Upcycling. It’s hot in the world of fashion. From making shrunken jumpers into cushion covers to turning worn-out jeans into skirts, it’s an increasingly popular trend in these austere times.
But have you ever thought about how you could get more out of other things you might just throw away – like your old phone?
Why not upcycle your old mobile?
If you’ve got a fab new phone, spare a thought for your old one. Sure, it may not be the height of fashion – but follow these four steps and it could become an everyday essential that’ll save you a bit of cash.
1. Is there still some life left in it?
Dig out the charger and charge it fully. Turn it on and make sure it still works.
2. Is it 3G?
Check by texting ‘Mobile’ to 78333. If it is 3G, you’ll be able to use the internet on it. If not, you’ll only be able to use it for calls and texts.
3. Is it unlocked?
Often when you buy a phone it’s ‘locked’ to one network. So if your phone’s from Orange but you want to use a Three SIM in it, for example, you’ll need to make sure your phone is unlocked for Three network first.
4. Put in a SIM card.
Here’s where it gets fun. Decide what you want to use your new phone for. Will it be a text phone, a backup phone, a gift-to-the-clamouring-offspring phone…?
Choose a SIM to turn your old phone into an amazing, cash-saving must-have:
Make it your backup phone.
Which SIM?
A free SIM
Price: free!
A Pay As You Go SIM that you can top-up whenever you like or need to. No commitment, no ties. Order one free SIM from Three and we’ll even send you another free SIM along with it, so you can give it to a friend and benefit from cheaper Three-to-Three calls.
Make it your ‘calling-friends-abroad’ phone.
Which SIM?
A Pay As You Go SIM
Price: free, with a £10 top-up
If you’ve got friends or family abroad, you’ll know how expensive international calls can be. But call using our Pay As You Go dialling codes and you’ll get rates from 2p a minute. That means more money for sun cream, grass skirts and plane tickets. See the full list of countries and rates here.
Make it your texting phone.
Which SIM?
A Pay As You Go SIM
Price: free, with a £10 top-up
Old BlackBerrys make great text phones. With QWERTY keypads that make typing super-fast, they’re ideal if all you want to do is exchange text messages. Plus if you don’t want to use BBM and internet services on them, you don’t need to pay the £5.11 a month BlackBerry Charge.
Make it your internet phone.
Which SIM?
SIM 300 with all-you-can-eat data on a 1-month rolling contract
Price: £15 a month (Or get a
A Pay As You Go SIM for free, with a £15 top-up)
Stuck on a contract with another network? Fed up of miniscule data allowances and crazy out-of bundle charges? For £15 a month, this SIM will give you all-you-can-eat data on another phone – so you can enjoy all the internet you like. You don’t even have to leave your current contract.
Not sure which one to get? We recommend PAYG for occasional use, and a rolling contract if you don’t want the hassle of topping up each month.
Make it your kid’s first phone.
Which SIM?
SIM 100 on a 1-month rolling contract
Price: From £10 a month (Or get a
A Pay As You Go SIM for free, with a £10 top-up)
For £10 a month you’ll get a basic allowance of 100 minutes and 3000 texts – plus the peace of mind that they’ll never be caught without credit. Alternatively, let them take control of their spending by choosing Pay As You Go – then they’ll never use more than their credit allows.
An old 2G phone is often a good choice for kids, as they don’t need the added complications of email and internet access on the go.
