Thinking of buying an iPhone - advice

moesymoe

Hi folks,

Ok, so as much as I'm trying to convince myself not to, I think I'm probably gonna end up buying an iPhone.

Currently on Meteor payg with a piece of crap phone. Willing to switch provider and switch to monthly bill pay.

Can anyone advise what the cheapest way to get an iPhone is?

Happy to spend 45e a month, which is O2s cheapest option but not very keen on paying 169 for the 8g.

Is there any other way to go about this?

Should I consider buying a second hand one or one off ebay and getting a sim only contract from another provider?
Or is there a different way altogether? Up North?

Are there any nasty surprises with the 45e per month o2 option? Does 1gb mean that I can pretty much use the internet as and when I want apart from streaming youtube?

All advice very much appreciated.

luckat

Ask about the internet limit on that €45pm payment. I think it's 1GB, which should be ample if you're not downloading films or anything - you can keep an eye on it yourself - but check.

And make sure that you turn off data roaming if you're going abroad or to Northern Ireland. (You do this in Settings/General/Network.) They rape you on roaming.

Tom Dunne

My advice? Don't do it.

Yet.

There's a new device coming out in the June/July timeframe, so prices of older models will plummet soon after.

moesymoe wrote: »

Should I consider buying a second hand one or one off ebay and getting a sim only contract from another provider

You can't - the iPhone is locked to O2 Ireland. No other provider supplies it.

moesymoe wrote: »

Or is there a different way altogether? Up North?

You can buy it up North, but there are two problems with this. One, it will be locked to O2 UK, so you can't use it down here without unlocking it. Two, there is an issue around the baseband version number, which I don't know if it has been clarified yet as to whether models purchased in the North have the version that can be unlocked. So I don't think it is worth the risk.

You probably can buy one off e-bay, but to be honest, I would be very careful about it. I would rather see the phone before I buy it second hand, to confirm it isn't a Chinese knock-off or something.

CivilEx

moesymoe wrote: »

Hi folks,

Should I consider buying a second hand one or one off ebay

OP, think hard about that before you go ahead. Without a warranty or getting Insurance on it you could find yourself with an expensive brick. I think the sheer volume of iPhones made in the last 12 months means that there are defects in manufacture that are still showing up - I'm on my third at this stage.

Bicky

I am in the same boat as regards getting an iphone and was in the shop about to yesterday. However, i think i will wait for the announcment in june to see if a newer model is coming out. I would hate to be just starting an 18 month contract when the new model appears.
To be honest i think the 3g one is great and all i could want but i imagine the newer model will at least have larger capacity and a better battery life, possibly a better screen.
Does anyone remember if the 3g came on the market at a higher price than the original?
What i mean is will the next one be priced a lot higher than the current one with new price plans?

snoopdoop

i bought an iphone when they first came out and i would have to say they are the best phone i have ever used with out a doubt and i have had a lot of phones definately worth it mate but u have to look after it

Mr. Frost

Bicky wrote: »

To be honest i think the 3g one is great and all i could want but i imagine the newer model will at least have larger capacity and a better battery life, possibly a better screen.

Not to mention a better camera, bluetooth, full MMS capability....I'd wait if I were you.

O2_Daryll

And if you do decide to bite the bullet and buy one now there is a €40 tariff with unlimited calls and texts.
But I would advise hanging on too.

the_syco

Tom Dunne wrote: »

There's a new device coming out in the June/July timeframe, so prices of older models will plummet soon after.

According to the latest build of the iPhone firmware 3.0, the next-gen iPhone - known as iPhone 3.1 in the documentation - will use Broadcom’s BCM4329 chipset, bringing with it the potential of improved WiFi performance and radio functionality. The BCM4329 adds support for WiFi draft-n, together with power saving features and not just an FM receiver but a transmitter also. The presence of an FM transmitter could mean that next-gen iPhone owners will be able to dump the third-party radio transmitters and stream music short-range directly to their car stereos. As for the improved WiFi functionality, as well as draft-n support the BCM4329 also includes compatibility with MIMO multi-antenna signal technology, 5GHz network support and channel bonding, which can couple two channels so as to boost throughput. The existing iPhone 3G and iPod touch use the Broadcom BCM4325, which supports WiFi b/g and has an FM receiver. However Apple have locked down the latter so that it will only receive signals from the Nike+ exercise accessory. It remains to be seen whether the company will do the same with the FM capabilities of the newer Broadcom chipset in their newest smartphone.

Source: Slashgear

The FM bit sounds nice. Esp the transmitter!

tallus

moesymoe wrote: »

Hi folks,

Ok, so as much as I'm trying to convince myself not to, I think I'm probably gonna end up buying an iPhone.

Currently on Meteor payg with a piece of crap phone. Willing to switch provider and switch to monthly bill pay.

Can anyone advise what the cheapest way to get an iPhone is?

Happy to spend 45e a month, which is O2s cheapest option but not very keen on paying 169 for the 8g.

Is there any other way to go about this?

Should I consider buying a second hand one or one off ebay and getting a sim only contract from another provider?
Or is there a different way altogether? Up North?

Are there any nasty surprises with the 45e per month o2 option? Does 1gb mean that I can pretty much use the internet as and when I want apart from streaming youtube?

All advice very much appreciated.

I'm using my iphone 3g on the 45 per month tariff and have no issues whatsoever. I use wifi for data when I can and only use the 3g for email and a bit of youtube.
Bear in mind that you first bill is a two month bill so it will be around 90+ euro.
Like other posters said here, be careful of roaming and watch the data downloads on 3g. The phone has a built in data counter too which is handy.

Oafley Jones

Talk2O2: Daryll wrote: »

And if you do decide to bite the bullet and buy one now there is a €40 tariff with unlimited calls and texts.
But I would advise hanging on too.

Unlimited to o2. Given that for some reason you're allowed on here shilling for o2, I'd like it that you wouldn't be 'forgetting' any details such as that.

luckat

I'd wait too. After all, Apple must realise that they're selling into a very dampened market; maybe this will make them be realistic in their pricing. Not that it's made them realistic about downloading, but give it time...

Tom Dunne

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Unlimited to o2. Given that for some reason you're allowed on here shilling for o2, I'd like it that you wouldn't be 'forgetting' any details such as that.

Thanks for pointing out that.

I genuinely believe it was an honest mistake by Daryll. Both myself and himself have discussed his representation of O2 on Boards.ie, so we all know where we stand.

Daryll is a valuable contributor on the Mobiles/PDA forum and has helped a number of people out with various O2 related problems, so he is more than welcome here. He is also quite aware of the moderator/admins view on free advertising.

If there are any further questions on this matter, let's take it to PM and get this thread back on topic.

Bicky

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Thanks for pointing out that.


Daryll is a valuable contributor on the Mobiles/PDA forum and has helped a number of people out with various O2 related problems, so he is more than welcome here.

I agree 100 % that he is a helpful chap. Plus he let me sleep on his floor a few weeks ago.
Cheers Daryll.

I will def wait for the june announcement, but i want it NOW!

Tom Dunne

Bicky wrote: »

Plus he let me sleep on his floor a few weeks ago.

Now that's taking customer support to the extreme.

whiterebel

luckat wrote: »

I'd wait too. After all, Apple must realise that they're selling into a very dampened market; maybe this will make them be realistic in their pricing. Not that it's made them realistic about downloading, but give it time...

Don't hold your breath. They just INCREASED the prices on their desktop line by about €100, so they don't understand the "R" word......:mad:

Bicky

If a new iphone is announced in june will it take long before it is released in Ireland?
I think i might pick up a secong hand iphone until then. I am very impatient.

dmcg90

Also remember that if you buy it in the Carphone Warehouse you can trade your old phone in against it.

Leiva

Bicky wrote: »

If a new iphone is announced in june will it take long before it is released in Ireland?
I think i might pick up a secong hand iphone until then. I am very impatient.

ImPatient also ... , have €550 burning a hole in the drawer upstairs ( for the past 5 weeks) awaiting the new release of iphone .

Have come close on many occasions to buying a second hand one but will hold out .

G-Money

Regarding buying an iPhone in the north. I bought one in the Carphone Warehouse in Newry about a month ago and the baseband was upgraded. So unfortunately I wasn't able to unlock it using yellowsn0w or anything as they are for an older baseband.

You could buy one in the north and use it down here, but you'd be roaming most of the time and as a result, getting ass f*****d with roaming charges. Alternatively, buy an iPhone in Italy, they are factory unlocked. They have to be sold that way in Italy

3DataModem

grandmaster wrote: »

They have to be sold that way in Italy

And Belgium too.:D

Burago

I'm waiting for the June announcement also and am hoping for better tariffs. I'm currently on Meteor and spend about 20-25 a month on credit.

Ideally I'd like an unlocked 32gb iPhone and to stay with Meteor:D I think I'll probably go for the €45 tariff because of the Wifi and 1gb data. How do most people find the limit, 1gb seems very stingy or is it enough for most things?