Other Devices (Nokia, Blackberry, etc)

[Chronicle]

o2 - 12 months simplicity, 600 mins, Unlimited Texts, 500MB data +1GB BT Wifi - £21.50 (£258)
Voda - 12 Months Sim, 600 mins, Unlimited Texts, 1GB Data + 1GB BT WIfi - £20 PLUS 1st 3 Months half price line rental (£210)

May be academic as far as the OP is concerned now but shouldn't that be:
o2 - 12 months simplicity, 600 mins, Unlimited Texts, 500MB data + Unlimited BT+Cloud Wifi - £21.50 (£258)
That unlimited Wifi can make a big difference since McD's, Wetherspoons and loads more big chains use the Cloud or BT.
O2 data now includes tethering as well which may be another key factor.
Don't even think about a VF sure signal if you intend to use your phone with wifi data at home as it still comes out of your data plan.

Hi - Yes academic now as I have just received my Vodafone SIM
No, I was not offered Unlimited BT+Cloud WiFi, but rather 1GB per month. To be honest if they offered me free unlimited WiFi for life it still wouldn't interest me as I don't trust / use public WiFi spots & I wouldn't step over the threshold of a McVomits door even if I was blind drunk & hadn't eaten solids for 2 weeks.
I have been using my £7.50 unlimited web bolt-on for the past 3 years or so for tethering purposes with O2 - never had any issues. I only used it lightly though.
The VF Sure Signal I don't understand. If you have broadband then why do you need a strong 3G signal in your house? When i'm at home I switch wifi on and the 3G receiver off. I suppose it's aimed at people who have absolutely no 3G or 2G service whatsoever...nice that Vodafone get their own contract owners to pay for a service that Vodafone should be supplying - A Network!
I still haven't got around to using the Voda SIM as I still have a few days to go on the O2 contract. I hope the transition is an easy one.

[Beaufighter]

It's possible you may have misheard the offer as there is an option for a 1GB data bolt on with O2, but this means 3G data plus unlimited wifi, which is also included in the cheaper 500mb bolt on. There is no wi fi limit on any O2 plan.
Still, at least it's only academic for you. I wonder how many customers O2 lose because their own staff can't explain the tariffs properly

[Chronicle]

It's possible you may have misheard the offer as there is an option for a 1GB data bolt on with O2, but this means 3G data plus unlimited wifi, which is also included in the cheaper 500mb bolt on. There is no wi fi limit on any O2 plan.
Still, at least it's only academic for you. I wonder how many customers O2 lose because their own staff can't explain the tariffs properly

You do have to pay extra for the 1 GB data bolt-on over the 500MB one - which is a MASSIVE rip off anyway. The Voda deal offers 1GB data at a cheaper rate than O2 offers 500MB! And no, no one ever mentioned that if you want to pay extra for the 1GB data bolt on that the WiFi would be unlimited, but that wouldn't have even caught my attention if it was free anyway
What was interesting was that today I was using my O2 Phone and another handset with a GiffGaff SIM (runs on the O2 network) out in the sticks in Southern England. And the handset with the GiffGaff SIM often showed zero signal for long durations of time (20 mins to hours) whilst my official O2 contract SIM showed a full signal all day long.

[Beaufighter]

Voda do seem to have lots of different tariffs which all looks very confusing, so on probability I expect there will be better ones and worse ones.
Out of interest I compared the equivalent of what I have on O2, and after the pasting O2 have had lately I was a bit surprised, the offer was (with what I have on o2 in brackets) for a 16gb black iPhone 4 on 18 months.
£30 (£30.50, made up of £20.50 for the tariff plus £10 for the optional data bolt on, the direct equivalent is £26.50)
75 mins (100)
250 SMS (500)
500mb (1gb, could have 500mb for £4 less)
1Gb wifi (unlimited)
Phone cost £269 (£233)
To be honest, that shocks me. There are plans that give a similar allowance to mine and cost the same, but bizarrely your not allowed to choose the iPhone. At least with O2 you can select your phone from the entire range whatever the tariff.
I also looked up tethering on the voda site and found that as soon as you tether your iPhone you are charged £5 which covers the whole month, but you pay it even if you only tether once. At least on O2 (now at least) the tethering is not an extra charge.
I do realise I've been very specific, but I just wanted to compare the equivalent of what I have now, and I'm not impressed.

[aldaweb]

What was interesting was that today I was using my O2 Phone and another handset with a GiffGaff SIM (runs on the O2 network) out in the sticks in Southern England. And the handset with the GiffGaff SIM often showed zero signal for long durations of time (20 mins to hours) whilst my official O2 contract SIM showed a full signal all day long.

I've seen this a few times with a contract phone having signal but a PAYG having none, but then I've also seen it the other way round as well, on both O2 and T-mobile. Don't know about the other networks as I've never had contract SIMs only PAYG ones.

[NYCSavage]

I also looked up tethering on the voda site and found that as soon as you tether your iPhone you are charged £5 which covers the whole month, but you pay it even if you only tether once. At least on O2 (now at least) the tethering is not an extra charge.

I tethered my o2 iPhone in work and received a £200odd bill lol

[Mara]

I'm having exactly the same dilemma. Prices too high. I mostly text so I don't need many minutes and I have 300 on the simplicity deal. Would like a new phone so think I'll move to vodafone too. Better coverage. My hubby has Vodafone so I know that for sure

[Mara]

What is tethering?

[Bambino]

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Mara wrote:
What is tethering?

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Using your phone as a modem to connect your laptop to the web. You should only use it if you're not near a Wi-Fi hotspot or router, as it will eat up your data.