After returning my Blackberry Bold after not being completely happy with it I still need a new phone. I really like the HTC Desire but just need to find what the best network for the phone is and the best contract deal. I need it to be an 18month contract and have unlimited internet (don't know how true this is depending on the network) and unlimited texts.

Also does anyone have any info about the phone? Good or bad reviews? It's looks good and should be an awesome phone. Then again so should have been the Blackberry.

Best deal I did was a sim only monthly deal aka "rolling contract" with 30 days notice.

£20pcm 300mins, unlimited txts & "unlimited" internet access+emails - Vodafone.

They kept pestering me to do a longer term contract, but the way my job's going at the moment I wouldn't even consider it, in fact I'd recommend it to anyone because if the worst did come to the worst & you did lose your job, you'd only have to find £20.

Edited 3 June, 201016 yr by Evening Star

Good point. But you still have to buy the phone separately? The Desire is around £400 new.

got an HTC HEro from 3 on 18 months for £24 unlimited internet and 700 minutes/texts .

I got the Desire from three for £27 a month with 300 mins, unlimited txts and internet.

Phil

I'm with T-Mobile for mine - unlimited Internet (and never any issues with quotas unlike many of the other providers) included and I think it's something like £30 a month on an 18 month contract with unlimited texts too, great device

Edited 4 June, 201016 yr by thetapeworm

Orange for me - unlimited web (fair usage applies) unlimited txts & 600 mins for £30 month

Got mine from the carphone warehouse as they do unbranded ones, means you don't get all the orange crap on it

Got mine from the carphone warehouse as they do unbranded ones, means you don't get all the orange crap on it

I got an undranded one too from Three. They were selling those as they had a shortage of three branded ones.

Vodafones unlimited internet has a fair use policy of just 500MB per month, very easy to consume on a smartphone.

T-Mobile unlimited internet has a fair use policy of 3GB per month, which is what I have my HTC phone connected to.

Whichever network you chose make sure it has coverage where you want to use it. For example, my T-mobile phone does not work at all in the hotel I am spending 3 nights a week at in Dorset. Orange on the other hand has full signal.

Vodafones unlimited internet has a fair use policy of just 500MB per month, very easy to consume on a smartphone.

T-Mobile unlimited internet has a fair use policy of 3GB per month, which is what I have my HTC phone connected to.

Whichever network you chose make sure it has coverage where you want to use it. For example, my T-mobile phone does not work at all in the hotel I am spending 3 nights a week at in Dorset. Orange on the other hand has full signal.

That wont be a problem soon when T and Orange merge together and share transmitters!

I pay £30 a month for Unlimited texts/Internet and 700mins on T-Mobile

I am a 'loyal' customer though.

That wont be a problem soon when T and Orange merge together and share transmitters!

That all depends on what t-mobile does with the data plans, wether they become more like orange rather than orange becoming more like t-mobile.

I'm with T-mobile at the moment and never had a problem with data, if it was not for the rubbish signal i've been getting recently with them, i would probably stay with them when my contract is up.

Good point. But you still have to buy the phone separately? The Desire is around £400 new.

There is that, however, it also means that if you were to become unemployed you could quite easily sell the phone separately & swap the sim over to a £20 sim free cheapy one from amazon or play.com and you're not tied to a contract other than the 30 days.

If you were just into a 18/24 month contract & were suddenly made unemployed, you'd be in the brown stuff because you'd have to pay a large sum of money to get out of it £360 upwards (based on a low £20pcm contract).

That all depends on what t-mobile does with the data plans, wether they become more like orange rather than orange becoming more like t-mobile.

I'm with T-mobile at the moment and never had a problem with data, if it was not for the rubbish signal i've been getting recently with them, i would probably stay with them when my contract is up.

Yep i hope they don't turn too much like Orange - their customer service is abysmal. I have a blackberry on Orange as my work phone and the signal is always bad on that. Never really any probs with T mobile especially with the 3G coverage and fast internet when connected to laptop.

Yep i hope they don't turn too much like Orange - their customer service is abysmal. I have a blackberry on Orange as my work phone and the signal is always bad on that. Never really any probs with T mobile especially with the 3G coverage and fast internet when connected to laptop.

This was one of the reasons I sent my Blackberry back. The Bold uses UMA which goes through my Wireless connection at home to boost signal. It was really hit and miss. Sometimes working sometimes not.

Would a 1GB limit be enough for this phone? Virgin offer 1GB and T-Mobile offers 3GB but the contract costs a little more a month.

Unles you plan to root the phone and use wireless tethering along with downloading alot of things, I doubt you would use 1gb. I would still go for as high a limit as possible if only for the safety net to avoid overuse charges.

Unles you plan to root the phone and use wireless tethering along with downloading alot of things, I doubt you would use 1gb. I would still go for as high a limit as possible if only for the safety net to avoid overuse charges.

I should be fine then. I wouldn't be tethering and the phone would be using the wireless connection while at home so wouldn't be using 3G Internet then. I can get it on Virgin for £25 a month for 2 years with 600mins, unlimited texts and Internet with a 1GB limit. I'd want it for 18 months so it goes up to £30 which I don't mind. With Virgin if you go over it's 30p a day with a 25MB cap. Last time I was in the shop they said they also offer other discounts because my parents are also customers and I'm a student. Ideally I'd like to buy the contract over the phone/ online because of the Distance Selling Directive so that if I don't like the phone I can cancel. But by the reviews and what everyone is saying it's an awesome phone and I don't have much to worry about.

I'm gonna pop into town to see what they and T-Mobile offer. The T-Mobile site doesn't have any tidy offers for 18mth contracts, all of which you have to pay for the phone.

this may be worth considering for any o2 customers

http://myhtcdesire.com/deals/deal-htc-desire-285-on-o2

then getting a 12 months sim only deal

this may be worth considering for any o2 customers

http://myhtcdesire.com/deals/deal-htc-desire-285-on-o2

then getting a 12 months sim only deal

That's a good deal. Hope someone makes use of that as it would be a shame to miss it for that price!

That's a good deal. Hope someone makes use of that as it would be a shame to miss it for that price!

yes I have taken advantage of it and it does work.

I am still not sure if o2 have actually "dropped off" with this or not!