- 02 is the only service provider?
Yes.
- what would be the best way for me to make the switch to iphone?
- Go full on with 02 (and terminate my 3 relationship) with either payasyougo or a contract plan?
- or stick with 3.... get a new free handset off 3 xmas time....sell the handset to purchase iphone.....and use 3 sim card/contract inside iphone....?
- or would iphone only work properly with 02 service?
iPhone will be locked to O2. There will almost certainly be ways around it, which is all I can say without earning myself another ban, but suffice to say it'd be a cat-and-mouse game with Apple's updates and not worth it for the sake of sticking with 3 (how can you stand their customer service?)
So, I would say go full on with O2. Now, unless you're lucky or VERY assertive, you won't be able to cancel 3 over the phone (their retention people won't take no for an answer) so be ready to send a recorded, signed and very clear letter stating that it serves as the 1 month (or greater) notice of cancellation at the earliest allowable opportunity.
- and about data internet plans..... ive never used internet on mobile phones.... as its slow... and 3 charge alot of £ for data plan.....
- even wi-fi internet on my N95 is sloooow....
- Will i want to use the internet on iphone? is it fast like a normal computer? or just a gimmick?
A lot of that is down to the processor on the Nokia phones. I had the n73 on 3, and yes, it was sloooooow, even compared to the supposedly slower EDGE on the iPhone. So it will certainly be worth it.
In 3G areas, yes it will be fast like a computer.
You get unlimited data (for certain values of 'unlimited' of course) included with the contract or for the first 12 months Pay&Go so £s are not an issue that way.
- What does 3g mean? ...is that the technology which allows internet functionality in mobile phones?
Basically, yes. It means 3rd Generation mobile phone. 1st was bog standard phones, 2nd was the original slow data / WAP (very slow), 2.5g was GPRS (starts to get usable), EDGE is sometimes called 2.75g (a little faster than a dial-up modem)
Normal 3G is somewhere between a modem and broadband, which is quite fast for everyday web browsing (you won't want to be downloading gigabytes on a phone anyway) and HSDPA (sometimes called 3.5G) is medium-fast broadband speed.
All depends on the coverage therefore, but you'll usually at least get EDGE, and with the processor in the iPhone I think you'll find it a LOT faster and nicer to use for web browsing - and in general - than the Nokia.
HTH