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Does the iPhone automatically switch to wifi if it's available (rather than utilising 3G)? I was reading about BT Openzone yesterday and their coverage is impressive. I spend most of my time in central London so to be able to have such widespread access to wifi will be great.
 
Introducing the new SIM-ejector tool:


hammer.jpg
 
I have a couple of questions regarding upgrading.

When I upgrade, will my SIM card from my current iPhone be simply put in the new handset? If not does that mean I am going to get a new mobile phone number? That would suck.

Also, the BT Openzone WiFi access - will these access points be opened up to existing iPhone customers along side The Cloud hotspots, or is this just for customers who buy the 3G iPhone?
 
O2 in conjunction with BTOpenzone and The Cloud are creating a Wifi "wireless mesh network" across London and other UK metropolitan areas.

The coverage is supposed to rival the coverage of cell phone towers. iPhone users should be able to use this network seamlessly. Also, O2 customers will be able to log into this mesh with their laptops or desktops.

Possible, but the laptop/desktop bit is unlikely.

The 3G iphone isn't SIM replaceable. The SIM card is put in the phone as part of the manufacturing process and is not replacable by the user. This will certainly curtail unlocking efforts. According to our source, you CAN remove the SIM... "with a hammer"

Rubbish. It won't work with another SIM (because it's locked) but the Apple site clearly states there is an extractor tool for the SIM, meaning there's a SIM slot just like in the first phone. Anyway, what happens if you need a replacement phone? Do they sledgehammer your old one in store to get your SIM out and pop it in a new one then Araldite it shut? Not likely.

The 3G iPhone WILL allow Bluetooth Tethering for Laptops!. We asked about Wifi tethering and got a blank stare. We'll take what we can get. They said that this was 99.9 percent certain and "Apple can always change their minds"

Translation: "We don't really know, but by saying this might be removed later we've covered our asses".

O2 will control everything. Their settings will be on the iPhone you buy from the Apple Regent Street store.

No way can I see Apple letting O2 brand the iPhone in the same way as other handset manufacturers do. Can you really see Apple letting go of control of the iPhone software/firmware?

O2 is EXTREMELY happy with the Apple partnership. They were in a fierce bidding war with Vodafone for the contract to carry the UK iPhone. At the end they settled on giving Apple 15% of their iPhone revenues across the board (for Generation 1) which Vodafone declined. Had all things been equal, Apple would have gone with Vodafone because of their size and scale. Their take is that Vodafone is very sorry that they let the deal slip away.

O2 is also happy to be associated with the Apple brand which is helping theirs climb up the ranks in the UK and the world.

They will offer free iPhones (even 16Gb on their largest plan) with a plan and pay as you go iPhones but obviously they won't be usable with other carriers as we stated yesterday

All this is believable but actually just repeating stuff we already know from other sources.
 
I have a couple of questions regarding upgrading.

When I upgrade, will my SIM card from my current iPhone be simply put in the new handset? If not does that mean I am going to get a new mobile phone number? That would suck.

Even if it needs a new sim, you'll have a temporary number for a couple of days until your old number is ported. You won't loose your number at all - in fact you can port it from contract to contract, network to network. I've had the same number for around 8 years it's been with all of the networks bar vodafone at some point...

Also, the BT Openzone WiFi access - will these access points be opened up to existing iPhone customers along side The Cloud hotspots, or is this just for customers who buy the 3G iPhone?

They won't restrict it - it will be for all iPhone customers.
 
I have a couple of questions regarding upgrading.

When I upgrade, will my SIM card from my current iPhone be simply put in the new handset? If not does that mean I am going to get a new mobile phone number? That would suck.

Also, the BT Openzone WiFi access - will these access points be opened up to existing iPhone customers along side The Cloud hotspots, or is this just for customers who buy the 3G iPhone?

Same number, the only thing that's going to be a minor pain will be that you'll loose your settings, bookmarks etc.

But then the advantage is pretty much worth it. :)
 
Merging the "Interesting News from O2 regarding iPhone 3G" was an unfortunate choice in my opinion. A lot fewer people will be aware now of the information in the article published today by 9to5. Why mods here are so anxious to condense everything to such a degree is beyond me. Really this news deserves its own Page 1 or Page 2 News link in my opinion. It is major news for every iPhone owner in the UK, and of interest to those not getting the same treatment from The Deathstar (AT&T).
 
Merging the "Interesting News from O2 regarding iPhone 3G" was an unfortunate choice in my opinion. A lot fewer people will be aware now of the information in the article published today by 9to5. Why mods here are so anxious to condense everything to such a degree is beyond me. Really this news deserves its own Page 1 or Page 2 News link in my opinion. It is major news for every iPhone owner in the UK, and of interest to those not getting the same treatment from The Deathstar (AT&T).

Thats a good article. I think this is the first time ever we in the UK have had a advantage when it comes to Apple products!

I am getting one on pay as you go! Woo! :)
 
Been to an O2 store, spoke with a head honcho. The BTOpenzone link is confirmed, they're not planning pre-order (but Carphone Warehouse is - and it'll be announced soon). CW dones't know there pricing, but expects same as O2 - O2 knows it's pricing.

As of today/tomorrow pretty much, O2 shops will be pushing Simplicity, hard. Then from this, the switchers just buy the iPhone at store for example, activate, and then you get a temporary number for 1-2 days usually, then port your number over. A very simple process, and O2 with the publicity from the 3G iPhone launch filtering into national news and coffeeshops and water cooler conversations will then be able to snag a lot more people.

Hope that's enough info for you ;)
 
Been to an O2 store, spoke with a head honcho. The BTOpenzone link is confirmed, they're not planning pre-order (but Carphone Warehouse is - and it'll be announced soon). CW dones't know there pricing, but expects same as O2 - O2 knows it's pricing.

As of today/tomorrow pretty much, O2 shops will be pushing Simplicity, hard. Then from this, the switchers just buy the iPhone at store for example, activate, and then you get a temporary number for 1-2 days usually, then port your number over. A very simple process, and O2 with the publicity from the 3G iPhone launch filtering into national news and coffeeshops and water cooler conversations will then be able to snag a lot more people.

Hope that's enough info for you ;)

Thanks for that info, useful, however do you know if the wi-fi thing (which sounds realllllyyyyyy cooool! :D) will be available on Pay & Go iPhones?
 
Good to hear the wifi is confirmed, so whereever i am i should be able to get 3G, Edge or Wi-Fi, hopefully no more slipping back to gprs, though o2 could roll out 3G a bit more into rural areas.
 
As of today/tomorrow pretty much, O2 shops will be pushing Simplicity, hard. Then from this, the switchers just buy the iPhone at store for example, activate, and then you get a temporary number for 1-2 days usually, then port your number over. A very simple process, and O2 with the publicity from the 3G iPhone launch filtering into national news and coffeeshops and water cooler conversations will then be able to snag a lot more people.

am I reading this right? They are trying to get people to move:
existing carrier>O2simplicity>O2iphone

rather than just:
existing carrier>O2iphone

remind me why I would do the former?
 
am I reading this right? They are trying to get people to move:
existing carrier>O2simplicity>O2iphone

rather than just:
existing carrier>O2iphone

remind me why I would do the former?

If you were coming out of contract, and wanted a contract that you didn't have to give 30 days notice to (which would have been ~ today). Yes, you could jump straight from one to the other, if you gave your non-O2 carrier enough notice.
 
Regarding the data bolt-on with PAYG, can anyone confirm what I posted in that other UK thread (perhaps we need just one thread!):


Hmm, hang on. I read in another thread that O2's data bolt-on, called "Web Bolt On", does not allow email, only web browsing.

I checked the O2 site, and it says:

The O2 Web Bolt On can only be used for internet browsing on your phone.

Huh? Web browsing only? No email, no "general data"? So no maps, no app store, no anything other than Safari?
 
Sorry if i sound a bit stupid, but what exactly is Bluetooth Tethering?

The article said that ''the 3G iPhone WILL allow Bluetooth Tethering for laptops.''

Thanks.
 
Regarding the data bolt-on with PAYG, can anyone confirm what I posted in that other UK thread (perhaps we need just one thread!):


Hmm, hang on. I read in another thread that O2's data bolt-on, called "Web Bolt On", does not allow email, only web browsing.

I checked the O2 site, and it says:

The O2 Web Bolt On can only be used for internet browsing on your phone.

Huh? Web browsing only? No email, no "general data"? So no maps, no app store, no anything other than Safari?

Check my reply in the other thread.

To the other guy who asked about tethering: its when you connect your iPhone to the computer and use it to get on the net.
 
Same number, the only thing that's going to be a minor pain will be that you'll loose your settings, bookmarks etc.

But then the advantage is pretty much worth it. :)

You shouldn't do. When I upgraded from an 8 to a 16gb iphone, it allowed me to copy the settings from one to the other using itunes.
 
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