Shiny Shiny Toys
Nov. 4th, 2009 10:54 amMobile phone contract renewal time has come around again! To recap: Last time I took the £5/month discount, and bought myself a new phone 7 months later, so my current phone is only about a year old. I'm reasonably happy with it, though the screen is getting a bit scratched up (as I always thought would happen with a slide phone - largely because I put it in my pocket with my keys. This is why I always went with a clamshell before). I'm not using the camera very much but it is on occasion useful.
However, T-Mobile are offering me shinies. I can get a T-Mobile Vairy Touch or Samsung Tocco Lite completely free. (Actually, now I check the PAYG prices, the Tocco is marginally more impressive Naturally they're pimping their own T-Mobile phone more than others, but I don't really think a £40 phone is worth giving up the monthly discount.)
In fact this year I'm being offered a £6/month discount if I pass up on the phone, so in a year I'd save more or less what they're asking for the Tocco ... and considering it's an 18-month contract, financially the discount is clearly a better deal.
But ... I'd have toys. I'd have toys now.
Mmmmmm toys.
However, T-Mobile are offering me shinies. I can get a T-Mobile Vairy Touch or Samsung Tocco Lite completely free. (Actually, now I check the PAYG prices, the Tocco is marginally more impressive Naturally they're pimping their own T-Mobile phone more than others, but I don't really think a £40 phone is worth giving up the monthly discount.)
In fact this year I'm being offered a £6/month discount if I pass up on the phone, so in a year I'd save more or less what they're asking for the Tocco ... and considering it's an 18-month contract, financially the discount is clearly a better deal.
But ... I'd have toys. I'd have toys now.
Mmmmmm toys.
Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 12:48 pm (UTC)Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 01:06 pm (UTC)Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 01:28 pm (UTC)Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 02:48 pm (UTC)I think I'd save about £5 by taking the discount and buying it myself.
Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 02:12 pm (UTC)Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 02:13 pm (UTC)Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 02:24 pm (UTC)Anyway Wikipedia is your friend. There are more phones coming out every month so you may be better served waiting a few more months.
FWIW my phone is the HTC Hero (T-Mobile G2 Touch IIRC) and I like it very much. As a loyal customer of T-Mobile I got £30/month contract over 24 months with 800mins + unlimited texts + Web'N'Walk. Doing the maths it worked out cheaper than buying the phone myself. Other deals may vary.
Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 02:43 pm (UTC)They want me to pay £180 to upgrade to a T-Mobile G2 Touch. This is probably because my account still has the Friends & Family 50% Line Rental thing that I got off Polley when he was working for them.
I think I'm still better off with the £6/month discount. It gets applied after the 50%, so it will take my £30/month line rental down to £9 ...
Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-04 02:55 pm (UTC)Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-06 09:23 am (UTC)The HTC Hero is technically worth it, as it's apparently £350-£400 on PAYG, so it would be a £200-ish saving. But I don't really need a full-blown organizerphone, I've got my iPod Touch for that...
Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-06 09:09 am (UTC)Re: Android!
Date: 2009-11-06 09:14 am (UTC)If I didn't have the half-price deal, I probably would have switched providers half a dozen times by now...