3G iPhone Thread - [sourcing Qs / news about 3G iPhone here *ONLY* !!!]

condra

The current model needs an adapter and the new one will work with any standard headphones.

condra

Yesterday it was 250 euro. Today 240 euro. The iPhones on adverts.ie are getting cheaper :)

Looking forward to the 200 mark being broken. Soon I hope.

-DuMbGuM-

diarmy wrote: »

One year on, my desire for the iPhone is still unwavering. However, it's O2 that's causing me to be without one now, and I'm sorry to say, unless drastic changes are made before July 11th, I won't have one when I want it either!

The costs for the tariffs are an absolute and total disgrace. O2 Ireland are taking the proverbial piss with this arrangement of screwing Irish customers while the UK customers get away with FREE iPhones on certain tariffs.

I know, people will say you can't compare UK & Ireland. But, €45 to me in Ireland is the same as £45 to an Englishman in England. We both work hard for it and yet, he gets more for his money.

I wholeheartedly OBJECT to the lack of Visual Voicemail in Ireland. O2 had almost a year on the US release to get this fairly simple thing working, and we've still got nothing a full year later.

We're still being forced to pay for voicemail on the iPhone tariffs *as of today on www.o2.ie*.

We have no option to upgrade with a discount for loyal O2 customers as we are entitled to with other phones and models.

We have no opportunity to get the iPhone on PAYG in Ireland.

We have no opportunity to get the iPhone at a reasonable price without paying a minimum of over €800 in monthly charges for over 18 months.

AND, unlike the USA, people who buy the iPhone v1.0 at present CANNOT currently upgrade to the iPhone 3G for free like they can in the USA.


So, my question to you all is.... how difficult would it be for us to get an iPhone over the counter in the North, pop in our Blackberry-tariffed SIM cards down south and work away on a nice cheap phone??

By the way, if O2 is watching this forum, read and follow this:

YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN ABSOLUTE FORTUNE BY SELLING TO ENTERPRISE CUSTOMERS. CUT YOUR PRICES NOW BEFORE THEY RE-EVALUATE TO BLACKBERRY WHICH IS AVAILABLE ON OTHER OPERATORS' NETWORKS.

YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SOAK UP ALL THOSE CUSTOMERS YOU LOST TO METEOR WHEN YOU STARTED BEING CHILDISH AND PETTY ABOUT TEXT PRICING AND VOICEMAIL COSTS - REDUCE THE PRICES.

It's your call.


diarmy

+1

A lot nicely summed up there.

jamieh

I notice a lot of people are talking about getting a PAYG for the UK....will they not be locked to O2 UK?

bennyx_o

jamieh wrote: »

I notice a lot of people are talking about getting a PAYG for the UK....will they not be locked to O2 UK?

I assume they're hoping an unlock becomes available soon enough

Creamy Goodness

it will take a drastic overhaul of iphone 2.0 firmware for it not be be unlockable.

when the beta was released, it was unlocked in a matter of hours.

jester77

Cremo wrote: »

it will take a drastic overhaul of iphone 2.0 firmware for it not be be unlockable.

when the beta was released, it was unlocked in a matter of hours.

The firmware won't be a problem, it's the radio that could be. Apple will have learned from version 1, so it may take some time.

Bobeagleburger

Anyone know can you buy the phone from Apple in the states and get it shipped back here?
Also can you use it even when on the meteor network? (after unblocking it of course)

Spud83

I would suggest using this thread for all iPhone questions.

Bobeagleburger

Anyone know can you buy the phone from Apple in the states and get it shipped back here?
Also can you use it even when on the meteor network? (after unblocking it of course)

Spud83

rarnes1 wrote: »

Anyone know can you buy the phone from Apple in the states and get it shipped back here?
Also can you use it even when on the meteor network? (after unblocking it of course)

Ok when I said try this thread I also meant have a read through it.

For 3G iPhone you will not be able to buy one in the states without the 2 year contract. So the only was is to buy one and then cancel the contract straight away which will mean you have to pay a penalty. With them going to be available in the UK on PAYG this sounds like the best possibilty at this time.

At this point in time the 3G iPhone can not be unlocked or jailbroken. This does not mean that they wont be in the future or even the near future but at this point in time they cant.

People have been using the original iPhone on meteor so once a unlocking/jailbreaking becomes available I'm sure they could be used on meteor.

Bobeagleburger

thanks for that.I was trying to get through some of the threads but you would need a day to do it !

jpfahy

From O2 UK:

Existing iPhone customers can upgrade early to the new 3G iPhone for free*

To thank you for being an iPhone fan, we're offering you an early upgrade to the brand new version when it launches on 11th July 2008. You won't have to wait until the end of your existing contract, all you'll need to do is agree to a new 18-month minimum term contract.

*Best of all, the new 8GB iPhone won't cost you a penny on our £45 and £75 Pay Monthly tariffs for iPhone. And it's just £99 on our £35 tariff and new £30 tariff. This special early upgrade offer is only available online at o2.co.uk anytime from 11th July until 11th October 2008.

Take a look at our new Pay Monthly tariffs for iPhone.

Then just register your interest opposite and we'll drop you a line in early July to tell you what you need to do to be one of the first to get your hands on the new 3G iPhone.

Don't need 2 iPhones!

We want to make sure you find a good home for your existing iPhone once you upgrade. If you've a friend or family member already on an eligible O2 tariff, they'll be able to transfer to one of our new tariffs for iPhone. If they're not already with O2 or on an eligible O2 tariff, they could get one of our new iPhone Pay & Go SIM cards.

What will O2 Ireland do I wonder ????

Creamy Goodness

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

At this point in time the 3G iPhone can not be unlocked or jailbroken. This does not mean that they wont be in the future or even the near future but at this point in time they cant.

just to clarify the only reason it can't be unlocked is because no one has got their hands on one yet correct?

Spud83

Cremo wrote: »

just to clarify the only reason it can't be unlocked is because no one has got their hands on one yet correct?

The only reason we dont know about unlocking yet is because no one has got there hands on one. That does not mean that they will be unlockable as soon as someone does get there hands on one. Its really a wait and see thing IMO.

barryfitz

new 3g iphone will be available on o2 ireland on the 11th of July. confirmed..

with free wifi bitbuzz access at all bit buzz sites.

The 8GB iPhone 3G will cost just €49 on the €100 monthly iPhone tariff, €99 on the €65 tariff and €169 on the €45 tariff. The 16GB iPhone 3G will cost €129 on the €100 monthly tariff option, €169 on the €65 tariff and €229 on the €45 tariff. All iPhone tariffs include anytime minutes, texts and a 1GB data bundle.

jpfahy

I have an O2 16Gb 1st Gen iPhone. If I take the option to upgrade to the 3G phone, what can I do with the old one - will O2 unlock it for me to PAYG or will it be unusable (i.e. requiring jailbreaking)

barryfitz

Existing iPhone customers will be able to upgrade to the new device, taking advantage of the same great deal as new customers. The new pricing is also available for non-iPhone O2 customers eligible for an upgrade.

taken from the press release. not my words.

edit: linky linky
http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/About+O2/Press/2008/June/O2+to+Launch+iPhone+3G+in+Ireland+on+July+11

Spud83

Mr.S wrote: »

its still a 12 month contract job right? ie, they wont offer it as PAYG, or Apple selling it sim free?

18 month contract, not looking likely for PAYG here certainly they haven't announced it anyway, no chance of apple selling it sim free here, the US, or UK as they are tied to an exclusivity deals with the network operators.

jpfahy wrote: »

I have an O2 16Gb 1st Gen iPhone. If I take the option to upgrade to the 3G phone, what can I do with the old one - will O2 unlock it for me to PAYG or will it be unusable (i.e. requiring jailbreaking)

o2 Ireland haven't announced what they plan to do in this regard yet. o2 UK have said that you can sell it on to an existing o2 customer or probably anybody willing to switch to o2 and sign up for a contract. Or you can jailbreak it and sell it that way.

jamieh

Hi all,

Just had a look at the O2 Terms & Conditions.

I had an unlocked first gen iPhone and am half thinking of joining O2 for the next gen....

"Changing your iPhone tariff - You can change to another iPhone tariff a maximum of once per month. You are not able to connect or change to a general O2 Pay Monthly tariff if you have an iPhone."

Does this mean I can sign up for the €100 tariff, get the phone for €49, then drop down to the €65 tariff after the first month??

Creamy Goodness

nope they are getting AT&T stands in store now that will only sell you an iphone with a piece of paper with it.

Thraktor

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

18 month contract, not looking likely for PAYG here certainly they haven't announced it anyway, no chance of apple selling it sim free here, the US, or UK as they are tied to an exclusivity deals with the network operators.

I'm not quite so sure about that. Have a look at the US Apple Store page for the iPhone 3G:

Apple US wrote:

Requirements
Mac PC
USB 2.0 port
Mac OS X
v10.4.10 or later
iTunes 7.7
or later
Internet connection
(broadband recommended; fees may apply)
AT&T service
(minimum two-year agreement)
Free iTunes Store account
(valid credit card required)

And have a look at the equivalent page from the Ireland Apple Store:

Apple Ireland wrote:

Requirements
Mac PC
USB 2.0 port
Mac OS X
v10.4.10 or later
iTunes 7.7
or later
Internet connection
(broadband recommended; fees may apply)
Wireless service
Free iTunes Store account
(valid credit card required)

Unlike the US service, there's no indication that a contract is required, or even that you're tied to O2. I would imagine that, given the size of the prepay market in Europe, Apple have decided to allow the phones to be sold on both contract and prepay basis in the EU (with a significant mark-up for prepay, of course) to allow them to sell to a much wider audience. If they are sold for O2 prepay, I can't imagine that unlocking them will be a great difficulty, nor is it particularly difficult to switch prepay providers, anyway, so sim-free isn't much of an issue.

Edit: I would also like to point out that in a number of countries where it is being sold, it's illegal to lock a phone to a particular network (Belgium, I believe, is an example), so sim-free models should be available by import, if that's what you're looking for.

towel401

ugh, these exclusive deals are a bollox. why can't they just give it up and sell them sim free in apple stores?

dmn

towel401 wrote: »

ugh, these exclusive deals are a bollox. why can't they just give it up and sell them sim free in apple stores?

And apple resellers of course...hehe...otherwise poor Ireland would be left out again

-DuMbGuM-

Mr.S wrote: »

so virtually impossible to get the phone out of contract?

No you will still be able to get the PAYG version from Northern Ireland. If o2 bring it out here i will buy it, but if not i'm not about to pay for one of their billing price plans.

Creamy Goodness

it's totally up to the network operator.

i think O2 IE will follow O2 UK just because there will be uproar if they don't do a PAYG version.

Spud83

Cremo wrote: »

it's totally up to the network operator.

i think O2 IE will follow O2 UK just because there will be uproar if they don't do a PAYG version.

Is the data charges on PAYG not really bad though?

Creamy Goodness

yeh but that's going to be the same deal over in the UK the data charges will be dire.

you can avail of the o2 data bundles on pay as you go AFAIK.

Spud83

Mr.S wrote: »

yeah its a ripp off, but im sure they will introduce data add ons, if they dont have them already

Cremo wrote: »

yeh but that's going to be the same deal over in the UK the data charges will be dire.

you can avail of the o2 data bundles on pay as you go AFAIK.

I dont see any data bundle info on there site anyway.

30knots

i think O2 IE will follow O2 UK just because there will be uproar if they don't do a PAYG version.

Im not gonna hold my breath. They know that revenue per unit will be no where as high as on their crazy bill plans(IMO it would be near impossible not to go over that rubbish call, text & data plan). Id love if someone from o2 would answer this question though & give a credible answer as to why they may not offer it.