In the UK there are a number of networks to choose from.  O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile and Three are the main ones to choose from.  But what should you look for when you are looking to change mobile network providers or contracts?

Historically a mobile contract would be for 12 months, but this has since been scrapped by the main networks and now you are looking at 18 or 24 months contract.  To me this is a long time to be tied in to a network and a lot of the time the phones will not even last 24 months.

Myself, I’m an iPhone user and I will probably continue to use an iPhone for many years to come.  The main reasons are the usability of the phone.  I use it for Geocaching, sat nav in the car, facebook, twitter, mobile internet, email and much more.  The problem is that these are all locked to the network unless it was bought from Apple or you have asked the network provider to unlock it for you.  With O2 and iPhones there is a form online that you need to complete and it will take up to 14 days before you can use the phone on another network.

Anyway back to the point.  18-24 months is a long time to be with a network and this got me thinking that with a lot of the phones you can buy them SIM free and then get a sim only contract for less.  Typically for example on a Vodafone £35 a month iPhone 16gb will get you 600 mins, unlimited texts, 1gb mobile internet/mail.   At the moment an iPhone4 16gb on a 24 month contract will cost you at £35 a month on Vodafone it will cost you a total of. (£169 for the phone plus 24×35 = £840 over a 2 year period.

For the same iPhone 4 on a sim free contract it would cost you £600 for the phone and £25 a month SIM only plan = £1200 over 2 years.

If you are thinking of changing mobile networks and not sure which one to go for then try a SIM only contract for a few months at the end of your existing contract to see if you are happy with the performance. Of the network.  You can do this once you reach the end of your 18 or 24 month contract.  Even if you are staying with the same network it is nest to call them an go on a sim only contract.  As this will save you money.

However before you change network you will want to make sure that your phone you will be using is going to be unlocked.  With O2 on and iPhone 3G this can take up to 14 days before the phone is unlocked.  They can unlock for you while you are within your contract, but you will still be required to pay for the remaining contract costs.

My Tips

When changing network at the end of your contract try a SIM only contract to start, as this will allow you to see what the network is like during your normal day to day life in different locations.

Try another networks SIM in your phone before you change over.  See if a friend will let you try their SIM.  This will allow you to see if the phone really is unlocked.

If you are not happy phone them up and request your PAC code and you can change mobile networks again.  On a SIM only contract, you are only tied in for 30 days.  After 30 days you are free to leave when you like.

Our preferred networks

-       Orange
Although they can be a little bit more expensive they do have the best 3G network coverage. Benefits include 2for1 Cinema tickets every Wednesday.

-       Vodafone
I’m still getting used to them myself, as I’m only a few days in to a 30 day contract, but apart from the hassle getting it set up (thanks to O2) they seem really good.

-       T-Mobile
I was with T-Mobile before I was with O2 and I found them really useful.  The only thing is that they are still waiting to be able to sell and support the iPhone plans. Something I will be looking at once they are available.

-       O2
O2 are deserving in 4^th place.  Not just my own frustrating experience, but also my partner called a few weeks ago to upgrade and twice they sent her the wrong phone.  They told me that I can use any SIM I like in my iPhone, as it will be all unlocked, but it wasn’t.

-       Three
The only reason they are at the bottom is partly that I have never used them.  The reason I have never used them though is that everyone I have ever spoken to about the Three Network has not had good things to say about performance. If someone from Three would like to give me a handset to try for a couple of months I am more than happy to do a higher review for them.

So there you have it.  Thinking of switching Mobile Phone Networks, then try SIM only at the end of your contract and make sure your phone is unlocked.

Choose from Orange, Vodafone, T-Mobile, O2 or Three.

Also looking at the overall cost of a contract over time will allow you to see which deal is best for you.  E.g. there is no point paying £45 a month when a £35 a month will do when the cost of the phone is only £50. For the latest deals have a look at The Carphone Warehouse

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As part of my testing and trying out some new networks before I purchase the new iPhone4 I decided to try Vodafone.  I asked around what networks people used and which they found to be reliable and very helpful in sorting out any issues they have ever had.

Monday

First on my list to try out was Vodafone.  I received my PAC code from O2 and signed up online to a SIM only 30day contract.  In what I thought would be my error I purchased a £20 a month sim only deal, thinking that this is a sim only contract and is the same size sim that I use in my iPhone 3G.  I then realised that there was iPhone specific SIM only contracts.  This was to be the start of what is proving to be a very difficult few days that now leaves me with not phone signal.

Tuesday

My First contact was to email over to the email address on the confirmation email and I sent an email to info@v-store.co.uk on the Tuesday asking if the SIM would still work as normal in my 3G iPhone.

Wednesday

Half way through Wednesday and no reply I thought I would twitter a message to @vodafoneuk who asked me to complete an online form to confirm the status of my order.  So I went online and completed the online email submission form.

I also decided to pop to a shop to ask and they told me it will be fine and would only need to upgrade my contract if I needed the extra inclusive items on the ‘iPhone plans’

Thursday

It was now Thursday and I had still not had a reply, so I sent a twitter again to @vodafoneuk to see what was happening.  Within 10 minuets I had two email replies, one saying yes it will work and one saying no I will need to go to a shop to collect a new SIM.  Nothing much I could to today, as I was off at home.

The new SIM was delivered to me and I also received a text message saying that it will all be swapped over on Friday 2^nd July by 4pm.  So I thought fantastic it will all be ok.

Just to make sure I replied to both emails, asking them to confirm, as one had said it would be ok and the other said no it will not.  (I’m yet to receive a reply).

Friday

Today is the day and my phone was working on the O2 SIM at the start of the day.  About 10:30 I noticed that the 3G had gone off on my O2, so I switched the phone off and back on and it said No Service.  I then put in my Vodafone SIM expecting it to now work, but nothing.  I left it a few hours, as they did say it would not be fully working until 4PM.  4PM came and passed and I finished work and walked down to the shop.  In the shop they told me that it had been activated and I was now on Vodafone, but it would take a bit longer for the SIM to be working.  Again I asked the sales assistant if the £20 a month SIM only deal would work and they assured me that it would be fine.

I got home and it was still not working.  I tried to call the customer service centre, but refuse to hold for more than 10 minuets to speak to a monkey that doesn’t have a clue, so I hung up and sent a twitter again to @vodafoneuk

Its now close to midnight and after turning my phone on and off every hour for most of the day it is still not working.  Someone in Vodafone is going to get a rather angry customer phone them first thing in the morning.

The saga continues. But my experience of Vodafone so far is not a good one and one that I don’t recommend anyone repeats.  My number one tip is to make sure that the phone you are putting the new sim in is unlocked.

Saturday

I awoke on Saturday morning to find that my phone still want connected to the Vodafone network.  After a trip in to town and having a really helpful sales assistant in Vodafone try a number of different things I am happy to report that after all the problems I have relate to O2 not giving me the correct information.  A customer service person at O2 told me that every phone was unlocked on O2, so there is no need to do anything apart from put the new sim in my phone.  This was wrong and now thanks to O2 I am without a phone for 2 weeks.

I just hope now that when I finally get the Vodafone chip working in my iPhone that I get a decent signal and it works well.

Or try Orange through

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