Tips for Students on Save Money on Their Phone Contracts
Given that Portsmouth is a city with high-speed connectivity, it isn’t surprising that more than half the students who visit our site do so with a mobile device. 4G service is available throughout much of the city, including on the University’s campus. Students like yourself can use your mobile devices to access social media sites like Facebook, Snapchat, and Whatsapp. You can also use your phone to check your University Gmail account. Before you can take advantage of all of these benefits, however, you first need to sign up for a phone contract. Trying to choose between the various networks and contracts that are out there can be difficult.
Which Networks Are The Most Popular? After researching the most popular networks, we found that approximately a third of the students in Portsmouth are under contract with O2 Mobile. 28% of the students, on the other hand, use EE. In the past, Vodafone has had some issues in Portsmouth. Although the company resolved those problems, it could explain why a mere 20% of students use Vodafone today. Three Mobile is used by just 17% of students.
Tip #1 – Don’t Choose A Carrier Based Solely On Price Saving money is important for students, which is why you may be tempted to look for the least expensive plan. Keep in mind, however, that you may be charged as much as 60p per minute if you go over your limit with some of the cheapest providers. Before signing up for a plan, verify that it provides enough data and minutes so that you don’t have any overages that you need to pay for.
Tip #2 – Insure Your Phone It isn’t uncommon for today’s smartphones to cost as much as £500. Considering that you take your phone with you everywhere you go, it is important to take steps to protect yourself in case it is damaged. What happens if you drop your phone in the toilet or if it is accidentally smashed? If your phone is insured, you can recoup your expenses. If it isn’t, you will be out all of the money that you spent on it. When you consider this, it is easy to see why a low-cost insurance plan for your device is a smart investment.
Tip #3 – Pay Attention to Tariffs When Calling Abroad If you frequently travel abroad, keep an eye on any data roaming charges. Typically, these charges are much higher than your standard tariff. Although the EU has enacted laws to reduce the cost of these charges, any calls outside of the EU can still be extremely expensive. If you are an international student or if you frequently call people who live out of the country, check the tariffs to ensure that you won’t have to pay too much.
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Tip #4 – Negotiate a Better Price at the End of Your Contract If your contract is about to end, there are a few different paths that you can take. You could upgrade to a new phone and a new plan. Alternatively, you could keep your existing phone and move to a SIM-only plan. You may even want to consider switching networks if you can find a better plan. No matter what path you choose, it is always worth trying to haggle. Figure out exactly what you need in a plan, research the available options, and contact your current provider to see if they will work with you on the price. Even though negotiating like this can be a little bit intimidating, this is the perfect time to get a better deal on your plan. Don’t let the chance to save slip through your fingers. Carriers typically do everything that they can to hold onto their customers. If they feel like you are going to move to a different company, they will usually be happy to make some changes to your plan to keep you as a customer.
Tip #5 – Lower Your Bills With The Help Of Apps Today, there are a number of apps available that are designed to help you limit your data usage, minutes, or texts. Using apps like these could allow you to sign up for a smaller plan, which could add up to big savings. One app you may want to try is O2 Wi-Fi. This app automatically connects to free hotspots. You don’t need to have an O2 plan to take advantage of it. BT Internet users can enjoy similar benefits with the BT Wi-Fi app. The developers of the Onavo Extend app claim that it can reduce your data usage by as much as 80% by compressing the data. Using messaging apps such as WhatsApp may help you send fewer texts.
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