Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Going back to what someone earlier said, 1st iphone was £279 unsubsidised, yet o2 maintained high contract prices. Next phone cheaper, subsidised, o2 again though maintained contract prices. Latest phone, even higher price, and now o2 have increased the contracts by making it cheaper if you sign the 24 month contract.

First gen iphone has revenue sharing, so O2 was giving Apple a big chunk of their monthly fees.
 
......I don't think there will be any queues. :p

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that I think an anxious few will queue unnecessarily and that there will be short queues of half a dozen or so here and there.

I won't be one of them even though I am a huge Apple fan who queued for both the 2G and the 3G on their respective launch days.
 
I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that I think an anxious few will queue unnecessarily and that there will be short queues of half a dozen or so here and there.

I won't be one of them even though I am a huge Apple fan who queued for both the 2G and the 3G on their respective launch days.

Ditto here. I queued for the 2G, queued for the 3G but will now wait. I would likely have paid an early upgrade fee had they offered one (i.e. pay off subsidy) but alas they're not offering that yet. Had they done so then the queues wouldn't have been a problem. Sure people would have been annoyed at the higher prices and the fact they would have to pay off their subsidy but most of the people who queued last time would likely queue again.
 
comon people..

I have a nokia phone and contract with 3 which expires xmas time.
I plan to get iphone next, around xmas time.

I really dont understand a few things about the iphone.

- 02 is the only service provider?

- 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?

- 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?

- What does 3g mean? ...is that the technology which allows internet functionality in mobile phones?

Sorry for all the q's.
And thanks for any info.
 
I have a nokia phone and contract with 3 which expires xmas time.
I plan to get iphone next, around xmas time.

I really dont understand a few things about the iphone.

- 02 is the only service provider?

- 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?

- 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?

- What does 3g mean? ...is that the technology which allows internet functionality in mobile phones?

Sorry for all the q's.
And thanks for any info.

Not wishing to sound rude, but you're best off checking Apple's site for a lot of this really fundamental stuff and the O2 site is quite well detailed on the different plans.
 
Bob2131

1) o2 is indeed the only UK network
2) wait for your current contract to expire, walk into an o2 store and buy your desired iphone size / colour.
3) if you want to keep your number call 3 and get a PAC code, then give this code to o2 customer services
4) your 3 SIM will not work in an iPhone
5) o2 iPhone plans include unlimited Internet access. I find that web browsing on the iPhone is actually pretty good and not at all slow
6) You will therefore in my opinion be quite willing to use your iPhone for internet browsing
7) 3g just refers to the type of network used, in this case it facilitates faster internet access than previously available (2g / EDGE / GPRS etc)

Hope this helps
 
I pre-ordered my 32GB White iPhone at the CPW tonight, signed the contract, paid for the phone and got my SIM card but have to activate it next friday aswell as transfer my number from 3.

Anyone know what time it wil be available at CPW next Friday and whether they are guaranteed stock?

I was about to pre-order mine but wondered if any stores would open earlier. Going to phone tomorrow and ask. Otherwise I'd assume 9am.

Going for non town centre CPW in the hope that there's minimal to 0 queue. The people of Aberdeen still have lots of money!
 
I have a nokia phone and contract with 3 which expires xmas time.
I plan to get iphone next, around xmas time.

I really dont understand a few things about the iphone.

- 02 is the only service provider? Yup

- 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? Well, this is the only way
- 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....? Not Possible
- or would iphone only work properly with 02 service? Correct

- and about data internet plans..... ive never used internet on mobile phones.... as its slow... and 3 charge alot of £ for data plan..... 3G is very good, even GPRS is acceptable
- even wi-fi internet on my N95 is sloooow.... N95 isnt a very good phone

- Will i want to use the internet on iphone? is it fast like a normal computer? or just a gimmick? Not as fast as a Computer, but very usable and enjoyable

- What does 3g mean? ...is that the technology which allows internet functionality in mobile phones? 3G is kinda like Broadband for a phone. GPRS Being more like Dial Up

Sorry for all the q's.
And thanks for any info.

...............
 
- 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
 
supersonic: id rather get the heads up from a non-apple site. Real people tell it straight up.

rhaleuk: thankyou so much. I heard i could unlock iphone and use 3 sim in there. I dont like the sound of that though. ....3g: my nokiaN95 is 3g also, i think, and its slow as hell on internet, and slow as hell for pretty much everything (gps too, planet3 too)

Unlimited internet, fast access, on iphone...does sound good.
But sounds too good to be true.
UK people have always been charged too much for data usage(net) so have always declined it.

Mattzani = thanks.
So internet on iphone works via 3G? ....without 3G, there would be no internet on iphone?

Cloudane = lol...yes i got banned once or twice too....unessesarily too.
lol = 3 customer service.... thats reason alone to ditch this company... takes 10mins to get thru, and then she/he tries selling you something....jesus... every 3 conversation makes me angry...

Would be nice to get a nice new handset from 3...

jesus... terminating 3 is gonna be stressful......sigh..... time consuming, debating, waiting, ...

3G areas? like wi-fi hotspots?
Does it matter where i am? or will internet on iphone work wherever i go and travel in uk? No need to point it at the sky or summat like taht?

So unlimited data...is not REALLY unlimited eh....so whats the limit? do you ever reach it.?

So why doesnt iphone use HSDPA? if thats the fastest internet connection on phones....do other phones use HSDPA? ...blackberry perhaps...

Yes thats helped alot.

Thankyou to everybody.

I have contacts in america, any benefit to getting one from the states? thatll probably open up a can of worms though....


Last point: Just cause its a new model, doesnt mean its better. New product cycles create this hysteria/manufactured/advertising/desire in people, who feel they NEED the new product, when their current model is working perfectly fine..and is relatively new anyway. Ive seen middle ageed men throw logic out the window and get unhappy when new model comes out and they ditch and upgrade and spend more money.... its human nature. ... maybe bit of peer pressure... status...
.... i dont suffer from this to the extent of some people, im glad.

At the end of the day, apple are this big cold money making machine, who feed off this cycle and customer characteristics...branding is also involved....
People need to ask themselves
1) Do i need this product? Why?
2) Am i buying it for the right reasons?
3) Am i happy with those reasons?
4) Is it a sensible purchase?
5)...and i guess "will it make me happy".... but ask why will it make me happy? And maybe change what makes you happy, because if its a new product, that you dont need, youre a muppet. (sorry if i offend anyone) Im just thinking aloud here.

Peace.
 
Would be nice to get a nice new handset from 3...

In my experience with 3 upgrades, you won't. You'll get a crappy refurb, with an under-spec battery that doesn't fit properly, so you'll phone them up and they'll replace it with more of the same, and having spent half your life on the phone to them, give up and put up with it. Not worth it. O2 and Apple are expensive, but you get what you pay for, depends how you value your time and stress levels :)

3G areas? like wi-fi hotspots?
Does it matter where i am? or will internet on iphone work wherever i go and travel in uk? No need to point it at the sky or summat like taht?

No no, it's not quite that bad. It's an upgrade to the existing mobile network - but not all masts have been upgraded yet as it costs O2 money. However most of them around the towns and cities have been upgaded.

So unlimited data...is not REALLY unlimited eh....so whats the limit? do you ever reach it.?

They're all like this, I'd challenge you to find any internet service provider or mobile phone provider that doesn't have a "Fair Use Policy" :)
It's not necessarily measured... but I'm sure with O2 it's measured in gigabytes or tens of gigabytes. It's very unlikely you'll reach it without blatant abuse... I think you'd have to be sat downloading videos 24/7.

So why doesnt iphone use HSDPA? if thats the fastest internet connection on phones....do other phones use HSDPA? ...blackberry perhaps...

HSDPA is quite new, but I believe it's supported on the 3GS. It's just a higher specification of what they call 3G.

As to your points on the throw-away / instant gratification society, that's all quite true and something to bear in mind especially in the current economic circumstances. Whether it's worth it is something you have to answer for yourself, nobody can answer it for you. I'm a huge technology fan, so for me, gadgets are a hobby and worth the money but people who "just want a phone" they will need to find other justifications.
 
cloudane: yeah i agree... time to ditch 3... too many sales calls.... some agressive too.

Would i be able to refuse a new contract, say i want a new phone, but pay as you go, and get a new handset off them?... and just go with 02/iphone and transfer my old number...eg i have a new handset from 3 with a "pretend" pay as you go sim.... and real number would be PAC'd over to iphone. ?

Technology fan.... never looked at it like that. Thats actaully a good reason, cant argue with that.
Actaully come to think of it, the people ive come across, are technology gadget fans also, they just dont know it or realise it as being the main reason they want it! .... they just come up with "other" reasons why they want it... eg this feature or that feature...

Interesting point you made there.
Liking technology/gadgets.
 
3 actually keep calling my O2 mobile because they know the contract is almost due. They start talking me through the idea of an upgrade, *without* revealing that they're 3 - it's only because I want an iPhone and they said they don't do it that I got suspicious (that and, not meaning it in a racist way, the Indian accent gave it away somewhat). Very shady business practices.

The phone upgrades are offered as an incentive for tying yourself up for an extra 12-24 months, and given *after* you agree :p You unfortunately can't just take an upgrade handset and run. Pay as you go wouldn't qualify.

The hobby thing is the key IMO. It's an expensive one, but there are worse, like gambling or going to the pub all night every day etc.
 
I've just ditched 3 Mobile, had 5 months left to run but got out of it. Mainly cos they're stopping the 3 like home service.

They'll keep you on the phone for an age, but eventually if you go down the route of saying I want to use my 3 mobile in Ireland next month and Italy in August they'll give in. There's a thread about it over at 3g.co.uk. Also there's PDF from 3 explaining why you can leave.

They've sent me my PAC code, just got 30 days to get my first iPhone :)

(worst case is I'll transfer my old number to my orange PAYG)
 
3 actually keep calling my O2 mobile because they know the contract is almost due. They start talking me through the idea of an upgrade, *without* revealing that they're 3 - it's only because I want an iPhone and they said they don't do it that I got suspicious (that and, not meaning it in a racist way, the Indian accent gave it away somewhat). Very shady business practices.

The phone upgrades are offered as an incentive for tying yourself up for an extra 12-24 months, and given *after* you agree :p You unfortunately can't just take an upgrade handset and run. Pay as you go wouldn't qualify.

The hobby thing is the key IMO. It's an expensive one, but there are worse, like gambling or going to the pub all night every day etc.

You with o2 now?
So why are 3 calling you? Cause you left them previously?

Indian accent? lol.... dont know why you mentioned race) but yeah those indian accents...are all 3... but most multinationals are india/pakistan based with the calls..... even banks etc....(yes i dont trust the indian accents sales/service phone calls either, they are programmed robots trying to screw you over...) (Im indian myself ).... in their defecne, they do speak english VERY well.... very smooth and persuasive...but NOT to be trusted. You are just a tick on their sales target sheet. My friends hang up on them, ive never had the heart to do that....but i aim to one day.

Yes i phoned them last week, to see how long i had left with them.
He asked why... i said i want to know how long i gotta wait till i should go ahead and buy iphone.
He tried to sell me "iphone" similar phones..... (pathetic)....
"why do you want iphone" "we have touch screen phones too" the new this and that.......(SHUT UP!!!) ....its really annnoying...and time consuming.....

So iphone is youre favourite gadget at the moment?
 
I've just ditched 3 Mobile, had 5 months left to run but got out of it. Mainly cos they're stopping the 3 like home service.

They'll keep you on the phone for an age, but eventually if you go down the route of saying I want to use my 3 mobile in Ireland next month and Italy in August they'll give in. There's a thread about it over at 3g.co.uk. Also there's PDF from 3 explaining why you can leave.

They've sent me my PAC code, just got 30 days to get my first iPhone :)

(worst case is I'll transfer my old number to my orange PAYG)

Would i need to use a tactic like that?
I cant simply say goodbye, no more renewal. Im off to 02/iphone.....?
 
Would i need to use a tactic like that?
I cant simply say goodbye, no more renewal. Im off to 02/iphone.....?

Depends, are you within your contract period (18-24 months etc)?

If you are, then use this to break the contract without and penalties. If you're out of contract, just say goodbye (best to send a registered letter to them to confirm cancellation - which is what i'll be doing when i've gone).
 
Would i need to use a tactic like that?
I cant simply say goodbye, no more renewal. Im off to 02/iphone.....?

It took me 15 minutes to get my PAC code, just had to keep saying "thats a great offer but ive made up my mind" and told him im getting an Phone which made him offer a blackberry bold which is "better than the iphone" with about 1000 mins + texts for about £15!

You got to just stick to your guns!
 
Would prefer to buy this from the Apple store rather than o2/CPW.

Will these be on the website as a pay as you go option before 19th for 20th delivery?

Any help much appreciated.
 
SIMplicity on the new iphones - will it work properly?

Hi there

I recently updated my iphone 2G to v 3.0 (legitimately, as I have a dev license)

I use a SIMplicity contract, and noticed that data stopped working - the APN had been changed to 'idata.o2.co.uk'

I changed it back to 'mobile.o2.co.uk' and it worked.

It strikes me that 'idata' is probably a contraction of 'iphone data', and am concerned that things like push notifications might not work if you're not using that specific APN...

They could restrict all sorts of things if they have an iphone-specific APN!

Marcos
 
Does anyone know if it is possible to use the original iPhone with an O2 SIMPLICITY SIM card in it without needing to unlock the iPhone?

EDIT: I think RestlessCaviar might just have answered my question there? Did this happen when the contract ended?
 
It took me 15 minutes to get my PAC code, just had to keep saying "thats a great offer but ive made up my mind"
It's even easier than that in my experience. Just say you are getting a company phone and you want to keep the same number so you need the PAC code and they will give it to you without trying to sell you anything, as they think it's a total waste of their time.
 
It's even easier than that in my experience. Just say you are getting a company phone and you want to keep the same number so you need the PAC code and they will give it to you without trying to sell you anything, as they think it's a total waste of their time.

That's the best answer to give to ANY mobile phone rep. You know the ones that ring you up and say they are offering you an upgrade 'on behalf of' your network? Basically independent company guessing that you are out of contract. Nothing seems to get rid of them except saying 'this is a company phone. I don't own it.' As soon as you say that they put a flag on your details and will never call you again.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.