why is it that PAY AS YOU GO mobile is cheaper than HANDSETS only?

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twinnie

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I am going to the Philippines for 4 mos. and have a Pay as you go phone QUAD band bought in the UK, if my credit runs low how can I top it up? Also, after my holiday I would like to give my phone to my friend. Is there anyway he can use it and change the SIM card? Or it won't work? Is it better to buy a handset only here in the UK? But if I buy handset only it cost more and I am on a limited budget. Also, one of the reason I would like to have phone is because if I got lost in the airport it will be easy for me to call my friend on my mobile. I hope someone can help me.
I am going to the Philippines for 4 mos. and have a Pay as you go phone QUAD band bought in the UK, if my credit runs low how can I top it up? Also, after my holiday I would like to give my phone to my friend. Is there anyway he can use it and change the SIM card? Or it won't work? Is it better to buy a handset only here in the UK? But if I buy handset only it cost more and I am on a limited budget. Also, one of the reason I would like to have phone is because if I got lost in the airport it will be easy for me to call my friend on my mobile. I hope someone can help me.

another question for Mickey T.
if I buy unlocked PAYG phone here in the UK, will I still be able to buy airtime because I will use the phone for 4 months and when I am about to come back here in the Uk I will give it to my friend. Sorry I have too many questions. I haven't got a clue how mobile work to be honest with you.
 
If you buy a pay as you go mobile it's generally locked to one provider - it'll only accept their SIM cards. This means that they can sell it cheaply because you'll end up giving them a lot of money for top-ups, so they'll get their money back and then some.

It may be worth buying a PAYG phone and having it unlocked.

I'm not an expert on the subject but if you have an unlocked phone then it should accept any SIM. You could buy a PAYG SIM in the Phillipines, if they have them there - then you'd be able to buy credit there. You could also buy a lot of credit before you leave the UK for your UK SIM. Using a UK SIM abroard can be very expensive. If you're going to buy a phone and then have it unlocked, choose your model and then ask at the place where you'll have it unlocked if it's possible for them to unlock that model before you buy it - they can't do some of them. They can prob do most Nokia but are unlikely to be able to unlock a Phillips, for example. If their network and your phone contract support data transmission at a reasonable cost then it could be worth using a phone that supports Skype.
 
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