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UK iPhone 4 Updates: O2 Axes Unlimited Data and Announces Upgrade Offer, T-Mobile and 3 On Board

It looks like from the o2 blog, a few of the comments sugest that o2 wont charge you extra for exceeding your data, just slow down the service... That i dont mind.

jV9ei.jpg

HRE9F.png


I use 1.3gb a month on average, however i do take the piss a little.

EG, im jailbroken, so i use 3g unrestrictor to download large applications/podcasts/vidcasts

Also at work i stream radio/tv (via tvcatchup)

And i share my internet with MiFi to a couple guys at work who just have an ipod touch, so they can download apps, listen to radio and watch tv.

Apart from that, i do the normal internet browsing, facebooking, tweeting...


first option is to sit back and wait for the other networks to show their plans... seeing as Orange offer unlimited internet (fair use 750meg before snotty letter & slow speeds) and Vodafone offer a straight 1GB on the current range of iphone.
 
The fact they dumped unlimited data is rubbish, I for one will be looking to go elsewhere although the other carriers haven't released they're tariffs yet. It is amazing that the year that the market has opened up with all the main carriers offering the iPhone o2 cut what was such a good feature.

There's a dedicated forum for this on the o2 site for those who wish to view their thoughts (with a poll too!) - http://forum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=42323

Boooo to o2!
 
darkplanets said:
Am I the only one that thinks all these phone carriers are gouging everyone? I mean seriously, its not just in the US, you guys look to be getting hosed too. The question I have is how in this day and age, when everything can be done digitally, can they charge you that much for phone service. Sheesh. Same goes with texting... lets see, hmm... thats like a whole kb of data if you're lucky, per text. Man, what a network stresser.

I realize the need to charge per MB or what not, but why aren't we only paying for Internet data? As far as I'm concerned you can send the data over that anyways, so what's the difference between my call, a text message, or me checking emails? If they just cut out this phone gouging crap and just charged us for data, I think people would be more inclined to buy. But hey, its okay, you still can't get unlimited data on your phone in 2010, even though you could with ridiculously slow dial-up speeds back in the day. GJ world networks (barring a few) for giving us all the middle finger.

/rant
Click to expand...

Phone carriers have always gouged people. It's not so long ago that they were charging £5/$6 for really poor J2ME/Brew games and ringtones. Then comes along Apple with it's FREE to 59p bargain bucket (and good) apps, and takes away their hard earned (cough) beer money.

I've a friend working at Vodafone and she says it sucks there. It used to be the best job in the world to her because every year they'd host multi-million-dollar xmas parties with Robbie Williams and others performing exclusively for them, free champaign and all the nibbles a guy like me could eat in one night. No more, no more....sigh. Poor souls.
 
Anyone got a crystal ball in here? :D

Ah! You do ? Great....

Ok then in that case.. would you mind looking into it and finding out if the iPhone 3GS 32GB will drop massively in secondhand value after the 24th or be about the same?
My train of thought is mixed. It should drop because the new 3GS price should be less ... up to £100?
But then will they continue to sell it?
And if not .. will the 3GS be more desirable and so ... stabilise its S/H price

I think we should be told!

Answers please ... he said rather naively .... :apple:
 
headfuzz said:
How do you figure this exactly? A 480p streaming video is still 480p, regardless of the upscale capability of the device it's being viewed on. Likewise webpage rendering to fit the screen resolution is done on the device by the browser; it has nothing to do with bandwidth.
Click to expand...

480 today 720 tomorrow... technology isn't static, it's a feeding frenzy and every year people get hungry for more. Not everyone has self control and common sense...you buying that high-res phone to watch low res videos, or because you like the pretty fonts?
 
Deano.uk said:
It looks like from the o2 blog, a few of the comments sugest that o2 wont charge you extra for exceeding your data, just slow down the service... That i dont mind.

jV9ei.jpg

HRE9F.png


I use 1.3gb a month on average, however i do take the piss a little.

EG, im jailbroken, so i use 3g unrestrictor to download large applications/podcasts/vidcasts

Also at work i stream radio/tv (via tvcatchup)

And i share my internet with MiFi to a couple guys at work who just have an ipod touch, so they can download apps, listen to radio and watch tv.

Apart from that, i do the normal internet browsing, facebooking, tweeting...


first option is to sit back and wait for the other networks to show their plans... seeing as Orange offer unlimited internet (fair use 750meg before snotty letter & slow speeds) and Vodafone offer a straight 1GB on the current range of iphone.
Click to expand...

Can someone confirm this? At least it won't be as crap as getting a £600 bill you weren't expecting.
 
What's up with everyone bashing O2? I've been with them on PAYG (original iPhone) for 2 years now, along with Home Broadband and have never experienced major problems. The odd technical fault here and there, but nothing tragic. Now, I don't use 3G connectivity since the phone doesn't support it, but from my dad's iPhone 3GS, most times the coverage was good and 500MB data actually takes a while to achieve if you're someone who reads the news daily, posts up on social sites and downloads an app or two.

I understand some of you are extreme techies and need that extra 500MB or so, but the majority are not. And a fair usage policy isn't a bad idea for phones like the iPhone, I mean the amount of combined data must be packed to the max.

We're all in different circumstances but there are 2 alternatives for everyone:

1. We wait for all 5 carriers to reveal their PAYG prices and tariffs (which may improve)
2. Stick with the iPhone 3GS (which will be a heck of a lot cheaper) and provide you with the majority of iPhone 4 features. 1 year will fly by.
 
I'm on Vodafone which at the moment it seems like it's cheaper for a Sim Only 25 quid/30d contract offering 1Gb.

However, I don't see anything different to O2 official CEO statement and Vodafone's one.

Coming from Greece where telcoms are a cartel (only 1h difference between same press releases on price changes) I don't see it being any different here.

I'm sure Vodafone (as well as Orange and T-Mobile) will follow.
At the moment each has a piece of a pie (user base) which can't change dramatically. So the "reasonable" thing for them to do is look after their backs.
 
ImpostorOak said:
65 pounds for 1GB data? That's $95! And people say ATT is screwing people...
Click to expand...

No, it is £20 for 1GB data (500GB as part of the 12-month simplicity tariff with a £5 bolt-on for another 500GB).

The other £45 in the tariff you mention is paying for unlimited calls, international traveller service, and a heavily subsidized phone. The £65pm tariff previously (and for the next few weeks still does) offer the 32GB iPhone 3GS for free.

It will be interesting to see where things stand with tethering now they have included a cap. Currently the tethering bolt-on offers 3GB for £10pm, rather than the 1GB data being offered for the same price on the new tariff. If they do not scrap the tethering charge it will need a several hundred percent cost increase else people will just take that instead of the additional data bolt-on.

Although I my usage is under 500GB per month, at the moment, what annoys me about this change is that it makes you paranoid about using the phone now. There always was an excessive usage policy, which I accepted - and know I benefited from - which I could rely on to ensure if I ever did abuse the network I would be told and something could have been dealt with. Now as one of the reasonable users, but one who sometimes streams TV or radio, I will have to constantly worry every time I use my phone.

Before this announcement I would have simply upgraded on O2 if the handset price was fair. Now though I will wait until all the tariffs have been announced and look for who is offering the best overall deal, whether than be O2 or anyone else. Sadly I doubt anyone will be offering unlimited data, and more importantly the peace of mind that comes with it.

Michael.
 
Apple-NoEscape said:
Well that's a load of crap.
I was planning on upgrading to iPhone 4 in august. I will still be upgrading, but to a different phone service.
Can anyone suggest one?
Click to expand...

LondonCentral said:
Wonder if 02 will change the agreement between themselves and Tesco as it would seem ridiculous to punish 02 users while letting Tesco users have a better deal over the exact same network.
Click to expand...

They have no choice. Infact a law stating that providers to 3rd party providers such as 02 to tesco, must reduce the amount they charge for using their infrastructure. Stops the big providers taking advantage if the consumer.
 
donbenjy said:
Clearly not. Bandwidth is limited, but that's irrelevent. Using your previous examples, its like saying I shouldn't expect 'unlimited' water because the flow rate is limited! The reason that most people pay a fixed price for water is because it IS unlimited in the sense that H20 levels on the Earth will remain lagely the same, and what we're paying for is the delivery and processing of that water to reach our house in a hygenic form.

When we pay for data, we should expect unlimited data, regardless of BANDWIDTH, which you seem unable to grasp the fact that is irrelevent in this discussion!
Click to expand...
That analogy isn't completely apropros, either. In the summer here, when water usage is highest, we are limited. It doesn't show up on our water meter, but you can be fined separately for using too much water on certain days. And a $25/day fine when water usage runs about $30/month is quite the hike. Here's a quote from the city:
These water restrictions have been enacted to encourage water conservation, and to keep utility rates as low as possible. WITHOUT WATER RESTRICTIONS, the City would have to consider building a reservoir and pumping station, at an estimated cost of $3.3 million. YOUR WATER RATES WOULD INCREASE AN ESTIMATED 8 TO 10 CENTS per 1000 gallons, or by 10 TO 13 PERCENT
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There is a different form of electric limiting, as well. Again, in the summer, when usage is highest.

Fact is, internet access is being billed by the data usage, but it is limited by the bandwidth. Both apply to the issue of them supplying customers with internet access, and these wireless companies in both countries (more to come, no doubt) are running out of bandwidth with current infrastructure. Their recourse is to increase fees for data usage to attempt to slow the usage so bandwidth will be available. That may piss off those that have to reduce their usage, but that is exactly what the companies are trying to do, take the top few users down a few notches.

Obligatory cliche: can't have your cake and eat it, too.
 
northerngit said:
This just kills the fun of the iPhone.
Click to expand...

This gets right to the heart of the issue. It's not what Steve signed up for ;(

I have to also say, as I did before, that this isn't just about O2 - all of the networks are going down this route. O2 are simply the first (in the UK), and are therefore getting the biggest onslaught of negative publicity. When the dust settles and people look around at the plans across all the networks, they'll see that choice will be one of who's got the better coverage, not of price. And even the differences in coverage are exaggerated I think.

Btw, if, as someone said above, they simply slow down your data if you go over, and you have to pay £5 extra every month for 1GB in total, then that's worse for me than an automatic fee of £5 if I go over. I'd much rather have fast internet as and when I need it, and pay more if I have to use more of it on occasion, than pay £5 extra every single month or suffer slowdown at an inopportune time. I suppose they're taking the slowdown approach to avoid customers being charged a fiver for going 5mb over (which would have many up in arms). I'd still rather take that eventuality over suddenly not being able to download an important email attachment on the go (I mean, how much slower can they make the network speed? It's already struggling), and having to call up to sign up to the bolt-on, before cancelling it at the end of the month. The words 'gradually slow down' are reassuring though - if that is the case, and they're going to restrict speeds in gradations depending on how much extra you use, then going slightly over won't be quite so inconvenient.

One final thought - isn't it just wonderful that they're using the new iPhone release as a springboard to enact their greedy little changes? Maybe they thought they could hide behind the euphoria of the new gadget? Or simply use it as a convenient watershed. As northerngit said: 'way to kill the party'.
 
sphoenix said:
What's up with everyone bashing O2? I've been with them on PAYG (original iPhone) for 2 years now, along with Home Broadband and have never experienced major problems. The odd technical fault here and there, but nothing tragic. Now, I don't use 3G connectivity since the phone doesn't support it, but from my dad's iPhone 3GS, most times the coverage was good and 500MB data actually takes a while to achieve if you're someone who reads the news daily, posts up on social sites and downloads an app or two.

I understand some of you are extreme techies and need that extra 500MB or so, but the majority are not. And a fair usage policy isn't a bad idea for phones like the iPhone, I mean the amount of combined data must be packed to the max.

We're all in different circumstances but there are 2 alternatives for everyone:

1. We wait for all 5 carriers to reveal their PAYG prices and tariffs (which may improve)
2. Stick with the iPhone 3GS (which will be a heck of a lot cheaper) and provide you with the majority of iPhone 4 features. 1 year will fly by.
Click to expand...

Part of the problem is that it's not strictly a Fair Useage policy, as defined by other carriers. Normally FUP will restrict your bandwitdth if you go over, whereas O2 have deemed that you immediately owe them £5.

I've never had much of an issue with O2 myself either, although their 3G coverage is pretty poor were I live so on the odd occassion you'll see me handing out of my window (I actually have my 3GS taped to the wall so I can get a good signal while tethered). On that subject, I'm paying £10 for a month's tether...it has a 2GB data cap. How that fits with the iPhone plan, I'm not sure...maybe it'll change. But it does show, I don't mind playing fair and paying, rather than jailbreaking.

All I want, is a little fairness in return - even if it costs more, I'd like the option to live and work the way I'm used to (and to be really fair & square here - O2 laid down those expectations 3 years ago when they gave us unlimited plans).
 
NoExpectations said:
Yes, yes....what an excellent idea! Let's have the Government, that has a flawless track record whenever they get involved, mandate what we sell, what we price it at, and regulate our entire lives. :D
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Yes, as opposed to letting corporations run wild.

Pull your head out of your ass.
 
NoExpectations said:
Do we get unlimited plans from our...

  • Electric Utility?
  • Gas Utility?
  • Water Utility?
  • food store?
  • gas for our cars?

No....resources are limited....and it's not fair to those who consume less. The same is true for bandwidth.
Click to expand...
Uh, no... gas, water, and food are physical limited resources. Bits of data going through a wire aren't.
 
fat phil said:
to be really fair & square here - O2 laid down those expectations 3 years ago when they gave us unlimited plans).
Click to expand...

This is very true. And that's why they shouldn't be surprised that they're getting this much of an outcry.

People are seeing 'Unlimited' go down to '500mb' - those two figures don't look good side by side. ;). It appears like an enormous downshift until you consider your average usage.

I wonder why O2 offered 'unlimited' plans to begin with? As a way of tempting Apple to give them the exclusive contract? Or the good publicity (which they're paying for now)?
 
Im on o2's simplicty with unlimited data on a month by month contract.

I wounder what will happen to me?

looks like the new simplicity is the same 20quid im paying now but with no data, I have to pay an extra 5er for it?
 
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