Apple: Why use o2 in the UK?

[Pagemakers]

Apple, why oh why have you chosen to use o2 as your UK carrier?

Their coverage is awful and their 3G slow.

My HTC S620 can serve pages as fast on T-Mobile as my iPhone can on o2.

I am lucky if I ever see more than 2 bars for a continuous 10 minute period while travelling. I live in Manchester, the UK's second city. 3G coverage is at best, poor. Three, Orange, Vodafone or T-Mobile would have been far better choices.

I love my iPhone (apart from the battery life), but the whole experience is let down by a second rate carrier.

[Phil A.]

With any single provider, you're going to have problems - my experience of O2 is diametrically opposed to your own: Where I live in the Midlands I get 5 bars on O2 3G whereas with Orange previously I used to lose connections all the time, and rarely had more than 2 bars.
Personally, I've got nothing bad to say about O2 - they are much better than Orange or Vodafone in my experience.

[JWages]

Thats how it is in the US too. They went with the carrier that would best meet their demands.

[xchaotic]

Consider yourself lucky, near the Penines, just 30 miles north of Manchester, where I live now, I don't get any coverage (3G or not) at work nor at home! I have to get close to windows or get outside just to make a call :D
I'll be moving soon, however and at home I can use the wi-fi...
So far, I tried T-mobile, Orange and 3, but it's not their fault, it's the terrain.

Still, I'd trade a nice countryside for the newest iPhone anyday.