Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

O2 Offers Free iPhone 3G with Certain Plans

Seeing how the USP for the iphone is the user experiance, or put another way, the neat way how all this stuff all works together, and that is the one thing you can't try out in the shop when buying a phone,
Therefore it is;

a. Looks,
b. Price,
c. feature set,
People are left with to make an informed choice when purchasing a phone

the iphone v1 is so so on a and c, but nowhere near on b.

iphone v2, has tweaked c up to where it needs to be, a has gone back a noggin, But the big news is b, The new tariffs.

That Apple thought they could win sales without competing on cost was a touch arrogant, and in the meantime competitors have had time to learn from the Masters when it comes to ease of use. In Europe I don't think they will recover the opportunity they missed at launch.

OK I will buy one now, but I am a loyal Customer ( i find the term Fanboy soo pejorative)

I use a RIM BB for work and the company has a fair amount of software invested in it, nevertheless for enterprise the iphone device makes a more compelling case, but if Apple think they can do it without

a. competing on price
b. Offering a pan European deal for talk, text and email (sub 3G)
They will have a hard time

In fact that is another reason to de-couple from the network, just provide the device and the software and let someone else work out the service, not usually part of Apples philosophy as they want to define the whole user experience, I think tailoring cross border networking deals depending on corporate requirements is well beyond them. Probably looking at the world through USA tinted goggles still.
 
Still on it

badgerman said:
Anyone remember Orange Everyday 50 (50mins everyday for £13.50 pcm and a Nokia 3210, bargain)
Click to expand...

Remember it – I'm still on it. Do you remember when it was Everday20 - when it first began?
I rang up the other day to give a change of address and was offered a 10% discount and a free new handset (will be on eBay soon or sold locally I think). Was/still is perfect if you don't really need a daytime mobile. Isn't that what work ones are for.
Had to agree to new 12 month contract, but wasn't planning on changing anyway, so 10% off. Yes, I should have rang up about a year before and got a discount, but not complaining. (By the way, I have been paying the same price since day one back back when, so allowing for inflation it's probably less than half price).

Still thinking about an iPhone though!

Another two weeks and there should be enough expenses to reclaim for the full-line iMac as well!
 
What I'm interested in is whether you'll be able to use a sim-only 02 Contract in the PAYG 02 iPhone. I think it'd be quite tricky for the iPhone to tell the difference between a PAYG 02 Sim and a Pay Monthly 02 Sim.

Thoughts?
 
I am an existing iphone o2 customer on the £35 tariff. Am I right in saying I can upgrade to the £45 a month tariff, pay £59 and get the 16GB 3G iPhone then after 9 months downgrade again? Doing it this way would save me £10 and also give me double the minutes for 9 months.
 
jmmo20 said:
in 2001 there used to be a "virtual" or whatever operator called Genie that had unlimited WAP.. and cheap SMS or something like that, I don't really remember. WAP back then was pretty useless tho.
Click to expand...

Ah, Genie, brings back memories! Of course, the term is still in use in the UK, even if the network isn't. The popular O2-UK PAYG SIMs that give free texts for topping up £10 a month are still referred to by most people as 'Genie cards', even though Genie was absorbed into O2 in about 2002.

I'm using one in my iPhone! :) With the £7.50 a month data bolt-on.
 
theGentleman said:
Thanks Jay...

...and if i then give my PAC to 02 do they sort out the cancellation of my dealings with Orange, or do i still need to get back to Orange and give them the spanish elbow?....

ta muchly.
Click to expand...

Hi - I was with Vodafone on contract for over 10 years - and went to O2 for the iphone. I got a PAC code from Vodafone, then when I bought my iPhone from O2 shop and plugged it into mac the itunes guides you through everything, you enter your PAC code there and then O2 sends you a text when it is transfered. Takes about 7-10 working days. You can have a temp number as well if you want to use iPhone straight away. It's all really easy with itunes and I had no problems whatsoever.

Shame about the £150 for a 3G version though.
 
badgerman said:
Therefore by my calculation its cheaper (£10, plus additional mins/txts) to get the £45pcm and dropping to £35 after 9 months and £59 16gb than go straight onto £35 and paying £159 for the 16gb?

Am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Nope, that's correct, and in one of the other threads someone has had email confirmation that this will be possible on the iPhone tariffs.

I figure O2 are taking the risk that you'll forget to reduce your tariff down after the nine months.

Phazer
 
The Phazer said:
Nope, that's correct, and in one of the other threads someone has had email confirmation that this will be possible on the iPhone tariffs.

I figure O2 are taking the risk that you'll forget to reduce your tariff down after the nine months.

Phazer
Click to expand...
I was always thinking the £100 extra subsidy on the 45/month was worth the extra cost. Now there's no way I'm going for the 35/month deal!!! Swap to 35 after 9 months and then you only pay £90 for that 100 extra - and in 9 interest-free installments! :p:)
 
AndyClarke said:
Nope. You will need a new 3G sim card.
Click to expand...

But, im sure o2's sim cards have been "3g" for a while. I remember about 1-2 years ago i had a new sim card sent out to me as o2 were rolling out new 3g sim cards....so in theory you can put in your old sim card into the v2 iPhone. Unless of course they've got them tied to the iphone somehow.

This is what im hoping so then i can get a PAYG iphone and put in my old, 3g sim card. If not im stuffed!
 
johnnyjibbs said:
I was always thinking the £100 extra subsidy on the 45/month was worth the extra cost. Now there's no way I'm going for the 35/month deal!!! Swap to 35 after 9 months and then you only pay £90 for that 100 extra - and in 9 interest-free installments! :p:)
Click to expand...

Yeah. And you never know, but you might even use the minutes occassionally.

Phazer
 
Mixalis said:
I imagine it is possible to commit to, say, the basic £30 contract for 18 months and then upgrade to a higher plan for a time. You can never downgrade--ie if you take the £75 plan that's for the life of the contract. Occasionally with my Vodafone contract in Greece (not iPhone) I upgrade for a couple of months to get more minutes or data, then downgrade again. If I cancel the contract I'm responsible only for the original contracted price, not for any upgrades I've made.
Click to expand...

Not true, with most phone contracts you can downgrade half way through, but with the special iPhone contracts, you can downgrade at any time, as long as your changing to one of the iPhone contracts.
http://www.o2.co.uk/termsconditions/iphone
GENERAL
Connection to an iPhone tariff is subject to status, credit-check, payment by direct debit and an 18 month minimum term O2 contract. You can change to another iPhone tariff a maximum of once per month. Please visit o2.co.uk/iPhone for details of how to do this. You are not able to connect or change to a general O2 Pay Monthly tariff if you have an iPhone.
Click to expand...
and
5.15 You may move to another iPhone tariff at any time, provided that you may only change tariffs a maximum of once per month. Changing tariffs will not affect your Minimum Period. You will not be able to move to a general O2 Pay Monthly tariff. Where you have notified us you wish to move to an alternative iPhone tariff, unless we advise otherwise, your new tariff will commence at the start of your next billing cycle.
Click to expand...

This is for the current iPhone, wether this changes for the new 3G iPhone, we'll have to wait and see.
 
Gav said:
What I'm interested in is whether you'll be able to use a Sim-Only 02 Contract in the PAYG 02 iPhone. I think it'd be quite tricky for the iPhone to tell the difference between a PAYG 02 Sim and a Pay Monthly 02 Sim.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

yea you could but why pay for the phone and then still have the same tarrifs but for £5 less a month. might aswell just get the propper contract and no bother with adding the data bolt on and things like that.


one thing im confused about tho is on the normal tarrifs 600mins+ you get a free bolt on say unlimited txts but there is no mention of that on the iphone pages.
 
I've decided what I'm going to do. Definitely not a heavy phone user so I'd really like to be paying the least amount possible. I'm going to buy the 16GB black iPhone and switch to the £30 per month deal, as stingy as the allowances are. I might in one or two months go over the text limit of 125 but I won't ever send enough of them to come close to spending the extra £5 it would take to warrant me being on the higher tariff.
 
sounds good .

im going for a 16GB white or black havent decided that bit yet.
on the £45 a month tarrif. and ill probally go over the minuites and texts.
 
badgerman said:
True will have to wait till 7am on 11.7.08 to be sure...
Click to expand...

Im not sure on the full details on things like this, but dont they have to give you 30 days notice before changing any terms and conditions on any contract? Or give the consumer 30 days to leave the contract and not agree to the new terms? It would be a bit harsh just to say "We've changed that contract you've signed, you have no choice in the matter."
 
16GB, Black @ £45pm

I reckon I'll use most of the allowances but will keep an eye and drop to £35pm if needs be.
 
is it a fair assumption that you will have to unlock your phone instore....how will they make sure you are going to be on the corresponding contract to the price you pay for the iphone??

i would imagine this will seriously hamper the unlocking of iphones...obviously there is still the payg iphones but i would expect these to be the same prices as the original iphones.
 
notsofatjames said:
Not true, with most phone contracts you can downgrade half way through, but with the special iPhone contracts, you can downgrade at any time, as long as your changing to one of the iPhone contracts.
http://www.o2.co.uk/termsconditions/iphone

and


This is for the current iPhone, wether this changes for the new 3G iPhone, we'll have to wait and see.
Click to expand...

So we might be in a position to upgrade to the £75 tariff for one month, get a free 16GB iphone, then downgrade back to the lower tariffs the next month (I'm currently on the £35 tariff) - saving a fair amount of money? Providing terms don't change of course. Or am I missing something?
 
andrewvisser said:
So we might be in a position to upgrade to the £75 tariff for one month, get a free 16GB iphone, then downgrade back to the lower tariffs the next month (I'm currently on the £35 tariff) - saving a fair amount of money? Providing terms don't change of course. Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

Ive spoken to an O2 sales advisor about this. You can upgrade to a higher tariff at anytime, but you have to wait 9 months before you an downgrade to a lower tariff. He said it shouldnt be any different for the iPhone 3G, but id advise to check before you upgrade.

Ill be going for the 16GB white £45 a month tariff. I had a look at the PAYG price and worked out that over 18months its not too different from having a contract.


Contract £45 p/m
iPhone 16GB cost £59
9 months @ £45 + 9 months @ £35 = £720
TOTAL COST £779

Pay and Go
iPhone 16GB cost £359.99
6 months free wifi + 12 months @ £10 = £120
18 PAYG top ups @ £10 each = 180
TOTAL COST £659.99

DIFFERENCE £60.01

Now considering you wont be as free to text and call away on your PAYG, and some months you may spend more than £10, the contract seems quite good value for money, just as long as you downgrade after 9 months
Also If you downgraded to the £30 p/m then you would save a further £45, making the difference £15.01
 
ayzee said:
Ive spoken to an O2 sales advisor about this. You can upgrade to a higher tariff at anytime, but you have to wait 9 months before you an downgrade to a lower tariff. He said it shouldnt be any different for the iPhone 3G, but id advise to check before you upgrade.
Click to expand...

Isn't this an odd thing for him to say that considering the following is expressed in writing in the terms and conditions...?

From 02 website...
"5.15 You may move to another iPhone tariff at any time, provided that you may only change tariffs a maximum of once per month. Changing tariffs will not affect your Minimum Period. You will not be able to move to a general O2 Pay Monthly tariff. Where you have notified us you wish to move to an alternative iPhone tariff, unless we advise otherwise, your new tariff will commence at the start of your next billing cycle."

Does anyone have details of the '9 month' restriction? Something in writing from 02 which states that once you move 'up' a tariff, you cannot move back 'down' until 9 months have passed?

Also, I seem to remember asking this question to the sales person when I bought my Generation One iPhone and I was under the impression that I could basically swap, month by month.

Unless this is expressly stated in writing as incorrect somewhere within the contract terms then surely the information as stated in their own terms and conditions (5.15) are correct?

EDIT: O2 iPhone FAQ's
"Can I change my tariff after I've activated?
Yes, you can change to any of the other O2 tariffs for iPhone up to once per month."
 
Obvious surely?

Gen 1 iPhone was effectively unsubsidised so it was not a problem for o2 to offer to change your contract at any point.

Gen 2 iphone has a varied subsidy depending on contract so it is likely that they will change the terms and conditions prior to 11/7. If they don't then I for one will get the 16GB phone for free and immediately downgrade.

As o2 have a specific contract for the iphone the 9 month downgrade does not apply to it.

Matt
 
I agree Matt...

What you say makes total sense. I suspect they will change the terms.

We can but live in hope.
 
andrewvisser said:
So we might be in a position to upgrade to the £75 tariff for one month, get a free 16GB iphone, then downgrade back to the lower tariffs the next month (I'm currently on the £35 tariff) - saving a fair amount of money? Providing terms don't change of course. Or am I missing something?
Click to expand...

As long as we read the T+Cs before we sign, we should be able to get a free phone and then downgrade tariff. Can't wait, 2 weeks to go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back