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New Zealand Midnight iPhone Launch and U.K. Pre Orders
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It was to be expected. The cheapest handset price always comes with the highest monthly tariff.
What's really funny is the fact that they still want you to pay $199 for the iPhone on a $250 per month plan for 24 months.
That plan amounts to a staggering $6000 in 2 years - and they still want the bloody $199.
For that amount of money, you could buy a brand new Macbook Pro, and pay for home broadband, home phone line and free toll calling for 2 years.
If I buy one, I'll be skipping Vodafone and going to Optus. They're offering unlocked, prepay-compatible iPhones, and I'm sure that they'll be popping up on TradeMe soon enough!
You'll just have to trust that i am in the know, and you are not!
All it says is the presale is online only.
Existing customers and new customers will be able to purchase iphones at stores on friday from 8.02am [some stores are opening normal hours]
I'm sure everyone on here is an expert on how o2 should have delivered the news today but it is ONLY a phone and you have the choice NOT to purchase it.
Simple
Douche
For all the other rational and calm people i'll see you at 8.02am!
Make sure you bring i.d with you, debit/credit is a must, driving licence and passport is handy if there is an issues with your credit vet applications [YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED]
An unlocked prepay Optus 8Gb iPhone will cost NZ$1025 +the costs of duty and shipping (unless of course you happen to buy one next time you're in Oz).
Which is significantly cheaper than $979 plus a Vodafone plan. I may be going to Sydney in September, so we'll see what happens then.
Edit: What am I thinking?! You guys are a bad influence
… I already have an iPod and a phone!
Edit: What am I thinking?! You guys are a bad influence
… I already have an iPod and a phone!
Yup - although there's a subsidy system that applies to their On Account plans. So it's $979 minus the subsidy (depending on the plan and duration). The You Choose 20 for 12 months would take $40 off the handset price, or $80 for 24 months. You get $80 off if you get the 200Mb 3G data plan for 24 months. So You Choose 20 + 200Mb for 24 months would mean a monthly rate of $50, and the handset would be $819.
I have way too much time on my hands.
I was also unpleasantly surprised by the NZ plans. However, they seem to have done their calculations quite well - as a current prepaid customer, it will cost me around $2500 over two years whether I go for the cheapest iPhone plan or a YouChoose 20 plus txts add-on. As I understand it, the subsidy for non-iPhone-specific plans only applies if you already have a contract.
It's not cheap! But I'll be accessing the 'net on wifi from work and from home, and don't think I'll need more than 250MB a month in between those locations. Plus I need a new phone (got passed down a Nokia 6315, which only replaced my Nokia 3210 because its battery was very dead), can happily replace my iPod Nano and have more space (with 16GB), and have a camera and email on me all the time.
I think we'll survive.
It's not cheap! But I'll be accessing the 'net on wifi from work and from home, and don't think I'll need more than 250MB a month in between those locations. Plus I need a new phone (got passed down a Nokia 6315, which only replaced my Nokia 3210 because its battery was very dead), can happily replace my iPod Nano and have more space (with 16GB), and have a camera and email on me all the time.
I think we'll survive.
Vodafone pricing backlash on the Herald site here - a LOT of pissed off people.
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/yo...hone-pricing-plan/?c_id=1501154&commentpage=1
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/yo...hone-pricing-plan/?c_id=1501154&commentpage=1
To qualify for the subsidy, you have to agree to a term contract - even if you are already an On Account customer (like me).
Since you are planning on using Wi-Fi most of the time, you could consider getting the iPhone on a You Choose 20 plan without a data contract (they allow this). That would mean, for example, $19.95 + TXT200@ $7.95 = $27.90 per month. If you signed up for 12 months, that would give you an $40 subsidy on the iPhone, so that would be $939.
That means on a 12 month contract the iPhone would cost you a total of $1273.80.
If you signed up for two years, the subsidy would double, so the overall price would be $1568.60.
Yep the comments are brutal. But mostly justified!
I went in and asked at vodafone today and apparently you can put in on their 'Mega' plan + data. This means you get 200 anytime minutes to 021,029, TXT2000, 1 Best Mate and 20 Anytime national minutes. add on the 200mb data and the plan costs you $70..... or get the 1gb data plan for $49.95 and the total plan costs you $90. thats only $10 more than the lowest iphone plan and you get a hell of a lot more.
John Campbell laughs at the NZ iPhone price
Catch it 7:00pm tv3 it's not word for word but it goes something like this: "..Yes you can get the iPhone for $199, with a plan that will cost you $6000 over two years..." "..We'll be talking to Vodafone..."
Catch it 7:00pm tv3 it's not word for word but it goes something like this: "..Yes you can get the iPhone for $199, with a plan that will cost you $6000 over two years..." "..We'll be talking to Vodafone..."
He ripped the **** out of Mark Rushworth.
'The fact it is a high end phone is quite irrelevant to the argument, so I'm glad John Campbell really pressed the point that we are being charged more for the exact same thing.
I guess Mark Rushworth didn't really have any alternative other than to avoid his questions, because the truth wouldn't exactly show Vodafone in a very good light. It is sad that he resorted to the location argument as Telecom always does with their broadband plans. Given that most websites are hosted in the US, it is a pretty feeble argument that it costs more to get data to New Zealand than the UK, when their very own mobile data plans offer better value (shame you can't get a subsidy or sign up to one of these without having to get a voice plan as well) and Australian prices are significantly lower despite the fact their international data comes in via the exact same cable."
From PCWorld.co.nz chat forums.
'The fact it is a high end phone is quite irrelevant to the argument, so I'm glad John Campbell really pressed the point that we are being charged more for the exact same thing.
I guess Mark Rushworth didn't really have any alternative other than to avoid his questions, because the truth wouldn't exactly show Vodafone in a very good light. It is sad that he resorted to the location argument as Telecom always does with their broadband plans. Given that most websites are hosted in the US, it is a pretty feeble argument that it costs more to get data to New Zealand than the UK, when their very own mobile data plans offer better value (shame you can't get a subsidy or sign up to one of these without having to get a voice plan as well) and Australian prices are significantly lower despite the fact their international data comes in via the exact same cable."
From PCWorld.co.nz chat forums.
Got through an order for iphone to O2 yesterday morning on second attempt (new account) had the credit check call at about 11:00 but then no emails at all and account login said I had no orders. Just phoned through and got through to a very helpful lady who advised that she had had to re-do the order but that I would still get the phone on Friday (She did say it would arrive tomorrow but I very much doubt that).
So good thing I phoned to check really but as a new customer with O2 not impressed so far.
Does make me wonder if Apple would not have been better just selling the phone for £300 and making it open to any of the networks as they are not in control of the service that O2 are providing on their behalf.
the order but that I would still get the phone on Friday (She did say it would arrive tomorrow but I very much doubt that). So good thing I phoned to check really but as a new customer with O2 not impressed so far.
Does make me wonder if Apple would not have been better just selling the phone for £300 and making it open to any of the networks as they are not in control of the service that O2 are providing on their behalf.
Further UK Stocks
Might be a bit of a conspiracy theory, but does anyone think there may be any truth in this? I'm a bit confused by the fact that both the o2 and CPW websites seem to suggest more stock coming.
1) 2G iPhone launches in UK. This is a key market for Apple particularly in light of weak dollar. Sales are very disappointing. Even the few that are sold are predominently unlocked.
2) Apple scratches head, no doubt having expected us to lap it up as in the US.
3) Apple thinks lack of success is PROBABLY down to high price of phone but cannot be sure.
4) Because of above, UK becomes the hardest market globally to allocate stock for. It could be a huge success (given new price and arguably the best tarriff offer anywhere) or a failure again. It would be soul-destroying to have stock gathering dust in UK and selling out elsewhere.
5) Brainwave. Why not make UK one of the only markets in the world to offer a pre-order? That way, you can gauge demand and if it is very high, actually divert some more stock destined for other markets with lower demand (particularly those like NZ and Canada where public reaction has been angry about plan prices). Just about enough time to get the stock to UK warehouses in time for 10th or 11th July.
I just wonder if this is why both o2 and CPW websites seem to imply they will have more availability at the end of the week?
Might be a bit of a conspiracy theory, but does anyone think there may be any truth in this? I'm a bit confused by the fact that both the o2 and CPW websites seem to suggest more stock coming.
1) 2G iPhone launches in UK. This is a key market for Apple particularly in light of weak dollar. Sales are very disappointing. Even the few that are sold are predominently unlocked.
2) Apple scratches head, no doubt having expected us to lap it up as in the US.
3) Apple thinks lack of success is PROBABLY down to high price of phone but cannot be sure.
4) Because of above, UK becomes the hardest market globally to allocate stock for. It could be a huge success (given new price and arguably the best tarriff offer anywhere) or a failure again. It would be soul-destroying to have stock gathering dust in UK and selling out elsewhere.
5) Brainwave. Why not make UK one of the only markets in the world to offer a pre-order? That way, you can gauge demand and if it is very high, actually divert some more stock destined for other markets with lower demand (particularly those like NZ and Canada where public reaction has been angry about plan prices). Just about enough time to get the stock to UK warehouses in time for 10th or 11th July.
I just wonder if this is why both o2 and CPW websites seem to imply they will have more availability at the end of the week?
While I think there's a whiff of something fishy regarding O2's handling of the ordering yesterday, and a complete stink with regard to their customer service in general, I don't think there's a massive conspiracy going on.
I expect they have a bunch of units aimed at online sales and a bunch of units for sale in stores, and they don't want to (or can't) reallocate units between the two batches. They may also simply be expecting another batch of stock at the end of the week.
If there's anything else going on at all, it's simply that O2 decided that having more people under contract was better than keeping existing contract holders happy. A simple business decision, albeit a rather short-sighted one.
Its simple really, there was an allocation for online, a there will be stock at o2 stores on friday!
It really was o2 just trying to be nice and offer the customer the chance not to queue!
People on here are crazy!
It is just a phone!
It really was o2 just trying to be nice and offer the customer the chance not to queue!
People on here are crazy!
It is just a phone!
Got through an order for iphone to O2 yesterday morning on second attempt (new account) had the credit check call at about 11:00 but then no emails at all and account login said I had no orders. Just phoned through and got through to a very helpful lady who advised that she had had to re-do
So good thing I phoned to check really but as a new customer with O2 not impressed so far.
Does make me wonder if Apple would not have been better just selling the phone for £300 and making it open to any of the networks as they are not in control of the service that O2 are providing on their behalf.
Mate I saw another post by tou about T.Wells, do u think there will be big queues at T.Wells because I couldn't preorder so I am goin in on Fri morning.
I think they're just thinking that Friday is the deadline for them to figure out what went wrong yesterday with the pre-order since that's when the phone will be available in the shops.
The whole stock thing is because technically when you get a phone on the web from O2 your dealing with O2 directly. The stores on the street are different, more like resellers. Which is why the stock cant be moved from one to the other.
I placed my order on the O2 website yesterday morning and completed it at 8:02 (I was refreshing the page until it would let me start the order so I know I was one of the first to order it) but have received no calls or emails so I just called them and he said it's out of stock and they won't know when they'll have any until Thursday and to call back then. Either that guy doesn't have a clue (very likely) or they really don't have any even for the very first people to order (also very likely) but either way, I'm not sure I'll get mine on Friday. What annoys me the most is that I doubt I can even queue on Friday now due to their 'one per customer' rule. Who knows how long I'll have to wait!! Grrr! Why can't they just tell people the truth? Why is there all the smoke and mirrors?
Makes sense, but not as a conspiracy theory. If genuinely unsure of UK demand might have been a clever way to play it.