New Phone(s)

[GetMeAPhone]

Currently have work bberry. DS has PAYG old mobile.

Under pressure to get myself a mobile as cannot really use work phone for home use - also like to reduce use of home phone as bills (not itemised but prob from DS calls to mobiles) seem high

So thinking.....

Need a mobile for me - contract or PAYG or some form of top up
Wondering if I can do something different with DS mobile so he is more easily able to use his mobile (for little cost) for his own calls rather than racking up home phone bills
Wondering whether I could get a deal that includes DS AND me together - any cost benefit?

As I'm fairly used to have plenty of stuff on bberry could ideally do with following stuff for me.....

ability to use gmail
access to gmail contacts
ability to connect to handsfree parrot in car
no need for camera
internet would be nice but a luxury I guess
300 or so texts per month
at least 100 mins (for landlines or mobile)

DS is currently getting through about £10 PAYG every 5 weeks or so all on texts really - he'd need about 60 to 100 mins a month I guess if switched from PAYD to encourage him to us mobile instead of home phone.

Anyone any ideas? Sorry I'm a bit naive on all of his as H has recently become XH (and he understood this stuff) and I've always had a phone from work and never bought one.

Asda mobile (PAYG) costs 4p/text and 8p/min to mobiles or 01/02/03 landlines. Uses Vodafone network, so Asda SIM will work in a Voda mobile, and Asda {Living} sell both Voda and unlocked phones so not too expensive to replace DS's phone if necessary

Can transfer the number so friends don't need to learn a new number, or can get a new SIM each time you get a 5 quid top-up voucher, so could wait until he gets a memorable/easy number on Asda, perhaps.

Depending on the network he may be spending 10p or 12p per text (unless it is some 'same network' deal which could be cheaper).

Sorry, no suggestions for contract or mobile for you - I have 5 or 6 GMail accounts but have never considered trying to download e-mail - I'd just use web browser, but it will all depend on which phone you choose.

As for home phone - you might consider using 1899.com for some mobile calls (eg before 7pm) as 1899 charges 10p a minute which should work out cheaper than many other deals (assuming you have a line from BT), 1899.com may be blocked from some other services as it undercuts the cost of many calls...

I pay 1899.com a 5p connection fee and then 0p/minute during peak hours Mon-Fri so just pay for calls I make and did not opt for some monthly add-on fee as I don't make 100 calls a month - 20-30 perhaps. Other services offer different options, and there are dozens of firms if using BT for phone calls, that can undercut BT for international or mobile or both.

Have you decided on some sort of budget limit for your phone, and has your son a mobile, or is that also to be had 'from new' (likely to want MP3 player, radio, camera ? and to get some idea of spending limit so you get sensible suggestions - basic models from a fiver up to 100/150 for the flashier end {some have wi-fi etc}.

Other options (if DS has friends with Skype on their home machines) is Three (phones start around 50 quid) where they can offer free Skype access so no per-minute charges for Skype to Skype calls (him on mobile, someone else on mobile or PC), IYSWIM.