Is The 3 Network Iphone 4 A Complete No Brainer Choice ?

2011abc

I probably spend 20-30 a month easily on call credit with Tesco mobile and am considering an upgrade .Is screen really THAT delicate?Coverage on 3 network(3G too?) generally ok round Leinster including small towns in midlands-but live on Dublin outskirts- ?Any advice appreciated ,thanks.
Would the 25 euro Meteor Samsung Galaxy be worth considering .Coverage was awful last time I tried them .

RottieJoe

IMO stay as far away from 3 as possible coverage is awfull even if they say it is good you will end up with headaches, just type in "3" and search this forum. They are anterrible company to deal with customer service is in India and they do not have a clue be warned.

RottieJoe

Oh forgot to include that in my area south Leinster Meteor's coverage on 3G is excellent.

marathonic

iPhone 4 or Samsung Galaxy SII on Three is €40 per month for a 24 month contract but you get the phone free.

I've recently finished up an 18-month contract and, having experienced that, I'd prefer to stick to 12-month contracts where possible.

Three's contracts will end up costing you €960 minimum over the 24 months.

If you look at the Samsung Galaxy SII on Meteor, you can get it for €99.99 on a €30 per month, 12-month contract (if purchased through fatcheese.ie with the €40 rebate). Over 12-months, this will cost you a minimum of €459.99.

The difference between the two is only €10.01 over the first year but, with Meteor, you're free from contract and can get another subsidised phone.

Depends on what you want really but why not consider going for a Samsung Galaxy SII for a year and then selling it to upgrade to the iPhone 5? That would leave you with the latest phone now (the Galaxy SII is more advanced than the iPhone 4) and the latest phone in a years time.

The fact that iPhone is so locked down is really annoying but, now that I'm in the market for a phone, the fact that some of the networks have separate tariffs is even more annoying.

On Meteor, I can get a 12-month contract on a Samsung Galaxy SII for €30 per month whilst, if I go for an iPhone, it's a 24 month contract at €45 per month

marathonic

Another point, and this is purely subjective:

When being tied down to a 24-month contract on a Smartphone, I'd find it very difficult to turn down insurance - if I lost the phone after 6 months, I'd have 18 months of using whatever cheapo phone I could afford to buy without the subsidies offered when agreeing to a contract.

That's another 9 euro per month and there's a 35 euro excess on the policy.

If I was on a 12 month contract, I'd be more liable to do without the insurance because when/if I lose my phone, I'd have very little time to wait before being able to upgrade.

Loggie

I've tried Meteor in around Offaly, Kildare and Dublin 24 areas and found signal fine for voice. Data goes to edge when no 3g in areas you'd expect. I also used the 3 network but couldn't get data in those areas either.

On a separate note:

marathonic wrote: »

If you look at the Samsung Galaxy SII on Meteor, you can get it for €99.99 on a €30 per month, 12-month contract (if purchased through fatcheese.ie with the €40 rebate). Over 12-months, this will cost you a minimum of €459.99.

Had a look at fatcheese.ie and Meteor. Meteor asks for bank details account code and sort codes. I'm very wary of putting my back account details on any website particularly going through another. Is there any way around this? I've no problem with credit card but I feel bank account is a way too dangerous info to put up online. I realise its Meteor that require it when porting etc.
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chrislad

marathonic wrote: »

On Meteor, I can get a 12-month contract on a Samsung Galaxy SII for €30 per month whilst, if I go for an iPhone, it's a 24 month contract at €45 per month

Not true. You can get the iPhone on the 12 month contract for €30 a month for the same deal - you just won't get the iPhone for free.

marathonic

chrislad wrote: »

Not true. You can get the iPhone on the 12 month contract for €30 a month for the same deal - you just won't get the iPhone for free.

Do you have a link for this? I've been looking without success.

chrislad

marathonic wrote: »

Do you have a link for this? I've been looking without success.

I don't but I know you can.

Smart 35 is 349 for the phone, 12 month contract

Smart 30 is 299 for the phone, 18 month contract

Smart 50 is 249 for the phone, 18 month contract

I can't remember the BP Max price, think it's €149

marathonic

chrislad wrote: »

I don't but I know you can.

Smart 35 is 349 for the phone, 12 month contract

Smart 30 is 299 for the phone, 18 month contract

Smart 50 is 249 for the phone, 18 month contract

I can't remember the BP Max price, think it's €149

Ah right, possibly just available instore then. I still don't think the iPhone 4 is worth over 200 more than the Samsung Galaxy S II on the 12-month contract.

marathonic

One thing I'm trying to figure out:

With Meteor, does Northern Ireland/UK calls, texts and data come out of your bill-pay monthly allowance or are you charged extra? I know it comes out of your allowance with Three.

drunkmonkey

marathonic wrote: »

One thing I'm trying to figure out:

With Meteor, does Northern Ireland/UK calls, texts and data come out of your bill-pay monthly allowance or are you charged extra? I know it comes out of your allowance with Three.

No, your charged with Meteor. The UK calls are a gift on 3.

Kensington

Check your coverage before you commit to anything! If coverage is generally good in your area, you're laughing.

chrislad

marathonic wrote: »

One thing I'm trying to figure out:

With Meteor, does Northern Ireland/UK calls, texts and data come out of your bill-pay monthly allowance or are you charged extra? I know it comes out of your allowance with Three.

Charged extra, I'm afraid. 10c per minute, once you freetext the word 'international' to 50104 though.

Viva La Gloria

Lately I've been dithering over whether or not I should just take the plunge and finally get an iphone. I've been with O2 since 2007 and they've been absolutely fine, but I've checked out each of the four networks and their iphone4 deals- competivitely, 3 seemed the best. But I'm really in between two minds about this. Very tempted but for every 1 person who tells me that 3 is fine, 2 or 3 will tell me not to go near them. :rolleyes: It's not even the 24mth contract that bothers me. it's the coverage + 3G. I live in Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow and the lad in Carphone Warehouse said coverage was fine out here. Although someone I work with lives in Greystones and they say that they can't get 3G often

drunkmonkey

I had no problem in greystones, The 3G coverage is fine in Kilcoole, you shouldn't have any bother.

Check the coverage here, just select mobile broadband coverage from the drop down, that's what your looking for good 3G coverage where you'll mostly be using the phone http://bing.bizmaps.ie/threeireland/Pages/Public/CoveragePublicPage.aspx

Viva La Gloria

Thanks, I had checked that before and thought it was fine, it was just the person I know from Greystones who had the problems with it that threw me off

Heart Break Kid

hey..

Coverage is always hard to measure, its really hit or miss to be honest.
They might say they have coverage in a certain area but there could be something just block signal to one small particular area, there's so many variables

The 3 offer is pretty good, id rate it and i sell it as the best out there at the moment.

Your always going to have someone that has had an issue in some way or another with all the networks out there regarding coverage , customer issues or other relevant or irrelevant issues....; my best bet is try it out for your self..

Buy a 3 pay sim card , see how it goes if your really worried, if its good try the contract and enjoy