Mobiles2day - Mobile Industry News

Laptops are getting cheaper and cheaper nowadays. Carphone Warehouse and PC World even started to give away free laptops when you signup for 18 or 24 month contract with them. Now T-Mobile offering free laptop as well, together with mobile broadband, let’s look at this offer in more detail.

First of all you need to sign up for 24 months mobile broadbnd contract for £30 per month. In return you will get free laptop, USB modem, mobile broadband, and free unlimited access to T-Mobile’s WiFi spots. Sounds good, but over 24 months you will pay T-Mobile £720. If you buy laptop from major retailer on it’s own, it will cost you around £299 for similar spec machine. If you take a mobile broadband from 3 or T-Mobile on it’s own, it will cost you £15 per month, in 2 years that makes £360. If we add those 2 figures up: £299+£360=£659 which is far less than what you will pay to T-Mobile. With T-Mobile’s contract you are getting free WiFi hotspots access, but if you have mobile broadband, you don’t really need WiFi, do you? Also, T-Mobile claims that you can “Surf as much as you like with no run-on rates”. You still have 3GB fair usage policy, but if you go beyond that, T-Mobile will not charge you anything extra. What they going to do is as follows (according to customer services):

1. First month you will be warned by letter about your excess usage

2. If you exceed your 3GB limit following month, your internet access speed may be reduced for couple of weeks

3. If you exceed again in 3rd month, you internet speed may be reduced up to 2 months.

So if you frequently visit data intensive websites, download music/video, listen to online radio or watch movies online, this offer may not be for you. Otherwise for lighter users offer is ok. Good thing with T-Mobile is that you will never get nasty surpise in terms of huge bill. I would advise to check other offers by PC World or Carphone Warehouse or buying laptop and mobile broadband separately.

Vodafone has a free sim offering with cheap international calls. This is similar to T-Mobile’s Eastern European Pass which I blogged here earlier.

There are 16 countries that you can call with discounted rates: 5p to landlines and 15p to mobiles. See full list below:

Croatia
Czech Republic
Hungary
Poland
Romania
Lithuania
Latvia
Slovakia
Thailand
Turkey
China
Hong Kong
Russia
Nigeria
India
Pakistan

Vodafone’s list has more countries that you can call than T-Mobile, it is good move to include calls to countries such as China, India and Pakistan. There are a lot of people in UK who will call those countries (tourists, students, people on short business visits etc).

Calls to other countries will be charged at standard rate, see Vodafone’s website for details.

You can order your free Sim here.

From today O2 is offering 8GB version of iPhone for £169. This is £100 less than it was previously. You still have to take up 18 months contract with at least £35 per month.

Promotion runs will 1st June, so if you were planning to get hold of this device, you can do it now. Carphone Warehouse sells it at £169 as well. 16GB version stays at the same price: £329.

This price cut follows iPhone price cut by T-Mobile Germany where you can get it now for 99 euros (approx. £79.7). Retailers are clearing their stock before 3G version comes out this summer.

If you are on T-Mobile prepay, there are good news for you! T-Mobile is rewarding it’s prepay customers with free £10 if you top up £10 during the week! Every prepay is eligible for this promotion, existing and new customers.

Here is what you need to do:

1. Opt in by texting ‘Stretch’ to 441

2. Receive a text confirming that you are in

3. Top up £10 anytime between Monday and Friday

4. Promotional £10 will be credited to your account after midnight on Saturday and will be available till midnight Sunday.

Credit can be used to make calls/sms/mms to UK mobiles, landlines and national numbers.

Rules say you can not opt in for more than 2 prepay deals at the same time, for example opt in for TopUp Friday and TopUp & Stretch at the same time. You will only keep the one that you last opted in.

Good move from T-Mobile, people like free stuff, noone will refuse extra £10, eventhough you can only use it on weekend! Anyway, weekend is the time when you use your mobile most isn’t it? So go on opt in and claim your free £10 this coming weekend!

If for some reason you want to opt out of this offer, text ‘STRETCH STOP’ to 441.

Check details here.

Valentine’s Day is coming tomorrow and if you are still looking for a present or just simply looking for new mobile contract, here are deals worth considering:

3 is giving away 1 Nintendo Wii every hour starting tomorrow at 10:00AM!

Customers who buy mobile contract or mobile broadband contract from 3Store are eligible for this prize draw.

Check 3 offers here.

T-Mobile have similar competition which is already running from 1st February 2008. T-Mobile gives away 3 prizes, worth £3000 each in Capital Bond vouchers. These vouchers can be used at Virgin Holidays. So you can win that dream holiday you wished for!

If you buy any contract plan including U-Fix with either LG, Sony Ericsson or Samsung phone, you will be automatically entered into prize draw. Winners will be announced on 29th February 2008 and T-Mobile will contact winners on that day, if they will not be able to contact winner in 2 days, T-Mobile will re-draw and choose another winner.

Competition ends 14th February, cancelled contracts will not be eligible.

Check T-Mobile offers here.