Upgrade Madness.....

[3GScottishUser]

OK So I have been away working in Turkey for the last 6 weeks or so and enjoying the great Vodafone TR network with 1GB of data per week for just 12TL (About £4) on PAYG. Billed in the UK that same 1GB would have cost £8124.00 on a UK Vodafone Contract Tarriff whilst roaming on their 100% owned Turkish network! An abosolute disgrace. It's now more expensive to register a UK mobile in Turkey for use with a local SIM, used to be 8TL and its gone up to 100TL.

Anyway got home and it's upgrade time as my Samsung Galaxy S is now 2 years old. So popped on-line to see what deal Vodafone was offering. I currently pay £31 a month for 600 mins, Unlimited SMS and 1GB of data monthly. I fancied the Samsung Galaxy S3 and got an on-line offer of £179.00 up front payment, 300mins, 500 SMS and 500MB of data for jsut £36 a month! NFW I thought! So after a call to retentions they came up with a free S3, 3000 Mins, Unlimited SMS and 1GB of data for £36 a month. Not sure what Id do with all those minutes but I suppose it makes the deal appear good value, they know I wont use anything like that and nor will most customers but it gets them their target of £36 a month (most of the networks apper to be around the same for this handset).

So time to consider. Should I keep my Galaxy S get a GiffGaff SIM and goodybag and save some money for a while? £15 a month buys 400 Mins, U/L SMS and U/L handset Internet use. Or do the retention deal for the S3? Or perhaps buy the S3 from Amazon for £447= £18.50/month over 24 months and get a SIM only deal (£20 to get the same as I already have with Vodafone) or GiffGaff's £15 a month deal. 1GB of Internet would be fine for my use as I work with computers all day and have Wi-Fi at work and at home although it is nice not to have to consider limits and i sometimes enjoy using the phone to listen to streaming radio when driving to work.

Decisions, Decisions........ What does everyone think?

[Ben]

Go for the S3; you've had the phone nearly 2 years, it's time for an upgrade to see what the latest and greatest Android package is offering :)

You could always hold out until next month and then get the iPhone 5...

[ferret1979_1]

It all depends on what you want.

I would want a new phone, but having said that I also wouldn't have been able to see 2 years out, I would've ended up buying another phone within that time.

If you go SIMO & buy from Amazon its more expensive than having the £36 a month contract with Vodafone.

If you use Giffgaff instead of Vodafone, it works out a little cheaper over the 24 months.

I'm enjoying not being tied to a contract at the moment, and able to swap as I please, that said, the S3 is shouting my name very loudly!!!

Is Vodafone the best network for you? I've seen some deals for the S3 on T-Mobile as low as £26

Also if you go abroad again, don't Vodafone lock their handsets?

At the end of the day, its all down to what you want, & if you're comfortable being tied into a long contract.

[3GScottishUser]

You could always hold out until next month and then get the iPhone 5...

And get locked into their walled garden...... no thanks!

If I upgrade it will be to another Android device as i like the improvements that have been made and the range of apps now available. No messing about with Audio file convesions etc either, just load up my existing MP3 files :)

[3GScottishUser]

Also if you go abroad again, don't Vodafone lock their handsets?

At the end of the day, its all down to what you want, & if you're comfortable being tied into a long contract.

Vodafone have not locked their contract handsets for years! 3 lock theirs and so do Everything Everywhere AFAIK, not sure about O2's present policy. Locking contract handsets is utter nonsense as you are committed to paying whether you use the network or not!

I have not been let down by Vodafone in terms of coverage and they have lots of 900Mhz 3G around Glasgow now including where I stay so they seem a pretty safe bet.

[Wilt]

If you are comfortable with cashback and definitely want the Samsung Galaxy S 3, you can get one on O2 with the On & On tariff (Unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and 1GB of internet) for £36/mo with £90 cashback (works out at £32.25/mo) from e2save.

Alternatively, the HTC One X works out at £27/mo after cashback on that same tariff from buymobilephones.net

Obviously, the usual caveats with cashback apply (company might disappear, if you don't follow the rules you wont get any etc. etc.), but if you're willing to pay £36/mo anyway, then why not give it a go?

I find mobilephonechecker (http://www.mobilephonechecker.co.uk/mobile-contract-deals/) to be very good for checking prices of different phones & tariffs.

[Hands0n]

Its a tough choice really and always depends on what you want to do.

If it is to save money, even if only for a while, then the giffgaff is the low/no cost option that will save you the best part of £20 against what you're paying now. Perhaps take a holding stand while you wait and see what Google's response to the iPhone 5 will be. Their tie-in with Asus for the Nexus 7 has resulted in a delightful device and I have to wonder if Asus could pull another rabbit out of the hat and produce the next Nexus smartphone.

The Galaxy S III is a lovely looking device, with an impressive long list of features and capabilities. For me it is a non-starter because of Touchwiz, the ruination of an otherwise excellent OS from Android. I've used it, I know what I like, and I most certainly do not like Touchwiz one little bit. But thats just me. You will have been used to the earlier version of Touchwiz and, by all accounts, the latest is an improvement. But OS aside, the Galaxy S III has a stonking performance and feature set, especially the camera that is not only powerful but has a set of modes of operation that set it apart from pretty much all others at this time.

I was looking at SIM-free Galaxy S III last night - for a brief moment seriously considering putting one of the independent Android custom ROMs on it as I did with the Galaxy S II before it. These priced out from £412 all the way up to £599 on several shopping sites and searches. But I talked myself back out of it, being quite happy to wait for the next Nexus smartphone.

In general terms, I would always advocate going SIM-free if you can afford the up front cost. Simply because it empowers you to select whichever low-commitment SIM plan from any network provider you like. Even if it costs a bit more across the term of ownership, or a notional 24 months (I never keep them that long), the freedom to choose is worth it to me. And once on the SIM-free wagon it is easier to stay on by selling off older hardware when buying into the latest and greatest. The up front money acting as a bit of a permanent cash float.

I don't suppose I've helped at all :)