Smart Phone Advice

[rsvp]

Hello everyone and happy Christmas to you all.
Like computers I know nothing about smart phones but my daughter has suggested I get one as it's becoming almost impossible to keep in touch with her via skype due to her very intermittent internet signal.
She says 'whats app' will work well for us to keep in touch on a regular basis.
All I want from a phone is to make calls (low usage) use this whats app thingie and take photos to load on my computer then post on f/b etc - please would some one recommend a suitable phone for me - how do you actually pay for your calls (I have a payg at the moment), do I get a contract and will the new phone come ready to use but with a new telephone number or do I have to get a sim card?
Sorry for so many questions but AB has always given an old fogey like me really good advice - and in simple terms so I can understand!!! Many thanks

[Guilbert53]

I think you should get a contract. This gives you a phone and a SIM with a number of free calls and free texts a month and a certain amount of data (for connecting to the internet).

If you go into a phone shop they can suggest a contract and when you sign up they give you a free phone (usually) and you pay so much each month (£15 or £20 say). Dont let them talk you in to paying much more as you dont need a great phone or a lot of internet data

The contract will be for 2 years and at the end of that time you will have paid for your phone and you can either get another up to date phone (usually for free) or you can "keep" the phone and just pay for the SIM (say £10 a month).

I would get a phone that runs Android (this is the software that controls the phone) as millions of people use Android so it is very easy to get help.

Note you don't need to download your photos from the phone to your PC to put on Facebook, you can load them directly on to Facebook from your phone.

Also Whatsapp is is easy to use and is free.

There are plenty of inexpensive phones, the shop will show you the choice at the "low end". However get a decent size screen as modern smartphones can show a lot of data so it needs to be a decent size.

Nokia has just bought out some decent Android phones that wont be too expensive, but to be honest there are loads of others.

NOTE: You can BUY the phone (sim free) from Argos for example (or from a phone shop) and then JUST get a sim monthly contract. So the phone is yours straight away and you just pay so much a month for the SIM (£10 or so).

[Old_Geezer]

WhatsApp sends text messages; and pictures/videos/voice files to others in your mobile directory who have WhatsApp installed. I think you can also make calls using it.

You can be contract or payg.

You can keep your number if you request it, but if you aren't changing provider you merely have to swop SIM (if it takes the same size).

Go check a few handsets out, see what you like in your price range.

[Old_Geezer]

Fir interest I buy the handset separately (cheaper in the long run) and have a payg SIM. Use WiFi for internet stuff to avoid data charges. Works for me, but there again I don't feel the need for permanent data connection.

[rsvp]

As always, wonderful, clear and comprehensive advice from A/B - thank you so much - I'll go off and digest this. Guilbert 53 and OG I am really grateful for the very clear advice. Stay well

[paul1763]

if you want to stay on payg and keep your number you will have to buy a phone on your particular network, or you you can buy a contract phone and transfer your number or you can buy a phone outright and get a sim only contract and you'll still be able to transfer your number. it will mainly depend on how much you want to spend on a phone.there are always cheap ones going on facebook but get someone who's in the know to check it out first

[rsvp]

Thank you Paul1763 - it would be easier to keep my number so that is certainly something else worth thinking about. Stay well

[TheChair]

As both Skype and Whatsapp use essentially the same technology to communicate via the Internet, it's difficult to see how switching from one to the other will overcome her poor Internet connection problems.

[rsvp]

sorry about the delay in replying The Chair, have been away - she lives overseas and at the base of a mountain - her partner works in very inaccessible locations throughout southern Africa, occasionally further afield - they have found that whatsapp works far better than skype.