UK iPhone 5 thread

[Dino F]

Did they say how much the contract iPhone 5 would be, in the keynote (sorry, can't remember)?!

Currently waiting for O2 to release info about their pre-orders - they said there will be an announcement 'soon' on their Community forums.

 

[Marky]

The iPhone 5 (Europe version) supports the following bands:

2100Mhz
1800Mhz
850Mhz


.

So basically if this is correct and or articles all over the Internet are correct in saying the Ofcom auction will be for the bands 800MHz and 2.6Ghz

It's EE or Three as the iPhone 5 won't work on the bands up for auction to O2 and Vodaphone?

 

[Azzin]

The iPhone 5 (Europe version) supports the following bands:

2100Mhz
1800Mhz
850Mhz


Also is everyone forgetting that 3 bought part of EE's 1800Mhz spectrum, There site says it is looking to push 4G out by the end of 2012

Interesting, do you have a link to that page, re end of 2012?

 

[Josh Kahane]

EE are saying they will announce their plans in the coming weeks... so doesn't sound like they will have it for launch next week



bad idea, if you get a contract, it's highly likely you can't just change your contract over to EE without paying the remainder off....

How exactly are Orange allowing 'current customers' to easily transfer to EE then?

 

[fat jez]

Looks like it doesn't support the 800Mhz and the 2600Mhz bands that are being auctioned off next year, so unless O2 and Vodafone refarm any 1800Mhz spectrum they have (don't know if they have any or not), this iPhone won't support their LTE network when they eventually launch.

They do have some 1800MHz bandwidth. With the sale of the excess bandwidth from EE to 3, all UK networks now have some. Whether it's enough to launch LTE on, I don't know.

 

[skoldpadda]

So basically if this is correct and or articles all over the Internet are correct in saying the Ofcom auction will be for the bands 800MHz and 2.6Ghz

It's EE or Three as the iPhone 5 won't work on the bands up for auction to O2 and Vodaphone?

Indeed, It would seem that way, none of the iPhone 5 models support the auction spectrums.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/12/apple-iphone-5-lte/

 

[striker33]

Not possible with the Nano SIM.

It has to be possible, given that these SIMs also need to be backwards compatible with the original SIM standard via an adapter, otherwise it would render every single non-iPhone 5 handset in existence worthless.

 

[skoldpadda]

Interesting, do you have a link to that page, re end of 2012?

I Sure Do.

http://www.store-3.co.uk/3-mobile-4g-network.html

 

[moredrunkmale]

this phone supports EE's 1800MHz LTE (and Three's when they launch).

This phone also supports all 800MHz and 2.6GHz LTE, which is what Ofcom is auctioning off for all operators in Q1 2013

 

[ct2k7]

Interesting, do you have a link to that page, re end of 2012?

I thought they were trialling out in late 2012, and pushing it out in 2013?

 

[0dev]

It has to be possible, given that these SIMs also need to be backwards compatible with the original SIM standard via an adapter, otherwise it would render every single non-iPhone 5 handset in existence worthless.

There's no requirement they be backwards compatible at all. Networks will still stock standard and micro SIMs for other devices.

 

[old-school]

I'm with O2 but an expired contract.

Not sure whether to:

1. Get a new EE contract
2. Buy an unlocked iPhone, get a sim from giffgaff/3 and consider options (risking not having 4G for ages)
3. Upgrade with O2

 

[duction]

i dont get 3g where i live so 4g is out the question lol, im sticking with simplicity with o2 and buying a 32gb unlocked black iphone 5

 

[redgaz26]

Well, technically the touch hasn't gone up in price, because the 'old' ones were also £250 for a 32gb version. The only difference this time is they dropped the 8gb.

So they just start at 32gb at £250...

When the third gen touch came out they had the 'new' faster touches at 32/64gb and the 16gb was a 2nd gen touch. Similar situation here..

wasnt aware of that thanks, but my point still stands, kids will not be getting these for xmas now as they are to expensive

 

[ct2k7]

Indeed, It would seem that way, none of the iPhone 5 models support the auction spectrums.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/12/apple-iphone-5-lte/

“Vodafone UK customers will be able to use the iPhone 5 on our network, giving them the UK’s best network experience.

We’re investing well over £1.5 million per day on our network and we believe Vodafone customers receive the most reliable and consistent network experience of all mobile users in the UK, indoors and outside. In addition, our proposed network partnership with O2 will see our indoor 2G and 3G coverage boosted to reach 98% of the population by 2015.”

Doesn't say that customers can use LTE though

http://thenextweb.com/apple/2012/09...mited-uk-4g-lte-support-freezing-vodafone-o2/

 

[Marky]

this phone supports EE's 1800MHz LTE (and Three's when they launch).

This phone also supports all 800MHz and 2.6GHz LTE, which is what Ofcom is auctioning off for all operators in Q1 2013

Not according to Apple's own support page detailing which bands in each country are supported - according to that the 800Mhz and 2.6Ghz bands are NOT supported in the iPhone 5

 

[tejaykay]

The iPhone 5 (Europe version) supports the following bands:

2100Mhz
1800Mhz
850Mhz


Also is everyone forgetting that 3 bought part of EE's 1800Mhz spectrum, There site says it is looking to push 4G out by the end of 2012

My plan Is to buy the phone unlocked from apple, get a nano sim from the three website tomorrow or in-store and copy my micro sim over to it and wait and see what 3 do in regards to LTE.

I can't imagine O2 and Vodafone selling new 24-month contracts for the iPhone 5 if it won't support their own 4G signal on the new bands set for auction. It could lead to a lot of unhappy customers who have the incorrect handset model..

Any good news sources would be appreciated for further information on this. Crazy that us tech heads are confused over this too with pre-orders just one day away.

EE are going to make some serious money. I would be livid if I were a competitor.

 

[hankdesign]

Im on a Vodafone contract which has expired and want to upgrade. Will I need to go directly to vodafone or can I upgrade through apple?

Cheers all.

 

[duction]

o2 have said ther handset will support the 4g from them when they get it near the end of 2013 if not sooner.

 

[tejaykay]

I Sure Do.

http://www.store-3.co.uk/3-mobile-4g-network.html

I believe that their hopes for the end of 2012 will be down to the time of the auction. EE will only activate Three's 4G license once the other competitors are active (or risk losing the potential to fully soak up the coming exodus from other networks).

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/22/three_ee_spectrum_sale/

Ofcom really messed this up.

 

[skoldpadda]

I can't imagine O2 and Vodafone selling new 24-month contracts for the iPhone 5 if it won't support their own 4G signal on the new bands set for auction. It could lead to a lot of unhappy customers who have the incorrect handset model..

Any good news sources would be appreciated for further information on this. Crazy that us tech heads are confused over this too with pre-orders just one day away.

EE are going to make some serious money. I would be livid if I were a competitor.

I can, it happened with "The New iPad", 4G was a big feature in that and that supported 4G on a spectrum we do not here, yet they still sell it on contracts over here and 24 month ones at that.

The competitors were livid, 02 were set to challenge the decision by Ofcom.

 

[ianrobgill]

I Sure Do.

http://www.store-3.co.uk/3-mobile-4g-network.html

Sorry but that link isn't the official 3 Store it's a third party reseller

I'd heard 4G wont arrive on 3 until next year

 

[jbay]

this phone supports EE's 1800MHz LTE (and Three's when they launch).

This phone also supports all 800MHz and 2.6GHz LTE, which is what Ofcom is auctioning off for all operators in Q1 2013

According to http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/ the iPhone 5 doesn't support 800Mhz and 2.6Ghz, therefore no support for LTE in the bands being auctioned off by Ofcom next year.

 

[skoldpadda]

Sorry but that link isn't the official 3 Store it's a third party reseller

I'd heard 4G wont arrive on 3 until next year

True it's not an official site but other sites say the same that they could push it out by the end of 2012, but like a post few above me it does come down to EE, as they basically control when it gets switched on.

 

[shandyman]

How exactly are Orange allowing 'current customers' to easily transfer to EE then?

i would assume that's for upgrades if your contract is up. if you get a contract with a network, you can't just change it to another plan straight away, so i highly doubt they will allow you to get one next week on orange then change to EE. Anyway, EE said they will be announcing their plans in the coming weeks, so you won't know for sure if you could just switch until it's too late...