I've just taken out a new 12 month sim only contract. Main reason for it was I'm changing networks from T-Mobile to Three because I'm getting a lot of missed calls and 'no service' in areas I go whereas others on 'Three' enjoy good service at all times in the same places.

For £12 a month I'm getting 8Gb of 4G data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts. Personal hotspot use and full usage when roaming in the EU plus many other world locations on their 'feel at home' advanced plan. I won't use a tenth of that.

I've had a mobile phone since 1985 and I used to sell (or at least connect) them up many years ago - at one point you got over £600 for every phone you connected - good times! PAYG wasn't about then so you generally had to be a business man, high earner or a Yuppie to even be accepted to take out a contract. As the mobile number was assigned to the ESN that was built into the phone, it was a right faff changing phones and getting numbers transferred.

Anyway, my point is that in 1985 when you took out a contract it was usually for five years (three if you were lucky). There was a £50 one-off connection charge, £25 a month standing charge (no inclusive calls) and each call was 50p per minute or part minute. Two networks only (Vodafone and Cellnet) with pretty poor coverage. Texts and data were not even on the horizon.

Just my 600 minutes alone plus the standing charge would have cost me £325 a month thirty odd years ago!! To put that in perspective, my mortgage was just under £300 a month in 1985. Unbelievable. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

My mates dad had one of the early mobiles, basically a suitcase with a handset, he was the local disco king providing dJs and decks to wedding parties etc and need to be available at all times.

Said mate killed himself 20 years ago ,,, god bless him R.I.P Tosh. At work
At home

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winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

I recall a return trip from London to Newcastle on a cheap bus called The Clipper in 1987, I sat at the front and then some guy say next to me with what was apparently a mobile phone, I recall it was a contraption he kept on the floor probably the size of a desktop PC tower, with a handset on the top, stuck in my mind as I thought how pretentious

I have been with THREE network for years now and whenever I go to the Yorkshire Dales I rarely get any signal, I am not 4g or 3g so that could explain it, only use the mobile for checking Facebook or the success of my photos on FLickr, so I am happy to pay £5.69 a month for Unlimited Internet, Unlimited Text, and about 70 minutes call time, since I never call anyone I never use that allowance.

I simply cannot comprehend why anyone would pay £900 for a phone (saw one in Tesco's this week) or even pay over £15 for a contract deal

Well, I don't know about the Yorkshire dales but I know when we go to the Peak District, not only is the mobile coverage poor, even the radio signal drops out in the car! I suppose they look at the area to be covered times the number of people in the area. Most providers state a 'population' percentage cover and not an 'area' percentage cover. Turning off 3G/4G will give you better voice only (calls) coverage. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

TBH the networks were probably better in the mid 90's than they are now. They are just an over priced pile of now with the decent 4G coverage centred on what some program in Bangalore says has the most facebook/twitter/instagram users.

It never ceases to astound me when on the news you see huge queues outside the Apple Store waiting the buy the latest IPhone on the day when its released. Updated- Waiting for a Scotland v England 6 Nations home win. 24th Feb 2018
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Gone-1981 24v FFR Lightweight
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2013 Freelander 2 SD4 GS Auto

I got my first phone in 87 , £18.50 + vat , no calls, no text .. internet what was that ? I'm on sim only with Tesco (O2) , works for me, £12.50 for 750min 5000text and 6.4gb data Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

When Vodaphone was part of Racal our department had one of their early mobile phones which was like a house brick with a handset on top. Coverage was cr*p, in fact we had BT phonecards to use when in a no signal zone.
My current mobile phone was the cheapest and most basic I could find. Every couple of months I put £10 in to cover phone calls. So, why bother at all? I was persuaded to have a phone because (quote) ' If you're in the woods with a chainsaw and cut your leg off then you can phone for an ambulance' By all accounts this person would make a good politician.
Only calls I get are:
1. the lowlife telling me about PPI repayments.
2. my wife telling me when she'll be home
3. my farmer friend asking me how many pigeons I've shot.
So I not going to upgrade to a phone with 3G, 4G, or 5G and beyond.
Must finish now 'cos my phone's ringing  11 GS Bali Blue
07 GS FL2. Usually muddy. Gone
Numerous LRs since 1963

mcsimmo wrote:

It never ceases to astound me when on the news you see huge queues outside the Apple Store waiting the buy the latest IPhone on the day when its released.

Steve D wrote:

I've just taken out a new 12 month sim only contract. Main reason for it was I'm changing networks from T-Mobile to Three because I'm getting a lot of missed calls and 'no service' in areas I go whereas others on 'Three' enjoy good service at all times in the same places.

For £12 a month I'm getting 8Gb of 4G data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts. Personal hotspot use and full usage when roaming in the EU plus many other world locations on their 'feel at home' advanced plan. I won't use a tenth of that.

I had one of the first car phones in my company in 1985 and it found it embarrassing calling people and saying I was in the car. On one occasion I went to see a customer and there was a yellow stickynote on his computer screen from his secretary saying
"<myname> has just called form his car phone - what a poser!" after that I used to stop in lay by and pretend I was in the office. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

Steve D wrote:

Steve D wrote:

I've just taken out a new 12 month sim only contract. Main reason for it was I'm changing networks from T-Mobile to Three because I'm getting a lot of missed calls and 'no service' in areas I go whereas others on 'Three' enjoy good service at all times in the same places.

For £12 a month I'm getting 8Gb of 4G data, 600 minutes and unlimited texts. Personal hotspot use and full usage when roaming in the EU plus many other world locations on their 'feel at home' advanced plan. I won't use a tenth of that.

I'm cancelling it and ordering it again! Just found out I can get the same deal through my TopCashback account and get £55 cashback for doing it which brings it down to £7.42 a month. Can't believe I missed that one!

you sure that's 500Gb of data and not 500Mb ( 1/2 a Gb) of data ??

You can get 3G ? ! most places I go in the South West I am lucky to get GPRS (2.5G) or Edge. 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

that's because Dorset, Devon and Cornwall still have signal fire baskets on poles (but at least it works )