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First time smart phone 4G needed

(63 Posts)
craftyone Tue 02-Apr-19 06:11:28

I have lived somewhere with no mobile reception for 9 years. I have a basic simple phone for emergencies, it is good for simple phone calls when out. I am moving to a new build without, as yet, landline connection. I want a smart phone that is simplicity to use, thinking samsung. Where best to buy one and which model. I don`t want to be tied in to any provider, yet. I have no idea where to start looking

Nicky7of7 Tue 02-Apr-19 16:00:19

I have an I phone and really love it for all the reasons previously stated by other GNs however the other thing which you need to consider is which provider is best for their coverage in your area. We live in a valley and we can only get good coverage from EE. Two of my children are on other networks and are unable to get a signal at my house.

Rocknroll5me Tue 02-Apr-19 16:05:45

iPhone 6+ known to be their best and v cheap now there is 10 out. And definitely get it from giffgaff and get their goody bags no contract really friendly and very good value for money

Miep1 Tue 02-Apr-19 16:19:44

I agree with Carphone Warehouse people. I went with iD Mobile £5 a month, never run out of minutes/texts yet and any data not used rolls over to the next month. I bought a BlackBerry Key2 as a phone because I like physical buttons - I hit all the wrong ones on screen ! My best friend has a Motorola G5 which is recommended by Which and fonds it great + battery lasts 3 days !

Tinker18 Tue 02-Apr-19 16:33:26

Samsung customer service is also excellent in case you have any problems (like I did!)

Shizam Tue 02-Apr-19 18:22:50

No question. It has to be an iPhone. Easy to use, no viruses, apple stores give free tutorials, help etc if you need. Buy a handset, iphone6 is fine, get a SIM card on,y deal. Moneysavingexpert site is great at listing what suits your needs.

Fran0251 Tue 02-Apr-19 18:55:43

GiffGaff are one of the best providers. Look at Which Consumer magazine results. For £10 a month I have unlimited phone time and GB. I've stopped using my land line. Buy from Carphonewarehouse. They have IT guys who will set up your phone. Brilliant.

NanaMacGeek Tue 02-Apr-19 19:03:05

craftyone, do you need a smartphone because you don't have a landline/broadband and don't want it or do you want a temporary smart phone to provide internet access until you get a landline/broadband conection to your new house?

Do you have any other computers or tablets that you would 'tether' to your smartphone so you could access the internet with them via your phone or would you only use your smartphone to get online?

If you only want a temporary phone, I would have thought that having a good network signal is more important than the type of phone. Whatever you buy, make sure that it costs you nothing to change to another network if you find you have a poor signal (I'd ask the builders of your house what networks they have found to be best, they will know from experience). There are network coverage checkers but my experience is that you can't rely on them, one house can get a good signal whereas their neighbour doesn't.

NanaMacGeek Tue 02-Apr-19 19:10:57

Meant to add that broadband is carried over a landline. So if you ask for broadband (unless you have a cable provider or 4G Internet), you will still need to get a landline.

trendygran Tue 02-Apr-19 21:50:05

I have a Samsung J 5 which I have now had for a few years and am still very happy with it. I also prefer Samsung for some reason.

B9exchange Wed 03-Apr-19 13:11:37

I seem to be bucking the trend, but both DH and I have HTC phones, which are excellent. We have SIM only contracts with Sky for £5 a month each.

Happysexagenarian Thu 04-Apr-19 12:13:09

I have a Samsung, quite an old one, but it does everything I need (texts, internet, GPS etc) and it's easy to use. My DH struggles with the all-singing-all-dancing phones, so he bought a Doro smartphone on PAYG. It's very intuitive and simple to use so he carries it everywhere with him whereas his old phone was usually left in a drawer.

Molly10 Thu 04-Apr-19 21:32:36

Definitely check out Martin Lewis site as he keeps updates on the best current sim deals. You really shouldn't be paying more than £5 per month for a contract these days. First time smart phones I would think something like a Nokia one. For a starter smart phone you shouldn't need to pay more than £100. It looks like the Nokia is about £70. Buying on line is riskier if you need to return. I would suggest buying from John Lewis, easy return and back up service plus an additional year guarantee.