And by next week it'll be half of that as the bubble's just burst.
Loadsamoney - one of Maggie's children no doubt.
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iPhone Launched in the UK on O2 Network
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And by next week it'll be half of that as the bubble's just burst.
Loadsamoney - one of Maggie's children no doubt.
BUT! This phone (camera, no 3g) at this price in Europe is a joke.
Why is it a joke?
Carphone Warehouse are still doing the Nokia N95 for 119 on an 18 month £35 quid O2 contract or £229 with Virgin! N95 has a lot of features but it's chunky, butt ugly and has an appalling battery life.
What about Nokia's 8800?? That's over £400 quid on a similar tarriff for OLD technology in a posh wrapping.
£269 for a new phone that, while not bleeding edge in ALL aspects, is still a pretty cutting edge device doesn't seem that bad at all to me.
Yes, IF you go over the allotted 200/mo total in/out texts. You can upgrade to unlimited texts for $20 more/month or buy 1500 additional texts for $10/mo.
...and no data.
So it's not the same package at all. So why even mention it?
Jeez, I not only said the same package, but went into detail making comparisons with Dell vs Macbook comparisons, and it's still *impossible* to stop people jumping in comparing apples to oranges.
*sigh*
there's no way that an average house in kensington costs £500,000! you're way off on that one
£1.2 million apparantly.
O2 have said that all contract users will get unlimited data from Oct 1st in their Q&A. Although we have to see how that pans out...
Good post.
I always find it amazing when people pick apart the likes of a 2mpx camera when talking about the price but fail to mention the 3.5" multi touch screen, 8GB flash, proximity/ambient light sensor/accelerometer etc. The iPhone is not the best device in all aspects. It can be beat on camera, radio connectivity speeds etc. But for media and web browsing and the overall UI, is there anything on the market that comes close?
Porting existing contracts
I currently have an O2 contract that gives me 1000 minutes anytime and to any network and about 150 text messages for £35, no data however. but if i remember correctly, in the US there was an option to continue with your existing contact and pay a certain amount, $20 i think, to get the unlimited data package added on.
Does anyone know if this will be an option in the UK as well??
i'm fine with the £269 price tag. but the O2 contract prices could have been better. Again, if they allow people to keep their existing O2 contract and just add on an unlimited data package (hopefully around £10), then I will be right there trying to get myself at the front of the line come 9th November!
I currently have an O2 contract that gives me 1000 minutes anytime and to any network and about 150 text messages for £35, no data however. but if i remember correctly, in the US there was an option to continue with your existing contact and pay a certain amount, $20 i think, to get the unlimited data package added on.
Does anyone know if this will be an option in the UK as well??
i'm fine with the £269 price tag. but the O2 contract prices could have been better. Again, if they allow people to keep their existing O2 contract and just add on an unlimited data package (hopefully around £10), then I will be right there trying to get myself at the front of the line come 9th November!
there's no way that an average house in kensington costs £500,000! you're way off on that one
Remember that most properties in Kensington aren't houses, but 2 or 3 bed apartments.
However £500,000 average still seems a little low - my 3 bed flat in Edinburgh cost £310,000 - but there's no way that average prices rose by £500k! Maybe in a certain street in Kensington, but not in the borough as a whole.
It's also worth noting that owning an expensive property does not mean you have a large disposable income.
The iPhone will undoubtedly sell well, but I think it's a poor deal.
Id still keep quiet on that one until we know for sure. It sounded to me like there will be an option to purchase unlimited data for every customer, and not just the iPhone customer.
I purchase wifi on these all the time. A lot of people don't realize it, but pretty much every pub in the UK has these. You put in money and it will print you out a code for your wifi, or you can just log in and pay with credit card. The fact that i will be able to use the iPhone for free wifi in these thousands of places is a no-brainer sell that I think several people are overlooking. It's awesome!
What happens at the end of the contract?
Just a thought... what happens at the end of the 18 months; is the phone then unlocked? If it's not unlocked, then isn't the contract effectively in-perpetuity?
Just a thought... what happens at the end of the 18 months; is the phone then unlocked? If it's not unlocked, then isn't the contract effectively in-perpetuity?
only a mug would actually pay that, you could easily get the n95 for free on a £20 contract, i did anyway.
just had a chat with an online store person re tariff price disappearing from the O2 site:
* You are chatting with ****, an Apple Expert
*
Hi, my name is ****, Welcome to Apple!
*
You: i presume this is apple USA not UK even though the chat link is on a UK iphone page?
*
****: No, I am here in reland
*
****: Ireland
*
You: ah excellent, just wondering why the tariff prices have now been pulled from the o2 website regarding the iphone? They were on there then the site went down and now they are gone.... also where do we write to complain about the poor tariff pricing?
*
****: To O2, we just make the phones
*
You: heh well we all know that isn't strictly true. You (Apple) also negotiate the deal and take a cut of the revenue hence why O2 can only afford to offer a sucky deal!! Thanks for your help ****
*
****: Anytime
* You are chatting with ****, an Apple Expert
*
Hi, my name is ****, Welcome to Apple!
*
You: i presume this is apple USA not UK even though the chat link is on a UK iphone page?
*
****: No, I am here in reland
*
****: Ireland
*
You: ah excellent, just wondering why the tariff prices have now been pulled from the o2 website regarding the iphone? They were on there then the site went down and now they are gone.... also where do we write to complain about the poor tariff pricing?
*
****: To O2, we just make the phones
*
You: heh well we all know that isn't strictly true. You (Apple) also negotiate the deal and take a cut of the revenue hence why O2 can only afford to offer a sucky deal!! Thanks for your help ****
*
****: Anytime
I was talking about phones.
Just buy a phone (with 3G, better camera and MMS) with a good tariff and an iPod Touch then. Better phone, better iPod and significantly cheaper.
My experience (some quite old) and impressions of the mobile providers, not to say it's all true:
O2 - very "businessy", and indeed seem the sensible choice for businesses. You get all the usual stuff like an account manager, SLA etc. Very blunt and to the point on what you can and can't do - they don't try to compete too much, or bend over to the will of the Average Consumer. A very good match for Apple in that way. 3G coverage almost non-existent.
T-mobile - never been with them, worst general coverage let alone 3G. Cheap as chips, which is why the likes of Virgin and other rebrands use them, but you get what you pay for. Very much a "pay as you go" type network.
Orange - fair balance between the networks, though seem a bit "new age" in how they portray themselves. Not really one I'd pick for a business. Very little 3G coverage, but better than O2's (not difficult). Not had much experience with them.
Vodafone - "I'm the individual consumer's provider with the cute phrases". Obsessed with branding everything: if the iPhone was with Vodafone you'd get a red background, red menus, poor quality red icons, the home button would be red, and it'd have the (red) logo stamped on the front. Fairly decent as a provider. Great shops with helpful staff. Second best for 3G coverage.
Three - Unrivaled contracts, you can get sickening amounts of texts or minutes, and they seemed to kick-start the "calls mobiles on other networks count in your free minutes" thing that we take for granted nowadays. Pioneers of 3G with the coverage to prove it. Falls back onto O2, or I believe with new contracts it's Orange, when 3G is not available. Brilliant portal, or you can use the internet. Other sweeteners such as Skype, which makes a voice call to a gateway number - very clever. But atrocious customer service using clueless Indian call centres.
If you don't want an iPhone, take your pick really! At the moment I'm thinking O2 and Orange are the lesser of the evils, or Voda if you want 3G, or Three if you want 3G really really badly.
O2 - very "businessy", and indeed seem the sensible choice for businesses. You get all the usual stuff like an account manager, SLA etc. Very blunt and to the point on what you can and can't do - they don't try to compete too much, or bend over to the will of the Average Consumer. A very good match for Apple in that way. 3G coverage almost non-existent.
T-mobile - never been with them, worst general coverage let alone 3G. Cheap as chips, which is why the likes of Virgin and other rebrands use them, but you get what you pay for. Very much a "pay as you go" type network.
Orange - fair balance between the networks, though seem a bit "new age" in how they portray themselves. Not really one I'd pick for a business. Very little 3G coverage, but better than O2's (not difficult). Not had much experience with them.
Vodafone - "I'm the individual consumer's provider with the cute phrases". Obsessed with branding everything: if the iPhone was with Vodafone you'd get a red background, red menus, poor quality red icons, the home button would be red, and it'd have the (red) logo stamped on the front. Fairly decent as a provider. Great shops with helpful staff. Second best for 3G coverage.
Three - Unrivaled contracts, you can get sickening amounts of texts or minutes, and they seemed to kick-start the "calls mobiles on other networks count in your free minutes" thing that we take for granted nowadays. Pioneers of 3G with the coverage to prove it. Falls back onto O2, or I believe with new contracts it's Orange, when 3G is not available. Brilliant portal, or you can use the internet. Other sweeteners such as Skype, which makes a voice call to a gateway number - very clever. But atrocious customer service using clueless Indian call centres.
If you don't want an iPhone, take your pick really! At the moment I'm thinking O2 and Orange are the lesser of the evils, or Voda if you want 3G, or Three if you want 3G really really badly.
But NOT when the N95 was first released. You could only get it for a high price and a ridiculously high monthly tariff for quite some time.
Remember what you are getting here!
I read upto post 157 then got bored and jumped to post this so if its been said (or quashed already) my apologies.
Yes the tariffs could be a little better and maybe the phone itself could be a bit cheaper but think about what you are getting and not what you aren't getting.
Before the iPhone, could you browse the net like you do on your computer anywhere around the country? Coverage may only be 30% at launch but that will definitely increase at a very quick pace to satisfy demand. Theres no point in making a landmark deal if you dont intend to satisfy as many customers as possible. EDGE rollout will be quick. There was no way O2 were going to invest in EDGE without first sealing the deal with Apple. Now this has been agreed the rollout will begin and coverage will increase sharply.
EDGE, 3G, GPRS, whatever they use you are now able to surf the 'real' web in the street unlike before.
EDGE maybe slower than 3G but its not as if you are downloading full length movies or playing games over the net is it?
You are also getting the best iPod ever made. Touch screen technology and your phone wont be out of date within a year because it can be updated via software. Any new features Apple create will be added via software so theres no need to get rid of your phone like before to get the new model and then be tied to another 12 month contract. You are saving money right there.
How many devices exist that you can carry in your pocket but can watch full length movies and TV shows on? Not many and the iPhone has to be the best one I've seen, ever.
If you notice I haven't even mentioned the phone bit yet. I haven't used one yet but from what I have seen the iPhone is the easiest to use phone ever in my opinion and its also the best looking too.
To buy the phone unlocked with all its features intact would probably cost close to £1000. Technically the phone is subsidised and Apple get the rest of the money through the tariffs. No one will pay £1000 for a phone no matter what it can do so they offer it cheaper but have higher tariffs. That way Apple gets back what they value the device at.
In my opinion I think the deal is OK. Not great but borderline acceptable which is exactly what Apple and O2 want.
I will be getting one at some point.
Just my 2 cents.
I read upto post 157 then got bored and jumped to post this so if its been said (or quashed already) my apologies.
Yes the tariffs could be a little better and maybe the phone itself could be a bit cheaper but think about what you are getting and not what you aren't getting.
Before the iPhone, could you browse the net like you do on your computer anywhere around the country? Coverage may only be 30% at launch but that will definitely increase at a very quick pace to satisfy demand. Theres no point in making a landmark deal if you dont intend to satisfy as many customers as possible. EDGE rollout will be quick. There was no way O2 were going to invest in EDGE without first sealing the deal with Apple. Now this has been agreed the rollout will begin and coverage will increase sharply.
EDGE, 3G, GPRS, whatever they use you are now able to surf the 'real' web in the street unlike before.
EDGE maybe slower than 3G but its not as if you are downloading full length movies or playing games over the net is it?
You are also getting the best iPod ever made. Touch screen technology and your phone wont be out of date within a year because it can be updated via software. Any new features Apple create will be added via software so theres no need to get rid of your phone like before to get the new model and then be tied to another 12 month contract. You are saving money right there.
How many devices exist that you can carry in your pocket but can watch full length movies and TV shows on? Not many and the iPhone has to be the best one I've seen, ever.
If you notice I haven't even mentioned the phone bit yet. I haven't used one yet but from what I have seen the iPhone is the easiest to use phone ever in my opinion and its also the best looking too.
To buy the phone unlocked with all its features intact would probably cost close to £1000. Technically the phone is subsidised and Apple get the rest of the money through the tariffs. No one will pay £1000 for a phone no matter what it can do so they offer it cheaper but have higher tariffs. That way Apple gets back what they value the device at.
In my opinion I think the deal is OK. Not great but borderline acceptable which is exactly what Apple and O2 want.
I will be getting one at some point.
Just my 2 cents.