My mobile. It's something I will happily say is very important to me. Some people try and deny how much they rely on it, but I have no qualms in saying so, after all, in this modern times we need them for our connectivity and interaction with others, along with the powerful features they have connecting us with the virtual world, via camera functions, internet and SMS.

Currently I'm on Meteor, the Aldi of mobile networks, and my primary phone (for leisure and business) is a Sony Ericsson W995, which I've been loving for six or so months right now. However, I've started to really notice how changing network might be a good move for me. I'm one of those fools who forks out every month for the €20 "free text" offer which is on several operators. But, as much as free SMS is handy, the price isn't quite satisfying me and the value is decreasing. And now I have begun to search and compare the choices I have, from Meteor along with other networks such as Vodafone, o2, Tesco Mobile and also 3.

It's difficult to decide what price-plan really suits you. There are so many, offering different options, that is becomes difficult. For example, on my current pre-paid plan I am topping up twenty Euro a month purely for my free text messages, leaving the money on my account for me to use on phone calls- but I have noticed that this spending is more commonly on internet, which is ludicrously priced. For access for one day's connectivity, at slow 2.5G speeds, I'm paying 99c- which is far from economical, especially in these rough financial times.

I've been looking at 3. They are offering their "Best of Both"  giving me a limited bill, debited automatically from my bank account. It's maxxed out at €15 or €29, and if I need to spend more, I top-up with call credit purchased in a standard shop or online.  Simple, to be honest. With that plan, I can pay €9.99 per month for anytime access to internet from the handset, at an unlimited allowance level. Seeing as I'm spending on average €12-16 per month on additional mobile internet, this would suit me down the ground. My calls are included (minimum 40 minutes) and fee Skype, Windows Live Messenger, along with lots of other junk that I'll never use. I would fit my lifestyle perfectly, methinks.

However, I still have that stigma in my mind at 3 are an awful network, which is no longer the case, I think. They launched on the Irish market a number of years ago, and quite frankly it was messy. They were somewhat slated for customer care issues, along with poor coverage and 101 other things. Since then, I believe that they've cleaned up their act and made things better. But, human instinct has made he still become queasy about splashing out and moving network. If I leave Meteor, I'm losing my free text offer, should I ever return, and I'm brought into a contact with 3. Not ideal.

If only there was a way to try out 3 on the price-plan without being stuck to a sudden commitment. Yes, there are free sim cards and whatnot, but it's not the same as testing out the actual plan that you would be on should you switch.

If you're on 3 and can throw me some thoughts, I'd really appreciate it. I know mobiles are a trivial thing, but as I said, they mean a lot to me.

photo credit: BestBoyZ.de