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I've been with 02 for around 3 years now and my contract is up this month (I have to make a decision by 30th Sep) I definitely want the iPhone but realise I am a couple of months short of the November release.

Surely you don't get cut off at the 'end' of your contract - you just have the option at that point to leave O2, renew a contract, usually with a handset upgrade and/or new tariff, or (importantly) keep your current handset and tariff on an ongoing basis. That's they way Orange & 3 work (I have never been with other phone networks) With the last option, you can always quit or renew at some later point. So, call and check with O2, but you should be able to stay with them on your current deal until November, then switch to iPhone.
 
Thanks for the info Owen.

Having an unlocked phone myself currently on Vodafone, I'm thinking I might want to swap to O2 to remove the hassle/worry of unlocking in the future. Do you think I can sign up to an 18 month iPhone contract without having to buy a second iPhone, and O2 would just mail me the sim card (as without the sim card I'm presuming I wouldn't be able to activate via iTunes).
 
Facebook killed MMS photo sharing for every single one of my friends.

In fact, Facebook killed SMS too. I use to send around 600 a month. Now its about 100-150. Text conversations are conducted on FB now.

Makes sense, because its a lot cheaper to do that over sending the overinflated thing they call SMS. I wish more people though used skype and such, I am not much a fan with text...
 
Even though I am not happy that the iPhone is on O2, I'm glad the thing is finally going to be available here.
O2 has one of the largest networks in this country with a very good coverage, it's just too bad that they absolutely suck in customer service.

Agreed. I left O2 due to their AWFUL customer service.

However, after even worse customer service (and coverage!) from Orange I'm back with O2! :-(
 
sad day

i really didn't think they'd release a non 3G phone here. i'm sure it will be great for their bottom line with Xmas sales, but even the most modest phones here have 3G. And have done for a long time. It's not even a big selling point on new handsets marketing materials.

it's a shame to this great device not be used to it's potential.

worryingly i read that O2 is deploying an EDGE network to enable the iPhone to work. But it's still being rolled out. there's no way O2 could have agreed to this, if there really was a 3G version soon to come. the rumours of a spring 3G offering seem way off now.

i'm thinking that the 3G version won't be around until next Xmas at best.

still, the Touch will be fun.
 
Surely you don't get cut off at the 'end' of your contract - you just have the option at that point to leave O2, renew a contract, usually with a handset upgrade and/or new tariff, or (importantly) keep your current handset and tariff on an ongoing basis. That's they way Orange & 3 work (I have never been with other phone networks) With the last option, you can always quit or renew at some later point. So, call and check with O2, but you should be able to stay with them on your current deal until November, then switch to iPhone.

No, you don't get cut off. You just continue on whatever you were paying, with the freedom to leave at any point with 30 days notice, no questions asked. That's the position I've been in since April. I called them today and got them to drop my tariff to the latest equivalent that was much cheaper, with no obligation to stay because I wasn't demanding a new phone. As soon as you get a new free phone off them, it's contract time again, though.
 
Ah, mobiles hadn't been invented when I was a teen :eek:

I think that's why we have two very distinct opinions on here - to my age group unlimited data is essential (email, web...), voice and texts far less so. MMS worthless.

I am still in that age group that seems to like sms, and I agree with you that having a unlimited data plan would be better than sending bloody text.
 
Thanks for the info Owen.

Having an unlocked phone myself currently on Vodafone, I'm thinking I might want to swap to O2 to remove the hassle/worry of unlocking in the future. Do you think I can sign up to an 18 month iPhone contract without having to buy a second iPhone, and O2 would just mail me the sim card (as without the sim card I'm presuming I wouldn't be able to activate via iTunes).
Sorry, maybe it's late but I don't understand the question.
 
I am still in that age group that seems to like sms, and I agree with you that having a unlimited data plan would be better than sending bloody text.

I love texting. I also love surfing the net. Totally addicted to it.

I'm going with unlocking it at the moment.
 
"Why O2?
When Apple named O2 as its exclusive carrier partner in the UK, it made perfect sense. Apple and O2 value the very same things: innovation, reliability and unparalleled customer satisfaction....
... and it goes on"

Translation:

"Why O2?
Apple wanted to wring a mobile network for as much as possible, and we were only too pleased for that to be us. In order to reach this historic deal we have insisted that the unit price be elevated way above current US pricing, and that the monthly fee be escalated to above that of the US market. In return for this we are delighted to reward our UK customers with, well less than their US counterparts"

I was really hoping that the launch would include an upgrade to at least 16gb capacity - as 8 gb always seemed stupid to me - not nearly enough for video. And to use the edge network is totally insane.

The only time I sit anywhere long enough on the go to use the web on a portable device is on the train - so wifi is not so much use anyway.

Overall I'm really disappointed. I believe it was Steve Jobs that coined the phrase: "You baked a great cake and then used dog **** for frosting."

Well we call it icing over here, Steve, but touche.

I'm sure it's a "great" product, but I just wonder where the "insanely" went...
 
Hey dude, welcome.

Okay, quick answers based on having been in touch with O2 today and asking them loads of questions about it all:

- no, you can't get an iPhone tariff with another phone now. They go live when the iPhone does, and are very much tied to the iPhone. If you sign up to another O2 tariff now, with an N95 (for example) thrown in, that's a contract you'll probably have to try and get out of come the iPhone launch. However, being as you're with O2 already on that contract, it's possible they'd let you switch. After all, it wouldn't cost them anything and they'd retain you for a new 18 month period. Best thing to do is call them and find out.

- an alternative is to get that N95 and 18 month contract now, get a nice deal, sell the N95 immediately, get the iPhone with the proceeds, and use the unlock technique (free, and detailed very nicely on 9to5mac.com) to unlock the iPhone to whatever network and tariff you're on. However, you run the risk of the unlock being disabled by a future firmware update (although I think you can choose NOT to install new firmwares), and you categorically will NOT get to use Visual Voicemail (I don't see that as remotely offputting, personally). You would also need to negotiate an unlimited-data bolt-on for your tariff after October, as the iPhone tariff comes with one but other O2 tariffs don't (although they're coming in October).


Hope this helps!

Thanks for the heads up Owen.

I don't really want to go down the unlock route if I'm honest. Thanks for the info on the tariffs though... I'll give 02 a call on Thursday and see what they can do for me. I'm wondering about people who maybe signed with 02 6 months ago and will be stuck in the position of being half way through their contract. Obviously they would have had a new phone and tariff etc. What happens if they want to switch in November?

Like I say, I'll give 02 a call on Thursday and try and get as many questions answered as possible. I'll try and keep everyone updated but if anybody has any more news that would be helpful.
 
Sorry, maybe it's late but I don't understand the question.

No problem. I have an america iPhone, unlocked. At some point I might get fed up unlocking it or watching out for patches that screw my phone up, so I might like to get an official O2 contract. I'm wondering if O2 will let me sign up and send me a sim card (in November), because I wouldn't have an O2 sim otherwise. I don't want to buy a second iphone just to get a contact on O2.
 
I am very strained of the german iPhone and its rates. We have a very good 3G coverage here but I dont know what about EDGE.

I think the rates will be the same like in the US. 59 EUR, 79 EUR and 99 EUR and the price for the phone 399 EUR.
I hope they will release the phone in paris because we dont have any apple-stores here in germany where jobs can do a launch-event. And i hope we will get it in the beginning of november, too.

btw. I had the possibility to try the iphone in a gravis-store and it is awsome!! I was so impressed of the multi-touch screen. What is the difference of an "test-iphone" and the retail-phone except the functionality?

Alex
 
No problem. I have an america iPhone, unlocked. At some point I might get fed up unlocking it or watching out for patches that screw my phone up, so I might like to get an official O2 contract. I'm wondering if O2 will let me sign up and send me a sim card (in November), because I wouldn't have an O2 sim otherwise. I don't want to buy a second iphone just to get a contact on O2.

Ahhh, now I understand.

It's a good question. Common sense would dictate that O2 should fall over themselves to get another customer onto their tariff. However, common sense would dictate that the tariffs over here are at least sort of in line with the tariffs over there, but if you go have a look at the AT&T tariffs you'll see that they're absolutely astonishingly good value compared to what we're lumbered with (mind you, they use minutes up for incoming as well as outgoing calls...).

Anyway, my point is, definitely ask the question. Say you were living in America but moved over here and don't want to have to buy a new iPhone.
 
I'm on O2 at the moment, and pay £30 a month, which includes 200mins, 1000texts, and 6mb GPRS(/EDGE). As I'm now using WiFi 95% of the time, 6mb is enough really for the odd crucial webpage, and emails.

I hope to keep this, and just unlock my UK iPhone and pop in my current O2 SIM. Obviously EDGE will work, as O2 are upgrading EDGE for all customers of course...but what about Visual Voicemail? When it's enabled by O2, will it work on my Unlocked (not official) O2 UK iPhone??
 
I'm on O2 at the moment, and pay £30 a month, which includes 200mins, 1000texts, and 6mb GPRS(/EDGE). As I'm now using WiFi 95% of the time, 6mb is enough really for the odd crucial webpage, and emails.

I hope to keep this, and just unlock my UK iPhone and pop in my current O2 SIM. Obviously EDGE will work, as O2 are upgrading EDGE for all customers of course...but what about Visual Voicemail? When it's enabled by O2, will it work on my Unlocked (not official) O2 UK iPhone??
No, it's the only thing that won't work if you don't use the official network tariff.
 
I agree with most others that the contract isn't very enticing - infact, not at all. I still want one though, so I think i'll go down the unlocking route with this one.:)
 
Surely you don't get cut off at the 'end' of your contract - you just have the option at that point to leave O2, renew a contract, usually with a handset upgrade and/or new tariff, or (importantly) keep your current handset and tariff on an ongoing basis. That's they way Orange & 3 work (I have never been with other phone networks) With the last option, you can always quit or renew at some later point. So, call and check with O2, but you should be able to stay with them on your current deal until November, then switch to iPhone.

Sorry I didn't word it right. I meant I had to make a decision on my upgrade by Sep 30. Although at the bottom of my letter it says that if I leave it running with no phone upgrade I'll be credited with £100 to my account :confused: Is that "generous" offer of £100 credit just a way of tying me back into a contract with them? Meaning that when I come to change my tariff in November I'll be in a half-way position with 02.
 
Like many people already mentioned...Going to Europe without 3G or HSDPA is a bad move. For that amount of money you can get an nice iPod Touch and a brand new Nokia N serie. Also you can choose which carrier you like. More value for money.

Ok battery could be an issue, but when Apple updates the iPhone to 3G they could do something about that. HP also releases now 3G iPAQ's...
 
Like many people already mentioned...Going to Europe without 3G or HSDPA is a bad move. For that amount of money you can get an nice iPod Touch and a brand new Nokia N serie. Also you can choose which carrier you like. More value for money.

Ok battery could be an issue, but when Apple updates the iPhone to 3G they could do something about that. HP also releases now 3G iPAQ's...

Like many of the doomsayers, you have not yet used this device. It works incredibly well and even EDGE is not that bad. You have killed the phone off in your head before even trying it. Probably no loss to Apple as the last thing they need is a group of unsatisfied customers, though I have to assume that you and the many other complainers won't be buying one. To those of you that do, you will not want to diddle around with a Nokia any type once you have seen the power of this phone. It really is a useful tool.

The same whingers, would of course be furious about the battery life if it had 3G-- a no-win for Apple. Luckily Apple will not have to deal with you...
 
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