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iPhone 3GS UK Discussion thread

Spanky Deluxe said:
They claim Apple didn't reduce the prices but AT&T increased their subsidy.

Here they said the wholesale price in sterling is the same for the 3G S. Here, after being pushed, they go on to say that "overall wholesale sterling prices are essentially the same" but the 16GB 3GS is slightly more expensive.

This doesn't explain why the 16GB 3G S is £29.37 more than the 16GB 3G was on a £45 18 month contract or why it is £29.36 more than the 16GB was on a £35 18 month contract.

In regards to the £45 18 month contract deal, the iPhone 3G now costs over 50% more (£87.11 vs £57.74).
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I agree, there's definately something going on here. I and a few others have asked O2 on twitter when their exclusive deal with the iPhone runs out. All they say is that it is a multi-year exclusive. iPhone will be with another carrier by this time next year I reckon.
 
CD3660 said:
Buy from the Apple Store, assuming that you're getting a PAYG.

Benefits are:

1. They will have plenty of stock.

2. We should all avoid lining O2's pockets as a protest against the prices they have set!
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Apple should undercut O2! Won't happen though.
 
early upgrade on o2

Hi guys,

I've called o2 three times to ask about early upgrades and they are clueless. On the website, it says that depending on your monthly spend and/or level of priority list, you can get an early upgrade. What is unclear is whether they consider what priority level you're on, or at the time of upgrading, they will look at your monthly spend and decide how much you are due to pay for getting out of your contract early.

If they look at what priority level you're on, well, then it's a complete mess. Yesterday, I was on silver and the operator was pretty surprised, as he said that i should be platinum, based on my spend. I rang again today, and now I am BLUE!!!!!, so I dropped a level. Again, the operator was surprised, as I am on the £45 tarriff (and has always been) and I should automatically be silver, just based on the tariff, without taking account of roaming, bolt ons, etc.

So, it's all a mess. My question to you: have you experienced the same, or can you recommend what I should do, so that I can get my Platinum level, or at least get the 6 months early upgrade, as I am entitled to, as per their own website?

Thanks
 
Well im all pre-ordered and ready to go! Just got to wait one more week and a day, and it will be delivered :D
 
JHWright said:
Unfortunately not - going contract.......
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It might be worth looking at the option of getting it on PAYG and then putting a Simplicity SIM in there - the Simplicity tariffs are so much more competitive than the iPhone pay monthly ones that it may well work out cheaper overall, plus you won't be locked into a contract.

Just as an example, getting the 3GS 16GB on the 18 month £34.26 tariff (600 mins, 500 texts, unlimited data & wifi) would cost £184.98 upfront and £801.66 over the 18 months.

Alternatively getting the same phone on PAYG is £440.40 and combine that with Simplicity20 for £19.58 (600 mins, 1200 texts and unlimited data - note this doesn't include wifi though). That gets you more than double the texts and over the same 18 months that would have cost £792.84, and of course this time next year when the next iPhone comes out you would have spent just £675.36 and be free to sell/upgrade etc. without worrying about having to worry about any outstanding contract obligations. The only real disadvantage of the Simplicity tariff is that you don't get Visual Voicemail - but it's hardly a killer feature, and of course the lack of inclusive Cloud wifi - which may or may not be of value to you.

Also remember that you can use sites like Quidco to get cashback on iPhone deals. For example you can get £45 cashback from carphonewarehouse on contract iPhone 3GS, or alternatively you can get £35 from o2 if signing up for 12 months to Simplicity (this also gets you more mins/texts than the standard 1 month rolling version of Simplicity) and 4% cashback from the Apple Store, which would yield an additional £17.16 for the PAYG 16GB 3GS for example.
 
iSimon said:
It might be worth looking at the option of getting it on PAYG and then putting a Simplicity SIM in there - the Simplicity tariffs are so much more competitive than the iPhone pay monthly ones that it may well work out cheaper overall, plus you won't be locked into a contract.

Just as an example, getting the 3GS 16GB on the 18 month £34.26 tariff (600 mins, 500 texts, unlimited data & wifi) would cost £184.98 upfront and £801.66 over the 18 months.

Alternatively getting the same phone on PAYG is £440.40 and combine that with Simplicity20 for £19.58 (600 mins, 1200 texts and unlimited data - note this doesn't include wifi though). That gets you more than double the texts and over the same 18 months that would have cost £792.84, and of course this time next year when the next iPhone comes out you would have spent just £675.36 and be free to sell/upgrade etc. without worrying about having to worry about any outstanding contract obligations. The only real disadvantage of the Simplicity tariff is that you don't get Visual Voicemail - but it's hardly a killer feature, and of course the lack of inclusive Cloud wifi - which may or may not be of value to you.

Also remember that you can use sites like Quidco to get cashback on iPhone deals. For example you can get £45 cashback from carphonewarehouse on contract iPhone 3GS, or alternatively you can get £35 from o2 if signing up for 12 months to Simplicity (this also gets you more mins/texts than the standard 1 month rolling version of Simplicity) and 4% cashback from the Apple Store, which would yield an additional £17.16 for the PAYG 16GB 3GS for example.
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Any more word on faster 3G from O2? The Cloud is useful, but if you can get 3G as an alternative, the PAYG option looks useful. Is the Cloud open as a bolt on? Or a daily usage? Seems with better 3G it's a useful but not so compelling feature.
 
t0mat0 said:
Any more word on faster 3G from O2? The Cloud is useful, but if you can get 3G as an alternative, the PAYG option looks useful. Is the Cloud open as a bolt on? Or a daily usage? Seems with better 3G it's a useful but not so compelling feature.
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Access the Cloud is basically useless anyway on the iPhone. In my experience, when it connects a cloud connection its actually a disadvantage since the connection's unstable because its on the edge of a Cloud router's signal area. 3G is fast enough as it is and the 7.2 MBps on the 3G S is likely faster than the connection most Cloud routers support.

I usually switch WiFi off when I'm out and about because 3G speeds are better than random low signal Wifi speeds.
 
Current 3G owners should just be charged the remainder of the subsidy, which is probably about £10 out of the £35 tariff for every remaining month of the contract, and allow the early upgrade. Everybody wins..

But of course that would require transparency on their part in disclosing how much the actual subsidy is...
 
Anyone noticed that as of yesterday when you try to select the Simplicity sim 12 month option on O2 it now forces you to select a phone with it? What's this about - doesn't look very "sim only" anymore...
 
Probably stupid question (and I hope I know that answer) but after a quick search I haven't been able to find an answer. I'm seriously thinking of getting an iPhone now, but are you able to use data when 3G signal is not available? I ask because I've hard that O2's 3G coverage isn't that great...

Thanks!
 
this may have already been said but you can now pre order with carphonewarehouse. I just ordered the 16gb White 3GS (32 is too expensive) to pick up in store! Saves having to queue!

Edit:

They told me you would get it on the 19th if you want it delivered to your house or local store. I chose store as I don't trust royal mail
 
Wicker said:
Probably stupid question (and I hope I know that answer) but after a quick search I haven't been able to find an answer. I'm seriously thinking of getting an iPhone now, but are you able to use data when 3G signal is not available? I ask because I've hard that O2's 3G coverage isn't that great...

Thanks!
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You revert to GPRS (aka slow, rates of 56-114 kbit/s) data, but it's not nothing.
 
ictiosapiens said:
Current 3G owners should just be charged the remainder of the subsidy, which is probably about £10 out of the £35 tariff for every remaining month of the contract, and allow the early upgrade. Everybody wins..

But of course that would require transparency on their part in disclosing how much the actual subsidy is...
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Their Simplicity £20 deal is very similar to the iPhone's £35 deal, which would suggest the iPhone is subsidised by £15 on the £35 deal. Although it looks like the same on the £45 iPhone deal compared to the £30 Simplicity deal.

My guess is that the subsidy is £10/£15 for £35pm and £15/£20 for £45pm.

The first values would mean the iPhone unsubsidised costs are ~£270, ~£360 and ~£450. The second would mean ~£360, ~£450 and ~£540.

The first set of values is slightly more believable although I find it hard to believe that the now, old tech, 8GB 3G iPhone costs £270 when the 8GB 2G iPhone cost £269 unsubsidised a year and a half ago and was reduced to £169 unsubsidised over a year ago.
 
Spanky Deluxe said:
Their Simplicity £20 deal is very similar to the iPhone's £35 deal, which would suggest the iPhone is subsidised by £15 on the £35 deal. Although it looks like the same on the £45 iPhone deal compared to the £30 Simplicity deal.

My guess is that the subsidy is £10/£15 for £35pm and £15/£20 for £45pm.

The first values would mean the iPhone unsubsidised costs are ~£270, ~£360 and ~£450. The second would mean ~£360, ~£450 and ~£540.

The first set of values is slightly more believable although I find it hard to believe that the now, old tech, 8GB 3G iPhone costs £270 when the 8GB 2G iPhone cost £269 unsubsidised a year and a half ago and was reduced to £169 unsubsidised over a year ago.
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Well, even with your figures(£15), I'd be willing to pay 6 months worth of subsidy in order to be able to upgrade early. I'm sure that after a rubbish launch day they'll look into it...
 
I have had the 3G without contract since launch day. I am really happy with Simplicity as i get 1200 minutes 2500 texts, free voicemail and unlimited web for £30 (I am thinking of dropping to the £20 a month one). I have just had a replacement handset (iPhone 3G 8GB) I want the new iPhone 3Gs but i will get around £250 for the iPhone but would struggle to pay another £200 for the 3Gs...is anyone else in this position?
 
sdm1985 said:
I have had the 3G without contract since launch day. I am really happy with Simplicity as i get 1200 minutes 2500 texts, free voicemail and unlimited web for £30 (I am thinking of dropping to the £20 a month one). I have just had a replacement handset (iPhone 3G 8GB) I want the new iPhone 3Gs but i will get around £250 for the iPhone but would struggle to pay another £200 for the 3Gs...is anyone else in this position?
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You couldn't have had the iPhone 3G without a contract from launch day. The PAYG option wasn't available at launch. It come some time later. Regardless, the simplicity deal with 600mins talk, 1000 texts, and the unlimited data as a free bolt-on is a good deal. Bolt on always makes me laugh.
 
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