iPhone 4 Wifi and O2 Data UK?

[MaCamZa]

Ok im planning to buy the iPhone 4 pay as you go on O2 (im in the UK so it can happen) and basically theres this Text & Web tariff where it gives you 300 texts and 500mb of data when you top up.

What I don't understand is that is the 500mb of data the 3G? Or is that the WiFi? If its the WiFi, then can i not connect to my own Bt-Home-Hub at home and get free WiFi? Im Confused

Also is 500MB good enuf for when your not at home if you can use the WiFi at home? Sorry for the confusing question.

 

[Zcott]

O2 sure do make things complicated. The 500mb is only 3G data; wifi is free. And it should be enough for you.

 

[MaCamZa]

O2 sure do make things complicated. The 500mb is only 3G data; wifi is free. And it should be enough for you.

Oh ok, so when i purchase it, it should come with the sim card for the 'Text and Web' Tariff and on the Sim it should have 300 texts and 500MB of 3g data?

And on the iPhone 4 can you choose whether you want to use 3G or WiFi? I only noticed choosing between WiFi Connections not 3G and WiFi?

Sorry and kinda a amateur as you guessed :L lol thanks tho, really appreciated.

 

[Marky]

You can't choose between wifi and 3G as such. What you can do is switch on or off 3G or switch on or off wifi.

However from a data usage standpoint you don't need to as the iPhone will automatically detect that a wifi network/hotspot is available and will switch automatically over to using the it (Wifi never counts as part of your 500mb allowance).

You'll see it do this as the 3G symbol next to the signal strength bars will disappear and be replaced by the wifi symbol.

Should you move out of range of your BT Homehub (leave the house etc) then it will switch back over to 3G, come back home again and it will switch back to wifi.

It will do this for you automatically when it detects that it's in range of any wifi network/hotspot it already knows.

If it detects a network it doesn't already know (your local coffee shop or pub etc) it will ask you first if you'd like to try and join that wifi network - you say yes or no and then follow the rules for that particular wifi network. Some are free, some you pay for, some come free as part of the iPhone package with O2 via a network called The Cloud.

From then on your iPhone will remember the network/hotspot and auto switch for you like it does on any wifi network/hotspot it already knows about.

You can tell it to forget a networks/hotspots if you want as well (there's one particular BT Openzone wifi hotspot by my train station that has chronically poor speeds on it - which I told the phone to 'forget about' it therefore stays on O2 and ignores that particular wifi hotspot.

Hope I've helped rather than confused you even more
Regards
Mark

 

[WeegieMac]

Do NOT buy the iPhone 4 on PAYG from O2.

Buy it SIM free direct from Apple, the price difference is £10/£20 if any at all.

You are then free to check out different carriers.

I stuck with O2 on their 12 month Simplicity for £20 a month. 600 cross-net mins, unlimited texts, 500mb data (unlimited until end of October), and unlimited access to the Cloud wifi network where available.

Use of your own wifi does not matter.

 

[MaCamZa]

Do NOT buy the iPhone 4 on PAYG from O2.

Buy it SIM free direct from Apple, the price difference is £10/£20 if any at all.

You are then free to check out different carriers.

I stuck with O2 on their 12 month Simplicity for £20 a month. 600 cross-net mins, unlimited texts, 500mb data (unlimited until end of October), and unlimited access to the Cloud wifi network where available.

Use of your own wifi does not matter.

Whats wrong with O2? Ill proberly only be using the 3G for when im out and about with mates, ect. Seeing as its Pay and Go, I don't need to worry about the monthly contract, ect.

Thanks Mark for the long 'essay' Really appreciated it, cleared my head around a few things, but how do I know, if im on Pay and Go, how much credit i have left for texts/calls and data usage if i wanted to know? Will it automatically send me texts when i use up credit, or do i ask manually?

Cheers.

 

[MyRomeo]

There is nothing wrong with O2, in fact I would go as far as saying since I got the iP4 their service has been better than ever. Ive been with them 13 years, since 'cellnet'...

What the above poster means is do not buy the phone from O2. The reason behind this is O2 lock their handset to their network. for a very little bit more you can buy a handset from apple with no sim and it is unlocked meaning you can use it on any network. this might not be of interest to you but will make it easier to sell when your finished with it.

You can of course order a sim card from O2 (or indeed any network) online, its free and you just need to ring up to have it switched to the tariff you want.

As for microsim, not sure if you can order them online, you can cut the normal sim down or call in to an O2 shop and ask for a micro sim, they should give you one (you might need to purchase air time with it, but hey, you would be doing that anyway)

 

[biohead]

And O2 do have the smallest 3G network of any of the UK carriers.

 

[Moi un Mouton]

Whats wrong with O2? Ill proberly only be using the 3G for when im out and about with mates, ect. Seeing as its Pay and Go, I don't need to worry about the monthly contract, ect.

Thanks Mark for the long 'essay' Really appreciated it, cleared my head around a few things, but how do I know, if im on Pay and Go, how much credit i have left for texts/calls and data usage if i wanted to know? Will it automatically send me texts when i use up credit, or do i ask manually?

Cheers.

Reading up about the new "Simplicity on Pay and Go" tariffs from O2 I think it works this way:

You choose which allowances you want from the menu on the O2 webpage, and call O2 to let them know. (For example you might say decide you want the unlimited texts + 100 minutes + 500Mb - this costs you £15 per month).

Each month, O2 will deduct £15 from your balance and give you your allowances. You can check your usage at any time with the "My O2" iphone app, or look it up online.

You have to top up a minimum of £10 every month by the look of it, and you'll need for the example above to make sure you always have the £15 available in your balance on the payment date. I think they send you a reminder text.

By the way, regarding where to buy it from: if you buy if from Apple it does come already unlocked which is more valuable for later resale and better for using abroad as you can pop a local SIM in it. But if you buy it from O2 I think you still get a year's free Web+Wifi+texts bolt-on for topping up £10 a month, and then at the end of that you can pay O2 £15 to unlock it.

 

[MaCamZa]

I'd rather go with the Text and Web tariff on Pay and Go, but i was wondering if this is good? Screenshot below;

According to this (I was planning just to top up £10 every time i want to), i get 500mb of data and 300 texts. Does this mean when i top up i get 500mb of data and 300 texts free and i have £10 to spend on extra texts (if i exceeded) or calls? Or does it mean that for £10 i get 500mb and 300 texts and thats it. No calls, nothing?

Im confused. Say i topped up £10, i would get 500mb and 300 texts. So this means i have £10 worth of calls left? Or would i not have £10 left at all and just 300 texts and the 500mb of data?

EDIT: I would proberly not sell it, lol. This would just be a phone to keep for say, 2 years, and just wait and upgrade to the iPhone 6 (or wateva it's gonna be called in two years time).

 

[Moi un Mouton]

I'd rather go with the Text and Web tariff on Pay and Go, but i was wondering if this is good? Screenshot below;

According to this (I was planning just to top up £10 every time i want to), i get 500mb of data and 300 texts. Does this mean when i top up i get 500mb of data and 300 texts free and i have £10 to spend on extra texts (if i exceeded) or calls? Or does it mean that for £10 i get 500mb and 300 texts and thats it. No calls, nothing?

Im confused. Say i topped up £10, i would get 500mb and 300 texts. So this means i have £10 worth of calls left? Or would i not have £10 left at all and just 300 texts and the 500mb of data?

EDIT: I would proberly not sell it, lol. This would just be a phone to keep for say, 2 years, and just wait and upgrade to the iPhone 6 (or wateva it's gonna be called in two years time).

It means you top up the £10, and they then take that £10 off your balance, so if you want to make calls too, you need to top up more, and if you want to go over the 300 free texts or 500Mb free data in the month, you also need more top up. (I do think that you get a year of free web though when you buy it so you could go for the texts + minutes tariff for a year. You need to check though.)

Regarding 2 years time, agreed don't worry about it, but if you look after it you'll still have a phone that will sell for good money, and if it's not locked to O2 you'll get more for it. But assuming they don't change their policy they'll unlock it for you at that time. (Lots of people in the USA would buy an officially unlocked phone! Either to use on T-Mobile or so they could use local sims when out of the country and not pay roaming costs)

 

[MaCamZa]

It means you top up the £10, and they then take that £10 off your balance, so if you want to make calls too, you need to top up more, and if you want to go over the 300 free texts or 500Mb free data in the month, you also need more top up.

Regarding 2 years time, agreed don't worry about it, but if you look after it you'll still have a phone that will sell for good money, and if it's not locked to O2 you'll get more for it. But assuming they don't change their policy they'll unlock it for you at that time. (Lots of people in the USA would buy an officially unlocked phone! Either to use on T-Mobile or so they could use local sims when out of the country and not pay roaming costs)

So if i top up £10 then it will put my credit to £0. But if i topped up £15, wouldn't that just go for the 500 texts because you get 500mb of data and 500 texts when up top up £15, it doesn't say anything about calls/minutes.

What im saying is that if i did top up £15, it would think im topping up for the 500 texts not for the calls whereas i only want the 300 texts/500mb of data and then £5 worth of calls.

 

[Moi un Mouton]

So if i top up £10 then it will put my credit to £0. But if i topped up £15, wouldn't that just go for the 500 texts because you get 500mb of data and 500 texts when up top up £15, it doesn't say anything about calls/minutes.

What im saying is that if i did top up £15, it would think im topping up for the 500 texts not for the calls whereas i only want the 300 texts/500mb of data and then £5 worth of calls.

As I read it, you choose the package you want then call Customer Services to tell them, on 2202, so they put in the system what to take off your balance each month.

So, no, you could top up £15 and they'd still keep you on the £10 package and you'd have £5 for calls or excess texts.

I edited my last post as well, check it out.

 

[MaCamZa]

As I read it, you choose the package you want then call Customer Services to tell them, on 2202, so they put in the system what to take off your balance each month.

So, no, you could top up £15 and they'd still keep you on the £10 package and you'd have £5 for calls or excess texts.

I edited my last post as well, check it out.

Say if i bought the iPhone from Apple, what would be the best Sim to buy? My limit is £15 a month (its cheap but all i need is 100mins; minimum and i don't mind about how many texts. The 3G data usage thought is at least 500MB. Anything less than 500MB is a goner.

I've had a look at some but im really not sure. At the 3 store (picture below), they have 3 choice of Micro-Sims for the iPhone 4. Which would be the best for me? Is the £15 one any good? Does it come with 3G data usage?

 

[Moi un Mouton]

Say if i bought the iPhone from Apple, what would be the best Sim to buy? My limit is £15 a month (its cheap but all i need is 100mins; minimum and i don't mind about how many texts. The 3G data usage thought is at least 500MB. Anything less than 500MB is a goner.

I've had a look at some but im really not sure. At the 3 store (picture below), they have 3 choice of Micro-Sims for the iPhone 4. Which would be the best for me? Is the £15 one any good? Does it come with 3G data usage?

Yes, 1Gb. Sounds like a good deal, just make sure their coverage is good where you will want to use it.