Can anyone help an Idiot buy a new Phone?

Bellycaster

Simple questions, simple answers please I really hate this shit, I wish it was 1983!

Here is what I understand:

I want a SIM FREE and UNLOCKED Phone. I can buy this from Place X.

eg, This Phone

https://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/samsung-galaxy-a51-blue-6.5-64gb-4g-dual-sim-unlocked-sim-free-sm-a515fzbveua/version.asp

I then want a Pay Monthly Sim Only Contract which I can get from Place Y.

So when I find a deal I like the look of, will I get asked all the relevant questions like:

What is the device?

Is it Dual Sim? Which that phone above is^^^^^^ (What the fuck is Dual Sim anyway? There's about 6 different versions.

...........................................................................................................

Another Question: A lot of providers list their Sim Only Contracts as 5G, Tesco lists 4G and 5G contracts. Can I just buy any contract?

Something is bound to go wrong between X and Y.

My head fucking hurts.

Thanks.

monquixote

What do you want to do with your phone?

Is it fancy internet stuff and apps or do you just want to phone people?

RedRabbit

Doubt you'll get asked what phone the SIM will be going into.  More likely you'll just get asked what size SIM you need - nano if you get the Samsung you linked.

Dual SIM just means that you can (but don't have to) put 2 SIM cards into the phone and make and receive calls and messages on both.

DiscoStu

I'm SIM only and have been for a few years.
I bought an unlocked OnePlus 6T direct from OnePlus, and got a SIM from Three.
Buying SIM only is exactly that: just the SIM. What you do with it is up to you, you could put it in a phone, a tablet, a MiFi hub, etc. As long as you're paying the bill then it doesn't matter what you're doing with it!

The handset you've linked to is a 4G device so if you're sticking with that then no point paying extra for a 5G contract as it can't receive the 5G signal.

Dual SIM is handy if you have a personal number and a work number but don't want to carry two phones around, or if you're a drug dealer.

Bellycaster

RedRabbit said:

Doubt you'll get asked what phone the SIM will be going into.  More likely you'll just get asked what size SIM you need - nano if you get the Samsung you linked.

Dual SIM just means that you can (but don't have to) put 2 SIM cards into the phone and make and receive calls and messages on both.

Will it tell me what size SIM I need on each phone listing. Will I only get one sim card sent if I sign up to a contract, even though the phone may be dual sim?

I don't know if I'd understand the benefits of having 2 sims in the same phone, above my pay grade

Thanks.

Bellycaster

monquixote said:

What do you want to do with your phone?

Is it fancy internet stuff and apps or do you just want to phone people?

Internet, Half decent camera and the usual phone, whatsapp etc, just basic stuff.

Bellycaster

DiscoStu said:

I'm SIM only and have been for a few years.
I bought an unlocked OnePlus 6T direct from OnePlus, and got a SIM from Three.
Buying SIM only is exactly that: just the SIM. What you do with it is up to you, you could put it in a phone, a tablet, a MiFi hub, etc. As long as you're paying the bill then it doesn't matter what you're doing with it!

The handset you've linked to is a 4G device so if you're sticking with that then no point paying extra for a 5G contract as it can't receive the 5G signal.

Dual SIM is handy if you have a personal number and a work number but don't want to carry two phones around, or if you're a drug dealer.

I've still got the same phone as when I saw you 5 years ago

It was 3 years old then and the Power on/off button has just shagged today, can still use it with the button on the front but it's time to get a new un. Still, 9 years for an iphone 4s ain't bad, Lol.

I bought that outright and got a sim only deal, did it in Meadowhall where everything was close by and someone could explain what I had to do. I want to do this online to avoid shops as I just hate going in them at the moment.

crunchman

Bellycaster said:

RedRabbit said:

Doubt you'll get asked what phone the SIM will be going into.  More likely you'll just get asked what size SIM you need - nano if you get the Samsung you linked.

Dual SIM just means that you can (but don't have to) put 2 SIM cards into the phone and make and receive calls and messages on both.

Will it tell me what size SIM I need on each phone listing. Will I only get one sim card sent if I sign up to a contract, even though the phone may be dual sim?

I don't know if I'd understand the benefits of having 2 sims in the same phone, above my pay grade

Thanks.

If they give you a big SIM you should be able to pop the size you need out of the middle.  You can see a nano SIM and the plastic bits that it pops out from at about 35s in this video:

LastMantra

You'll just get a sim card that you can pop out whatever size you need to stick in whatever phone you want.

DiscoStu

@Bellycaster ;;
5 years????   

Philly_Q

RedRabbit said:

Dual SIM just means that you can (but don't have to) put 2 SIM cards into the phone and make and receive calls and messages on both.

DiscoStu said:

Dual SIM is handy if you have a personal number and a work number but don't want to carry two phones around, or if you're a drug dealer.

This is interesting - I've heard of Dual SIM but I had no idea what it meant, I thought the second one just acted as backup memory or something.

So if you have Dual SIM, do you select which "phone" you're using or are they both "always on"?  I've got a second phone I hardly ever use, but if it does ever ring (unlikely, since it's switched off 99% of the time) I know there are only about five people who have that number.

DiscoStu

Philly_Q said:

RedRabbit said:

Dual SIM just means that you can (but don't have to) put 2 SIM cards into the phone and make and receive calls and messages on both.

DiscoStu said:

Dual SIM is handy if you have a personal number and a work number but don't want to carry two phones around, or if you're a drug dealer.

This is interesting - I've heard of Dual SIM but I had no idea what it meant, I thought the second one just acted as backup memory or something.

So if you have Dual SIM, do you select which "phone" you're using or are they both "always on"?  I've got a second phone I hardly ever use, but if it does ever ring (unlikely, since it's switched off 99% of the time) I know there are only about five people who have that number.

I had both my SIMs on for calls, but only SIM 1 (personal account) for data. I used to be self employed with a seperate work number and very quickly got fed up of having two phones on me, especially in the car. When making calls and texts you select which SIM you want to send from. Be aware that all texts will go to the same text app you're using so be careful not to reply to a work text from your personal SIM and vice versa.
But overall a brilliant way to run two numbers at the same time. Battery drains a bit quicker but easily manageable.

Philly_Q

@DiscoStu Thanks, my two phones are both a bit out of date (the main one's a  Nokia which doesn't even have internet) and I feel like I'll be "forced" to upgrade fairly soon... I'd probably just get one phone but I like the idea of keeping both numbers.

duotone

Found this guy useful when I had to get a new phone last year. Here is his 2021 Top 10 Budget Choices

https://youtu.be/XFkyKpXNXHE

Bellycaster

DiscoStu said:

@Bellycaster ;;
5 years????   

Aye, May 2016. Flies doesn't it!

EricTheWeary

This phone is dual SIM and I had a go at putting my work one in it but there wasn't an obvious way to not have them both on all the bloody time so the work SIM went back in the work phone. Not a feature I'd look for but you can ignore it if you don't need it. 
Mine is , I think, a Motorola Moto G8 Power and has the best battery life of any smart phone I've had which is brilliant. Other than that android phones are much of a muchness. 

LastMantra

Usually dual sim will have a 1 on, 2 on, both on setting. 

Bellycaster

There's some decent deals on that there Laptops Direct, more than £100 off some New Phones. Of course my suspicious nature asks why, even though they're new

If I switch to Android, I assume I will have to buy a Micro SD Card as one will probably not be supplied?

If I stick to iphone, will I only need my Apple Password for my new phone. I'm not too bothered about transferring anything like music or photos over as they are all backed up on my PC and Flash Drives.

Something went awry with my current iphone, the laptop stopped loading itunes when I plugged in the iphone.

Whatever I go for, I will have to set it up myself, which will be fun.

Bellycaster

Ok, so just bought one of these from John Lewis.

https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-galaxy-a32-smartphone-android-6-5-5g-sim-free-4gb-ram-64gb/icy-white/p5435554

It says SIM FREE, so do I have to wait to get the phone or can I just go and sign up to a contract with any provider I choose before it arrives?

Thanks.

wibble

Bellycaster said:

Ok, so just bought one of these from John Lewis.

https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-galaxy-a32-smartphone-android-6-5-5g-sim-free-4gb-ram-64gb/icy-white/p5435554

It says SIM FREE, so do I have to wait to get the phone or can I just go and sign up to a contract with any provider I choose before it arrives?

Thanks.

You can get a new PAYM or PAYG SIM only deal at any time. However, if you want to keep your existing number then you'll need to contact your current provider for your PAC code so you can transfer the number to a new provider.

Are you in a contract at the moment? You can use your exisitng SIM in the new phone until you sort out a new deal.

Bellycaster

wibble said:

Bellycaster said:

Ok, so just bought one of these from John Lewis.

https://www.johnlewis.com/samsung-galaxy-a32-smartphone-android-6-5-5g-sim-free-4gb-ram-64gb/icy-white/p5435554

It says SIM FREE, so do I have to wait to get the phone or can I just go and sign up to a contract with any provider I choose before it arrives?

Thanks.

You can get a new PAYM or PAYG SIM only deal at any time. However, if you want to keep your existing number then you'll need to contact your current provider for your PAC code so you can transfer the number to a new provider.

Are you in a contract at the moment? You can use your exisitng SIM in the new phone until you sort out a new deal.

I wasn't too fussed about keeping the same number. My current contract is on a 9 year old iphone4S  (Runs out in July), it's only £6 a month.

The sim card is old and won't go in the new phone as that one is Nano.

I might end up getting a Sim Only for the new phone from my current provider, so what would be the order of things if I did decide to keep my number.

1. Ring 3 to cancel my current Contract

2. 3 then give me a PAC Code.

3. I then sort out a new Sim Only deal for the new phone whilst on the phone to them.

4. They send the new Sim

5. Do I have to input the Code into my new phone?

6. Will I then have dead time with no phone until my new Sim arrives for the new phone.

It's very confusing.