Should I buy the Galaxy S4 (Contract)? Suggestions?

[TeaLeaf]

Thought the n4 is over £200+?

I was comparing the £888 S4 contract cost to the Nexus 4 plus a SIM-only deal using the numbers I had quoted earlier:

For your 'free' £888 Galaxy S4 (£37 x  24 months) I'd use the money to buy a Nexus 4 (£239 for 8GB, £279 for 16GB version) and then decide which SIM-only contract I want with the remaining £600+ that you have left.   Just as good as an S4, way cheaper and you get 4.3 right now.    

Check some of the Three SIM only deals - and do you really need unlimited minutes per month?  

£9.90 per month gives 1GB data, 600 minutes and 5000 texts.  

£15 per month gives All-you-can-eat data (unlimited and also allows tethered devices which is seriously handy - most others exclude tethering), 2000 minutes, 5000 texts, 5000 Three-to-Three minutes.

The first deal would save you £360 over the 2 years and I am sure there are plenty of other SIM only deals about.   Personally I use Three, it's a decent network for data which is what I use most.   Giff-Gaff is popular and there are plenty of others, but don't buy an S4 on contract as you pay through your nose for it!

[Snokio]

Amazon were doing the S4 unlocked SIM free for £438 new (Via Samsung, cheaper on Ebay but some people prefer reliable/reputable stores), you could then calculate the same Three Sim deal on top of that?

The phone price is the difference maker (unless I'm missing something?)

Don't get me wrong, the Nexus is a great phone (having owned it's similar brother) and at a great price :thumb:

[TheDvEight]

Something that might sway you:

I'm a serial custom ROM user.   I've never had a smart phone that did not disappoint me in some way and force me to flash a custom ROM onto it, until I had a Nexus 4.   It's the first smartphone that I have owned that just worked right out of the box and did not leave me wanting more or different features.    

I know from talking to others (at the BBQ) that I am not alone in this reaction to the Nexus 4.     This plain vanilla android just seems to work without the need to flash custom ROMs onto it.    When you combine that with the incredibly low price  then I think you have a winner.

^^^ +1

[TeaLeaf]

Amazon were doing the S4 unlocked SIM free for £438 new (Via Samsung, cheaper on Ebay but some people prefer reliable/reputable stores), you could then calculate the same Three Sim deal on top of that?

The phone price is the difference maker (unless I'm missing something?)

Don't get me wrong, the Nexus is a great phone (having owned it's similar brother) and at a great price :thumb:

You're not missing anything, I was suggesting buying a phone was better value than the S4 contract deal he was looking at.    

The direct phone:phone comparison is Samsung S4 @ £438 v £239 (or £279) Nexus 4.

[vladic]

Been looking into the S4 myself as my contract is up in Sept, after all the reading etc I may invest in the phone itself and purchase the Sim only contract, will also look into nexus 4 to see what I think of it

[TommyGuner]

Does the the Nexus and S4 have small or normal sized SIM-card slots?

When I mean small, I mean the same size as the iphone 4 sim card slot.

Because if I consider purchasing the standalone phone (non-contract), and just use the O2 SIM card (from iphone 4, cut it myself) I already have, then that might be cheaper?

[suicidal_monkey]

Small sim, pretty much only the bit with metal contacts left. Same for nexus 4.

[smilodon]

I got a new micro sim thing from O2 simply by walking into the local O2shop and asking. The guy swapped it immediately and within 30 minutes I was back on the network. I'm sure other providers do much the same.

[T-Bag]

Does the the Nexus and S4 have small or normal sized SIM-card slots?

When I mean small, I mean the same size as the iphone 4 sim card slot.

Because if I consider purchasing the standalone phone (non-contract), and just use the O2 SIM card (from iphone 4, cut it myself) I already have, then that might be cheaper?

I believe it has the Mini sim card along with any other recent phone (excluding the iPhone 5 which uses the nano format...you know, to be different).

[TheDvEight]

It has a Mirco Sim Slot ONLY do not cut your NORMAL size sim to try to fit it into the MIRCO slot it will not work I have tried it, go in shop or call customer services to get you a MICRO SIM.

[TeaLeaf]

It has a Mirco Sim Slot ONLY do not cut your NORMAL size sim to try to fit it into the MIRCO slot it will not work I have tried it, go in shop or call customer services to get you a MICRO SIM.

+1.  

They should provide whatever sized SIM card you need, almost certainly for free.

[TheDvEight]

It's not always free depends who you're with virginmedia wanted me to pay £5 but I refused to pay it so they sent it for free.

[TeaLeaf]

Another great customer service form Virgin :sad:

[suicidal_monkey]

It has a Mirco Sim Slot ONLY do not cut your NORMAL size sim to try to fit it into the MIRCO slot it will not work I have tried it, go in shop or call customer services to get you a MICRO SIM.

Cutting down a normal sim is simple enough, but there is a chance you might damage the sim and it is done at your own risk, so if your operator will give you a replacement (most well do for free - phone them or check with their online chat advisors) you should definitely get an official replacement!

fwiw, I've successfully cut down two normal sims using kitchen scissors and a Stanley knife. For the first one i used a stick-on template as a guide, for the 2nd i used a ruler and a marker pen to draw a guide on the sim myself... Took an initial cut followed by a bit of trimming but I wasn't exactly surgical! They both work fine, one lives in a nexus 4, the other in an S4. There are certain sim cards that have a larger-than-normal area (rounder, almost circular, as opposed to rectangular) of metal contacts and these probably won't work, but I've not seen them in the UK. YMMV

[Gandalf]

cutting them down is easy. I used a scalpel. Just score it several times and it'll go.