New phone with current sim

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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Missus wants a new phone, but wants to keep her current sim deal with 02. Her Device Plan has been settled, so she now just pays a small monthly airtime bill. Question is, can she simply buy a new phone off Amazon or any other place, and pop her current sim in, and the phone simply works. Or does she have to get in touch with 02?

I know we should simply ask 02 this question, but she will constantly be bombarded with sales patter, if she does.
 
Correct! So long as she buys a phone that is either unlocked or listed as being on O2, off of Amazon, Ebay etc or anyplace, it will work fine with your current and existing SIM card :)
 
Just buy a new unlocked phone, the only thing she might have to do is get a new sim from 02 if the new one is a different size(most now are nano sim and your existing one is probably a micro sim) .
It should be FOC ,Virgin replacement sims certainly are.
 
stickytape said:
Correct! So long as she buys a phone that is either unlocked or listed as being on O2, off of Amazon, Ebay etc or anyplace, it will work fine with your current and existing SIM card :)
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troutfisher said:
Just buy a new unlocked phone, the only thing she might have to do is get a new sim from 02 if the new one is a different size(most now are nano sim and your existing one is probably a micro sim) .
It should be FOC ,Virgin replacement sims certainly are.
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Thanks for the replies, I wonder if it will affect her current deal with 02, if she has to have a new nano sim? Sorry, but we are really stupid, when it comes to mobile phones. :wacky:
 
If you need a nano SIM, you can walk into an O2 shop and ask for a sim swap which is free, or just tell them you seem to be having a problem with your current SIM, and they will give you a new SIM. The new SIM has all three in one.

Pop in the new SIM and fill the instructions on the card to deactivate the old and activate the new.

When I did my one a few months ago it was an instant swap.
 
sep9001 said:
If you need a nano SIM, you can walk into an O2 shop and ask for a sim swap which is free, or just tell them you seem to be having a problem with your current SIM, and they will give you a new SIM. The new SIM has all three in one.

Pop in the new SIM and fill the instructions on the card to deactivate the old and activate the new.

When I did my one a few months ago it was an instant swap.
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Brilliant, thanks for that info. (y)
 
It all works very well these days, the phone might ask about updating certain settings to do with messaging
When you set it up Android or Apple all your old apps should download once logged in.
 
4wd said:
It all works very well these days, the phone might ask about updating certain settings to do with messaging
When you set it up Android or Apple all your old apps should download once logged in.
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Trouble is, I have spent years looking at the specs of cameras, so I know what sort of camera to go for. But I have neglected to look at the current phone trends. My old phone no longer supports whats app, and other things, as it is an old Windows phone. So I am going to have her old phone, as she is getting a new one.

She has the Sony Xperia, not sure of the model, but it is a few years old. So she wants to replace like for like, but better spec obvously.
 
Missus has the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra, any ideas of a suitable replacement, for about £200/£300 ?
 
jonbeeza said:
Missus has the Sony Xperia XA1 Ultra, any ideas of a suitable replacement, for about £200/£300 ?
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Have a look at Motorola. The G series has been getting decent reviews for a few years. The G8Plus is about in the middle of your price range.

Dave
 
Tringa said:
Have a look at Motorola. The G series has been getting decent reviews for a few years. The G8Plus is about in the middle of your price range.

Dave
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Agree on the Moto G range. I have the g5 and works fine. Need to upgrade soon will look out for a g8 or mi A3 lite.

Also worth looking at the Xiaomi phones too.
 
Tringa said:
Have a look at Motorola. The G series has been getting decent reviews for a few years. The G8Plus is about in the middle of your price range.

Dave
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sep9001 said:
Agree on the Moto G range. I have the g5 and works fine. Need to upgrade soon will look out for a g8 or mi A3 lite.

Also worth looking at the Xiaomi phones too.
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Thanks, off to have a read up now. :-)
 
Your current sim though probably too large for a new phone may be of the modern pop-out 3-in-1 kind so you may be able to pop out a nano sim from it.
 
Also check prices on JL site as you get two years warranty with them.
 
jonbeeza said:
Thanks for the replies, I wonder if it will affect her current deal with 02, if she has to have a new nano sim?
Click to expand...

No, all she needs to do is ask for a replacement SIM as and when necessary (they come ready for nano, micro and normal in one carrier usually). If at some piont she needs to go back to a different size just order another (all done online, no need to speak to sales people).
I haven't bought a cellphone directly from a phone company for over 20 years...just change it when I feel like it. My sons do the same. If it's the latest and greatest handset then great deals can be had from the likes of gumtree where people get an upgrade but sell it on. In my youngest lads case he just got a ruggedised phone (features as good as any of the latest handsets but several hundred pounds cheaper).
Located where you are there are between Liverfool and Manchester there are always people selling new or barely used upgrade units.
 
To go back a little bit about models of phone. There are numerous brands other than the well known names you'll see in lots of reviews. In many ways the internet has made reviews even more useless than before as the big magazines/websites/toiletpapers tend to always put the well known brands at the top of their list (how much money do they make from the free equipment/affiliate linkes to an 800 quid unit etc.?).
Whilst not relevent to you, how many reviews have you looked at online...how many put the Galaxy 10/ipoo11 in the top three? Scroll down to number 10 and I bet you are still at a £550+ phone (probably last years version of the above!).
Randomly from the first page of reviews thrown up by google "The best phone right now is the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus ". Is it? Really?

Back to your situation. Just like a camera....look for the one that has the features that you need, the features that you'd like if also available. The brand is far less important. A good photographer can take a good photograph with any camera......I can make a call or send a text with most cell-phones? You say you use whatsapp (do you really have so little interest in your privacy?) so you need a 'smartphone' ....won't be able to interest you in my BT Opal (the only Motorola phone I've ever owned) then ;)
 
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morfis said:
To go back a little bit about models of phone. There are numerous brands other than the well known names you'll see in lots of reviews. In many ways the internet has made reviews even more useless than before as the big magazines/websites/toiletpapers tend to always put the well known brands at the top of their list (how much money do they make from the free equipment/affiliate linkes to an 800 quid unit etc.?).
Whilst not relevent to you, how many reviews have you looked at online...how many put the Galaxy 10/ipoo11 in the top three? Scroll down to number 10 and I bet you are still at a £550+ phone (probably last years version of the above!).
Randomly from the first page of reviews thrown up by google "The best phone right now is the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus ". Is it? Really?

Back to your situation. Just like a camera....look for the one that has the features that you need, the features that you'd like if also available. The brand is far less important. A good photographer can take a good photograph with any camera......I can make a call or send a text with most cell-phones? You say you use whatsapp (do you really have so little interest in your privacy?) so you need a 'smartphone' ....won't be able to interest you in my BT Opal (the only Motorola phone I've ever owned) then ;)
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I have got a Nokia Lumia, but a lot of the apps no longer work, so a lot of things I can't log into anymore. Even the app store keeps saying "your phone is no longer supported please update your device". So I am going to have the missus's old phone, while she gets a new one. She wants one that wont be needing to be replaced, till a good few years. I am reading through the list of phones, but it is confusing.
 
Don't discount the current stable of Nokia smart phones - they're definitely better than the price tag implies for the most part.
 
I’ve had good experience with refurbished (all were iPhones) from giffgaff. All their phones are unlocked (though I think you have buy £10 air time if you are not already a member). At present they have iPhone SE, which many people think was their best in recent years, for from £89 which is on the current operating system so should be good for years.
I expect you want Android so that is no good to you but they have Androids too but I can’t judge.
 
It's a pain as there are so many available once you look outside the supposed top ten. Look at: Size, weight, features (amazon is probably a reasonable place to look as it's privacy invasive browsing history should show you similar items to ones you have looked at and with key features highlighted)
Trend for larger phones at the moment...too large to be comfortable in some cases (especially when combined with the rounded edge-edge screens). Most ladies would probably not want huge size (stop that giggling at the back please).
Weight...my youngest lads phone is much heavier than mine for the same screen size. Far bigger battery, thicker glass and metal case account for that. Again, I suspect ladies wouldn't want really heavy phone though (even if it could be used to fend off attackers or hold an elephants foot whilst you did it's nailpolish).
Features are more complicated. My current phone is a couple of years old but the recent update to Oxygen 10 has meant some of my 'essential' software wouldn't run so I have downgraded the ROM until the third party software catches up. In terms of not needing to get another for for a while, there's an HTC One (M7) on my desk. I bought it in 2013 (I think) and that will still run everything I need, it's smaller and lighter than my current unit, looks less glamourous. It will likely be useable for several more years yet. What lifespan do you think you need?
sphexx makes a good point about refurbs and as giffgaff runs on Telefonica infrastructure all of thir refurbs will work on O2 by default.
Other companies have refurb equipment
 
sphexx said:
I’ve had good experience with refurbished (all were iPhones) from giffgaff. All their phones are unlocked (though I think you have buy £10 air time if you are not already a member). At present they have iPhone SE, which many people think was their best in recent years, for from £89 which is on the current operating system so should be good for years.
I expect you want Android so that is no good to you but they have Androids too but I can’t judge.
Click to expand...
morfis said:
It's a pain as there are so many available once you look outside the supposed top ten. Look at: Size, weight, features (amazon is probably a reasonable place to look as it's privacy invasive browsing history should show you similar items to ones you have looked at and with key features highlighted)
Trend for larger phones at the moment...too large to be comfortable in some cases (especially when combined with the rounded edge-edge screens). Most ladies would probably not want huge size (stop that giggling at the back please).
Weight...my youngest lads phone is much heavier than mine for the same screen size. Far bigger battery, thicker glass and metal case account for that. Again, I suspect ladies wouldn't want really heavy phone though (even if it could be used to fend off attackers or hold an elephants foot whilst you did it's nailpolish).
Features are more complicated. My current phone is a couple of years old but the recent update to Oxygen 10 has meant some of my 'essential' software wouldn't run so I have downgraded the ROM until the third party software catches up. In terms of not needing to get another for for a while, there's an HTC One (M7) on my desk. I bought it in 2013 (I think) and that will still run everything I need, it's smaller and lighter than my current unit, looks less glamourous. It will likely be useable for several more years yet. What lifespan do you think you need?
sphexx makes a good point about refurbs and as giffgaff runs on Telefonica infrastructure all of thir refurbs will work on O2 by default.
Other companies have refurb equipment
Click to expand...

I think I will have a quick nosey the refurb option, just so much choice out there. Going to have a Coffee, then more browsing. (y)
 
I have the G5 which is now a few years old and am happy with it.
 
Yes, no problems at all. Also runs android as close to pure android as possible.
 
Like you, I had a Lumia, although I moved mine on nearly 2 years ago when I could no longer read e-books.

If you don't want to burn a lot of cash then I'd recommend a Xaiomi for a remarkably decent phone. I bought a Note 5 pro in Nov 2018 and it's still good, does around 3 days still with bluetooth and GPS switched on all the time, reading BBC news, whatsapp, books etc. The equivalent phone now is the Note 8 pro - £189 direct from Xaiomi UK: https://www.mi.com/uk/buy/product/redmi-note-8-pro

They have plenty of other, higher-spec (and lower-spec) phones too, but to me, this is a good mid-point device that's well optimised and with a lot of the functionality you'd find in a higher priced device.
 
I had a motorola for some time it was very good until I broke it.
One of its benefits was it did not have loads of bloatware,replaced it with a huawei as it was on offer at the time.
 
Thanks for all your recommendations, she has now ordered a phone. Can't remember the exact model now, I am sure she said P20 or something, makes no sense to me, as I have no interest in phones.
 
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