Today I received an email from Sky with an "exclusive" invite to join their new MVNO, Sky Mobile.
The email starts "Hi Dave, Sky Mobile is here, and you can be one of the first to join the smart network and enjoy a new way to manage your own data..." ok, so the hook has worked. I'm interested. I've been selected to join their new mobile network. Oh, how special do I feel right now? But it gets better...
"As a Sky TV customer you can get free Unlimited Calls and Texts on up to 5 SIMs - helping you and the whole family Save up to £600 a year." The key phrase here is "UP TO" Telecoms Companies love using "up to" because the average person doesn't register "up to" they just see the words before and after. Saving me £600 a year? Where do i sign?? Most people never achieve the Holy Grail of the "UP TO", whether that is broadband speed or a cash saving amount.
Sky continue to say "Only with Sky Mobile is your unused data yours to keep for three years. We'll automatically Roll it over into your piggybank at the end of every month to use whenever you like." Ok, so that's good. You get to keep unused data for 3 years. I like that idea.
"Simply create a plan that's just right for you. Pick your data and select your free Unlimited Calls and Texts. And no matter what you decide you can choose to change it whenever you like." Flexible plans, nothing new there. Free calls and text, also not a new concept. I think every network offers free calls and texts at some point in their tariffs. Just tell me how much Data you offer...
"1Gb Plan = £10 per month, 3Gb Plan = £15 per month, 5Gb Plan = £20 per month" WHAT?? At what point do Sky expect anybody to have surplus data that they can "piggybank"? I'm not even halfway through the month and I've already uses 6.35Gb. And this is just the SIM only option. Sky haven't even launched their handsets yet. So who is this aimed at? There are already much better SIM only deals out there:
1) EE are offering 10Gb 4G Data, Unlimited Calls + Texts - £19.99 per month
2) O2 are offering 10Gb 4G Data, Unlimited Calls + Texts - £20 per month / 20Gb Data, Unlimited Calls + Text
3) Three are offering Unlimited 4G Data, Calls Texts and 30Gb tethering for £32 per month
Vodafone's SIM only deals are compatible with that of Sky and aren't the best when compared to the other networks, but can be found here.
Sky also boasts "Sky Mobile also gives you a new way to access Sky Entertainment when you’re on the move. For the first time, you can Sync Sky+ recordings to your phone, creating a personal playlist of the shows you love, to watch wherever you want." however if, like me, you subscribe to Sky's flagship Sky Q service you won't be able to access this. A quick skim of the small print and you will see "Sync: Sky TV customers with a compatible device and Sky+ box only (see sky.com/compatible). Not compatible with Sky Q. Selected content only. Sky+ and Sky Go apps required."
So Sky aren't making this feature available to customers of their premium platform? Why? Are Sky abandoning the Sky Q brand because of low uptake or have Sky developed a Next Gen format in Sky Q that isn't compatible with anything without a strong WiFi network?
Speaking of WiFi, Sky also claim you will be able to access millions of Sky wifi hotspots for free, all you need is the Sky WiFi app. Well as an existing Sky Fibre customer I should already be able to access this service for free, right? Well allegedly so, but on downloading the app from the Google Play Store I was cryptically informed that "Sorry, this app isn't supported by the iOS version installed on your handset..." could that be because I'm using Android and not iOS?
Previously, when I've owned iPhones, I've had no problem using Sky applications. The user interface has never been pretty, but they worked. On switching to Android I soon discovered that Sky have little interest in supporting Android as an operating system. Very few of the apps in the Google Play Store are compatible across Android devices or various versions of the Android OS.
I have no idea who Sky are aiming their mobile network at as it is currently too expensive for what they are offering and their existing applications aren't fully compatible with my current OS. Add the fact that they have overlooked Sky Q customers for whatever reason, not only will I not be taking a Sky Mobile contact, I am now questioning the value of my £119 per month Sky Q subscription.
Sky, Believe In Better? I do, and I think I can get better somewhere else!
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