Three network

[admin_exported]

Sooooo I've been with O2 since the launch of the iPhone but I'm now looking to change as they're pretty much the most expensive for data. Was thinking of moving to Three as their deals are so good.

Anyone used Three? Any positives and negatives?

I live in Manchester so would think coverage would be fine here.

 

[RobinKidderminster]

Some.moan about 3 but I have been with them for years. No problems. Coverage is fine. Deals have always been good.

 

[SpiceWeasel]

You can check the coverage in your area by clicking here. I have just swapped from Orange to 3 for my new phone but only picking it up next week so can't comment on coverage but they had the best/cheapest deal from all the networks and unlimited data. Went for the one plan for £34 a month and a free Galaxy S3 and that gives me 2000mins,5000 3to3 mins,5000 texts and unlimited data.No way I will use that every month so the deal is pretty much unlimited calls,texts and data as far as I am concerned for £34.

At least I won't get any nasty suprises by going over my data allowance a month like I might of done on a different network. The other networks deals started at £36 and only came with 500mb or 1Gb of data a month (for the S3). A friend of mine went over his 500Mb data allowance one month and got a nasty shock when they added almost £80 to his bill :O

 

[the record spot]

Been with 3 for years too, probably since around 2008? Ditched T-Mobile when they got too expensive. Everyone warned me off 3, but their service has been good, never failed me yet and this was UK wide. The only hiccups have been in parts of the country where any other mobile user sometimes has issues - some of the Scottish islands, remote bits of Devon and Cornwall and even then only in a few places.

I ended up getting a Sim-Only deal and buying my own phone. Currently on the One Plan with 10,000 3-to-3 minutes, 5,000 texts, 2,000 voice minutes and All You Can Eat data. £8 a month. Phone is Nokia sime-free E75 which cost me £145 and came pre-loaded with a 4Gb memory card.

 

[Twill]

Hi,

I too am thinking of swapping from Orange to Three.

I rang Orange to see if I could tempt them to offer me something to stay, but their tarrifs just aren't in any way competitive, and they don't seem to have the innovative approach of years ago when i joined.

Was looking at a 4s 32GB on the One Plan for £150 up front and £35 a month. Seemed like a good deal for - as you say - pretty much unlimited everything.

Also thought about buying the 4s from Apple and getting a giff Gaff sim for £10 / £15 a month, which would work out about the same as Three over the 2 years, but with added flexibility to roll with the punches. I guess it depends whether you value the support of a major network or the flexibility of sim only.

RS, like the sound of that Three sim only deal though, looks even better value for money than Giff Gaff.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I called O2 today to see what they could do to keep me. Short answer is nothing! So as of Wednesday I will be a 3-er. They really do offer a vastly better deal.

I'll update with my findings!

 

[the record spot]

RS, like the sound of that Three sim only deal though, looks even better value for money than Giff Gaff.

Yes, it's excellent - I'd been with the for a while and was looking at the then New Nokia N8 last May but with Tesco Mobile. They were doing that for £20 a month with a good package. Phoned up 3 and the guy offered the Sim-only package, which was effectiveky the £27 deal for much less. Delighted with it - and I can pick a phone I want as I find 3's selection a little limited sometimes.

 

[chebby]

I'd like to resurrect this thread, to get more feedback, as I am thinking of switching to Three when my O2 contract expires soon.

 

[bigboss]

I'm thinking of Giff Gaff when my Vodafone contract expires.

 

[John Duncan]

I use three on a month by month contract. £13 or so for about as much calltime and texts I can deal with, and just about enough data (I ran out one month I think). You can upgrade to unlimited data for another £2 I htink. Coverage is good in UK but had awful trouble getting a signal in Paris.

 

[John Duncan]

Addendum - contract is cheap because I own my phone.

 

[chebby]

I use three on a month by month contract. £13 or so for about as much calltime and texts I can deal with, and just about enough data (I ran out one month I think). You can upgrade to unlimited data for another £2 I htink. Coverage is good in UK but had awful trouble getting a signal in Paris.

Thanks JD (and BB) I like the sound of that £13 rolling contract for my present iPhone 4 (when it's contract runs out next month). I could then give the iPhone 4 to my eldest daughter. I'm sure that's less than she pays every month to top up. (She wanted a new iPod Nano but this will be better.)

Youngest daughter just got an iPhone 5 32GB with Three for £37 per month and £89 up front (that her boyfriend paid). O2 would cost me £36 per month and £199 up front but with a 1GB data limit. (Three is unlimited data.)

 

[John Duncan]

Just to be clear, my contract is a £10 one and I pay £3 for 1gig data (I think). I could have unlimited for £5 instead of the 1gig OTTOMH, will check. This presumes a provider-free phone of course, which I got from the @Store for £500+.

 

[John Duncan]

See here - is one of these:

http://store.three.co.uk/SIM_Only/Voice_Pay_Monthly

 

[chebby]

This presumes a provider-free phone of course, which I got from the @Store for £500+.

yeah, O2 will unlock my old iPhone for £15. (Apple do it.) Takes about 48 hours.

I have chewed the ears off a Three person in our local branch for the last 40 minutes.

Now got a pre-order on a black 32GB iPhone 5 arriving on the 31st

Thanks for input.

 

[Al ears]

I havbe been with three for quite a few years now and have found their package deals to be as good as or better than the opposition and, here in South Wales, their coverage is one of the best.

A recent 'round Britain' journey has, however, made me decide to change providers.

I visited quite a few places (civilised I may add) where three coverage was non-existent. These included my aunt's in West Sussex and my brother's in Suffolk, not normally places you would expect to have dodgy network coverage.

 

[bigboss]

yeah, O2 will unlock my old iPhone for £15. (Apple do it.) Takes about 48 hours.

Why is O2 charging £15 to unlock the iPhone? Is it a pay monthly or pay as you go? If pay monthly, they should do it for free.

Check this.

 

[chebby]

yeah, O2 will unlock my old iPhone for £15. (Apple do it.) Takes about 48 hours.

Why is O2 charging £15 to unlock the iPhone? Is it a pay monthly or pay as you go? If pay monthly, they should do it for free.

Check this.

Yeah, your right. O2 website says free and 14 days for monthly. (Why so long?)

O2 PAYG = £15 for unlock.

I was having to take in a lot of info from O2 and Three yesterday regarding different monthly tariffs for a new phone and 30 day rolling PAYG tariffs for my old phone (once unlocked). O2 must have quoted for both monthly and PAYG unlock fees and I remembered the wrong one. (It was busy in there.)

 

[chebby]

I visited quite a few places (civilised I may add) where three coverage was non-existent. These included my aunt's in West Sussex and my brother's in Suffolk, not normally places you would expect to have dodgy network coverage.

If I am travelling any distance, I always take my old (Vodaphone) SE K750i with me as well, just in case (O2 coverage has been 'patchy' in some quite suprising places too).

I don't think there are any networks that work everywhere. Even in our main local shopping area (in the middle of a south coast city of 200,000 people) O2 coverage will vary depending on which side of the precinct you are.

I have checked the coverage maps for O2 and Three. Coverage for a lot of West Sussex north of the A27 is a either patchy or non-existent or 'good outdoors' ( = sh#t), on both networks.