Coming from the UK I'm used to getting a free Xbox 360 + handset + gazillion minutes with any new phone contract Are mobile phone contracts as heavily subsidised by the Swiss telcos, and if so does anyone have any recommendations of where I should be shopping? I'm guessing not the Sunrise/Orange/Swisscom shops on the high street.

I currently am in the same situation, any advice recieved most gratefully!

Caoimhe

The subsidies aren't as heavy here and you'll do well to walk away from the shop feeling anything other than robbed. Take your phone from the UK, unlock it and choose a half decent tarriff. Good luck.

If I went 'sim-only' would I get a better deal?

A better deal, I'm not sure but it'd mean you wouldn't have to spend a huge chunk on a phone (they're not usually so heavily subsidised).

Swisscom is the biggest network and most people I know (including work) use them. Sunrise is supposedly decent too. http://www.comparis.ch/telecom/mobile.aspx might help you with mobile phones and other stuff you need in Switzerland.

Here, you actually have to pay for your SIM card which I find absurd. In Ireland when I was there they cost 5chf and came with 15chf credit (pay as you go).

When I was in Ireland you paid 95Euro for a mobile phone with 100Euro credit (if i remember correctly). I think texts were free too. Meteor mobile was the funniest operator I have seen, they would occasionally loose the whole network covering Dublin.

In Switzerland I've been amazed that despite spending a great deal of money with them Orange are just not interested in giving me free stuff. With Orange UK I could phone up and ask for any new handset, even half way through the year and they used to send it to me FOC. I have actually had to PAY for a handset in Switzerland, it's insane.

Okay so if I buy a unlocked iphone from the UK can I get a iphone sim contract in Switzerland or will i be better of getting a iphone contract with the actual phone in Switzerland?

Hmmm...just saw this thread and thought Castro was joking...

...and then I saw the date on the post.

PS: Castro, I hope you found a great deal then.