Mobile phones: FAQs
Can I use my phone with a Sim card from another network?
The SIM card allows you to swap phones and keep your number
With handsets bought without any Sim card, exchanging the Sim shouldn't be a problem. The exception is if you've bought a handset to use on the Orange network.
Orange tinkers with the software on phones supplied for use on its network, and claims this offers useful extra services that are often not part of that handset's standard software.
This is why Orange handsets carry an Orange badge, and this practice also means these handsets cannot be used on another network unless factory settings are restored by a dealer – this may invalidate the handset warranty, though.
The other networks often lock their phones so they can only be used with the original Sim card, a practice known as Sim-locking. Your network can provide you with a special code to unlock your phone for use with other Sims, but may charge you to do so.
What should I do if my phone is stolen?
Inform your network (or service provider) as soon as possible so it can bar your account. This will limit your liability for any further fraudulent calls made, but you'll still have to pay for any made before you notified them.
If you had previously noted down the handset's 15-digit IMEI number (accessed by typing *#06# into the phone, but sometimes found on the original packaging too), the network should be able to block that handset from working on any other UK network, rendering it worthless. If you have mobile phone insurance, or the phone is covered under your house contents policy, check the terms and see if you're able to claim.
Is it true the sound quality of phone calls varies according to which network I am connected to?
We test phones on the two frequencies currently used by the main operators - 900 MHz (O2 and Vodafone) and 1800 MHz (Orange, T-Mobile, Fresh and Virgin).
In the past we have reported on differences in sound quality and reception between these frequencies, but tests show these differences are becoming ever slighter. So the sound quality ratings we give are representative of sound quality using that handset on any network.
But as you'd expect, network coverage can also have local effects on sound quality, so it's worth checking which networks have the best coverage in your area.
How much actual difference is there between phones in terms of sound quality?
There are only slight differences between handsets in intelligibility of calls. A less obvious factor is how the phone fares in places where the signal coverage is poor.
Some phones can maintain a link in mobile phone 'black spots' much more happily than others.
What is predictive text?
It helps you write text messages more quickly. For example, instead of pressing the 7 key four times to enter the letter 's', predictive text allows you press the key once only.
It then attempts to predict the word you're typing, based on which keys you have pressed – giving you a choice of words, where several could be created from the same combination of keys.
Once you're used to the system, it makes writing text messages much quicker. Predictive text is found on almost all new mobile phones, and we now consider it a standard feature you should expect of modern handsets.
If this feature is important to you, check with your retailer to make sure the handset has it.
Can all phones be used with Apple Mac computers?
The short answer is no, they can not. For many users this won't matter, but if you're buying a music phone and intend to add tracks saved on your Mac it could be a real problem.
If in doubt check manufacturers web sites for information. Unless they actively specify that their model is Mac compatible, it's likely that it won't be.
How reliable are manufacturers' claims regarding battery life?
Claims on battery life should be taken with a pinch of salt
The manufacturers' figures you see advertised in most mobile phone shops assume the phone will be used under ideal conditions, so should be taken with a pinch of salt.
In reality, signal strength will play a large role in dictating the battery life – the weaker the signal, the harder the phone has to work to maintain a connection. Our battery ratings factor in the time taken to recharge, and the 'intelligence' of low-battery warnings, so are a better overall indicator of battery performance.
Do mobile phones cause cancer?
In September 2007 a major six-year research programme concluded that mobile phones and base station do not pose health problems to adults in the short term. It also found no evidence that they caused the symptoms described as electrical hypersensitivity, which up to 4 per cent of people in the UK describe as a tingling or dizziness in the presence of electrical signals.
However Lawrie Challis, the chairman of the Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research (MTHR) programme and emeritus professor of physics at the University of Nottingham, also announced that they were unable to rule out the risks of brain or ear cancers for people who have used mobiles for more than 10 years. Further investigation of this result is a priority for the next phase of their work, which will also study the effects of mobile phones on children's health.
The £8.8m MTHR programme was joint-funded by the government and the mobile phone industry in response to Sir William Stewart's independent inquiry into the safety of mobile phones in 2000. He concluded that the phones seemed to pose no problems but recommended further study. In 2005, Sir William urged parents to limit their children's use of mobile phones as a precautionary measure and said under-eights should not use them at all. Prof Challis said that his group's research had not found anything to contradict that advice.
I've upgraded to a new handset. What can I do with my old one?
Most networks and mobile-phone shops are part of the Fonebak recycling scheme. If you return your phone they will either recycle the components or repair, re-furbish and send the phones on to areas where new phones are prohibitively expensive, such as Africa or Asia.
Companies such as Mopay and Envirophone will buy your old phone while there are also loads of charities that will gladly take it off your hands. For instance, Oxfam say that each working handset is worth £5 to them – so far they've raised £300,000 through their recycling scheme and kept around 22,500 kilos of electronic waste out of landfill sites.
Read our guide on how to recycle your mobile phone for more information.