iPhone 3G - available on O2 PAYG from 16 Sept

[mitchja]

If anyone has been waiting for the iPhone 3G to come out on PAYG in the UK - well the wait is over as it will be available from O2 from September 16th:

Details here

8Gb version will be 349.99
16Gb version will be 399.99

Both offering the same free unlimited data/WiFi as the contract version, but only for the first 12 months. After 12 months the unlimited data will be 10 a month.

Visual Voicemail wont be available with PAYG though.

Avaialble from O2 stores, CPW and Apple stores.

Regards

[buns]

Originally posted by mitchja
If anyone has been waiting for the iPhone 3G to come out on PAYG in the UK - well the wait is over as it will be available from O2 from September 16th:

Details here

8Gb version will be £349.99
16Gb version will be £399.99

Both offering the same free unlimited data/WiFi as the contract version, but only for the first 12 months. After 12 months the unlimited data will be £10 a month.

Visual Voicemail wont be available with PAYG though.

Avaialble from O2 stores, CPW and Apple stores.

Regards

James

Many thanks - it is just what I have been waiting for[:D][:D]

My brief relationship with the I Pod Touch has made me a true convert[y]

buns

[Darren Wheeler]

Just waiting have a play with the new Samsung Omnia. Apparently a very good iPhone clone.

Originally posted by mitchja


8Gb version will be £349.99
16Gb version will be £399.99

I know it's currently the 'must-have phone', but £349.99 for the 8GB version is very steep for a PAYG phone, despite the free Wi-Fi/unlimited data allowance for the first 12 months.

Come on Apple, stop feeding o2 and launch it across other networks.

[mitchja]

Indeed, if you break the PAYG price down to 'per month' for example, if buying the 8Gb version over the first 12 months (if you want the unlimited data after that it's another £10 per month (you'll find you will use quite a lot of data as well. I've used ~200MB data already in nearly 2 months):

£349.99 / 12 months = £29.17 per month

Total cost of PAYG for 18 months including paying extra for the final 6 months unlimited data at £10 per month:

£349.99 + £60.00 / 18 months = £22.77 per month before you have put credit on it.

So if you plan to top-up more than £7.23 a month you might as well be on contract.

This doesn't take into account the initial £99 cost of the 8Gb handset on the £30 or £35 tarrif.

I'm only paying £30 a month on contract with gives me 75 mins and 125 texts every month (some would say this is a very small call/text allowance compared to the £35 tarrif, but's it's enough for what I need plus I can always upgrade the tarrif if I need to at any time)

OK so you're not tied into an 18 month contract with PAYG but it's not a lot cheaper than getting it on contract if you plan on keeping the iPhone for some time.

(I hope my maths is right [:I])

Regards

Originally posted by VS075
I know it's currently the 'must-have phone', but £349.99 for the 8GB version is very steep for a PAYG phone, despite the free Wi-Fi/unlimited data allowance for the first 12 months.

Come on Apple, stop feeding o2 and launch it across other networks.

I know it's a PITA, but I believe that the stranglehold on the market was for two reasons.

Firstly, I am sure that when the iPhone went out to tender with the networks, Apple I am sure took the best offer.

Secondly, I believe that it wasn't only money, but also the support that the provider would give. Although I have yet to need any support, a friend of mine had some problems after upgrading the firmware on his (non-jailbreaked) O2 iPhone. He's a techy himself, and was really very surprised when they were able to deal with the problem, phoning back when they said they would a few minutes later with a resolution.

I too would rather not have had to change providers, but I've got to say I do not regret moving from the HTC MDA Vario II Smartphone I used to have. So far I haven't missed anything, except for its annoying propensities of cutting off calls as I try to answer them and switching to camera mode for no apparent reason.

I am sure some would like to use the iPhone as a tethered modem (Apple pulled the NetShare app from their app store that did this!) however I have a separate integrated data card on a global tariff inside my lappy for that.

My biggest gripe about the iPhone are the peasants that keep phoning and texting telling me that I've asked for insurance for my phone when I bloody haven't.

H

[buns]

James

thanks for doing the maths for me[y]

As I am likely to be doing far less that £7 per month (I currently rarely exceed £5) than although it is a huge up front investment, i think it will work out cheaper for me in the long run using just the £10 for web access.

buns