Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus - Simple Review After One Month

Introduction

Before I begin, I would like to point out that I use an Apple Iphone as my daily driver for the last ten years, although I had the opportunity to use an Android OS mobile phone for a short period of time throughout the years. I like the simple and yet easy to use interface by the iOS platform. Lately, however, things have changed.

My Requirements in a modern smart phone

I have decided to switch to the dark side and use an Android OS mobile phone instead. My requirements are simple. With the Android OS platform, I just need a well all-rounder phone with at least 64GB of storage with the ability to use MicroSD cards to increase the storage of the mobile phone. The camera phone have optical image stabilisation (OIS), it must have a headphone jack and some sort of water resistant. Last but not least, the mobile phone must not be too expensive. 

Samsung Galaxy S9+

In the end, I have decided to try out the Samsung Galaxy S9 plus (S9+) with 128GB. It is a single SIM and it does not come with a hybrid SIM tray. The reason why I have not chosen the 256GB is that it is not available in the United Kingdom unless it has been done via a grey import which you could obtain it from the internet. I have reliable sources informing me that a brand new SIM free 256GB hybrid SIM S9+ will cost around £850 in Asian countries, particularly in Hong Kong. I don't think I would rely on a grey import because Samsung will not honour the warranty in UK, unless the device is sold in EU countries. Having said that, there are occasions where mobile phones being purchased through an official Samsung outlet within the EU countries have been refused repairs by Samsung UK. That is why it is best to buy the device in UK.

Specifications on the Samsung Galaxy S9+

CPU/GPU/Modem:
Since I have acquired the device in the UK, it comes with the Samsung Exynos 9810 (4x2.7Ghz Mongoose M3 & 4x1.8Ghz Cortex A55) and the GPU is powered by Mali G72MP18. Anandtech has done a very good job in producing a report, comparing the Exynos 9810 on the S9+ with its predecessor, the Exynos 8895. Honestly, I am a big fan of the Exynos, although the performance may yet beat the Snapdragon 845 chipset which it could be found inside S9+ devices being sold in the US and China. The radio modem inside the S9+ is a beast. It is compatible with 2G, 3G and over 22 4G bands! I am most impressed!

Body/Display/Camera/Memory
I like the shinning glass front and back body of the S9+. On paper, both front and back glass are protected by Gorilla Glass 5 with an aluminium chassis. I like the non-slip sides as it has some grip. It helps to prevent accidental drops of the phone. It is 189g in weight and I fancy the 6.2" display with 1440x2960ppi. The screen is gorgeous! However, I feel that sometimes the amber sensor on the S9+ may need software tweaking to allow better calibration of the screen brightness when automatic brightness has been selected.

Last year, I have tried out the S8 instead of the S8 plus, simply because both of these devices only came with a single camera lense. The S9+ now comes with a dual camera setup back camera with stunning results when taking pictures or videos, thanks to its new main dual aperature 12MP camera lense, capable of switching between f1.5 and f2.4. The secondary lense at the back is also 12MP with f2.4. Both of these lenses has Optical Image Stabilisers. It is a hardware stabiliser, unlike the new Sony XZ2, relying on Electronic Image Stabilisers which is software based. The S9+ could video up to 2k resolution at 60fps and it comes with a super slow motion mode. It allows users to take videos  up to 960fps at 720p resolution. Perhaps Samsung may want to improve on the super slow-mo and allow users to take slow-mo at 1080p in the near future. The secondary camera comes with a 8MP lense with f1.7 aperature and it supports autofocus and users can take videos up to 1440p at 30fps. Both primary and secondary lenses will support High Dynamic Range capture. The S9, on the other hand, will only have one 12MP primary camera with dual aperatures.

Samsung has decided to officially sell their S9+ in the UK that comes in 128GB of internal storage and 6GB of RAM. It is strange as they also sell 64GB and the 256GB version as well but they only sell the 128GB officially in the UK. That is pretty strange. I guess that it is their strategy of promoting the S9+ over the S9 as the S9 will only have 64GB of storage.

Navigation
One thing that I like Samsung phones so much is due to their willingness to support many GPS technologies. The S9+ is no different. The device support A-GPS, GLONASS(Russian GPS system), BeiDou (Chinese GPS system, and GALILEO (EU GPS system). Too bad as Samsung could have included QZSS (Japanese GPS system) but I dont' think that it is a problem as the system will soon be integrated into GALILEO. With four GPS systems located inside the S9+, it will give users a more accurate reading of their locations. This is great!

Good Points
For the past one month, I had the privilege to use the S9+ and I am finding it difficult to move back to the Apple Iphone anymore. This is because the device is jam-packed with features that is equipped with 2018 specifications. It comes with a rather curvy screen (Infinity Display) with good brightness. It allows users to see the screen under direct sunlight. Apart from that, the phone has improved Iris and facial scanner. I have tried it and I am happy with the improvements. However, I would not rely on it too much though. I am more comfortable with the finger print reader instead.

I also like the fact that the S9+ is water resistant (IP68) and it comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack! This is less getting popular as many modern devices have done away with a 3.5mm headphone jack (*cough* *cough* Apple). The 3500mAh battery can easily last me for one day with moderate usage. On the other hand, I do appreciate that Samsung has included a MicroSD slot to increase the internal storage. This is just nice as I have purchased a 128GB Samsung EVO Plus (Read Speed: Up to 100MB/s; Write Speed: Up to 90MB/s) to compliment the 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage.

The S9+ runs on Samsung's own UI (Touchwiz) based on Android 8.0.0 Oreo. It is destined to receive Android 8.1 very soon. It supports Wifi calling and 4G calling (subjected to network settings). Apart from that, the bundled AKG tuned headphones is just marvellous! The sound quality on the supplied headphones is stunning, although the bass could have been more punchy but I am not going to complain. I am satisfied with the sound quality on the headphone provided. The stereo speakers on the S9+ is also an advantage to Samsung, simply because they failed to implement a pair of speakers on the S8/S8 plus devices. The S9/S9+ is a good buy with stereo speakers! I like the good sound range coming out from those two speakers on the S9+. I am impressed. Moreover, using navigation apps on the S9+ is a breeze. Locations will only take a brief moment to get locked on, much quicker than the S8 that I have used last year. I am also in favour of the fast charge and wireless charging! It will save me from the need to plug in the usb c cable to recharge the phone all the time. Potentially the usb c charging port will be preserved for longivity. Samsung has bundled a full usb A to usb C adaptor as well as a microUSB to usb c adaptor in the box itself. I like it!

Bad Points
There are several small issues that bugged me when I was using it as mt daily driver for the past one month. First of all, it is much better to use the phone with both hands as it is rather large. It is also slightly heavier at 189g. With my Ringke cover, it has increased the weight of the device to 195g. Certainly it is not light but it is acceptable, taking into account the screen size of the device and the heavier battery on the S9 plus. Secondly, it is not a cheap device. However, just give it 6 months and it will be more affordable. Thirdly, 4G calling is not possible if you have purchased a unit directly from Samsung. This is because 4G calling will only work if the firmware is network specific, i.e. if you are running on EE in the UK, you need to obtain an EE firmware. Otherwise 4G will not function. That is why there are many people who will sign up to a contract with network providers just to use 4G calling. The workaround is to flash the device with an official firmware from the network. However, you are running at a risk as Samsung would not accept any tempering with the device.

Overall
In summary, I have more love to the S9+ than doubts. I will certainly give it a thumbs up and I will use it as my daily driver. It is a marvellous piece of engineering. It shows that Samsung is listening to customer's feedback. I am quite happy because most of the mobile networks in the UK is optimised on an Android OS mobile phone and not on the iOS. I could be wrong but I have tried so many devices for the past few years and statistics would tell me that mobile networks in the UK is optimised for Android OS. I don't get signal problems when I am using the S9+ or any modern flagship mobile phones running on the Android OS but I do get signal issues when using an iphone device.       

3UK - Optimised for Android OS?

I have been using the mobile network 3 for more than ten years. During these ten years, I have been complaining a lot about their poor mobile network quality. I have always been using an Apple iphone as my daily driver. I seldom use an Android OS mobile phone for a long period.

For these ten years in the making, I have been frustrated with the poor quality signal that I have been receiving. I did not once suspect that the network is optimised for Android OS until recently.

For this test, I have used the iphone 6, 6s, 7, 8 (All designated for EU consumers) and compare it with Samsung Galaxy S7, S8 and S9 plus. All Samsung Galaxy phones are equipped with Samsung's own Exynos chipset and not chipsets from Qualcomm. I have only used one SIM card (with the appropriate adapters) from 3UK for all mobile phones that I have mentioned above. All tests were conducted from the same spot for ten minutes with me running Speedtest via Google Chrome browser on all mobile phones three times. I also made calls from one location to see whether the signal is stable or not.

From my observations, all iphones had the tendency to drop from 4G to 3G when trying to run Speedtest. Moreover, I can't make use of 4G Calling on the iphone 7 and iphone 8 despite the assurance by 3UK that it is available. I then realise that the reason for the inability of me to use the iphone 7 and iphone 8 to make 4G calls is due to the fact that the iphones are locked to LTE Band 3 (1800mhz) for most of the time. 4G calls are only available to 3UK consumers if the mobile device is locked to the LTE Band 20 (800mhz) frequency. 3UK customer services will tell you that your area is covered by HD Super Voice (It means that you can make 4G Calls) but they would not tell you that your mobile phone must be connected to LTE Band 20 to be able to enjoy HD Super Voice. In order for you to make use of HD Super Voice, you must also disable wifi. Please make sure that you have a valid SIM card. If you want to know more about which frequency your iphone is currently locked to, please follow the instruction by accessing the telephone dailer and type in the codes below:

*3001#12345#*

You will only be able to check the band frequency if you are running on 4G though. Once you have inserted the code above, you will have to follow the instruction below:

LTE > LTE Neighbor Cell Meas > freq_band_ind

Check on the number to the right of freq_band_ind. If you see 20, it means that you are locked to LTE Band 20 and HD Super Voice is available to you. If you see the number 3, it means that HD Super Voice will not be available to you.Please also make sure that Mobile Data is switched on and it involves data and voice. This can done via:

(a) Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data (switch it on); and

(b) Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Options > Voice & Data

The trouble is that all iphones that I have tested were locked to LTE Band 3 for most part of the tests, although LTE Band 20 is "widely available" as what 3UK customer services have informed me about it.

Once I am satisfied with the tests that I have done, I turned over to test out Samsung mobile phones. I could have used other Android OS mobile phones but I have managed to acquire these few mobile phones to test. All Samsung mobile phones that I have mentioned above have been tested at the same location as the iphones with wifi switched off. 

Once you have done it, please go to the dailer and insert these codes:

*#0011#

Look under the second line within the SERVICEMODE and you will find a word called Band. Look at the number just beside the word Band. If it is 20, it means that HD Super Voice will be available but if it is 3, it means that HD Super Voice is not available on the 3UK network.

Often than not, HD Super Voice is always available on compatible Samsung devices but not iphone. Why would this be the case? I suspect that there are three possibilities:

(a) 3UK's software is not optimised to use on the iphone range;

(b) Iphones's software are not optimised to run on 3UK's masts; and

(c) Both (a) and (b).

In the end, I have to start using Android OS mobile phones to enjoy HD Super Voice offered by 3UK. I think that is the only solution.

Ofcom Mobile Report

I would like to refer readers to this link where Ofcom made a report about mobile networks in the UK. Among the mobile networks, apparently 3UK is the most reliable mobile network in the country.

I beg to differ. I do have my reasons.

I have been a 3UK customer since its inception. Back then, the network coverage was poor. What 3UK did was to form an alliance with O2 UK to provide 2G coverage to areas which they do not have any signal. When the partnership ended, they formed an alliance with Orange UK to provide such service. Later, in 2010, they have started to switched off 2G support, believing that they have sufficient 3G coverage to service the people in the country. The backlash from switching off 2G coverage received some bad press.

However, I am quite adamant that 3UK have not really switched off 2G coverage completely. This is because I have managed to connect a modern smart phone to EE. The problem with roaming onto EE's network is that you can't use its data but only voice service. Readers would have to take note that some smartphones do not allow 3UK users to change its network service to 2G. Otherwise there will be no service on the handset.

While I am happy that 3UK have been upgrading their network coverage in the UK, I am more concerned with the purchased of O2UK, both in Ireland as well as in the UK. Does it mean that 3UK is trying to amalgamate their resources, thus leaving on EE and Vodafone to fend for themselves?

Apart from that, I do feel that there are many times when I am able to see full bar on my mobile phone with H+ (HSDPA speed) but I can't log on to websites. Apart from that, I do experience drop calls despite the full bar showing on my mobile phone. Please bear in mind that I have used many mobile phones to test before making a call to 3UK's customer service.

Besides the above, 3UK has now beginning to increase their monthly tariff significantly. They have also killed off certain Pay As You Go add-ons.

What is the end for customers?

Vodafone 4G Review

I have been longing for a good signal in my area particularly when no mobile network in the UK could provide me with a decent 3G signal. Typically I will only have five bar 2G on Vodafone which is not good at all. I then complaint to Vodafone customer service and they said that there is not much thing they could do to improve the signal at my area although it is mentioned that I should have a good 3G in my area.

Since the announcement of 4G by Vodafone, I have been asking Vodafone customer service as to whether there would be a good 4G signal in my area and they said that I will have a very good 4G signal in my area. I took their advice and purchased a 4G enabled mobile phone which will support Vodafone's 4G.

I have to make it clear that while Vodafone's 3G signal is weak, their 4G signal is very strong. In fact, I have 3 bars out of 5 bars of 4G on my mobile phone. Coupled with the fact that I am on Vodafone, I have 3 months of unlimited data to use and then followed by 12GB of data every month until my contract runs out in 12 months time.

I think it is much safer to chat with a Vodafone customer service advisor online before visiting a store. I think their customer service needs improvement. I think they should learn some tricks from 3UK. I had a long history with Vodafone where I had to call them a few times to do a simple thing which would have taken 3 minutes to do in the first place.

Anyway, I am pretty happy with the performance of the 4G. I could download apps up to 44Mbps and an upload speed of 10Mbps. I think that is impressive. Keep it up, Vodafone.

Update:

17/05/2014 - It seems that the 4G signal at my area is not funtioning properly for the last few days. Vodafone seems to have not heard about the problem before and they have promised to investigate. As for me, I am stucked with a one bar 3G or 4 bars of 2G service. Pathetic...

Vodafone's Decline in Profits - What's the Problem?

Vodafone's declined in profits have sprung warnings across other telecommunication networks in the region. What are the possibilities which caused Vodafone's profit to decrease?

While I am not able to discuss about the reasons behind the decrease of Vodafone's profit in other region, I might be able to discuss about the possible reasons which lead to the decrease in Vodafone's profit in the UK. We shall start with Vodafone's customer service.

Traditionally Vodafone's customer service has been their strongest point until recently. I have been a customer of Vodafone for the past ten years but I have not encountered a problem with bad attitude of their customer service until recently. I have no idea the change in the attitude of those lovely people but I feel that some Vodafone customers no longer feel the need to remain loyal to Vodafone.

Apart from a degrading customer service, Vodafone's 3G service should be called to question. I am wondering whether anyone will take note but I think I will give my unbiased review of Vodafone's 3G service in this post.

Initially, Vodafone's 3G service was pretty decent. They have lots of transmission masks around the UK including the countryside. I was getting a good signal using my trusted Nokia E90. I have endless joy using data via 3G on the Nokia E90. Out of the blues, the 3G signal just vanished. I was gobsmacked. I ended up calling customer service many times. However, I have come to a conclusion that they will not be able to help me because they said that my house is situated at the very end of a transmission tower which I beg to differ because I was getting a very good 3G service on my E90 until a few years ago.

The customer service agent then changed her attitude and said that they are working on their 3G signal. She then told me that they are going to release their 4G service and it will be much better than their 3G service.

At this moment, I am stuck on using 2G on my mobile phone but luckily I have wifi at home so it is not that bad. The point is that Vodafone knows that they have signal issues with their 3G service but they could not do anything more to improve the service!

Moreover, their price plan is also quite expensive as compared to other mobile networks eg: T-Mobile and other virtual networks like Tesco Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Giffgaff.

It is time for Vodafone to improve on their 3G signal to regain the crown. I have faith in Vodafone but they need to speed up in their improvements!

Update:

21 December 2013 - I have tried my level best to give Vodafone UK a chance to redeem itself. Recently I have upgraded my only contract with them for a Samsung flagship phone. Suffice to say, I was unhappy with their service. It has come to my attention that there are two types of contract where (a) store or (b) online. If you have upgraded your contract online or via the telephone, you have a better chance of seeking a replacement of the phone as opposed to upgrading your Vodafone contract in the store.

It is just a piece of advice but I will not recommend Vodafone UK anymore because they have absolutely no interest in providing good customer service especially those service assistance in the store. If you really need to stay with Vodafone, I would recommend you to take up a contract online or via the telephone and never ever sign up to a mobile contract in the store. You will regret it.

Vodafone UK does not put customers first. Apart from their poor 3G coverage in the country, their so called 4G coverage remain patchy. O2 UK arguably have the best 4G coverage in the country although EE have more 4G coverage than O2 UK. My analysis is O2 UK have the best 4G coverage in terms of stability and speed. No wonder Vodafone UK is losing customers much faster than other mobile network providers. It does not make sense if Vodafone UK is asking customers to pay £42 a month with 3 months unlimited data service if the customer can only receive 2G data for most of the time. Is this the way how Vodafone UK want to move forward to attract more customers? If that is an affirmation, I pity those Vodafone customers. Even ASDA have decided to ditch Vodafone UK and utilise EE for their prepaid service. I wonder why was the need to switch mobile partner. Perhaps this might provide a glimps of the true reason for the split. So long, Vodafone UK.

O2 Home Broadband

If you are one of O2's Home Broadband customers, you will have to understand that O2's Home broadband and Landline services have been purchased by SkyBSB for a cool £180 million with an additional £20 million if it meets the target of the agreement between SkyBSB and O2. 

Personally, I will not have any problems with that news as I think it will be a good news for existing customers as they might receive a better service from Sky rather than O2 after the buy out from SkyBSB. From my experience with O2's Home broadband team, I have no problems in getting through to them under five minutes and users will have access to their customer service 24/7. Moreover, existing O2 customers will get a good discount when they renew their Home broadband contracts with O2. 

From the past, I had some not very good experience with Virgin Media and so I've chosen O2 Home broadband. I feel that O2 has done its job by providing an excellent customer service to their customers. With the take over by SkyBSB, many existing O2 customers are feeling uneasy with the news especially thinking of the money which they might have to spend more if they want to stay with O2 Home broadband or the customer service provided by Sky may be terrible.

Sky had received good results in customer survey last year (2012) based on Ofcom's report. With regard to their price plan, I would have to inform customers that existing home broadband plans are slightly more expensive than O2. Maybe there will be a concession in providing a cheaper service to existing O2 customers when they renew their home broadband contracts later. We shall have a look at it later when Sky release a press statement regarding the issue.

For more information, look here, here, here and here.

O2 UK and 3UK Outage

I am quite disappointed with both O2 and 3UK for the loss of signal for more than five hours now. This is so sad as other networks like Vodafone and Everything Everywhere are experiencing good signal!!!

Update:

12/07/2012
They have both restored their network and I have been told that they will give 10% discount on customer's monthly line rental for July 2012 to be credited in their September 2012 bill! Yes!

Data Nightmare with O2 UK

I have been with O2 UK for around seven years and I have never upgraded my old contract simply because I have unlimited text and unlimited internet which comes with the package not forgetting 1200 minutes and I can use the inclusive text messages when I am overseas to send text messages or MMS back to the UK.

Around one year ago, I thought that it will be a good idea for me to upgrade to the latest Samsung Galaxy S2 so I had to sign on a new contract. In doing so, I have obviously said "goodbye" to my old contract for good. The new O2 UK contract allows me to make 600 minutes of UK calls with unlimited text messages and 500MB of data every month. I cannot send free text messages while I am abroad anymore and certainly not even free MMS.

Fast forward one year later, I have finally realised that it was a bad move when I have upgraded my contract. I should have make a purchase for the Samsung Galaxy S2 as a SIM Free while continue using my old contract as I am always being charged for using more than 500MB of data per month. I just don't get it because I rarely use internet unless I am browsing through BBC News so I could not have used more than 500MB a month! I was really unhappy with O2 UK so I have decided to give them a few calls but sad to say that they could not do anything for me because they are relying on their system and I could not argue that I have not used more than 500MB a month even though I have used a third party app which clearly states that I have used less than 500MB a month. In the end, I have asked for a PAC. I am lucky because I have signed a one year contract with O2 UK and not a two years contract with O2 UK so I can just leave O2 UK without paying any penalty.

Well, you may ask me where have I landed and I am really proud to say that I am with Giffgaff at this moment. I could not ask for more and not even 3UK can come close to my need as 3UK does not have good 3G signal in my area. It will be pointless to check your 3UK mobile coverage on their website as it does not explain much. I think it is a waste of time to do it unlike the other mobile network providers like O2 UK and Vodafone UK. I feel that O2 UK is simply much better as they have an online checker on whether there is any planned maintenance or outage via postcode but felt let down by their system.

Having said that, I still like the O2 network and I would really like to stay with the network so I went off to Giffgaff. Giffgaff is like a spin off from O2 and they run on the O2 network so I thought that I should give them a chance. I have to report that I am pretty happy with the level of service by the members of Giffgaff. In fact, I am only paying £10 a month for an inclusive 250 minutes a month with unlimited text messages and internet while remaining in the UK. I feel that £10 suits me well as I have started to use VOIP services more often than making celullar calls these days as it is more affordable ( for example: 0.01p to USA and China landline per minute via Skype) and the use of imessage if you are using an Iphone running on iOS 5 and above (It will be free, ofcause provided you have a data plan).

I would urge people in the UK to start using Giffgaff unless the coverage is bad where you are living. If you are getting good O2 UK coverage, why not give Giffgaff a chance?

Orange and T-Mobile UK Introducing Superfast Network Service

After reading this page, I could not help myself and wonder whether there is necessary for a company like "Everything Everywhere" to introduce superfast 4G technology incorporating LTE in the very near future. In doing so, they will spend about £1.5 billion over the next three years to cover the introduction of 4G service and to improve on their customer service.

I think "Everything Everywhere" should put their priority to improve on their customer service before they try to introduce new technology like LTE in the UK. Perhaps it is the fear of being "losing out" to O2 UK which sprung some action on their part as O2 UK has started its testing on their superfast 4G service in London. Previously, they have started such testing in Slough, the headquarter of O2 UK. Judging by the progress of the 4G trials by O2 UK, it seems that "Everything Everywhere" does not want to be left out of the race as to which company will roll out their very first 4G service.

Personally, I do not have any objections to that as introducing new technology will be quite useful as they could utilise faster downlink and uplink speed which is very useful these day. However, I would stress upon the fact that they should improve on their customer service first before doing that.

It is a shame that there are many dissatisfied Orange and T-Mobile customers in the UK as they don't seem to understand the meaning of loyalty at all.

What a pity...

Giffgaff - A Simple Review

Ever since I've decided to move on without Vodafone, I've been looking out for a better mobile network which will give me the best possible deal in the market. As far as I'm concern, there are loads of mobile networks out there waiting to be explored.

If you have the time to have a walk in town, you would have realised that besides Vodafone, you have T-Mobile + Orange (They called themselves "Everything Everywhere"), 3UK and O2. In addition to that, one could also sign up for Talk Mobile if you head over to a Carphonewarehouse shop and Tesco Mobile (It is available in larger Tesco stores). Last but not least, one might have a chance to sign up with Virgin Mobile in certain high street stores which they operate.

Apart from signing up a mobile contract in shops, one could also sign up a mobile contract online irrespective of whether it is on Vodafone or  not. The only problem is whether you have the time to look for the best network provide which suits you.

After searching high and low for a SIM only/PAYG deal, I have decided to sign up to a mobile network which is not mentioned above. I would explain why have I come to that conclusion. Before that, I would explain as to the reasons why I've not chosen the mobile networks above.

Let's begin with T-Mobile and Orange. As I've posted earlier, I have gone through many rough patches with them. The lack of data security awareness and the incompetence of telephone customer service left me without a shadow of a doubt that I would not set foot on those two networks again. In regards to 3UK, the network has left me with disappointment. No doubt that previously I had a few dealings with them but not anymore. This is because I have lost faith in them particularly in the way how they handle customer service complaints. I think four years of battle on the telephone is sufficient to justify my disappointment of them.

Honestly, I do not have any problems with O2 and Talk Mobile apart from the fact that O2's tariffs are more expensive than other mobile networks in the market. Talk Mobile, on the other hand, does not offer a good customer service. In fact, their customer service is the worst among the mobile networks in the UK (I have to stress on the point that this is only my personal opinion and no one has induced me to come up have that thought). Tesco Mobile, on the other hand, has very strict policy in anyone who is trying to sign up a mobile contract with them. In doing so, they are losing out to many other mobile networks in the country. They are one of the many MVNOs or virtual networks which runs on the O2 UK spectrum. I have covered in the earlier post regarding the superiority of the O2 Network at this moment to introduce the 3G 900mhz spectrum. It is not that I don't agree with their policy as they want to be paid at the end of the day and they would avoid non-paying customers at all cost. I am very happy to report that their customer service is the best which I could safely conclude that their service is as good as Vodafone Business Customer service.

Virgin Mobile, on the other hand, does not really think about retention of their loyal customer so I would not even bother about staying with them. Moreover, you might have a nasty bill at the end of the month so you need to be very careful with your bill. Apart from that, Virgin Mobile is quite alright. In fact, they have a special deal for all Virgin Media customers so if you are one of the lucky ones, why not try their service? After all, Virgin Mobile latches on to the T-Mobile UK network so it will have a stronger signal while you are outdoor as they run on a 3G 2100mhz spectrum and they have some pretty good coverage in part of the city.

Last but not least, I would also like to stress on the point that after looking through all the available mobile networks in the country, I have also come across ASDA mobile which runs on Vodafone UK and they offer the cheapest PAYG rates in the country! However, it is not as good as Giffgaff.

Giffgaff, as I have mentioned in the title itself, has connections or ties with O2. If you look into their company profile, their CEO has strong ties with O2. Effectively, they run Giffgaff as an MVNO in the country. One special reason for many people to use Giffgaff is that it is run by members themselves apart from the few top posts. If you look at their tariffs, it is THE cheapest in the marker! Moreover, it is a PAYG system and it does not need any credit scoring to get connected to their network! You only need to use £10 per month and you will be receiving 250 minutes of air time to all UK numbers with the exceptions of some special numbers but 0800 numbers are part of the free minutes; unlimited text messages and truly unlimited data! I have tried using Giffgaff for a few weeks and I have to give two thumbs up to them. However, they would not be able to get a perfect score because they still could not uplift over 18 contents to be accessed on my phone even after I have given them my particulars. That is a small sacrifice to make as I would be very happy to report that I will continue to use them! I don't think other mobile networks will allow users to make 0800 numbers as part of their plan without paying extra for it.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Update (13 February 2013):
It is understandable that Giffgaff has recently decided to change their price plan. This is true as they have introduced a new £12 tariff and amended the original £10 tariff. With the new £10 tariff, users will only be receiving 1GB of data but users can tether where else the £12 tariff will offer unlimited data usage but users will not be able to tether. The choice is yours.

3G 900mhz

I have been having some signal problems with the Iphone 4S. It is not uncommon for someone to complain about signal issues on the Iphone. Having said that, I was promised by 3UK that they have an excellent coverage throughout the UK. Above all, I should be receiving good signals in my house. I took their word for it and signed up to a SIM only contract which is on a 30 days rolling contract. All I have to do is to pay £15 a month for 300 minutes, unlimited text messages and truly unlimited data per month.

It is a good move by 3UK to introduce unlimited data on such a low price plan and I congratulate them for doing so. With the move, one could see that T-Mobile UK would not want to lose out to 3UK by releasing their full monty price plan. However, you need to look closely to the full monty plans by t-Mobile UK because it is rather more expensive than 3UK. One could argue that T-Mobile UK provide a better customer service to consumers but I beg to differ. I would not use T-Mobile or Orange UK again, if possible as they have messed up my life before. I think I have posted an article about their work previously on my blog so please check it out.

Well, the million dollar question is:"Which network is the best?"

In answering the question, it is simple - It depends on the coverage in your area. 

As for me, Vodafone has patchy signal quality around my area of work and in my home; both T-Mobile UK and Orange UK (so called "Everything Everywhere") have excellent 3G coverage around my area of work and home; and last but not least, O2 UK. O2 UK used to have very poor signal coverage around my area of work and home until recently.

One would ask: What is O2 UK's secret ingredient? 3G 900mhz. As you know, most modern mobile phone these days are equipped with quadband GSM, i.e. 900mhz,1800mhz,1900mhz and 850mhz. Apart from that, most 3G enabled phones will run on either 3G 900mhz or 3G 2100mhz. A good example will be 3UK, Vodafone UK, O2 UK, T-Mobile UK and Orange UK where all of them run on the 3G 2100mhz frequency. However, you need to understand that there are advantages and disadvantages of running on the 2100mhz frequency. While the radio frequency can travel very fast, it is not good in penetrating walls on a building as it will lost its steam. 

Often than not, all mobile network providers have been asking the same question throughout the years - How to increase the signal quality especially in indoors? Finally, they have come to a solution and that solution will be to utilise or enhancing 3G 900mhz. This is truly in the sense that with the 900mhz frequency travels much slower than the 3G 2100mhz, it can easily provide more signal coverage indoors. Well, once mobile network provides have understood how it works, they had to come up with a plan to mobilise the 3G 900mhz. 

It is not easy to deploy the 3G 900mhz even though all mobile network providers with the exception of 3UK have access to the 2G 900mhz by default. The reason why 3UK does not have 2G 900mhz is because they have build their mobile structure around the 3G 2100mhz frequency and so they are in disadvantage over here. The reason why 3UK is in a disadvantage is because they need to invest in new technology instead of build on the existing technology which they have. 

Apart from that, 3UK have joined force with T-Mobile UK to become the largest network to deploy 3G across the UK. Personally, I feel that 3UK is trying to save money by sharing T-Mobile UK's technology instead. However, given their track record in providing good customer service, I doubt many people will think about staying with the network itself. Don't get me wrong as 3UK have one of the industry's best value for money mobile plans but they need to work on the quality in providing good customer service.  

Having said that, one could not ignore the fact that 3G 900mhz is the way forward. This is because until LTE or 4G is properly roll out in the UK, 3G 900mhz is the alternative solution to the limitation in using WCDMA 2100 or 3G 2100mhz. 3UK, in this sense will lose out to competitors as they only deploy 3G 2100mhz! 3UK could complain about anti-competitive movements by other mobile network providers in the UK which you could also find the news here but in reality, they know that they are in disadvantage due to the fact that they have not given much thought when setting up their 3G network back in 2002. 

Ofcom has previously approved the use of existing GSM 900mhz and GSM 1800mhz for 3G use but 3UK will definitely lose out as they are only running on the 3G 2100mhz or WCDMA 2100! That is why they have responded to Ofcom's plan to utilise 3G 900mhz and 3G 1800mhz in addition to the 3G 2100mhz frequency in the UK. Poor 3UK! 

You may not know but O2 UK was the very first mobile network in the UK to adopt the 3G 900mhz frequency. In doing so, it has increased their network signal tremendously! A good example will be where I live. Before the 3G 900mhz switched on, I could only receive 2bars of 2G service. With the 3G 900mhz switched on, it is now full bar on 3G!!! That is brilliant!

I think O2 UK had no choice but to invest in the 3G 900mhz technology. Otherwise, they will lose more customers because their existing 3G coverage before the 3G 900mhz switched on was poor!!! Well, not all are lost as currently, only O2 UK has deployed the technology and the rest of the mobile networks have yet to commence on the new technology. I feel that 3UK would have to join force with T-Mobile UK again on the sharing of the 3G 900mhz frequency if they want to be competitive once T-Mobile UK might want to join the fun by implementing 3G 900mhz although they are running on the 2G 1800mhz. Most Vodafone UK customers are wondering why Vodafone UK have not roll out the use of 3G 900mhz technology and Vodafone UK need to take into account its customer's dissatisfaction. If they don't improve on their network, they might be another O2 UK before the roll out of the 3G 900mhz technology!

In the end, as a consumer, I am pretty happy in O2 UK rolling out the 3G 900mhz technology. In doing so, I have switched network from 3UK to Giffgaff where I would only have to pay £15 a month via top up for 400 minutes, unlimited text messages and truly unlimited data and I will be enjoying free calls, texts and video calling to another Giffgaff mobile user. Best of all, it is Pay as you Go so I do not need to go through credit scoring! 

3UK Price Plan

I am quite observant when it comes to any changes within an organisation whom I have interested in. The reason why I am so interested in 3UK is because they need the subscriptions to make up the numbers.

It has been known that ever since its incorporation, 3UK has been struggling to secure the interest of many customers, unlike Vodafone, O2 and Everything Everywhere. I think it is because they have a reputation of providing bad customer service.

I have experienced many bad customer service from them before. That is why I would only have a Pay as you Go contract with them. From my previous experiences with them, they will never admit that it is their fault and they will always paint a rosy picture of themselves and instead blame it on the customers. This is not what customers are for, am I right?

Apart from that, their network signal is most probably not as good as it could be. I have lots of problems when I am indoors as I will experience loss of signals and in the end, I could never be able to make a call to anyone or being cut off in the middle of a telephone conversation.

Despite the fact that I have made numerous calls to customer service, they were ignorant of the issue and will just ask customers like me to suffer the consequence of bad signal. As a result of that, I had to apologies to those people who tried to make a call to me or receiving a call on the other end. This is just embarrassing, don't you think so?

Well, that was almost nine years ago.

Fast forward to December 2011...

I have figure out that they have greatly improved on their customer service. At least, they are not so arrogant anymore. However, their customer service which is based in Bangalore could be greatly improved. They need to understand more about the British culture and the name of the road which their customers are living in. While I am not impressed with their customer service, I have to take into account that their price plan is one of the cheapest in the market (SIM only deals).

That is where I am going to write about 3UK's price plan. I am not a big fan of their price plan because they only have price plan on a 24 months contract. They have said that they do not want to have any price plan less than 24 moths because they will incur losses due to the fact that they are subsidising the mobile phones to their customers. Besides that, their price plans are also reasonable. According to 3UK, that is the main reason why want to introduce a 24 months contract instead of 12 months or even 18 months contract which comes with a mobile phone.

From my previous experience with 3UK, you need to be quick and stand firm when you make a call to customer service. You must not give in and you must always assert your right as a consumer and be reasonable when talking to them as they are only humans.

I would never sign on a 24 months contract at any time because I would never want to subjects self to two years without a new mobile phone. That is why I am always on a 18 months contract. It will be good to sign on a 12 months contract but most probably you would have to pay some money towards the cost of the handset.

I am only interested in SIM only deals web it comes to 3UK as I am not going to subject myself to a long contract. Besides, there might be better price plans along the way an it will be a loss if I can't sign on it because I am still on an existing contract!

Three days ago, I have found an IPhone micro-sim SIM 300 (which is a 30 days contract) on 3UK's website. Immediately I took up the offer. I was being transferred to a sales agent and he happily signed me on and I am really happy with it. Do you know why? Well, the SIM 300 will allow me to make 300 minutes of calls to any landline and UK mobile (saved for premium numbers) and 3000 text messages. I was excited about it because with the plan, I have a truly unlimited Internet usage every month. I don't really know how they could manage unlimited Internet but I was overjoyed! Above all, it is just £15 a month including VAT! Don't you see it? It is a wonderful price plan which fits onto everyone's pocket.

However, the price plan did not last a long time as 3UK has removed such a plan from their website. It is such a shame as they could have attract more customers by lowering their price plan. Oh well, what can we do about it then?

Update:
05/01/2012:- The £15 Iphone MicroSIM with all-you-can-eat data is back!!! This time, I would not know how long will it stay there on the website though!

T-Mobile UK / Orange UK Customer Service

I am always a Vodafone fan. In fact, my very first mobile phone contract was with Vodafone until now and I would not want to change to another mobile network. However, having said that, I did try O2, T-Mobile and also Orange just for a few months to test out their signals. I have also tried 3UK and I have to give two thumbs up to Vodafone UK as they have one of the best customer service advisors in the country (caveat: You need to be a business customer to experience 100% customer satisfaction though).

One week ago, my Vodafone contract have come to an end so I was thinking of renewing my contract with Vodafone. On second thought, I told myself that I should give other mobile network a run for my money as I am sure that their network quality and customer service is not too far away from Vodafone.

How wrong was I...

After getting my PAC (Portability Authorisation Code) from Vodafone, I took out a Pay as you Go with add-ons from T-Mobile. Upon doing that, I have managed to transfer my existing number to T-Mobile. The porting process only took 24 hours as it is a rule under EU Regulations to do so (I like EU law for that). Well, the trouble started two days after using the T-Mobile SIM card.

Initially, I was being charged for £1 per day but I could not come up to a reason as to how could I be charged. I then called T-Mobile customer service (I did pay 75p for every call to customer service on T-Mobile) to ask them as to their charges on my PAYG account as I know that I have 100 free text messages to UK mobiles and 100 minutes of talk time for the month as I have purchased an add on.

T-Mobile customer service could not figure out why was I being charged for the £1 so I took it as if I've made a mistake. Please bear in mind that I have top up £10 at the beginning of the week. You would not believe it as towards the end of the week, I only have £1 left in my account so I was rather suprised and disappointed. I then gave T-Mobile another call to enquire about my account. Once again, they could not come up with an answer for such charges. In fact, the customer service said that there is nothing they can do about it. Worst of all, the customer service hang up on me. Such a shame! I thought that T-Mobile's customer service on the telephone have imprroved but clearly not in this case.

I did not give up and went to a local store to sort out the problem. They made a call to customer service which he has waited around 10 minutes before he could get hold of a customer service advisor. I am also not happy with the fact that there were only two member of staff working in the T-Mobile shop. It should have at least four employees on a busy Christmas shopping season! When the T-Mobile sales advisor managed to get hold of a person on the phone, the customer service on the telephone could not give an explaination of how I was being charged. I am totally disappointed with them because it happened to me two years ago and the nightmare is still fresh in my mind. The last thing I want to hear now is that I have been charged for no reason!

After the T-Mobile sales representative put the phone down, he was kind to apologies to me that he could not do anything about it as no reason were given as to where were the charges. I then told them that in such a case, I will be going home to think of a way to resolve this issue.

Upon reaching home, I have figured out that I should not be using T-Mobile anymore so I made a call to ask for my PAC from T-Mobile. Having the PAC with me, I am assured that I could use it within 30 days and it will be effective and my number will be ported over to another network.

A few days later, I went to the same T-Mobile shop again as I would like to clarify some issues before I make my decision to leave T-Mobile for good. Eventually they persuaded me to stay and I took up a 30 days SIM only deal from them. I then sign the document and waited patiently for my contract to be activated.

However, I was being told that my account could not be activated because I have asked for a PAC. I remember correctly that if I am not going to use it, the PAC will not be useful anyway so I am just puzzled. Eventually I had to return the signed document to them as they (T-Mobile sales representatives in the store) will keep hold of my contract until I come back in a few days time as they need to get through to customer service.

Eventually I went back to the same T-Mobile store. This time, the manager was present and he actually made a call to customer service to deactivate my PAC. Before that, I've told him that I have left my documents including personal details with them a few days ago. He could not find such documents and neither could his colleagues (Can you believe it?)! It is pretty sad to think of it because I thought that T-Mobile has changed for the better after a nasty incident two years ago almost left me £200 worst off. They apologised and refunded the £200 to me because it was their fault to sign me on a normal contract when I have specifically asked for International SIM Only deal.

Coming back to the T-Mobile scenario, I could not take it anymore. The store manager assured me that they take personal information very seriously but I did argue that how could they lose my documents? This is just not happening! Maybe my contract was left in the confidential waste bag but I am not too sure because I was told by one of the T-Mobile sales representatives that they will keep my contract until I return two days ago. I am speechless because they are not taking customer's information seriously! How are customers going to trust them again? This is just terrible!

I then went opposite to an Orange shop to sign up for a 30 days SIM only deal with them. Eventually I have managed to sign on and gave my PAC to them so that I will be able to retain my old number from T-Mobile. Towards the end of the day, my Orange SIM card lost signal and I could not even make a call to customer service. Eventually I had to use another mobile phone to make a few calls to Orange customer service. I was told that they need some documents to proof my identity. I was furious because I have done so in the shop when I sign up to the contract! How could they disconnect my contract without informing me first? This is just crazy! The thought of T-Mobile and Orange merging could have been a better company for customers but to my horror, I don't think "Everything Everywhere" will get anyone anywhere with that sort of attitude.

I am sad to report that I could not lay my trust on Orange anymore because they could have inform me or make a call to me to ask me for more information and not just to disconnect my account! That is just horrible!

Folks, I would not recommend T-Mobile or Orange because their customer service is going from bad to worst. Customer services on the telephone do not value customers!!! I also question where have T-Mobile representatives done to my mobile contract...

In the end, I do believe that only Vodafone can give me a good customer service. I have to avoid O2 because they do not have good 3G coverage over my area and 3UK is trying their best to win customers by releasing good mobile plans to attract customers. However, I have to admit that 3UK's customer service on the telephone have greatly improved after a long 8 years.

If you want a good customer service, try Vodafone, O2 or 3UK. I would have to say that people should avoid T-Mobile and Orange.

Update:
28/12/2011:
Eventually I went to the same T-Mobile shop today and asked them whether they have managed to find the documents which I have signed last week or so but they said that they have not been able to find it so I would have to leave it there. So much for data protection act, eh?

The funny thing was that I was being told that T-Mobile does not support Skype (via online chat before I went into the same T-Mobile store). It means that T-Mobile does not allow its customers to use Skype. I don't get it. How could T-Mobile do that? It is just not right, don't you think so? When I ask the sales advisor in the T-Mobile store, they said that they do support Skype. Hum... Who is right and who is wrong then?

3UK - Bad Data Signal

I think I have mentioned on many occasion that people should avoid 3UK. However, I took up the challenge of getting a data connection from 3UK for 12 months as the sales agent promised me that they have improved on their network coverage. I am not convinced but to really demonstrate what he has said is true, I would get a data only connection for 12 months - £20 a month and I'm getting 15GB worth of data to use per month.

I was quite surprised to see that it was showing four bars 3G on the mobile phone in my house! This is a vast contrast to many other telco (e.g. O2 and Vodafone) only had stable 2G connection in my house. I then started surfing the internet and the webpage suddenly got stuck and it would not move even though it was showing 3 full bars on 3G! I just don't understand as the signal is strong but the webpage would not load!

What can you gather from this then?

Sneaky 3UK

I was quite sad with the fact that 3UK has shutdown their 2G service with Orange UK. I don't think that it is acceptable when their Existing 2G is virtually non existing and consumers will not have anything to fall back on the so called "backup" on The Orange network.

Moreover, I have found out a sneaky tactic by 3UK recently. Have you ever wonder why your mobile phone showed full 3G service but yet you could not surf the Internet with your mobile phone or even on your laptop via a dongle? I can tell you one of the many possibilities - They are not showing a true signal coverage on your device!

I don't say these these things lightly without substantial research and also first hand experience. I have tried using 3UK's sim card on my mobile and it showed full 3G service but there is no way in which I could surf the Internet with it. In doing so, I had to use wi-fi to surf the Internet. The question is whether it is worth while to take up a contract with 3UK when they offer a substandard service?

Consumes have chosen 3UK because they do offer the cheapest plan for their mobile service I.e. £20 for 15GB of data per month for 24 months contract but it is questionable when it comes to the quality of the signal provided by 3UK.

I think 3UK needs to upgrade their signal quality irrespective of whether they have received many awards. One thing for sure is that their signal quality is erratic and misleading. That leave us with one courses of action - complain to Ofcom!!!

Using 3 UK? Think again!!!

Lately I have been trying to find out which network is best for me at work and also in my house. Since I have been using Vodafone for so long, I don't regard that Vodafone has the best signal at all. I took up Vodafone because they were giving me a good deal. The reason for this fact finding is that I am not getting the strong signal from Vodafone anymore. Having said that, I do have a few months until my contract expire so I have plenty of time to do some little research of my own.

I have started off with Vodafone. I used to have good 3G coverage (3 bars out of 4 bars) on my Iphone 4 but lately I don't get 4 bars anymore but instead patchy 2 bars on 3G and most of the time, the signal will fall back to 2G. That is not acceptable though because I am paying quite a lot from Vodafone and I don't expect them to provide me with a lower than standard service.

The thing is that when I switch the SIM cards from Vodafone to Orange, I do get good signals. The problem is that Orange plans are quite expensive so I don't think I would like to take one up for myself. I did another experiment with my Iphone 4. I took the Vodafone SIM card and placed it inside my good old SE K800i. No luck still...Vodafone's signal is quite patchy these days.
Another experiment I did was to place a 3UK SIM card on my Iphone 4 and use it for a day or two. I know that by nature, 3 UK will automatically use Orange 2G service in areas which they do not have strong 3G coverage. Previously it was with O2 but now they are relying on Orange to provide them with 2G service.

However, to my disappointment, I no longer have any signal when I am in a shop! That is crazy! I am sure that my Iphone 4 will automatically lock to the Orange 2G service if there's no 3G coverage! After reading this and this post, I have gathered that 3 UK has switched off the 2G roaming agreement with Orange. I don't get it. 3 UK said that they will switch the Orange 2G service off if they think that there is sufficient 3G coverage in a particular area. I don't think people are that naive, don't you think so?

As for me, I do have good 3G signal on 3UK when I am at home but when I'm out of the house, I don't get good signals! More often than not, I have to rely on my Vodafone to do the job when I am out of the house!

I think 3UK is selfish. They would not inform customers about what they are going to do with their network. Certainly customers would have a right to know what's going on with their mobile phones, right? I am quite lucky as I am not with 3UK at the moment. I would not like to have 'no signal' when I am out and about.

Perhaps it might be good to pay a visit to my local Orange store and grab hold of a SIM only contract from them. Perhaps I should be swapping my Iphone 4 for a Nokia N8 instead but I have think twice about taking a Nokia N8 contract from Vodafone after reading this thread. I think there's no problem with the N8 but it's just Vodafone having to customise their software which is too buggy and it slows down the speed of browsing through the menu.

3UK

I have to admit that after leaving frustrated with 3 UK for some time, they are back with a vengence! They have actually improved on their customer service! I am proud to be their customer once more! In fact, I have nothing but praises for them at the moment. Keep it up!!!

3 UK actually allow a customer to choose a mobile number which is available and change it later so long as they have a PAC. I'm loving it! Best of all, they are allowing customers to unlock their iphone 4 for a charge of £15 even though their contracts have not expired. This is what I call great service! Vodafone used to do it but they would not do it on the Iphone 4.

p/s: Shame on Vodafone!!! They are pretty bad at the moment!

Don't Use VODAFONE UK

I am getting tired with endless calls made to Vodafone UK regarding the signal quality in my house. I have basically told them that I am not happy with the signal quality as it kept on dropping from 3G to 2.5G.

After making numerous calls to them, they said that "Oh, you should have excellent coverage." I know I should but I am not getting good coverage! The problem started around a year ago when I experienced dropped calls and I had to make a few calls just to finish a conversation with a client.

Now, Vodafone customer service officer does not have any any clues of what is going on in other people's house. They only relied on their network coverage checker. If the network checker says "good coverage", I should have good coverage. I would have to argue that the network checker maybe malfunctioned!

In the end, I got fed up and then ask for an early termination fee as I had enough with it. The customer service officer said that I have to pay the full whack of it without any discount. If I am not mistaken, customers do get a discount for early termination fee. Oh, I don't get that though because that is the rule of the company. Apart from that, I do get discount from Vodafone. If I were to terminate my line earlier, the discount will not be applicable to me.

The next thing which I did was to ask for a downgrade as in that sense I will be able to pay a little bit less. I was told that I will not be able to do so because the discount was applied with the condition that I stay with Vodafone. In that sense, customers do not have the choice to do anything but we have to wait until the end of our contract.

What I don't understand is that a company like Vodafone does not allow loyal customers like me to downgrade even though I am on the old price plan. I told the customer service advisor that I am on the old price plan. He said no, I am on the new price plan. I said that it could not be. He then suggested that I bring my contract to a Vodafone store to verify. I told him that I could not do so as they have not send me any contract to sign in the first place!

Well, the thing is that I am quite frustrated with Vodafone. While I can understand that 3 UK is given the thumb down for customer service, I have not envisaged that Vodafone will be as bad as 3 UK! I will NOT take up any contracts with Vodafone at all! I think I am going to Orange UK instead. The problem with Vodafone UK is that they will not tell customers of whether they can downgrade even though they have been asked. All they will say is that customers can downgrade after 9 months into their contract.

So guys, just give it a pass to Vodafone UK as they are the second most expensive network in the UK after Orange UK. At least customer services in Orange will deal with you like human being. I think as Vodafone is growing by the size, they are not providing better customer service anymore.

Stay away from both 3 UK and Vodafone UK!

Update 1:
I have spoken to O2 UK and they have acknowledged the problem with the existing cell tower around my area. She has mentioned that there are no cell tower within a radius of a quarter mile. I am thankful for her honesty. I do know that all mobile network companies share a particular cell tower around my area so it is not a good idea for Vodafone to say that there's good coverage when there are existing problems with it which they would strongly refused to admit it by giving the excuse "Oh, there is no problem on our side."

I then asked Vodafone customer service as in how would they know if there is a problem with the cell tower? "Oh, the engineers will know if there is a problem with the cell tower." The irony is that if no one were to inform that there is a potential problem with a cell tower, would they know where to look for? Come on guys! Use some common sense! Vodafone should listen to their customers and take the initiative to ask their engineers to check out their faulty transmission dish. They should instead thank us customers!

Update 2:
Vodafone finally replied by giving me a discount of £20 for this month for the "inconvenience caused". Sometimes I just don't understand what is going on with them. What I am asking for is an improvement of their coverage!!! The £20 no doubt comes as a welcome surprise but I do still have doubt over whether I should just move on to another mobile provider when my contract end.

SIM Only deal

If you have a mobile device with you and you do not wish to get a new mobile device or you do not want to sign up to a 18 months or 24 months contract, what can you go for in the UK?

There are many mobile companies in the UK which will be able to offer SIM Only contracts to consumers. In this sense, consumers no longer have to stick to their contracts for the duration of their contracts. There are a few good choices for SIM only contracts though. You do need to understand that there are 12 months SIM only contracts and 30 days SIM only contracts and you need to pay attention to which deal you are going to take up.

Vodafone UK
30 days SIM only deal

£10 - 100 minutes + 500 text messages
£15 a month - 300 minutes + unlimited text messages
£20 a month - 600 minutes + unlimited text messages + 500MB internet
£25 a month - 900 minutes + unlimited text messages + 500MB internet
£25 a month - 600 minutes + unlimited text messages + 1GB internet (only applies to Iphone SIM)
£30 a month - 1200 minutes + unlimited text messages + 500MB internet

T-Mobile UK
30 days SIM only deal

£10 a month - 100 minutes + 100 text messages + one flexible booster*
£15 a month - 350 minutes + 300 text messages + one flexible booster*
£20 a month - 600 minutes + 500 text messages + one flexible booster*
£25 a month - 900 minutes + 500 text messages + one flexible booster*

*Flexible booster which you could choose from: unlimited texts; unlimited internet; unlimited T-Mobile Talk; unlimited landline talk; Euro 5 talk & text; EU & Australasia talk or USA & Canada talk

Orange UK
30 days SIM only deal

Racoon 15 - 300 minutes + 100 text messages = £15 a month online
Racoon 20 - 600 minutes + 100 text messages = £20 a month online
Racoon 25 - 700 minutes + 100 text messages = £25 a month online
Racoon 30 - 1200 minutes + 500 text messages = £30 a month online

Canary 10 - 100 minutes + unlimited text messages = £10 a month online
Canary 15 - 200 minutes + unlimited text messages = £15 a month online
Canary 20 - 700 minutes + unlimited text messages = £25 a month online
Canary 30 - 1200 minutes + unlimited text messages = £30 a month online

Camel 20 - 400 minutes + unlimited text messages + 100 international call minutes = £20 a month online

Dolphin 20 - 500 minutes + unlimited text messages + 500MB internet = £20 a month online
Dolphin 25 - 600 minutes + unlimited text messages + 500MB internet = £25 a month online

O2 UK
30 days SIM only deal

£10 a month - 100 minutes + unlimited text messages
£15 a month - 300 mintes + unlimited text messages + unlimited O2 to O2 calls (or £10 extra for 500MB data)
£20 a month - 600 minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited O2 to O2 calls (or £5 extra for 500MB data)
£25 a month - 900 minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited O2 to O2 calls (or £5 extra for 750MB data)
£30 a month - 1200 minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited O2 to O2 calls (or £5 extra for 750MB data)
£45 a month - unlimited minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited O2 to O2 calls (or £5 extra for 1GB data)

Virgin Mobile (MNVO of T-Mobile UK)
30 days deal

£8.50 a month - 100 minutes + unlimited text messages
£10 a month - 200 minutes + unlimited text messages
£12 a month - 300 minutes + unlimited text messages
£15 a month - 500 minutes + unlimited text messages
£15 a month - 200 minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited internet 
£20 a month - 800 minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited internet

Tesco Mobile (MNVO of O2 UK)
30 days deal

£10 a month - 500 minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited data
£15 a month - 750 minutes + unlimited text messages + unlimited data

Note: All unlimited packages are subjected to fair usage policy so please check it out first before you make a purchase.

More Job Cuts

I am just thinking about those employees working in both Orange and T-Mobile in the country. It is mentioned that there will be job losses so as to ensure that there will be no duplication of job roles and also to increase efficiency.

What I am so baffled about is that they are already short of staff at the moment so it is quite strange for them to say that they are trying to prevent duplicate roles between the two companies. This is just an excuse to say that they are trying to cut cost. With the merge of Orange and T-mobile, it might just pull more customers from other networks when they start sharing their networks in the future.

From a consumer's stand point, Orange provides good coverage for 2G signals while T-Mobile is much better at 3G coverage. With both companies sharing their network will eventually benefit consumers as the mobile device will look for the strongest signal so as to reduce drop calls.

Besides that, it is also important for both companies to reduce their monthly tariffs! Let's be clear that their price plan is not the best of all and it is quite expensive to begin with. I would really hope that with the merger, they will reduce the price plan so as to increase their customer base.

I would stress on the point of customer service offered by T-Mobile. I had a bad experience with them before so I hope that they better improve on their customer service.

Good luck to them!