Sim only options for an out of contract iPhone 4s

21-10-2013 03:45PM #1

Hi all,

I have a quite new (recently replaced by apple) iphone 4s, that's coming to the end of it's contract in early December and i don't intend to upgrade to a new model. Instead am looking for advice on the best contract option to make a saving in the monthly cost on the bill by getting it unlocked and using it with some kind of sim only or rolling contract package as i'll then own the phone in full.

Currently I'm on Meteor's €45 a month bill pay plan, which is good for my internet use, but overkill for everything else.

Things i use:

Very little in the way of texting, an odd text now and again when I'm out of 3G coverage for whatsapp.
Fairly little in the way of calling (i would be a fairly light use caller, short calls fairly infrequently, maybe two or three 2 minute calls a day)
Quite a lot of internet data over 3G for browsing, facebook, youtube, whatsapp, spotify, dropbox, emails and the likes (and of course boards.ie :P).

I'd be classified as a heavy/advanced internet user and use the mobile web for a lot of the stuff i do most days. I have a 5gb allowance from meteor at present. I haven't hit that yet, but i would be cutting it close on 1gb, I'd need a 2gb allowance at the least, and more ideally, and anticipate using more once the networks go to 4G. I also use the iphone's mobile hotspot/tethering feature occasionally to provide a wifi connection for my laptop when on the go, so tethering for no additional cost would be a plus on any package.

I'm based in the greater Dublin area. The signal most places i am is fairly good. A bill or contract would be preferable to a prepaid setup, as long as i'm not locked in for a long time, but i'm open to options. The only operator I'd like to avoid is three, due to poor experiences in the past, but for a short/not locked in contract, even they wouldn't be an issue if the value was OK.

Can anyone advise me on my options?

RangeR · 21-10-2013 04:21PM

eMobile Select Unlimited 30 day rolling contract @ €32 online offer

Unlimited calls
Unlimted texts
15GB data

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dudara · 21-10-2013 10:44PM

Moved to the Mobiles forum

dudara

Fresh Pots · 22-10-2013 06:50AM

One of these plans?
Three PAYG €20/pm
or
identical sim only plan €20.33

22-10-2013 08:48AM

TheTechGuy wrote: »

One of these plans?
Three PAYG €20/pm
or
identical sim only plan €20.33

Thanks very much for that info. The 3 sim only 30-day rolling contract option with unlimited data and 350 flexi units looks absolutely ideal, and very competitively priced. If only i didn't hate Three with a passion

Has anybody noticed any improvement in Three's service in the Dublin area over the last year or two, or more specifically in the last few months since they bought out the O2 network? I was having really stupid problems like no internet connection and dropped calls in places like Dublin City centre, or the middle of Blanchardstown and Dundrum town centres with them in 2011, and was getting all sorts of problems that meant toggling airplane mode four or five times a day and constantly contacting their useless support service. I eventually had to involve the regulator's office to enforce a contract cancellation for non-provision of service.:eek:

I may try their rolling 30-day contract out, as it looks like good value, but unless their service quality has picked up a lot lately, it won't be rolling very far with me....

Fresh Pots · 22-10-2013 10:04AM

Have to say I'm happy enough with three. Never had any issues with dropping signal. There is a slight glitch in their network that sometimes prevents phones from returning to 3g from 2g though. Maybe thats what you were experiencing.

22-10-2013 11:11AM

TheTechGuy wrote: »

Have to say I'm happy enough with three. Never had any issues with dropping signal. There is a slight glitch in their network that sometimes prevents phones from returning to 3g from 2g though. Maybe thats what you were experiencing.

Actually, what i was experiencing was that, but there was a larger problem at the time, of three piggybacking on O2 masts. Three had an agreement to use the spare capacity on O2's masts and network, but in busy or densely populated areas often there was no spare capacity, and no dedicated three mast in the locality. As a result, I had the stupid situation of not having any coverage in major urban centres with established network coverage a lot of the time, as well as the issue you described where once i lost that coverage, i would never get it back. I'd stay on 2G and get sub 56k speeds (no exaggeration) or worse see the little "o" symbol for no coverage at all, until i toggled airplane mode on and off to reconnect on a new session.

This meant that (at least back in 2011) i had either no connection all day or was constantly checking and toggling on and off, missing emails, getting late updates, etc, etc. It varied between being just annoying and occasionally genuinely problematic with work issues, etc, but three's attitude was to stick their head in the sand, pretend they knew nothing about the issue (despite it being widely reported online) and try to refer me to an indian call centre and 30 minute wait time each time i had a problem, while continuing to take direct debits from my account.

Anyway, i wasn't getting the service I'd signed up to, so a call or two to the regulator's office and a few hoops jumped through later, and i was out of contract, and i promised myself i wouldn't be tying myself to them again.

bceltic · 22-10-2013 03:46PM

Blueface has a decent deal on at the moment for €25 unlimited calls, text and data plus you have call conferencing too. http://www.blueface.ie/plans/plan.php?id=15

GIMP · 22-10-2013 10:55PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Actually, what i was experiencing was that, but there was a larger problem at the time, of three piggybacking on O2 masts. Three had an agreement to use the spare capacity on O2's masts and network, but in busy or densely populated areas often there was no spare capacity, and no dedicated three mast in the locality. As a result, I had the stupid situation of not having any coverage in major urban centres with established network coverage a lot of the time, as well as the issue you described where once i lost that coverage, i would never get it back. I'd stay on 2G and get sub 56k speeds (no exaggeration) or worse see the little "o" symbol for no coverage at all, until i toggled airplane mode on and off to reconnect on a new session.

This meant that (at least back in 2011) i had either no connection all day or was constantly checking and toggling on and off, missing emails, getting late updates, etc, etc. It varied between being just annoying and occasionally genuinely problematic with work issues, etc, but three's attitude was to stick their head in the sand, pretend they knew nothing about the issue (despite it being widely reported online) and try to refer me to an indian call centre and 30 minute wait time each time i had a problem, while continuing to take direct debits from my account.

Anyway, i wasn't getting the service I'd signed up to, so a call or two to the regulator's office and a few hoops jumped through later, and i was out of contract, and i promised myself i wouldn't be tying myself to them again.

Three have never used O2 masts, only Vodafone for 2g back up.

Fresh Pots · 23-10-2013 04:22AM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Actually, what i was experiencing was that, but there was a larger problem at the time, of three piggybacking on O2 masts. Three had an agreement to use the spare capacity on O2's masts and network, but in busy or densely populated areas often there was no spare capacity, and no dedicated three mast in the locality. As a result, I had the stupid situation of not having any coverage in major urban centres with established network coverage a lot of the time, as well as the issue you described where once i lost that coverage, i would never get it back. I'd stay on 2G and get sub 56k speeds (no exaggeration) or worse see the little "o" symbol for no coverage at all, until i toggled airplane mode on and off to reconnect on a new session.

Only ever had it happen to me after the being in underground car parks which is once in a blue moon.

23-10-2013 07:54AM

GIMP wrote: »

Three have never used O2 masts, only Vodafone for 2g back up.

Their own customer service confirmed to me several times that they piggyback on O2. I'm not sure of the specifics of it, but my info is straight from the horse's mouth, however accurate it is or isn't.

TheTechGuy wrote: »

Only ever had it happen to me after the being in underground car parks which is once in a blue moon.

Yep, it happened to me then too. I'm in underground car parks several times a day, every day, which meant an airplane mode toggle every single time...:mad:

Sim only options for an out of contract iPhone 4s

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