Can you advise me of which phone if I give you my desired features?

[colette]

I am a bit overwhelmed at all the info
Basically I would like a budget PAYG, about 2 hrs min calls monthly, 1mb internet min, sat nav if possible. Easy to use .

Have been looking at HTC desire ( deal now gone up in price a lot ) Nokia Lumia 520- but has no sat nav , no compass. Ideally about £15.00 a month max
thanks

have a look at the moto G. £135 payg or something like 15 month on contract ( maybe even less.

it is very similar to nexus 4 ( which I have a love) bought ds1 the moto for Xmas

Thanks mamicar will have a look. Contact is fine if its cheap

sorry meant 'contract'

Have you any preference over network, or have you checked 3G coverage for postcodes where you might want to use the phone?

I'm guessing you were meaning 1 GB of data per month (though many others say they only use around 500 MB, because it is often the case that you could use home / office wireless connection to internet router, avoiding use of the mobile allowance).

I'd consider a SIM Only deal and buy an unlocked mobile, eg that Moto G 8 GB sim free at Phones4U is 130 pounds, allowing you to try any network.

Your mix of low minutes and high volume of data is not really matched by many SIM Only contract deals - take a look *> here

Oh yes, and look for Ovivo (another 'virtual' network, which uses the Vodafone network):

A one off fee of £20 (gets you £15 credit) and then every month you get -
200min + 300 text + 500 MB data

NB they fund this by adverts when you are browsing the web. I don't (yet) have one of their SIMs in my phone but will before the month is out (postal deliveries permitting)... I will probably only use the Ebay app so won't see any ads... I want it for the voice minutes - unfortunately I got a 24 month contract in June, and the prices on Three dropped in July (the "everything I want" One Plan with 2000 minutes and unlimited data dropped to £15 from £25... but I had a mobile and [fewer] minutes for £13, and now find the minutes get used fast - I used to have 600 minutes so this Ovivo deal seems like the best option at a low price).

Now you can see why I would recommend a SIM Only deal rather than tying in a phone on the contract - (a) generally 18 to 24 month contracts and (b) perhaps not best value for money!

Wow ! thanks vey much network guy - really impressed at all the info. and the spreadsheet looks very useful .
Will read through it in detail later .

I've got a nokia lumia and it has got sat nav but not sure if it talks to me. I will have a look! 200 mins 5k texts and 250 mb data £8 on a contract from 3. Previous customer so maybe that's why it's so cheap.

that is cheap sneezecakesmum - is it the nokia lumia 520 or 620 ?Also does your sat nav talk ? i have needed a sat nav all my life !

Nokia 520. I am a bit thick so haven't used the sat nav yet but I have a tom tom. I couldn't find my way out of a paper bag otherwise lol!

Yes the gps works and it talks to you. You have to go into settings.....found out how it works thanks !

It's a cheap entry level phone and I like the windows tiles. Screen is about the same as an iPhone, but check on the specs. Not as big as the galaxy though, but some say its too big. Horses for courses etc.

I got the Nokia lumia 800
bought with Tesco points then orange sim only for £8 month, 12 month contract
I will always go sim only, you pay a lot for a phone otherwise
I get sat nah
My friend got a different lumia and download sat nav app

Agree with roadwalker - I did some checks on the Three site...

A quick comparison: Nokia Lumia 520 on contract £16 / month gets you 300 minutes, 5000 texts and 250MB (£16 x 24 = £384 )

Buy it PAYG in Three (brand new) at £99

You were after 1 GB of data.

Essential Internet SIM 600 (12 months) gives you too many minutes but the amount of data you were after...

600 minutes, 5000 texts, 1 GB (£9.90 x 24 + £99 = £336.60 )

Essential Internet SIM 200 (12 months) gives you 200 minutes but less data than you were after...

200 minutes, 5000 texts, 500 MB (£6.90 x 24 + £99 = £264.60 )

Both are cheaper than the contract "deal" and although no direct comparison with minutes/data being different in every case, it looks like you could save £120 buying the phone up front.

It's worth explaining what you are wanting (and why) if you go in a Three Store so they will "waive" the mandatory top-up that they normally expect when buying a PAYG mobile.

Clearly there may be alternative deals.

With regards to say nav, can't you just download an app?

I have say nav on my phone (an iPhone) which was a free app and is better than my old tom tom.

thanks Redhen - will look at apps. Have brought a moto g , seems great so far.