A few weeks ago I was contacted by the lovely folk at Three mobile and asked whether I’d be interested in trying their rolling contract on the Nokia Lumia 530 handset. Having a bit of a phone addiction (is there a Blogger who doesn’t?) I thought I’d give the phone and the plan ago. I was also curious to see whether another network other than my current mobile phone provider might have better coverage in Yorkshire.
The one month rolling contract is ideal for freelancers who don’t have a steady monthly income, or don’t want to be tied into a long-term contract. The one month SIM I’ve been trying costs £20 per month and comes with all-you-can-eat data, 200 minutes and all-you-can-eat texts – all the SIM plans and options are on the Three mobile website here.
The phone itself is pretty basic, but for a phone that only costs approximately £50 I wasn’t expecting it to be up to the spec of my iPhone… The price of the phone makes it totally affordable as a first phone for your teenager. I really love the bright orange colour I was sent – as does Busby!
As someone who uses social media a lot when out and about I was rather disappointed with the lack of apps available for social media platforms in the Microsoft app store. Facebook was pre-installed on the phone, but Pinterest wasn’t available – very annoying as I do a lot of pinning whilst waiting for buses etc. There was also no gmail app available, which was frustrating.
Sadly network coverage wasn’t amazing, and I haven’t had any whatsoever whilst staying in Nick’s parents house. To be fair to Three mobile, they do live in the middle of nowhere… however, I experienced the same when staying with my Mum in Sussex, and she lives in a well-populated area. This has meant that the phone has been rendered fairly useless for texting purposes, as it doesn’t have the same instant messaging service as Apple, which works on Wi-Fi. When I have had coverage, I have enjoyed texting on the device as it’s very easy to use and the predictive text is sensible.
The camera is fairly average, with only 5MP, but again you get what you pay for. I really liked the phone’s internet browser (Internet Explorer – I haven’t used that since school!) – it was fast and responsive, and the nice big screen (4 inch) on the phone meant I could easily read blogs on the go.
Overall, I like the idea of the Three mobile one month rolling SIM, as you’re not tied into a lengthy contract that you might find six months down the line doesn’t work for you. I also think that £20 is very reasonable, especially with the amount of data you get.
In regards to the phone, the Nokia Lumia 530 phone isn’t the one for me – I love my iPhone too much – but I would recommend it if you’re looking for a first phone for your child or for people who don’t like to do much more than text, call and occasionally browse the internet.
Hannah
