Moving to Cardiff

TEH REAL CDP

Hey guys,

I'm thinking about buying a new phone (I need one - my nokia 3510 has just had her last breath...end of an era!)

Anyway, I'm moving to Cardiff for 4 years in September, and I need to know what is the best way of going about this? As I will undoubtedly need a mobile over there - I was wondering what to do? Buy it here, get a sim over there? I'll need a phone for the summer so I want to kill two birds with the one stone if possible...

I'm not a phone aficionado by any means, which is why I'm asking what my best strategy is? Id like to keep my old number as well. I'm thinking about buying a Sony Ericsson k800i, looks pretty nifty and I want something reliable and good.

Any thoughts?

Oh yeah, any thoughts on networks (cheap) in wales/uk?? I'm with o2 over here at the moment...

My gf is living in Ireland and I'd like someway of keeping in contact (we have skype etc) via phone, wondering what network is the best for this as well...?

Apologies for the excessively long post

TEH REAL CDP

If this is in the wrong forum could a mod please move it? I initially thought this place would be the best place to ask...

Random

It's only been 5 hours - give people a chance!

Have a search through the forum, numerous people have asked the same quesiton before.

I like the k800i with my only complaint being it's a little bulky, the battery life isn't as good as the W810i for example.

You're probably better off buying your phone over there on prepay as they give much better prices than networks over here - but you might get a bargain here, who knows.

Have a look at www.o2.co.uk www.vodafone.co.uk www.tmobile.co.uk etc and see what might suit you best.

Doctor DooM

Get a loaner while you are here and get one over there. Trust me. Other wise you will have to deal with unlocking issues, and if not prepay contract issues. These are to be avoided, believe me!

1huge1

Well if you want to keep in contact with people back in Ireland a lot I would recommend 3 as they have free roaming in the UK, and seeing as your in Cardiff you will always be able to get the 3 UK network.

Basically you will be able to call/text home for the same price as you would if you were at home etc, you wont be charged for receiving calls and so on just like at home.

Plus its the same price to call someone in the UK as it is to call someone from ireland on it, and if your a pay monthly customer it will be taken from your minutes.

culabula

I too recommend 3 for the reasons given by the poster above but you might look at getting yourself an O2 UK "Your Country" SIM where top-ups gain totally free international minutes which can be used to phone mobiles and landlines around the world and international SMS are the same price as UK ones.

Ah-Watch

1huge1 wrote: »

Well if you want to keep in contact with people back in Ireland a lot I would recommend 3 as they have free roaming in the UK, and seeing as your in Cardiff you will always be able to get the 3 UK network.

Basically you will be able to call/text home for the same price as you would if you were at home etc, you wont be charged for receiving calls and so on just like at home.

Plus its the same price to call someone in the UK as it is to call someone from ireland on it, and if your a pay monthly customer it will be taken from your minutes.

:cool:


vodafone are the same- same prices as if ur in Ireland;)

culabula

Ah-Watch wrote: »

:cool:


vodafone are the same- same prices as if ur in Ireland;)

But not as if you are dialling UK national numbers -I don't think they come out of your minutes as 3 Ireland offer (and 3 UK don't).

wheresthebeef

you can also buy a 3 UK phone and use it in ireland in much the same way as you'll probably have a larger selection of phones at better prices with better call plans in the UK. and 3 uk do sim only packs as well.

ardmacha

you can also buy a 3 UK phone and use it in ireland in much the same way

However be careful that there is an actual 3 network in the parts of Ireland you frequent. While 3 ireland phones will use Vodafone 2g where 3 is not available, a 3 Uk phone may charge when doing this.

culabula

wheresthebeef wrote: »

you can also buy a 3 UK phone and use it in ireland in much the same way as you'll probably have a larger selection of phones at better prices with better call plans in the UK. and 3 uk do sim only packs as well.

I'm afraid not; you cannot use 3 UK minutes to phone Irish numbers and have them come out of your bundle. You can use your 3 UK on 3 Ireland and benefit from the '3 Like Home' offer but that is all. 3 Ireland offer more where your bundled 3 minutes may be used to call both Irish national numbers and UK national numbers.

In addition, 3 Ireland have been offering SIM-only packs for some time now.

culabula

ardmacha wrote: »

However be careful that there is an actual 3 network in the parts of Ireland you frequent. While 3 ireland phones will use Vodafone 2g where 3 is not available, a 3 Uk phone may charge when doing this.

A 3UK phone WILL incur charges where 3 IRL is not available even on Voodoo IRL.

1huge1

You know how your able to use your 3 ireland minutes to call a UK landline, does it charge you to call a UK mobile though (even if its say 3UK). I know they chagre you 20c (or maybe 25c) a text anyway

culabula

1huge1 wrote: »

You know how your able to use your 3 ireland minutes to call a UK landline, does it charge you to call a UK mobile though (even if its say 3UK). I know they chagre you 20c (or maybe 25c) a text anyway

You may use your 3 minutes to call both landlines and UK mobiles but texts are outside of the bundle if used to non-Irish numbers.

As I mentioned, the O2 UK "Your Country" SIM is most attractive given that you get FREE international calls for the top-up you would be making anyway and international SMS are only 10p each. There are many more attractive add-ons available such as 1,000 minutes/texts per month for just 5GBP to 10 O2 UK numbers.

Straight Flush

As far as I know, you won't be able to text all the UK networks if you have a Three Ireland phone.