ANy O2 sim card will work in an iPhone. It's locked to the network, not the sim card.
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iPhone 3GS UK Discussion thread
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ANy O2 sim card will work in an iPhone. It's locked to the network, not the sim card.
The iPhone will only be locked to O2 when sold in the UK. Apple themselves provide a list of the countries in which the iPhone 3G is sold unlocked, and even sell the iPhone 3G unlocked from the Apple Store online in Hong Kong. In Belgium they sell the iPhone unlocked without a contract, so if you desperately want to switch to iPhone but not to O2 you could just go to Brussels for the day from London and buy it there - though the 8G iPhone is €525, so it's expensive! If you don't want to go abroad, you can buy the iPhone unlocked in the UK from Play.com - they claim they can do this "due to EU legislation ensuring the sale of sim free mobile phones". I've not heard of any such regulation before, but since the EU is a common market in goods and services presumably there is nothing to stop them buying iPhones in other EU countries where the phones are legitimately sold as unlocked, and then sell them on again in the UK.
So you can get an iPhone 3G unlocked without doing anything dodgy, it will just cost you a lot of money (though perhaps the prices for the 3G might fall once the 3GS is out - the price on the Apple Store HK for the unlocked iPhone 3G 8GB has been dropped since the announcement of the 3GS so it's now cheaper than the 8GB iPhone 3G PAYG in the UK, which is locked to O2!). Of course all this only applies to the iPhone 3G, but the OP didn't specify the iPhone they were thinking of switching to, and given the number of countries where the iPhone 3G is sold unlocked it seems likely the iPhone 3GS will be sold as unlocked in some of the same countries too.
One thing I only thought of yesterday, and haven't seen anyone else mention, is that perhaps the reason for the $199 16GB iPhone 3GS prices in the US is because of the Palm Pre - it needs to be priced competitively, as the obvious comparison people in the US will be making when choosing a new smart phone is new Pre vs. new iPhone (ie. the 3GS, the cheaper of which is the 16GB). In the UK O2 doesn't really have any competition for the iPhone - most other smartphones aren't seen as as good, at least by the main stream media, so O2 essentially has no 'real' competition in the smartphone market for potential iPhone users. Sadly, however, the rumours are that O2 will have the Pre when it's launched in the UK - meaning when the Pre comes out here, iPhone pricing won't have to compete with it, since O2 won't care if people get a Pre or an iPhone, whereas AT&T does care that people don't by a Pre because that would mean people signing up with its competitor - and so maybe that's why it's priced the iPhone 3GS at $199.
Well in this case it's true - the iPhone tariffs do indeed include unlimited data, and as long as you are in 3G coverage it will be fast too. When not in 3G coverage it will drop back to EDGE or GPRS which will still provide internet access, but not as fast as 3G.
For the iPhone tariffs I believe it actually is truly unlimited - with the understanding that the iPhone can't download crazy amounts of data. The new software (that will be included on the new iPhone released next week, as well as being available on the current iPhone from Wednesday) will allow you to use "tethering", which is when you connect your laptop or computer to your iPhone and use it as a modem. This will *not* be included in the iPhone plans and will cost extra to use (as you can download far more using the iPhone that way).
Actually the 3G iPhone does use HSDPA - it just doesn't support it at full speed. The iPhone 3G (the current model) can use HSDPA up to 3.6mbps, but you'll need the iPhone 3GS (the one released on June 19th) to be able to use the higher 7.2mbps that HSDPA is capable of. That said, O2's HSDPA coverage currently only goes up to 3.6mbps anyway, though they are rolling out the faster 7.2mbps speed. For most applications on the iPhone you probably wouldn't notice the difference anyway.
No, it's not. It's unlimited with a "fair usage policy", but just without a set bandwidth cap. I suspect O2 would have a word if you were using multiple gigs.
It also doesn't (contractually) allow you to stream any media.
Phazer
They wouldn't know what my new number was... I guess there's just a database somewhere, or maybe they were trying pot luck. To try and fool me into "upgrading" back to them!
I said that to cover my rear - there are a few sensitive folk who think that if you get frustrated with Indian Call Centres, or the difficulties in understanding each others' accents (not so much the language; most countries speak better English than we do ourselves), then you're being racist. Nothing of course can be further from the truth - the Indian people are some of the nicest, most courteous people I can think of.
I just don't agree with the support for a product or service being shuffled off to another part of the world where they don't even have an awareness of what they're supporting other than an on-screen knowledgebase. If I wanted to ask a computer, I'd go to Google
It's unfortunate that due to what is basically a lack of product training and poor management, we tend to associate "Indian call centre" with "oh no, here we go again". There are still some very good ones though e.g. HSBC.The issue is that when even the Sales department is moved overseas, it says:
a) This company is so cheap, they won't even try to impress you with a personal/knowledgeable service at the sales stage
b) Sales is basically a robot. A relentless attempt to convert one statistic to another.
Exactly the conversation I went through. Went round and round in circles of "I want an iPhone specifically" "But what about the Samsung?" "I want an iPhone specifically" "But what about the Samsung?" until blue in the face, at which point I had no choice but to rudely hang up, and write a letter instead.
Novelty of this iPhone has worn off but I still want the new one
My pet gadget at the moment is a heavily modified Eee 901.Just called O2 this morning, and there is no Pay&Go pre-order in place for the 3Gs, you can only pre-order a contract, so I'll have to wait until 19th, to see if I can find one anywhere, still think the Apple store will be the best place for stock.
The o2 store told me it's first come first serve for iPhones.
However I'll probably get it from my local Apple store as it's a new contract.
However I'll probably get it from my local Apple store as it's a new contract.
They will have plenty.
Isn't it PAYG only directly from Apple?
Carphonewarehouse don't know if they're opening early or not next Friday.
Anyone heard anything else?
Anyone heard anything else?
Yes. That's handled by the 3.0 update. I don't think it can tell what tariff you are on, it just needs to o2.
Only PAYG, which is techincally a new "contract" but contract tends to refer to pay monthly sign up for 18 months etc.
I will call O2 and carephone in my shopping center wednesday and ask if they will have any in stock already (not getting them friday morning) and what time they open and if all is good I go there. Its Surray quays london is not really a shopping center as it only has 20 shops and a big tesco and the people who go there are very "working class" (so i recon nobody will be in the queue).
If not Regents street Apple Store 7am to join the queue. (first time for me to ever queue for anything but I have been waiting for 4 months now for an iphone).
7 more days, at least I have monday and friday of work so time should fly
If not Regents street Apple Store 7am to join the queue. (first time for me to ever queue for anything but I have been waiting for 4 months now for an iphone).
7 more days, at least I have monday and friday of work so time should fly
They will have plenty.
Isn't it PAYG only directly from Apple?
I signed up on contract at the Apple Store last year.
It was new contracts only though. All the Apple staff were popping out and coming back with their upgrades in O2 Store bags.
Push notification should work whenever the iPhone has a data connection. Should even work on Asda Mobile.
C.
Are you kidding? Time seems to go backwards when waiting for the launch of a new Apple product!
The Apple store told me they can do new contracts, mind you they've not really had too much information from o2 just yet. Hopefully things will be a little more clear later next week.
I'm in no real hurry, but it'll be nice to get it on day 1
I'm in no real hurry, but it'll be nice to get it on day 1
I stand corrected. On reflection they did do contracts, but only new ones , not upgrades.
Any idea if o2 are taking pre orders on contracts yet ?
if so when will I be able to do it from ?
if so when will I be able to do it from ?
There will be no pre orders from O2. Simply first come first serve in their stores and online from next fri.
Has anyone pre-ordered through the carphone warehouse web site for collection in store?
I got an email saying that they were out of stock or "If you knowingly placed a Pre Order or Back Order on carphonewarehouse.com, then you do not need to take any action"
but i didn't actually get an email saying that it had all gone through ok or any type of reference number for in store collection?
anyone shed any light?
I got an email saying that they were out of stock or "If you knowingly placed a Pre Order or Back Order on carphonewarehouse.com, then you do not need to take any action"
but i didn't actually get an email saying that it had all gone through ok or any type of reference number for in store collection?
anyone shed any light?