Upgrade, keep phone new phone, Sim only etc help please

[gazmix]

Hi
So this month I now own my z3 compact. Time to upgrade I dunno as the X compact isn't as good.
How long can my phone last now I've payed for it, surely it's daft to go and get into another 18 month contract to buy another when I've just payed for this but on the other hand generally people upgrade to the next phone don't they.
Are phones designed to last or start playing up once yer paid for them just so yer get the next.

Cheers

[jeffkinn]

What help are you looking for exactly? What advice can we give you?

Yes you should upgrade because if you don't you'll continue to pay the same monthly amount even though you don't need to.

If you take a sim only contract you would be able to upgrade after 3 months to a contract that includes a new phone if you wanted to.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @gazmix

This kind of decision is tailored to the individuals needs and wants. 

Moving to Sim Only can certainly give a person possibly a better set of allowances to use at a lesser price. The 12 Month options can be better than the 30 days. 

As these include no bundled phone then if you wanted a new one your options would be limited to moving back up to a full contract after 3 months or buy one sim free or 2nd hand. 

From my experience buying a phone sim free / 2nd hand and moving to a sim only contract can attract quite a saving. It's just the disposable income to buy the phone outright. 

Another option would be to move to Pay as You Go. 

In regards to your question on how long a phone should last is a subjective matter. 

Over time some phones can slow down or lag due to what they accumulate over time , which can be helped by system cache clear outs and Factory Resets, but then again some phones do not suffer and people keep their current phone for years. 

Batteries have an amount of recharge and discharge cycles before they can start to not last as long. Then again some batteries are removable so they can be replaced. Non removable batteries can be replaced by an authorised engineer. 

Some phones can slow due to the newest firmware being updated onto it. Or some older phones are not included in the compatible list to be given the new update and are no longer supported. 

[gazmix]

Thanks, sorry for the confusion.
My current phone is adequate but I hear that many phones start to go wrong after a few years just at the time it's paid for so am not sure to go sim only.
Phone upgrade would only give me a new phone which wouldn't necessarily be a better one. I currently pay £45 for unlimited texts and calls with 11Gb data. Id like the Z5 but that's last year's so just wondering if in general my z3 compact could go on for years to come. Thanks

[Becca_P]

@gazmix

If you're ready to upgrade, you can see what's available for you using your My Vodafone app or online account. You can also view our upgrades page.

If you'd like further advice, you can contact our Live Chat team or call our Upgrades team on 191 from your Vodafone mobile.

[Makelo]

I don't think phones just 'go wrong' as such and certainly not on purpose but like all electrical devices they can break. In my experience though I think they are more reliable now than they have ever been. I actually think battery life is now more of an issue than reliability, expecially since many now have non user replacable batteries. 

We've had two Sony's in the family recently, a Z1 and a Z3 Compact. Both made it over three years before the battery became a problem and then both almost fell of a cliff in terms of how they deteriorated, going from almost holding charge for a day to a week later barely lasting until lunchtime. I don't know how your's will fare but hopefully this information may help somewhat.

If you are happy with what you have and it still does what you need to do then a SIMO plan is probably the best way to go, there are some decent offers at the moment too. Then just buy a phone as or when you need too or take out a new phone inclusive contract.

If possible I would always recommend buying a phone SIM free coupled with a SIMO plan rather than a phone inclusvie contract. You have much more flexibity to do as you want, the contracts are shorter and over time will usually work out better value than a phone inclusive contract. The downside of course is the cost outlay up front.

[BandOfBrothers]

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@gazmix wrote:
Thanks, sorry for the confusion.
My current phone is adequate but I hear that many phones start to go wrong after a few years just at the time it's paid for so am not sure to go sim only.
Phone upgrade would only give me a new phone which wouldn't necessarily be a better one. I currently pay £45 for unlimited texts and calls with 11Gb data. Id like the Z5 but that's last year's so just wondering if in general my z3 compact could go on for years to come. Thanks

---

* A phone can last for several years if looked after i.e. Not dropped or water damaged.

That said as invariably technology can do it could fail tomorrow!

No one can say what will happen. 

This is one reason Manufacturing Warranties are applied to them. 

Personally I change my phone every 1-2 years. I buy my phones sim free Factory unlocked. 

I'm not sure where you are getting your information that a phone will develop issues after its "paid" for. It's just not true. 

I think I covered quite a bit in my previous post to you on my thoughts with that aspect. 

[gazmix]

OK many thanks. I've seen a sim only plan I think I'll go for.

I just thought it daft that once I've finished paying for the phone I go straight into a contract to buy another that's why I mentioned longevity.

The phone occasionally freezes when I first press to start phone and swipe up and the pull-down screen at the top only works from top left corner but apart for that it's as good as day 1.

[Amanda]

Hi @gazmix

If you've had your phone less than 2 years, then you may still be in your warranty period to get this fixed. 

Take a look at our help page for more information on getting it repaired. 

For help with with moving to a SIM only, please get in touch as @Becca_P has mentioned, earlier in the thread. 

 

[gazmix]

Hi Amanda
My contract is up on 7th April so I do plan to get the Dropdown issue fixed before then.
I've posted on Sony forums about the issue and they tell me to go direct to Sony service centre I'm unsure why when I've said my contract is with Vodafone.