Tesco Launches iPhone in UK Today

MacRumors · Dec 14, 2009

UK supermarket and retail chain Tesco, which announced late last month that it would begin offering the iPhone through its existing cooperative venture with existing iPhone carrier O2. Today marked the first day of sale for the iPhone via Tesco, offering pricing plans beginning as low as £20 per month, albeit with hefty handset prices at that level.

Tesco's £20 plan includes £60 of calls and texts at the current 20p/minute and 10p/text rates (with half-price charges to 5 favorite numbers) and requires only a 12-month contract. At the higher £60 plan that requires a 2-year commitment, customers can receive a free 8 GB iPhone 3G or 16 GB iPhone 3GS, or a 32 GB iPhone 3GS for only £50. Pay as you go options are also available.

Article Link: Tesco Launches iPhone in UK Today

fabian9 · Dec 14, 2009

MacRumors said:
UK supermarket and retail chain Tesco, which announced late last month that it would begin offering the iPhone through its existing cooperative venture with existing iPhone carrier O2. Today marked the first day of sale for the iPhone via Tesco, offering pricing plans beginning as low as £20 per month, albeit with hefty handset prices at that level.

Tesco's £20 plan includes £60 of calls and texts at the current 20p/minute and 10p/text rates (with half-price charges to 5 favorite numbers) and requires only a 12-month contract. At the higher £60 plan that requires a 2-year commitment, customers can receive a free 8 GB iPhone 3G or 16 GB iPhone 3GS, or a 32 GB iPhone 3GS for only £50. Pay as you go options are also available.

Article Link: Tesco Launches iPhone in UK Today

Wow no included minutes and texts?

The overall money spent at the end of the contract is much lower than on O2, but can quickly ramp up if one isn't careful about how many minutes and texts are used...

EDIT: Just noticed the £60 calls and texts. So that's 300 minutes or 600 texts or a mixture thereof. I guess that's alright...

iZac · Dec 14, 2009

High phone prices, but i guess its a good deal to low use customers. The £20 a month gives you what ... 300 minutes OR 600 text so ... 150 minutes / 300 text split? I guess it wouldn't suit most people looking to buy a phone that basically encourages high use and not many people are going to swallow a £60 monthly fee either.

Still its a good thing in that its a fresh approach, instead of Orange just trying to ape O2s price points.

Im not going to bother to do the lifetime price comparisons, but at least everybody loves 12 month contracts!

BoyBach · Dec 14, 2009

I'm hoping that Tesco's decision to offer a twelve month contract persuades Vodafone to do the same whenever it is that they begin selling the iPhone in 2010.

iZac said:
High phone prices...

Think of the (double) Clubcard points, though!

daneoni · Dec 14, 2009

O2 Simplicity is a far better tariff IMHO

Jasonhenley · Dec 14, 2009

daneoni said:
O2 Simplicity is a far better tariff IMHO

It is, but the trouble with the Simplicity is that it does not offer Visual Voice Mail, and you can only choose one bolt on.

So you would have to give up either the unlimited Web or Wi-Fi.

The people that upgraded / purchased their 3G iPhone on an 18 month contract are now up for renewal, has anyone tried to speak to O2, to say you are leaving for Orange / Tesco? Did you get any better deals?

Diode · Dec 14, 2009

~97 US /month for unlimited calls, text and data doesn't seem like that bad of a deal when you throw in the free 16GB 3GS

alexk82 · Dec 14, 2009

wow 538 pounds for a 32 gb

wow 538 pounds for a 32 gb now thats expensive

torbjoern · Dec 14, 2009

They sell iPhones at Tesco? And I who thought of buying a 3GS soon. Well, this just means that a new iPhone is around the corner. Hopefully, it will be compatible with the new high-speed data-traffic standard, also known as the 4G (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G).

MillieWales · Dec 14, 2009

Jasonhenley said:
It is, but the trouble with the Simplicity is that it does not offer Visual Voice Mail, and you can only choose one bolt on.

So you would have to give up either the unlimited Web or Wi-Fi.

The people that upgraded / purchased their 3G iPhone on an 18 month contract are now up for renewal, has anyone tried to speak to O2, to say you are leaving for Orange / Tesco? Did you get any better deals?

You can have as many bolt ons as you like as long as you pay for them. On the cheapest tariff you don't get one included, but with the others you do, and you can change it to any other bolt on and add any others you fancy. I have unlimited landline calls and unlimited web, I don't see the point in the wifi, I have used it in the past but never found it much faster than 3G to be honest. Most of my calls are to landlines, and for £26 a month I can make all the landline calls I like, 600 mins to mobiles and I have 1200 texts and free internet.

adder7712 · Dec 14, 2009

Why they limit WiFi? It's supposed to be free (my country's iPhone carrier at least).

Mac-Addict · Dec 14, 2009

torbjoern said:
They sell iPhones at Tesco? And I who thought of buying a 3GS soon. Well, this just means that a new iPhone is around the corner. Hopefully, it will be compatible with the new high-speed data-traffic standard, also known as the 4G (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G).

Lol LTE will be rolling out hmm let me think 2015?

daneoni · Dec 14, 2009

Jasonhenley said:
It is, but the trouble with the Simplicity is that it does not offer Visual Voice Mail, and you can only choose one bolt on.

So you would have to give up either the unlimited Web or Wi-Fi.

The people that upgraded / purchased their 3G iPhone on an 18 month contract are now up for renewal, has anyone tried to speak to O2, to say you are leaving for Orange / Tesco? Did you get any better deals?

The new iPhone specific Simplicity Tariff affords you Visual Voicemail & Wi-Fi in addition and its only a 30-day contract

mockbrown · Dec 14, 2009

Mac-Addict said:
Lol LTE will be rolling out hmm let me think 2015?

The world's first(?) 4G network is commercially available as of today, in Stockholm...

http://www.telia4g.se/

Bennieboy© · Dec 14, 2009

adder7712 said:
Why they limit WiFi? It's supposed to be free (my country's iPhone carrier at least).

this is england, we get screwed for everything

instaxgirl · Dec 14, 2009

torbjoern said:
They sell iPhones at Tesco? And I who thought of buying a 3GS soon. Well, this just means that a new iPhone is around the corner. Hopefully, it will be compatible with the new high-speed data-traffic standard, also known as the 4G (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G).

Ignoring the 4G thing there won't be a new iPhone until June at the very earliest. They're on a yearly release schedule, and are updated every Summer.

torbjoern · Dec 14, 2009

Mac-Addict said:
Lol LTE will be rolling out hmm let me think 2015?

mockbrown said:
The world's first(?) 4G network is commercially available as of today, in Stockholm...

http://www.telia4g.se/

In Oslo as well: http://www.netcom.no

torbjoern · Dec 14, 2009

instaxgirl said:
Ignoring the 4G thing there won't be a new iPhone until June at the very earliest. They're on a yearly release schedule, and are updated every Summer.

The last 2 iPhones were released in Summer, that's correct - July 2008 and June 2009. We can't, however, make deductions about the dates of forthcoming releases on this basis. After all, the first 2 iPhones were released in Sept 2007 and Feb 2008.

Apple does obviously have release schedules - for iPhones as well as Xserves - but these schedules are known by Apple only.

noshjewman · Dec 14, 2009

adder7712 said:
Why they limit WiFi? It's supposed to be free (my country's iPhone carrier at least).

They don't limit your access to WIFI on, for example, your home network. But there are a bunch of O2 Wifi zones around the country, and some Orange ones, and you have access to this WIFI (plus BT Openzone) within your usage limits.

ggt · Dec 14, 2009

daneoni said:
The new iPhone specific Simplicity Tariff affords you Visual Voicemail & Wi-Fi in addition and its only a 30-day contract

Have you got a link to the iPhone Simplicity Tariff? I can't see it on the o2 website, it sounds really good.

jayducharme · Dec 14, 2009

Diode said:
~97 US /month for unlimited calls, text and data doesn't seem like that bad of a deal when you throw in the free 16GB 3GS

That was my thought, too. Compared to AT&T, it's a bargain -- if their plan truly is "unlimited."

daneoni · Dec 14, 2009

ggt said:
Have you got a link to the iPhone Simplicity Tariff? I can't see it on the o2 website, it sounds really good.

Its not on the site and is currently only being offered to those coming to the end of their contracts...just to keep them. However you can call customer retentions and ask for it....more often than not you'll get it...regardless of contractual situation

Nevis8 · Dec 15, 2009

Nevis8 · Dec 15, 2009

daneoni said:
The new iPhone specific Simplicity Tariff affords you Visual Voicemail & Wi-Fi in addition and its only a 30-day contract

Can you give us some idea of the tariffs for these ?

ggt · Dec 15, 2009

daneoni said:
Its not on the site and is currently only being offered to those coming to the end of their contracts...just to keep them. However you can call customer retentions and ask for it....more often than not you'll get it...regardless of contractual situation

nice one cheers, i'll give them a ring as mine is coming to an end

Tesco Launches iPhone in UK Today

macrumors bot

macrumors 65816

macrumors 68030

macrumors 68040

macrumors G4

macrumors newbie

macrumors 68020

macrumors regular

macrumors 65816

macrumors 6502

macrumors 68000

macrumors 65816

macrumors G4

macrumors newbie

macrumors 65816

macrumors 65816

macrumors 65816

macrumors 65816

macrumors member

macrumors regular

macrumors 601

macrumors G4

macrumors newbie

macrumors newbie

macrumors regular

Our Staff