Pay as you go simple phone

[twotwo22]

Looking for any advice tips etc.

Need a simple, bigger button, cheap, non-contract, PAYG phone for a senior friend.
Text and Phone only.

Do PAYG still need minimum top up each month to remain active ??

Thanks

[tjh290633]

Usually you need to have some activity to keep the number active. That can be a brief text every few months. The credit doesn't expire as long as the account is active.

TJH

[paullidd]

My local Tesco petrol station was offering a big button mobile on one of the petrol pump adverts - £19.99 if I remember correctly. No idea what make, how good etc.

Paul

[Nocton]

Do PAYG still need minimum top up each month to remain active ??

We have simple phone and Virgin PAYG in the car for emergencies and very occasional use. Carphone Warehouse recommended Virgin PAYG as never expiring or needed use. Over at least 7 years, we may have used 10-20 times and credit still there.

[hiriskpaul]

O2, 2p text, 3p/min call. You need to make a call or send a text every few months to keep the number active.

Three have a similar tariff, but it only works with 3g phones.

[supremetwo]

The credit doesn't expire as long as the account is active. TJH

I reckon that it is an unfair contract term that a telephone company can confiscate unused PAYG without any warning whatsoever.

[Devjon]

I have a 3 network "321" sim, 3p per minute, 2p per text, 1p per meg. The credit does not expire.
I use it in an old iPhone 4s which i use as an MP3 / Podcast player. I also use the phone number if I have to provide a phone number when signing up for various things where I wouldn't want to provide my regular mobile number.

[Watis]

The credit doesn't expire as long as the account is active. TJH

I reckon that it is an unfair contract term that a telephone company can confiscate unused PAYG without any warning whatsoever.

I agree, but the warning will be buried in the terms and conditions.

Watis

[taylor20]

Carphone Warehouse recommended Virgin PAYG as never expiring or needed use. Over at least 7 years, we may have used 10-20 times and credit still there.

My (mostly) emergency phone (my only phone as it happens) is with Virgin, and I probably top up £5 a year, the only problem I have is they send me an annoying text every month saying "top up £10 this month and get loads of free texts!!!!" - GDPR may actually have some use if I can finally turn this off!

For info I think my tariff is 10p per text and 29p min calls, the current available tariff seems to be 15p texts, 40p min calls.

[tea42]

The simplest phone
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nokia-Single-M ... mple+phone

Three, 321 payg simm.

3p a minute calls

2p a text

1p a mb

NEVER RUNS OUT…..

No brainer

[bungeejumper]

Keeping up an unused mobile phone isn't that hard. You just dial your own mainline number once in a while and hang up as soon as you hear the calling tone. Job done.

The wife has a Doro big button PAYG phone, no camera, no email, no anything in fact, apart from texts. (Sometimes it seems you can't run a bank account without a text facility, let alone a VAT account with HMRC.) Sim-free, so it's plug and go. About thirty quid, I think.

BJ

[Infrasonic]

The credit doesn't expire as long as the account is active. TJH

I reckon that it is an unfair contract term that a telephone company can confiscate unused PAYG without any warning whatsoever.

I agree, but the warning will be buried in the terms and conditions.

Watis

I've always wondered why the OFT have never got involved in this, as it does seem rather draconian.

[taylor20]

The simplest phone
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nokia-Single-M ... mple+phone

Three, 321 payg simm.

3p a minute calls

2p a text

1p a mb

NEVER RUNS OUT…..

No brainer

I was nearly tempted by this combination, but as far as I can tell (I'm no expert!):

This phone (and similar ones) are GSM (2G/2.5G) only.

3's network is 3G and 4G only, so will not work with this phone.

EDIT: O2 have similar tariff (however it has a 6 month inactivity period).

[Infrasonic]

The simplest phone
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nokia-Single-M ... mple+phone

Three, 321 payg simm.

3p a minute calls

2p a text

1p a mb

NEVER RUNS OUT…..

No brainer

I was nearly tempted by this combination, but as far as I can tell (I'm no expert!):

This phone (and similar ones) are GSM (2G/2.5G) only.

3's network is 3G and 4G only, so will not work with this phone.

3 used to have roaming agreements with 02 and then Orange for 2G coverage, but not anymore (it stopped in 2013 I think.)
For future proofing you'd be better off getting a phone with 3/4G anyway as at some point in the future 2G will be phased out and 5G will start coming in.

You also need to check what bands the phone has, as different networks/MVNO's have different 3/4G frequencies, which may limit what networks the phone can operate on.
https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-frequencies-uk-need-know/

https://www.gsmarena.com/ is pretty accurate for tech specs and has a vast database of phones.

[twotwo22]

Picked up a 'Doro' phone for £25 in ASDA. The phone fits the bill. Good size and buttons.
It came with ASDA SIM which is linked to EE.
On charge at the moment so will have a look today, re top-op's and on-going options.

Thanks for all the replies

[tea42]

Thing about those simple phones, texting is a pain as there is no keyboard. You are back to up to three presses on a key to get the correct letter. Something a non techy person would find impossible.

So the simplest cheapest smartphone is possibly better. If its Android you can just hit the microphone on the keyboard and dictate a text. Much simpler than typing. 4G smartphones aboindxat less than £100.

[Itsallaguess]

A lot of the cheaper phones are 2G only, as has already been mentioned.

When I was looking for a phone to keep in my car glove-compartment recently, this Nokia 3310 sim-free option from Argos was the best value one I could find, at just £29.95 -

https://tinyurl.com/y85vyr3o

It's small, is 3G enabled, and also has a very good battery-life, with a removable battery if it ever needs replacing (which was an important feature for me, especially for my specific use-case....), so I'll just throw a Giff-Gaff PAYG SIM-card in it and remember to keep it charged and validated with regular (at least every 3 months) basic usage.

There still seems to be lots of the above phones available from the various Argos outlets, if anyone is still looking for a similar phone.

I should acknowledge that it doesn't cover a 'big buttons' requirement, if anyone has one, but in all other aspects it seems like a very good option for a 'keep in the car' mobile.

Cheers,

Itsallaguess