IPhone

I've given in! IPhone 3GS on order (via Apple Store and 3% discount via Quidco).

I just couldn't stand being teased by my youngest son any longer!

My 3G is just about out of contract but I will wait for Iphone 4 this summer

"You were lucky", I wander around with a 2G..

The Shame....

Iphone 4....What's this?

[Nottingham Nick]

Iphone 4....What's this?

If you google Iphone 4G you come up with page after page of rumour and speculation about the spec and release date of the next version - typical with any Apple product.

This is one such page, but there are many, many more.

Nick

[Neil]

Good move, I couldn't cope without my iPhone now.

[Scrooge]

Come August I am dumping mine, it's no so much the phone, but the AT&T service and cost.

I pay almost twice as much for my I-Phone as I pay for my wife's smart phone and at this point in time, I really can't justify it.

So it's Android time for me.

[mitchja]

Also waiting for the next-gen iPhone here too, although I don't like O2's new unlimited text with fewer minutes tariffs which I'll have to move onto when I get the new one (currently on 30 day SIM only now with my 3GS).

You now have to pay for MMS in the UK and texts when abroad on all the new O2 tariffs (unless you stay on your existing tariff where MMS and texts from abroad come off your existing allowance)

Also be prepared for a long wait to get your Quidco cashback from Apple as they are very slow at paying Quidco. I bought my 3GS from Apple last September, the first Quidco transaction got declined around November (many Apple transactions do the first time) and the second manual one only got validated last week and I've yet to receive the cash.

Just wish I could use it normally when in the US without having to sell a child to pay the bill.

[mitchja]

I always get the O2 data-roaming bolt-on now before I travel (£20 for 10Mb or £50 for 50Mb) and closely monitor my data usage, much better than getting bill shock when you get home.

There's still multiple websites where people are complaining they are getting charged for data usage even when data-roaming is turned off. This problem started when version 3.0 of the iPhone O/S was released yet Apple don't seem to be doing much about it.

I always get the O2 data-roaming bolt-on now before I travel (£20 for 10Mb or £50 for 50Mb) and closely monitor my data usage, much better than getting bill shock when you get home.

There's still multiple websites where people are complaining they are getting charged for data usage even when data-roaming is turned off. This problem started when version 3.0 of the iPhone O/S was released yet Apple don't seem to be doing much about it.

Thanks for that - I will give it a go for the summer.

The data roaming add on is useful - but you can use it up very quickly. O2's oversees charges are just phenomenal and as I travel a lot I can regularly run up bills of 500 quid in a month - which, thankfully I don't pay for, but if I did I'd think very carefully about how I used the iPhone.

Although I signed up for the two-year O2 deal, with my rate of spend I think get the 6 or 12 month early trade in option - so I too will await iPhone4 in the summer!

[mitchja]

Just remember though that all O2 bolt-ons work on a pro-rata basis so in order for you to get the full monthly bolt-on value, you need to add it to your account at least 1 billing cycle before you travel.

You are supposed to give 30 days notice to cancel bolt-ons but if you call about 3 days after getting back home, O2 will cancel it within a few days for you.

Also don't cancel the bolt-on as soon as you get home as it can take upto 3 days for the roaming data usage to hit your mobile account.

Re-set your iPhone usage just just before your depart and keep checking your O2 online account regularly as the data-roaming bolt-on usage is shown as a separate transaction to UK data usage on your account.

[HighFlyer]

I want an iPhone

[Nottingham Nick]

Another thing to be aware of, as I found out to my (fortunately very limited) cost in Asia - if you have to to a full reboot / reload of the iPhone, data roaming defaults to 'on'.

So even if you switch it off before you go, you could suddenly be merrily downloading emails and racking up the data count.

Nick

Come August I am dumping mine, it's no so much the phone, but the AT&T service and cost.

I pay almost twice as much for my I-Phone as I pay for my wife's smart phone and at this point in time, I really can't justify it.

So it's Android time for me.

Come August I am dumping mine, it's no so much the phone, but the AT&T service and cost.

I pay almost twice as much for my I-Phone as I pay for my wife's smart phone and at this point in time, I really can't justify it.

So it's Android time for me.

Yep! Another droid fan here. I'm impressed with my Nexus One. The HTC Desire looks a good phone too.

How do you monitor the date usage? Off to Miami next Friday and don't think I can do life without the net. Not sure whether to get the 10mb or 50mb bolt on!

[Nottingham Nick]

Just go into settings - general - usage.

You can still download your emails and use the net in the US if you hook up to a wi-fi connection.

Nick

Thanks for that, never bothered to scroll down that far under usage.

Had multiple emails from Quidco confirming cash back, but we'll see what turns up.

Hm - must look out for this data roaming issues - off to Florida April 14th.

Well I had a rather friendly message from o2 when in DC saying my monthly bill was already £25 over my tarriff due to data downloads in the US. Of course I immediately stopped using google maps and went back to the old school paper map!

However, like many others, I am now on the simplicity plan which re-news every month at my request whilst I wait for the 4GS....interesingly the guy in o2 said he had lost count at the number of original 3G customers that were selecting this option now that there 18 month contract was ending and they wanted to hold out till the summer for the 4GS rather than get the 3GS.

Presumably if you are on a payg tariff you can't run up a large bill?

[mitchja]

Not necessarily Stephen, as when your roaming with PAYG the usual system that's in place to check your account credit isn't available as your not on your home network.


One sure way to avoid any un-wanted data roaming charges with an iPhone is to temporarily change your data APN settings. Goto:

Settings>General>Network>Cellular Data Network

Make a note of APN info that's there now (for O2 pay monthly it's idata.o2.co.uk) then change all 3 APN's by deleting the last character on each one. That way the APN's wont be recognised and so what send/receive data.

Put them back to normal when you get home.

Cheers James - valuable info.

Presumably wifi access and normal telephony is not affected by changing APN's?

[mitchja]

Everything else, including WiFi will work perfectly. It just disables cellular data transfer.