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iPhone UK: The Alternative Monthly Contracts

bigandy

bigandy

macrumors G3
Original poster
Apr 30, 2004
8,852
7
Murka
So, my iPhone is arriving, ready unlocked, on Monday.

Currently with Orange, and their data allowances are shocking, as I'm sure you all know:

Orange World Access (GPRS) monthly price MB included cost per MB out of bundle
Orange World Access 4 £4 4MB £1 per MB
Orange World Access 10 £8 10MB £0.80 per MB
Orange World Access 25 £16 25MB £0.70 per MB
Orange World Access 80 £41.13 80MB £0.65 per MB
Orange World Access 400 £52.88 400MB £0.59 per MB
Orange World Access Max £88.13 N/A* N/A*
* subject to a fair usage policy of 1000MB per month

Taken from here. I can't see anything about their far more reasonable terms for 3G access covering GPRS/EDGE when it can't find the 3G network...


So, I'm trying to find out about the alternative contracts just now, and see the following options:


• T-Mobile Just SIM £20 [link]
300 minutes anytime, any network
500 texts anytime, any network
£20/month, contract terms 30 days
Data Mobile internet (t-zones, WAP or web'n'walk): Browsing costs 0.73p per KB, a maximum charge of £1 per day no matter how much you browse the internet on your mobile phone.

• T-Mobile Just SIM £30 [link]
800 minutes anytime, any network
1000 texts anytime, any network
£30/month, rest as Just SIM £20

• T-Mobile Just SIM £40 [link]
1200 minutes anytime, any network
3000 texts anytime, any network
£40/month, rest as Just SIM £20

• T-Mobile Flext + Web'n'Walk 25 [link]
Individual charges: Voice 20p per minute, Text messaging 10p per message, Voicemail 12p per minute
Allowance for voice, text, voicemail £60
£32.50/month, contract terms 18 month
3Gb monthly 'fair usage' policy
Flaws: Terms look like they limit data to the carrier's 3G network only

• Vodafone Mobile Broadband [link]
No call/text allowance
£25/month, contract terms 18 month
3Gb monthly 'fair usage' policy
Uses 2G network if 3G unavailable

• O2 Online 25 SIM Only with Web Bolt On [no direct link on shop.o2.co.uk]
1000 texts / 600 mins
Includes Unlimited texts free add-on
+O2 Web Bolt On @ £7.50 a month
with 200mb monthly data allowance
£32.50 a month total, contract terms 30 days

• Orange - At £85/month for 1Gb as an addon, it's not an option for 90% of the population

• Virgin - No data



Can anyone find any more potentially decent deals with better terms than O2's iPhone contracts?
 
notsofatjames said:
I find 3's plans are great value, but unfortunately they wont work with iPhone.
Click to expand...

I take it that's because of incompatible SIMs?

Does this mean that services such as Web'n'walk may have trouble too, as they're 3G based?

Can anyone confirm? :eek:
 
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobi...lk/18mth-flext-20-webnwalk-5-off-line-rental/

Thats what I'm using.

bigandy said:
• T-Mobile Flext + Web'n'Walk 25 [link]
Individual charges: Voice 20p per minute, Text messaging 10p per message, Voicemail 12p per minute
Allowance for voice, text, voicemail £60
£32.50/month, contract terms 18 month
3Gb monthly 'fair usage' policy
Flaws: Terms look like they limit data to the carrier's 3G network only
Click to expand...

I'm guessing the terms are the same as the one I'm on, and am using GPRS just fine!
 
bigandy said:
I take it that's because of incompatible SIMs?

Does this mean that services such as Web'n'walk may have trouble too, as they're 3G based?

Can anyone confirm? :eek:
Click to expand...


Hey,
ok, 3 works on typical 3G network, and doesnt use the standard GSM network which every network other than them runs on in the UK. *thats why its hard to unlocked phones to them and from them.

T-mobile run on both GSM/GPRS and 3G (when avalible). now as long as you got yourself a unlocked iphone your be able to get unlimited* internet access on the handset thur web'n'walk, just a tiny bit slowly than Orange and o2 improved "EDGE" speeds

If you want fast internet speeds forget the iphone, pick up a device with 3G HSDPA support, (ie Sony Erricsson w910i, N95). t-mobile have invested millions into the technology. internet speeds are up to 1.8mbps! (as fast as basic home broadband)

However if your fixated about the iphone pick up a t-mobile PAYG free sim (online or stores), put £5 on it, try it for five days internet (£1 a day cap on t-mobile PAYG).

Spencer,
T-Mobile Retail



hollerz said:
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobi...lk/18mth-flext-20-webnwalk-5-off-line-rental/

Thats what I'm using.



I'm guessing the terms are the same as the one I'm on, and am using GPRS just fine!
Click to expand...

yep GPRS is 100% in web'n'walk data to clear things up
 
Cheers for the heads up there, Spencer.

My iPhone is paid for and en-route, so it's too late to go back ;)

However, I'm not bothered about fast data, I just want data without being ripped off. Email, a bit of facebook goodness, and playing with Google Maps occasionally. I doubt I'll use more than 1Gb a month, but the Flext 25 sounds the minimum (I make lots of calls).

If I want fast data, I'll probably be at home or work anyway. And I've got a fast ADSL line, and work at an ISP's datacentre (10Gbps redundant links) so have no shortage there :D
 
bigandy said:
Nice. I'm getting very tempted to go and pick one of those T-Mobile deals up tomorrow.

I take it you're on a 1Gb 'fair usage' policy on that one then? I guess you can't really use it all up on GPRS anyway :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

near to impossible to use it on 3G HSDPA on a mobile device, place bets you couldnt do it on GPRS!
 
bigandy said:
Cheers for the heads up there, Spencer.

My iPhone is paid for and en-route, so it's too late to go back ;)

However, I'm not bothered about fast data, I just want data without being ripped off. Email, a bit of facebook goodness, and playing with Google Maps occasionally. I doubt I'll use more than 1Gb a month, but the Flext 25 sounds the minimum (I make lots of calls).

If I want fast data, I'll probably be at home or work anyway. And I've got a fast ADSL line, and work at an ISP's datacentre (10Gbps redundant links) so have no shortage there :D
Click to expand...

hey cant blame me for tryin work for t-mopbile retail,
yeah that will be fine, even if you did manage it you dont get charged for going over all you get is a call say restrict your downloads (we're nice like that) :)
 
cool.

are the tariffs on the website available in store?

and, edit: if i got it with teh free w810i (to ebay, of course), will the sim still work (cause the 810i is a 3G phone iirc)?
 
I'll second that as I travel extensively throughout the UK and the T-Mobile data network is excellent even out in the sticks I can get HSDPA. Not much use on an iPhone though ;) GPRS only
 
im using t-mobile anysim20 with web n walk add-on
very happy so far

Used to be on 3 and IMO, to be honest the 3g speeds arent a great deal faster for web browsing than GPRS!
 
I've looked long and hard at alternative tariffs, but other than the limited 'unlimited' data being rather low, the iPhone O2 tariff actually seems OK to me, so I expect to use that.
 
The Voda tariff is data only (no calls).

Vodafone have a £7.50 add-on that gives 120MB/mo. You can add it to any tariff, including their SIM Only deals.

T-Mobile has Web n Walk. Not sure if it can be added to their SIM Only deals, but it's a good bet for cheap on-device data with a FUP of a gig I believe. It's £7.50 but more expensive versions exist with more flexible FUPs.
 
I've been trying to get my T-Mobile UK SIM to work with my unlocked iPhone however whatever APN settings I use it doesn't seem to work :(

Apologies to the OP for hijacking this thread but could someone who has data working with T-Mobile have a quick look at this thread

Many thanks :)
 
Voda data plans

miniConvert said:
Vodafone have a £7.50 add-on that gives 120MB/mo. You can add it to any tariff, including their SIM Only deals.
Click to expand...

This is going to be the route I want to take (I've still got about 7 months on my Voda Rebate contract) but I have no idea what to expect with regards to data rates and usability. The lady at Vodafone said there was no minumum period with them - they infact give you the first month free!

I'll get mine this time next week. Can't wait!

FireArse
 
dalvin200 said:
im using t-mobile anysim20 with web n walk add-on
very happy so far

Used to be on 3 and IMO, to be honest the 3g speeds arent a great deal faster for web browsing than GPRS!
Click to expand...

lol your crazy 3 run off hsdpa speeds - how you can they are not a great deal faster is beyond me - thats jus my opinion thogh:cool:
 
bigandy said:
t-mobile reception in my area is apparently very good.

plus, in terms of data, it's untouchable.
Click to expand...

course they are touchable, 3 offer £5 access for a 2gb cap a month, no one beats that they have got the best prices. It runs off oranges edge network but u get 3s prices.
 
sweetice2007 said:
course they are touchable, 3 offer £5 access for a 2gb cap a month, no one beats that they have got the best prices. It runs off oranges edge network but u get 3s prices.
Click to expand...

that's a non argument because 3 SIMs won't work in the iPhone. :p
 
sweetice2007 said:
Mine does.:p
Click to expand...

and they work in 2G phones?

why, then, are there so many reports to the contrary?

what contract are you on?

any specific iphone jiggery pokery to sort it?

this would be *really* useful for other forum users in the UK to know... ;)
 
its not contract its pay and go. but you can get a decent stretch tariff that works better than a contract to some point - ur getting more mins and texts than normal pay n go from other netowkrs but without a contract to sign.

its like 12p flat rate cross network and to landlines and texts are like 10p, you get free skype calls and free voicemail too.

various different plans starting from £12 a month which gives you 100 units which u can split between mins and txts - mix & match its called, the most you can get is £21 for 700 units - you also get 300 3-to-3 minutes aswell


http://three.co.uk/personal/price_plans_/pay_as_you_go_/what_it_costs.omp

and a 2gb internet addon for £5. bargainous.
 
I'm going with the O2 pay as you go + £7.50 for the data bolt on -- assuming that a new iPhone can be unlocked.
 
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