Bloody hell - 3 years mobile contracts, is this standard practice? I want to purchase an Iphone when i arrive - not for Vanity - because i use Apple products and my iphone has been invaluable in keeping in contact for business and syncing with my Mac.

Anyone know of any good packages out there? I certainly dont want to pay $659 for a pay and go plan!!!!

Any help, as always, appreciated.

Stuart

Yes normal here. Although some do do a month to month, unsure if they would give you an iphone though.

Either way they guna get ya to pay for that phone.

Yes, everything is a bit shit over here, you're going have to deal with it being a bit shit.

shit. But [B]everything[B] a bit shit !!! Thanks for the motivational talk!

You didn't say you needed a motivational talk you asked about mobile phones and they are, as are most things over here, a bit shit when compared with the UK.

I was only being lighthearted sir!

well i got me a samgsung captivate clever phone and i likes it a lot.
Cost is ok, 3gee works fine and it even makes telephonican voice calls and does word messages. The chances of me never having a cell in 3 yrs is very slim.

Agree - Rogers is like the daddy network (like Vodafone)... 3 years, yeah, I know - too long but the norm.

But I think fido does rolling contracts?

Id have no problem with a 3 year plan normally, but given ive got just enough cash to last me 6-8 months when i land, unless i find a decent job then 3 years would be a bit silly.

Out of interest, are you allowed to upgrade in that period? Three years is one hell of along time in terms of advancing mobile technology.

Stuart

With rogers yes. Upgrade downgrade whatever you need.

BELL, Rogers, they're all the same. You can however barter and negotiate, I phoned one day it a crazy fit of annoyance and told a Rogers person I was going to cancel my landline. They came back with, if you keep it we'll knock 15% off your monthly bills for your landline, cell phone and internet for a year.
Completely took me by surprise so I kept it.

Maybe if I kept up my annoyance act I could have got 30% off.

Lol, remember that there's trade off between blood pressure and getting a good deal! I must admit, I've noticed that shops in Canada are far more likely to engage in haggling compared to the UK.

The other day I went to a tea shop to purchase some posh tea and I couldn't believe that I managed to get a 40% discount!

Your best bet is to get an unlocked phone of your choice, from back home, sent by someone, from back home, and get a SIM only deal with whoever is cheapest for your needs.

My wife did exactly this, and her monthly bill is $25 month to month, on a very nice Nokia.

Me, I'm not so shrewd, and have 24 months of a 36 month iPhone contract at $90/month ($40 of which is essential add-ons ... like caller display, for example. Yes, I pay for that.).

Good luck!

Getting an unlocked iphone will not be cheap even if you buy it in the UK.

What some people do if they cannot maintain their 3 year contract is see if they can find someone to take over the remaider of the term.

It is also possible to break the contract and pay any penalties.

As much as you love the iphone, maybe you should wait until you get that good job you are hoping for first.

I know that the iphone is popular but there are many other phones that work pretty well for someone on a budget.

If you are working on a budget then why are you talking about iphones? Just get a cheap phone on a cheap plan until you find your feet... Simples. I'm sure you can live without it for a while.. after all.. what did you do before the iphone?