code and the online discount, a £25.54/month contract would be discounted down to £17.98/month for the life of the contract. This amounts to 30% off or the equivalent of 7 months free line rental.

Unfortunately, the online discount and voucher code cannot be used with BlackBerry or iPhone tariffs. It can be used with other smartphones such as Android smartphones or phones running Windows Phone 7.

How do I use the discount code?

1. Select a phone from the Orange website
2. Pick a plan. The Dolphin plans are generally the most popular plans and provide the best value: you’ll get unlimited texts and internet included. Panther plans offers access to Orange Maps and bundled photo messages but tends to be more expensive. You must select a 24 month plan to use the voucher code.
3. On the checkout page, click on “Enter promotional code”.
4. Enter the code PROMO120 in the “Discount code” box. Note that the code is case-sensitive. The code expires on 3rd April 2011.
5. Click on “Get discount” and your discount should be applied.

Note that the voucher code is not valid with Blackberry tariffs or iPhone tariffs.

Go to Orange Website »

What is Orange Care? Why is it automatically added to my plan?

Note that Orange automatically adds Orange Care to your basket. This is a £6/month phone insurance plan and is listed under the “Additional services” section ofnthe order page. We recommend removing this as you may already have mobile phone insurance. If you need mobile phone insurance, it might already be covered under your home insurance. Alternatively, you can probably get a better deal elsewhere.

What phones are available on Orange?

Orange have all of the latest smartphones including Android phones such as the HTC Desire HD and the Samsung Galaxy S and Windows phones such as the HTC 7 Mozart and Samsung Omnia 7.

Orange exclusively range the HTC 7 Mozart which is available free for £28.19/month with the voucher code:

HTC 7 Mozart Free on £28.19/month* contract – 700 minutes, unlimited texts, 750MB internet Windows Phone 7 Operating System 8-megapixel camera with digital zoom and Xenon flash 3.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz processor * Select HTC 7 Mozart “Dolphin 35″ package and use PROMO120 voucher code. Offer expires 3rd April 2011.

A full list of available phones can be found on the Orange website. The phones are available on a range of plans starting at £15/month.

How much do the plans cost after the discount?

The Dolphin plans are the most popular. The online price with the voucher code compares to high-street prices as follows:

Note that not all phones are available on all plans. See the Orange website for more information. For details about what 750MB actually corresponds to in real-world usage, see our detailed guide on mobile download limits.

I don’t want a new phone. How can I save money on my contract?

photo: Pink Sherbet Photography

If you don’t want a new phone, the best thing to do is to switch to a SIM-only contract. Most people will save around £180/year on their mobile contract by switching. Take our SIM Only Challenge to find out how much you’d save or see our guide to the best value SIM-only tariffs and best value SIM-only tariffs for smartphones.

Can I use this voucher code with SIM-only plans?

No. This voucher code only works with 24 month Pay Monthly contracts which are purchased with a new handset.

Can I keep my existing phone number when I switch to Orange?

Yes. You’ll need to obtain a PAC Code from your existing network. We’ve got a step-by-step guide to switching from your current network to Orange.

Where can I take advantage of this offer?

Click through to the Orange Shop and make your purchase there. The promotional code to enter at checkout is PROMO120. The code expires on 3rd April 2011. Please note this deal is not available on high street stores.

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If you currently struggle to maintain a mobile signal at home, Orange’s “Signal Boost” (UMA) service aims to give you a more reliable service at home by routing all of your calls and texts through your home wi-fi connection. With standard smartphone technology, it is fairly commonplace for people to connect their smartphone to a wi-fi network for faster and more reliable web browsing. UMA takes this one step further and allows customers to route their calls and texts through the same wi-fi connection. You’ll need a compatible smartphone to use UMA.

How much do calls and texts made through UMA cost?

Calls and texts made through UMA will cost the same as those made over the standard Orange network. Despite the fact that Orange are off-loading calls and texts onto your home broadband connection, no discount is provided for customers making calls through UMA. Pay Monthly customers will use minutes and texts from their monthly allowance and Pay As You Go customers will be charged for calls and texts according to Orange’s standard tariff.

Which phones are supported?

Orange currently offers 5 smartphones which are compatible with their UMA service. The range includes a range of BlackBerry devices and the Android-powered LG Optimus One:

• BlackBerry Curve 8520
• BlackBerry Pearl 9105
• BlackBerry Torch 9800
• LG Optimus One
• BlackBerry Bold 9780

Other smartphones sold by Orange (even those which can connect to wi-fi for browsing) will not support the UMA service. A full list of UMA-supporting smartphones can be found on the Smart Wi-Fi website. Please note that not all of these phones are sold in the UK.

Can I use my existing wi-fi enabled smartphone with UMA?

No. Whilst most smartphones can connect to a wi-fi network for an internet connection and web browsing, you’ll need a special UMA-compatible smartphone in order to route calls and texts over the wi-fi connection.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of smartphones sold today do not support UMA technology. The major exception is phones from BlackBerry: all of the latest releases (Torch, Bold, etc.) support UMA. A full list of UMA-supporting smartphones can be found on the Smart Wi-Fi website.

Do I need any extra hardware connected to the wireless modem?

No. Unlike femtocell services such as Vodafone Sure Signal, UMA can connect to a standard wi-fi network and route calls over it. This means there are no additional hardware requirements on the router-side. The disadvantage is that you’ll need a UMA-enabled phone (a femtocell is compatible with all 3G phones).

What are the requirements on my home broadband service?

The vast majority of home broadband connections should support UMA with no significant issues providing that you don’t simultaneously use your connection for other bandwidth-intensive activities such as P2P (BitTorrent, Spotify, etc) and voice-over-IP (Skype, Google Talk, etc). According to Orange, a phone call should use around 100Kb/s from your home broadband connection. Most home broadband connections should have an upstream speed of at least 256Kb/s – more than enough to carry a phone call.

Does web browsing through UMA count towards my download allowance?

Yes. If you browse the web through the UMA service, it will count towards your download limit (500MB for Dolphin, 750MB for Panther) as usual. You can avoid this by browsing the web using the wi-fi connection directly.

Can I use UMA whilst abroad?

According to the terms and conditions for Orange UMA, the UMA service cannot be used whilst abroad:

Signal Boost (UMA) will not connect to a wireless router whilst roaming abroad (however the handset will roam on the standard GSM network)

Although there is no technical reason why it should not be possible to use UMA abroad, Orange have disabled it’s use abroad due to worries about the “cannibalisation” of roaming revenues. Whilst there are some reports of people who have managed to use UMA abroad, we would strongly recommend against it. Orange charges up to £1.75/minute to make a call whilst abroad. If you happen to lose your UMA signal for even a few moments whilst abroad, your call will fall back onto a roaming service and you will be charged these ridiculously-high rates. Follow our best practice guide to using your mobile phone abroad to avoid extortionate roaming charges.

What are the alternatives to Orange UMA?

There are two key technologies available to improve your mobile phone reception at home:

• Femtocells. A femtocell such as Vodafone Sure Signal creates a miniature 3G base station within your home. The femtocell will interface with your wi-fi router to send all of your calls and texts over your home broadband connection. The advantage of using a femtocell is that it is automatically compatible with all 3G phones; the disadvantage being that you’ll need to purchase an extra piece of hardware and connect it to the router.
• UMA. With UMA technology, smartphones connect directly to a wi-fi router. Whilst this reduces the need for additional hardware and would allow you to use public hotspots, you’ll need a UMA-enabled phone. Unfortunately, very few phones are currently UMA-enabled.

In the UK, Orange and Vodafone offer solutions to improve mobile phone reception at home. Vodafone Sure Signal uses femtocell technology whilst Orange uses UMA technology.

Where can I find out more about Orange UMA?

There is more information about the UMA service on the Orange website.

Related posts:

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This week, three networks (Three, Orange and T-Mobile) have started offering the 3G iPad from £199 providing you sign up for a 24-month contract at £25/month. This compares to £529 when bought direct from Apple. In this guide, we do the sums and work out whether it’s better value to buy the iPad direct from Apple or to buy it with a 24-month contract. We also look at the issue of download limits and different editions of the iPad.

What iPad tariffs are available?

Three and Orange are offering the 16GB, 32GB and 64GB editions of the Apple iPad whereas T-Mobile are only offering the 16GB edition.

* Orange customers get an extra 1GB to use between midnight and 4pm
** T-Mobile customers get an extra 1GB to use between midnight and 10am

Our calculations show that Three offer the lowest priced iPad tariff. A 16GB iPad will cost you £199 upfront and £25/month for a 15GB monthly download limit. The equivalent tariff on Orange and T-Mobile costs an extra £2/month (unless you are an existing customer) and only comes with a 1GB download limit. We are however sceptical about how many iPad users use more than 1GB/month (see below) and hence whether there is any practical difference between the download limits. The Orange tariff also comes with 3GB/month BT Openzone which could be useful in pubs, restaurants and other public places.

How does this compare to buying an iPad and using a microSIM-only deal?

The cheapest way of obtaining an iPad 3G is still to buy it direct from Apple and then choosing a microSIM iPad tariff.

If you buy the iPad 3G direct from Apple, it’ll cost you £529 for the 16GB model rising to £699 for the 64GB model. By comparing this to the total cost of buying it from a network over 24 months, we can find the “effective contract premium”. The “effective contract premium” is the essentially the premium you pay for the data. For example, it is £270 more expensive to buy an iPad from Three on contract than if you were buying it direct from Apple without a contract. The £270 difference is essentially how much you’re paying for the data tariff.

If you buy an iPad 3G direct from Apple, you’ll need a microSIM-only iPad tariff. These start from £7.50/month on Three (1GB download limit) or £10/month on O2 (with BT Openzone) showing that there are no real cost savings obtained from buying an iPad on 24 month contract.

For a 16GB iPad, the total cost over 24 months are as follows:

For full details of the tariffs which are available to you if you buy an iPad direct from Apple, see our detailed guide to iPad tariffs.

How much 3G data do I realistically need?

It depends – how do you see yourself using your iPad? Do you plan to take it out of the house and use it whilst you’re on the move or do you plan to keep it in the home as an entertainment device? If you’d only ever use your iPad at home, you won’t need any 3G data at all. Grab yourself a £429 iPad without 3G (the wi-fi only edition) direct from Apple and you can simply connect to your home wi-fi network. You don’t need to pay a single penny for 3G data, ever. If you think you might take the iPad out of the house a few times a year, it might be worth grabbing a Pay As You Go MiFi dongle. This will allow you to connect your wi-fi only iPad to the internet when you’re out of the house. Personally I know very few people who actually take their iPad out of the house on a regular basis. For this reason, I would recommend grabbing a wi-fi only iPad as it’ll save you several hundred quid.

If you think you’ll regularly use the iPad whilst on the move, see our detailed guide to download limits and what they mean in reality. 1GB equates to roughly 3,000 rich web pages, 200 MP3 downloads and 2 hours of streaming video. Personally, I have a Samsung Galaxy Tab (an Android-based tablet) and I use around 250MB per month. How much you’ll download will depend on your usage habits.

Which edition of the iPad should I buy? How much memory do I need?

• A 16GB iPad will hold roughly 4,000 songs or 8 hours of video.
• A 32GB iPad will hold roughly 8,000 songs or 16 hours of video.
• A 64GB iPad will hold roughly 16,000 songs or 32 hours of video.

What are the alternatives to the iPad?

Rivals to the Apple iPad include the Samsung Galaxy Tab (£449 from Amazon, reviewed here) and the Amazon Kindle (from £109, 3G edition reviewed here). The Samsung Galaxy Tab is a 7-inch Android-based tablet (smaller than the iPad’s 9.7-inch screen but this makes it more portable) which can also make phone calls and send texts. The Amazon Kindle is a e-reader with a 6-inch screen. It’s perfect for reading and has a battery life of around a month but is no good for multimedia.

Where do I get the iPad on a 24 month contract?

You can order through the respective network’s websites:

• Three
• Orange
• T-Mobile

Related posts:

1. Buyers Guide to iPad & iPad Data Tariffs: micro-SIMs, tariff comparison
2. O2 quietly slashes iPad download limits by up to 60%: time to switch away
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