upgrading my phone; please give me your recommendations

[CrystalTits]

My mobile contract has ended and I need to upgrade to a new phone. I've started a new business this year and now need something that I can use for calls, texts, email and Google Maps (so it needs a decent sized screen, quick startup time and ideally a keypad so I don't always have to fiddle about with a stylus/touchpad?).

What would you recommend? I don't have hundreds of ££ to spend but happy to go for an 18 month contract (baulking at 24 month standard contracts atm, seems like a looong time to be locked in). I'm with 02 at the mo.

TIA

just upgraded to a N97 with t-mob.

Love love love it

Certainly the Nokia N97 looks very tempting, but without knowing what you (CrystalTits) are spending each month (or want to spend) it's a bit awkward (and O2 website doesn't mention the N97 from my quick search).

What I did was search on the O2 site (assuming you want to stick with them) for "qwerty" and it came up with a few handsets.

I would check the specs for any phones you find on www.gsmarena.com (which is just about GSM phones, worldwide and not tied to one network) and/ or www.carphonewarehouse.com

If you're not wanting to stick with O2, then you could do worse than search for deals offering the N97 (or other phones with QWERTY keyboards included) and take your number with you.

Thanks so much WebDude and TheInvisibleManDidIt for your replies.

I've had a look at a few phones today and think I may be leaning towards the Blackberry Bold.

I don't really want to spend more than £30/month but am happy to switch network provider to get a great deal.

3 have a single Blackberry tariff of £30/month for 18 months, which includes 500 x-network mins and texts plus unlimited internet/email. Seems to be a better deal than 02, who (along with T-Mobile and Orange) are also charging for the phone at £120+.

WebDude, I looked on gsmarena.com and there's a new BlackBerry Bold about to be released (9700). Should I wait? What happens in the meantime now that I'm not on a contract - I guess I just get charged for calls and texts at the standard rate?

Apologies for being so dense. Your help is greatly appreciated; thank you.

I love love love my iPhone. I use eveything on it its more like a home office - I am on it now

Gulp... choices, choices...

Carphone Warehouse booklet about phones shows the 9700. Might be worth asking Three if they plan to update (admittedly the CPW booklet says "from 35 quid" so it is in a different price bracket as it is newer).

On how much you are being charged, I'd ask O2 rightaway - you might make a load of calls and to be frank for just phone calls and text, for now, you might save yourself a bundle getting a phone at Asda on Vodafone and an Asda PAYG SIM (8p a minute to mobiles/landlines, 4p a text, which is one of the cheapest PAYG, and would give you a breathing space while you weigh up options for a new contract... take your existing O2 phone around for incoming, just make new calls on Asda).

Sorry, will look again tomorrow at options (just got a booklet from CPW shop showing the various phones, and while CPW isn't the only player in town, it generally has reasonable info about the phones and then one can check for some better deals when you have a shortlist of phones with suitable features to meet your needs).

I have a nokia e71 and love it

You have me green with envy, Warto... Just been looking at a blog entry on Dialaphone (here: www.dialaphone.co.uk/blog/?p=1942 ) where they indicate the Nokia E71 was put out to compete with the much hyped iPhone, and Five's "Gadget Show" had positive comments about it, too.

Now the big question is finding a suitable monthly contract for you... (for the E71, prices shown on CPW are from 20 pounds up, depending on minutes etc).

I have never tried wi-fi access in coffee shops or similar - and you might not have either, but for cheap/free internet access (and with Nokia Maps you would be less likely to need internet access all the time, so could use it at a cafe between appointments, just to check e-mail, for example).

I know that on some networks (eg Orange) you can get an SMS to inform you of new e-mail (I only have a couple of O PAYG numbers but can send up to 30 free SMS per month on each via the net, and get free SMS about new mail) and with some networks they use "push" to send mail on to you (rather than the handset/ laptop having to "pull" it from the server).

(Sorry Crystal... - I started typing this on Saturday and had to close down Firefox as the shop owner, a friend, was going home... no mains power for last couple of weeks at home, hence using his "under the stairs" PC and yes, it is there, literally!)

Webdude have you heard anything good about the new Satio? really want one!

HinnyPet the Satio is being listed on Vodafone at 35/month, while CPW mentions it on some O2 plan at 20/month.

I quite like the idea of a 12 Mpixel camera, but you should check some of the other phones too... On the Voda site, it scored 3.9 out of 5 in user reviews, so there may be some drawbacks (I didn't spend any time looking for ones getting 4.5+ or 5/5, but certainly if you have specific 'wishes' there may be some other phone(s) which score higher - also check scores on gsmarena.com for a second opinion).

CrystalTits - Having seen the E71 mentioned, I checked on Ebay and found someone selling at about 75 quid (see myworld.ebay.co.uk/effectualsourcing/ then click visit shop and look under 'other')

Of course, what you're after (in a way) is "unlimited" internet access (such as is being offered with the iPhone) but with a different handset - one with QWERTY on. If the Nokia E71 fits the bill then the Nokia maps might preclude needing the net so much, and if you go with O2, there might be a tariff that offers unlimited wi-fi via "The Cloud" hotspots.

Now, it might be worth (as a previously "loyal" customer) asking O2 what they can offer, or wait until other companies (Vodafone is meant to be) offer the iPhone and see if they do a tariff with a cheaper (let's face it, most other phones will be cheaper) phone than the iPhone, but with similar allowance for data/ minutes/ texts, and perhaps a fiver less a month, if you are lucky.

Hi Webdude I got one today, it's sitting charging away. My fingers are itching to get at it and get going!

It's £30 a month with Orange, can port my O2 number, 600mins calls anywhere, unlimited text and internet, 24 month contract.

Am buying insurance until the phone's price new drops considerably!

Is there "small print" about the "unlimited" internet ?

I'm only hesitant because I've seen "unlimited" in some blurb and then later seen that after 1GB or so they start to consider it "abuse" (it probably wasn't Orange, but would be very careful just like many landline broadband "unlimited" deals of yesteryear, some are not completely honest!)

it's 50gig (?) I think? I just use it for random googling, if it goes over the top I will get a "cap"...