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O2 UK and Apple - when does the contract end?

N

nirelandman

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 4, 2008
11
0
Does anyone know when the contract between Apple and O2 UK will expire? I have searched for info on this and can find NOTHING! I'm in favour of the end of network exclusivity - and really would root for the iPhone being available on Vodafone UK!

So, surely someone out there outside of O2 knows when the two company's contracts expire???

This information would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
 
Vodafone have a vastly better GSM and UMTS network, with widespread HSDPA and deployments up to 7.2mbps. Their billing systems are also more coherent (though it's all relative).

I would imagine Apple must be seriously considering terminating the contract early after this recent debacle.
 
I think I read thay they agreed a 5 year deal in Sept 07.

But in this day and age, contracts aren't worth the paper there written on.
 
I dont know if this means anything or not (I am a bit of a conspiracy theorist) but I had the ist gen phone box sat next to the box for the new 3G and I noticed that the phone on the box for the 1st gen shows O2 as network and on the box for the 3G it shows no network. Got me thinking..........

until my wife pointed out they were probably trying to save money by having one box for the world rather than different boxes for each countries network
 
miniConvert said:
I would imagine Apple must be seriously considering terminating the contract early after this recent debacle.
Click to expand...

At the moment, there's mutual finger-pointing between Apple and O2 over this.

That said, Apple gave O2 and CW very, very little notice that both were to receive nothing like the stock they had requested. Hence no PAYG and people (both customers and staff) almost coming to blows because everyone one knew their was such little stock.

O2 will deflect a lot of the flack from Apple – e.g. over the stock levels and the delayed activation, the latter not exclusive to the UK:

"The iTunes software appeared to have been so overwhelmed by demand today that customers were not able to go through that final stage and sync their iPhones," said AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel. (So far, Apple has not commented on the problems and did not return a message fromCIO to talk about its supply chain.” – from MacWorld, but this has been

The main problems – as far as I can see – have been the stock and activation… I’m not sure how much O2 should carry the can by itself.

Given the MobileMe debacle(s) happening at the same – which most of us will be only too aware of – Apple has had two troubled launches, but people will put up with it.

With very big product launches like this, unfortunately there will be technical problems – and no network company will invest heavily to alleviate such problems because of the infrequency of such launches. Doesn’t make it right though….

chimpboy74 said:
....until my wife pointed out they were probably trying to save money by having one box for the world rather than different boxes for each countries network
Click to expand...

Why are the most likely explanations the most boring? ;)
 
miniConvert said:
Vodafone have ... widespread HSDPA and deployments up to 7.2mbps...
Click to expand...
Take that 7.2Mbps they quote with a very large handful of salt. It's only in about 8 London postcode areas and a couple of airports. Everywhere else, it's a theoretical maximum of 3.6Mbps like all the other networks.
 
It ends November 2012, just in time for the Olympics!
Click to expand...

Slipping into pedantic mode...more like about three months after the athletes have buggered off home and the people of London are still wondering what hit them.
 
Thanks to everyone for the replies...

5 Years?! Argghh - well I suppose the saving grace is that it doesn't necessarily mean 5 years - "I think I read thay they agreed a 5 year deal in Sept 07.
But in this day and age, contracts aren't worth the paper there written on." - Hudzilla.

In response to gbrother - I have experience of both networks, both in contract and PAYT scenarios - O2 were great, couldn't fault them, but in July 2006 I joined Vodafone because of the Mobile TV offer (yes I know, how pathetic of me, particularly as I used it twice then cancelled after the month free ran out) Since then I've found Vodafone's customer service team excellent - I was ready to leave in January after my 18 month contract ended (even had my O2 phone unopened on my desk) phone rang - it was Vodafone's retractions team - to cut this already long story short(er), he offered to maintain what I was getting:

200 X-net mins with Stop the Clock (Off peak calls - talk for 60 mins, pay for just 3), 1500 texts (1000 were due to the "40 pounds extras pack" I had slapped on my account at an extra cost of £5/month early in my contract (how I negotiated that one I don't know)

but instead of pay £35/month, he said £22/month - most people would say "yes great thanks", but I said cut the 18 months to 12 and we have a deal - "done" he said. So I suppose I feel loyal to them to a degree plus the network coverage I hear to be superior - whether this is true or not I'm unsure - Staff in local Vodafone shop once told me O22 don't have a 3G network, surely that's b.s.?

1 month after I renegotiated that deal, there was a mess up with my Vodafone bill - that 40 pounds extras pack? I was being charged £37 :eek: for it (£32 more than I was before I renewed) on top of the £22/month that had previously been agreed- so I rang them up, and for my "troubles" the gentleman said, we'll give you a 100% discount on the 40 pounds extras pack - thus giving me 1000 texts free, and bringing my monthly bill to £15 per month! :D

So I ask you all the question I've been asking myself of late, when my contract is in its final two months (expires Jan. 2009) should I pay off the contract and go back to O2 (only reason is for the iPhone, and yes I would use a lot of the features) or stay on the deal I have? Current deal = £15/month, iPhone = £159 plus £35/month contract plus £7.50 for insurance and £7.50 for unlimited texts bolt on bringing it to £50/month - it's a big jump, but it is the iPhone...

Sorry for the ridiculously long post, but once I got going I thought well some people may want to know about my ongoing pleasant experience of Vodafone...:cool:
 
miniConvert said:
Vodafone have a vastly better GSM and UMTS network, with widespread HSDPA and deployments up to 7.2mbps. Their billing systems are also more coherent (though it's all relative).

I would imagine Apple must be seriously considering terminating the contract early after this recent debacle.
Click to expand...

I would definately take vodas claim of 7.2 mps with a pinch of salt, they had to retract that because the network can achieve that, I have seen article somewhere and stick the link on.

Gsm wise coda and o2 a comparable, but there will always be places where you get o2 and not vodafone, would like to see ya evidence of the far superior network claim, or is it personal opinion?
 
gbrother is that last question was to me? if so: it's personal opinion based on an overall and better experience with Vodafone over O2, although O2 still were very good.
 
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