Put it this way, the hardest part about switching networks is deciding how you are going to spend all that money you’ve saved!”

Some of the networks and retailers attempt to shroud the process of switching in black smoke and mystery for the obvious reason that they just don’t want you to leave. Moblee likes to make things simple and help wherever we can which is why we’ve created this guide – to show you just how simple it really is!

This guide is for the benefit of anyone looking to switch networks that wants to keep their same number. If you just want to switch, there really isn’t much to the process other than cancel one and move to the other.

The first part of this guide involves finding a mobile phone deal that is worth switching for… so take a look at your current deal and then compare that with the awesome deal you’ve found using Moblee’s swish deal comparison tool.

So you definitely know there is a deal worth switching for? Great!

How do you keep your number?

We understand that keeping the same mobile number when you switch is crucial, and it is pretty easy to do. All you need is your PAC code which stands for Porting Authorisation Code. This can be obtained from your existing supplier and taken with you to your new provider.

Contact customer services of the network you are currently on and tell them you are leaving and that you would like your PAC code. Ask that it is either given to you over the phone there and then or that it is text to you. Some will attempt to fob you off with a letter containing the PAC code “within 7 days”. Insist that you get it right-away.

Once you’ve got your PAC code you just need to keep a note of it and then make the switch to your new provider. Tell them your PAC code and they handle the switchover.

Bear in mind that it is only valid for 14 days so you need to act fast AND that some networks take around 2 days to port your number which means you will be on a temporary number until then.

What to look for

• Sturdiness
• Battery life
• Design
• Features
• Price

Sturdiness

Really if you are looking for a phone without the fuss then you want to find a phone that will stand up to getting knocked about a bit. The fact is that the more ‘moving parts’ something has, the more chance it has of going wrong if the slightest microchip should get knocked out of place.

Battery Life

The more a phone does, the worse the battery life tends to be. This isn’t a hard and fast rule but it certainly rings true when you look at the high-spec phones like the iPhone which has a notoriously short battery life. Anyway, if you are looking for an easy to use phone then you really want to find a phone with a minimum of 10-14 days standby time, that’s not to say you will get that specific length of time but it is certainly a good indicator of the battery life you can expect.

Design

Phones tend to come in 3 forms; candybar, clam-shell and slider. The one you choose is obviously down to you and your personal preference but here’s an explanation of the various forms.

Candybar is the most common whereby the keyboard and screen are always on display and the phone is, well, candybar chocolate bar shaped. This has the advantage of being a little more sturdy than the other designs because the hinges can’t break but you do run the risk of the phone operating itself whilst it is in your bag or pocket.

Clam-shell is as you would expect a shell like design which means that the screen and keyboard fold in on themselves to form a pebble or shell like device when the handset is not in use. This has the advantage of protecting the screen from scratches and ensures the phone won’t ‘develop a mind of it’s own’ when it’s in your bag. But remember that sometimes the hinges, on which the phone relies to understand when it is open or closed, can sometimes fail rendering the whole phone useless.

Slider phones are almost a happy medium because they protect the keypad from dialling unwanted numbers when in a pocket but again they also have the same issues of the sliding mechanism failing making the phone useless.

Features

If you are looking for a simple phone then it stands to reason that you should be looking for as fewer features as possible or at least as non-complicated as a phone can get. Talk, text, alarm clock, calculator and maybe a camera are probably the staple requirements anything more and you could risk hindering how easy you find the phone to use. Here at Moblee, we aren’t saying you should be afraid of trying new things but if you simply want a basic phone then why confuse the situation with an assortment of unwanted features?!

Price

This is a big factor and the reason that some people opt for an easy-to-use mobile because not only are they simple to operate but they are also really cheap. You shouldn’t expect to pay much over £40 for an easy-to-use phone because when you think about it, less has gone into the phone (in terms of technology and actual hardware) so it stands to reason that it is cheaper.

Think carefully about the features you actually want and need and then choose an appropriate phone. Why pay more for something you’re not going to need?

To compare simple, easy-to-use mobile phones just click here

Advantages of Android

1. You can install applications from any site
2. Physical menu button allows recent 6 tasks (like ALT+TAB in Windows) – incredibly useful
3. Open source OS – more freedom than if you are inside ‘Apple’s little bubble’ on the iPhone
4. You could install your own home-made applications (if you can build them that is!)
5. Background apps and true multitasking – iOS4 comes close but not quite as smart as Android multitasking!
6. Easy access to the SD card (both from computer and from the phone) so that you can copy and share MP3s, ebooks etc. iPhone says no!
7. Android phones by and large are cheaper than the iPhone
8. Easily removable/replaceable battery whereas the iPhone is essentially a sealed unit! (taking the back off can void the warranty!)

Pros for iPhone

1. Hundreds of thousands of high-quality apps – but Android is catching up fast!
2. More intuitive that most Android phones – the iPhone is great for anyone who just wants technology to work rather than being able to fiddle about with it
3. Proximity sensor – this effectively keypad locks the screen which is useful when you are making calls too so you don’t accidently end the call.
4. Zoom using two fingers – pictures, browser, etc – though some Android phones now also support multi touch

Here at Moblee.co.uk, we don’t just help you compare mobile phone deals we also want to help you get the most out of your mobile. So here are a few tips on how to preserve the battery life of your shiny new mobile!

Device Settings

Bluetooth

Bluetooth drinks power like it’s going out of fashion. If you are not using bluetooth then switch it off.

Screen Brightness

Turning the screen brightness down is easy to do and can save a load of battery. Most phones come pre-loaded with a really bright screen setting, not only can this be bad for your eyes but it destroys the battery life.

Find the right brightness for you and enjoy up to 50% longer battery life. If you have a laptop, you will probably be familiar with how much difference turning the screen brightness down has on the battery life.

GPRS / 3G / WiFi

As with bluetooth, if you are not using these features then switch them off because they all contribute to your phone’s power usage.

Learn How To Charge

This is the biggest mistake most people make with their phone because they are thinking nickel rather than lithium – let us explain…

Batteries have changed with the arrival of new handsets. Most phone batters are now lithium instead of nickel. This means that the principles of charging have changed.

The good thing is that a lithium battery can be charged whenever it needs it without damaging the life of it. Rather than letting the battery run completely flat (not suggested) you should let it drop to around a third before giving it some juice.

The main problem with lithium batteries are experienced when they are left to charge for ages. This causes overheating which causes irreversible damage. Putting it on to charge overnight is absolutely fine but any more and it can cause issues.

A lithium battery will usually last for up to 500 charges, so on that basis you will probably need a new battery every 2 or so years – the battery is very often the thing that goes wrong with a handset as the mobile phone itself is made to last for many years. Replacing the battery can be a quick and cheap way to revive the fortunes of your favourite mobile phone.

In the mobile phone world, there are three deals on offer

• Pay as you go (PAYG)
• Sim-only (SIMO)
• Contract

In this guide, we are going to explain the differences as well as the advantages and disadvantages to help you make the right choice.

Pay-as-you-go (PAYG)

This is the ultimate in freedom because you don’t need to worry about being tied down, providing bank details, running over your allowance. You simply top-up or pre-pay the amount you would like to spend. Many operators don’t even need your personal details so if you are concerned about privacy then PAYG is a good option for you also.

The downsides to PAYG are that you have to top-up rather than being automatically billed, it doesn’t represent very good value for money if you use your phone a fair bit and you will have to purchase a phone which can be expensive if you want a feature-filled one.

Sim-only (SIMO)

This is quite a flexible option because it saves you the hassle of topping up involved with PAYG but frees you from being tied down to a lengthy contract as is required with a contract phone.

SIMO tends to be the best value in terms of getting calls, minutes and internet bundles although the downside is the fact that you still have to purchase a phone to use the SIM in, but you can of course use a mobile phone that you love and save yourself some money instead of going for a full-blown contract.

The way SIMOs work is similar to a contract because you still face a credit check, and will usually have to setup a direct debit. The credit check is less than for a contract phone so this makes SIMOs ideal for those with a chequered credit history that still need something more than a PAYG. Many SIMO contracts are 30 day rolling contracts meaning that you can cancel at any time.

Contract

Whilst a Sim-only is a contract with a mobile network, it only comes with the SIM card as opposed to offering a free phone as part of the deal. This means there is a third type of mobile phone deal with is of course a contract phone.

This type of deal involves you receiving a phone as part of your contract (although the contract is only for the SIM, so if you lose the phone you will have to continue to pay!). A contract will usually last for between 12 and 36 months depending on the tariff and the operator you choose.

Which one is right for me?

• Concerned about privacy, don’t want to worry about a big bill, or just don’t use your phone that much? – Get yourself a Pay-as-you-go
• Not bothered about the phone or want the most minutes and texts for the lowest price? Perhaps you want some freedom? Or you’re a heavy phone user with a chequered credit history – Get yourself a Sim-Only
• Want a good phone but don’t want to pay upfront for it? Don’t want the hassle of topping up? Want to know you’ve always got a way to make a call? – Get yourself a contract phone

The way the Android software works is much the same to other mobile phones except it comes with a whole load of nifty Google applications built in, for example Google Maps and Google Mail.

Any additional apps that you want to get (games, productivity, business, etc) can be downloaded from the Android Market. If the app costs money, you pay for it using Google Checkout. Yep, Android is very intertwined with Google but we don’t really see the issue.

So Android or iPhone?

That’s a question that many people face when they are looking for the right mobile phone. There is no doubt that android is an exciting place to be both from a consumer perspective and to anyone looking to develop applications. Android tries to guarantee the user experience by opening the operating system up whereas Apple is much more uptight and attempts to create a positive user experience by effectively telling people what they want.

This makes android suitable for anyone with technical prowess looking to take their phone that bit further and the iPhone more suited to people who know what they want and need and would much rather live life inside the protected Apple bubble with everything working nicely!

Fancy an Android phone – why not compare them right here?

With pay-as-you-go, you do just that. Adding credit and pre-paying for your mobile phone by purchasing a top-up voucher or using your credit/debit card over the phone. This is in contrast to a contract mobile phone which requires the user to pay a monthly line rental plus any calls and texts on top that fall outside of the agreed bundle.

Essentially it is a preferred choice of people who are looking to avoid being tied down, or for people who don’t use their phone very often. If you are a heavy mobile phone user then a contract plan will almost always end up being cheaper as it is more suited to your needs.

When it comes to purchasing a PAYG mobile phone, we suggest you select the phone you want first and then the network and tariff that suits you best.

What do you want from a phone?

There are usually three types of PAYG mobile phone users;

1. Very infrequent users who need a good value, easy-to-use handset.
2. Infrequent users who are looking for a mid-range handset
3. Frequent users who aren’t too concerned with the price as long as they get the features they want

Getting to grips with what you want out of a phone can help you find the right handset.

• Do you want a standard talk and text phone with limited other features – you are probably a group A
• Are you prepared to pay a little more and get a smarter looking phone with a few more features? – you’re a group B
• Are you looking for a top-of -the-range, awesome handset with all the bells and whistles – you’re a group C

Group As tend to favour phones like the Nokia 1661 and other easy to use phones

Group Bs tend to favour phones like the LG Optimus and other mid-range handsets

Group Cs tend to favour phones like the iPhone or a Blackberry

Our comparison tool helps you to find the phone you want at the cheapest price as well as being able to see at a glance what the different networks offer in terms of PAYG deals.

To get the right mobile phone for you, it is best to break the process down into two stages.

1. Pick the tariff
2. Pick the handset

Sometimes compromises have to be made on the handset and tariff if you are looking to stay within a particular budget.

Here at Moblee.co.uk we think it is important to pick the tariff first. You can do this by using the comparison tool found in the right sidebar. Simply enter the number of minutes, texts and amount of data you need.

Selecting the right tariff for you first (before the handset) is probably the best way to do it because then you don’t become disillusioned by the handset you might be getting – you can stick firmly within your budget.

Understanding yourself and how you use a mobile phone (or how you might use your mobile phone in future) is important because it helps you to find the right handset and the right tariff.

Talk or text?

All mobile phones are capable of doing both but depending on what you intend to use the mobile phone for can affect the decision you make as to which mobile phone tariff to select.

This is basically the deciding factor now across mobile phone deals as you either receive a larger proportion of texts or a larger proportion of minutes – other add-ons like data (internet) can also be included in your plan.

If you are a heavy texter then it makes sense to choose a plan with unlimited texts or a plan with plenty of minutes if you tend to spend a good amount of time talking. Once you’ve narrowed down the basics of the plan (i.e. talk time or texts) you can then set about adding internet and anything else you feel would be necessary.

It is always cheaper to go for the highest plan you can comfortably afford; this is because mobile networks encourage users to stay within their bundled minutes and texts. They do this by making it much cheaper to purchase calls and texts within a bundle rather than being subject to their out-of-bundle charges.

Now to choose the handset

What do you use your phone for?

Really understand yourself and your usage. Be honest with yourself because there is no sense purchasing a phone with all the bells and whistles if you are never going to use them.

• Do you need/want a camera? – camera phones
• Fast internet access
• Dual band/tri band/quad band? – where do you often travel to? What kind of mobile phone requirements do you have whilst you are there? Some phones will only work in certain geographical areas.
• Lots of applications? – iPhone or Google Android phones
• Do you need email capabilities?
• Video recording perhaps?
• WiFi even?

Mobile phones today have a seemingly limitless number of options and features to choose from so spending some time browsing Moblee.co.uk to really figure out what you might need/want is a really good idea.

You should now have a complete mobile phone package and we hope Moblee.co.uk has helped you find what you were looking for.