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Just coming to the end of a Three contract and looking around - looks like I can get a decent deal through Samsung for a handset and contract with the aforementioned O2 and EE, just wondering how people find them. I've really liked Three (ex Virgin customer, see 😉 ), especially getting off the plane somewhere foreign and having a phone that just bloody WORKS! But I'm open to the idea of switching networks if it saves a few quid. 🙂
We have been with EE for years with no problems, just renewed at same price and they have upgraded phones from S10e to S20fe and given us all an upgrade to 100gb data each.
4 phones on a family contract
Been with EE for around 25 years and about to move to Plusnet. EE are just soooooo expensive. Good though:-)
Been with EE for years, they were Orange when I joined, never had an issue and ring up end of the contract to get a better rate then available online.
I've been with O2 for as long as I can remember and never had any issues. I think they've just merged with Virgin though.
Whoever you switch to, do it through Quidco for some cash back 😉
O2 fans here. The only network that can get reception at the far end of Waitrose.
PAYG £10 a month. Data rolls over and they give you 10% of your money back.
Very happy with them.
Did try ee but coverage isn't as good in our bit of Surrey
They all have crap customer service. I've been with EE for a decade, not because they are great but because they aren't any worse than the others, and I'm on all old tariff/bundle they don't do anymore, and I don't have the energy to put together similar with another supplier.
As everyone says - best bet is to check (maybe get a PAYG SIM?) signal in your preferred areas - home, work, etc - and go with whichever network does best for you there.
As above, check what your local signal is like. We're on O2 as our signal is good, but EE is terrible especially in work.
I think they all do wifi calling and certainly O2 will sell you a signal booster if you need one.
Anyone except EE
If Three coverage works well for you then check out the other virtual networks that use the Three network;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Kingdom_mobile_virtual_network_operators
After years on Three I use iD mobile now. Be aware that roaming (and things like wifi calling) are areas the virtual networks tend to skimp on, so make sure you check what you are getting.
I've been with O2 via Gift Gaff on PAYG for years and the wife has been with EE for years. No complaints really. Not sure what customer service is like as we've never had to deal with them or complain.
Not sure why anyone would go with a contract unless you're a business user or high usage or you're the type that just has to have the latest and greatest phone so want the end of contract upgrade. Through the contract charges you end up paying for the phone anyway and then some. Might as well just get a handset on interest free credit and go PAYG. I pay about £7.50 a month on Giff Gaff which is more than enough for my usage and paid the phone off a couple of years ago. Wife is paying about £50 a month for hers.
I'm with Wobbliscott on this one.
been on Giff-Gaff for years (o2 network) which was super cheap
but moved to Smarty (three network) which was even cheaper. £9 a month for 30gb a month (10% discount for joining mine and the missus account) and unlimited text/calls. and i can change each month if i want.
Then just buy a phone i want to go with it.
Contract phones do the same but just 0% finance the phone back to you but charge more for the data/texts than the cheaper PAYG
I've been with O2 on contract since 1999. Cannot fault them outside of there being better deals to be had, mobile service and customer service have never been less than superb.
If I were to jump ship tomorrow - and honestly, if it weren't for covid I would have already done so, but being housebound there seemed little point - I'd be going with Smarty.
Through the contract charges you end up paying for the phone anyway and then some
That's not quite true any more. I can't comment on other providers but O2 split out the service fees from handset repayments years ago, gone are the days of paying a squillion pounds a month for a phone that then quietly rolls over when you've paid for it and they keep charging you unless you renegotiate.
pretty much where I'm at! They're OK, sometimes there have been situations where I can't get a signal but someone on a different network can (or vice-versa, probably a very location dependant thing!) Never bothered me enough to switch thoughI’ve been with O2 on contract since 1999. Cannot fault them outside of there being better deals to be had, mobile service and customer service have never been less than superb.
The only thing that winds me up a bit is they aren't proactive about offering you a new contract (I've been SIM only for many years now) if it will save you money/give you more... you actually have to remember to check! (Don't know if any other networks are better for this though)
Been with O2 for a while and happy with the customer service - alwys sorted out any questions very quickly.
Just to hijack but is anyone on Vodafone? Looking to switch to them as they apparently seem to have the best coverage due to emergency services etc using them.
We have both.
I'm with O2 (in my case Tesco Mobile) and it's been great. On the rare occasions I've had to phone them service has been good.
The wifes work phone is EE and it simply doesn't work at our end of the (small) town where we live - lots of similar complaints on our local Facebook.
You really need to check locally what it's likely to be like.
Brillo, thanks all - interesting balance of opinions, suggesting that really they're all a bit much of a muchness, so it's down to network coverage and price. Not super-happy with my current phone (pretty sure I posted about it on here when I first had it - much quicker than it was but still quite laggy, and it's the first phone I've ever cracked a screen on) so treating myself to something new - found the handset I was after on a discount on Amazon, and Samsung currently offer another £50 cashback, so I shall be joining the SIM-only cool gang shortly. 🙂
is anyone on Vodafone?
It's over 10 years since I had a Voda contract (through work, not choice) so this may be out-of-date information, but they were dire. I was out of signal more than I was in.
Moved from GiffGaff (O2) to Smarty (Three) today as the cost was so much better. Plus the other SIM I have for work is O2 so wanted a second provider for the second SIM to give me more chance of getting a signal on one or them.
Just taken out an O2 contract today - have been with Virgin (used EE network) for yonks - mainly because its one of the 2 providers with decent service at the new house. Unlimited data so I can use my phone as a wifi hotspot as there's currently no cable connection and Openreach don't recognise our postcode. Currently have an EE 4G wifi contract - this last week we've had zero signal for most of the day which means I have to drive 5 miles to make a phone call or check my email. Lots of people locally having problems but they just deny it when you call them.
I’ve been with O2 on contract since 1999. Cannot fault them outside of there being better deals to be had, mobile service and customer service have never been less than superb.
Same here.
And even thought I'm not motivated by perks as opposed to good service, free Disney + and some of the O2 Priority give aways have been genuinely good over the years (free Halfords/WH Smith stuff.)
That’s not quite true any more. I can’t comment on other providers but O2 split out the service fees from handset repayments years ago
Is that not just a PAYG contract that includes a payment plan on the handset? Other my wife pays a contract for a set period of time which includes the handset and an allowance of calls, texts and data. She pays a fixed fee and after the contract period is up she can upgrade. OK she can keep her old handset but it is tied to their network. If she doesn't want to change handset (which is basically starting a fresh contract) then she continues to pay her monthly charge. If you add up what she pays within her contract period it is considerably more than buying the handset and a PAYG. Keep trying to explain this to her but she seems to like being under contract.
O2 still the only provider to give decent coverage in my house. Lived here 7/8 years now, and thought there’d be more choice after that time! Probably would stay with O2 anyway, as been very good.
O2 here, been with them for at least twenty years, with Orange before that and ported my number over, then had two or three years of constant pestering to upgrade from Orange resellers, whereas I never get that from O2. I’m on contract, never really had to deal with customer service apart from when I changed networks and somehow they lost my number during the porting process, which I was really angry about, my number was really easy to remember. Anyway the bloke in the shop somehow managed to get it back, via a mate who wouldn’t let on how he managed it, and for that alone I’m happy to stick with them. Also I get priority access at O2 music venues as well, which I consider worth having.
They’re all variously awful.
like many folks have advocated, I buy a handset and then go for a suitable SIM only deal. Usually from a reseller rather than the source network.
I found when I was on O2 I could get a tiny signal locally. It then varied from OK to great but data speed in Manchester City centre was dire.
Three had 0-1 bar reception at home (WiFi calling made this no real issue) but had OK reception elsewhere and fairly free-flowing data plus great roaming (not that this is that useful today).
Vodafone I have on a work phone. Meh, nothing special reception-wise just different now and again from the other two.
I’ve a virgin SIM for now. 5G fairly common. Even get 2 bars of 4G in the house: double what the others gave.
On virgin, they announced a move from EE to using the Vodafone network in 2019. Though that was meant to be for the period 2021-2026. With the merger of virgin and O2 who knows how that’ll now work out.
I was on EE for the last 5 years or so and found them very good. Travelled all over the world and had no problems, get off plane and everything works just fine. They were expensive, but work covers that so less of an issue for me.
Ironically the worst place for me to use EE is at home as we are in a bit of a deadspot, in the house was OK-ish as I just used WiFi calling but had to turn off the cell service on my phone to make sure it didn't try to jump onto the cell network. That was a pain and WiFi calling doesn't help if I leave the house and go out of WiFi range.
Since working from home permanently thanks to Covid the poor coverage at home became too much so I've just switched to Vodafone. Before switching I got PAYG SIMs from O2, Three, and Vodafone, and tested them alongside my EE one. Voda was the only one that got a signal everywhere I tried, so they won.
Been with EE since they were formed out of T-Mobile UK and Orange.
Excellent signal in Bolton, Darwen and now Rishton East Lancashire, full signal in Preston also.
Also fantastic service using cosmote network in Rhodes Greece.
They are definitely not the cheapest but I’ve never had any problems with them.
Currently paying £62 a month for a IPhone 12 Pro Max. Unlimited everything and Apple Music add on and BT sport both free.
Should be £72 per month but 20% NHS discount.
If you need a code giz a shout.
Vodafone have the best coverage on my commute route so I use(d) them for streaming Netflix on the tube. No problems or customer service issues.