Cheapest iPhone discussion

greencode

Leopard wrote: »

With regard to the cost of data usage with a 2G iPhone on O2 PAYG, this is what I have been told at two different 02 shops recently when I went in about something else. I can't vouch that it's correct; it's just what I was told...

With that proviso,

1. To use any iPhone in an orthodox manner (i.e. with O2) you have to have a special O2 iPhone SIM, not an ordinary SIM.

2. If you have a 2G iPhone that's conventional and unmodified (i.e has previously been run on an O2 iPhone contract), you can buy an O2 iPhone PAYG SIM (now) for nothing or next to nothing (£0? £5? £10? - can't remember) and if you simply add £10 a month to it every month, you get unlimited data (only on the device itself - you can't use it as a modem for your laptop.)

3. If you want the unlimited use of WiFi hotspots, you have to fund that by £10 a month, as well.

So, £120 a year for unlimited data - another £120 a year for unlimited WiFi.

Mind you, it will also qualify you for the £5 a month discount on O2 broadband - so that's a saving of £60 if you aren't already receiving it.

What the economics for data are, on an iPhone that's been jailbroken and unlocked, I don't know and I'm sure others can explain.

I'm just quoting what O2 told me about using the thing officially - on O2 PAYG.

Umm, it makes no mention of a special iphone pay as you go sim card here: http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=246,E=0000000001953826225,K=2651,Sxi=5,Case=obj(13373)

Leopard

greencode wrote: »

Umm, it makes no mention of a special iphone pay as you go sim card here: http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=246,E=0000000001953826225,K=2651,Sxi=5,Case=obj(13373)

True. And hence the proviso that I stressed.

I always strive hard to distinguish between what I know for a fact, what I believe and what I've read or been told.

Nevertheless, this is what I was told in two different O2 shops. :cool:

I guess that most people have an O2 shop within reasonable range and can ask for themselves if they're planning on doing it.

Personally, I would check that the salesperson giving the advice is a regular member of staff before proceeding in earnest.

The advantage of using a network's shop is that you can go in there with the kit and/or the paperwork and get them to sort things out if they had previously told you something was so but it then doesn't work or apply.

krayzechick

My iphone 3G cost me £99 to buy and only £28.50 a month for unlimited text messages and 75 mins a month.

I rarely use minutes - for the past 4 years i've only gone over 50 mins a month once so im confident on this one. However I user roughly 2000 text messages. I started off at the £30 a month tariff, added on the unlimited texts bolt on to make my contract £37.50 a month.

Luckily for me I have a friend who works at an 02 store in town who gets 30% staff discount for 15 'friends and family' ...He quite happily signed me up to this which reduces my tariff (bolt ons dont get discounted)... and WAH-LA ...£28.50 a month

:j

fiish

Leopard wrote: »

With regard to the cost of data usage with a 2G iPhone on O2 PAYG, this is what I have been told at two different 02 shops recently when I went in about something else. I can't vouch that it's correct; it's just what I was told...

With that proviso,

1. To use any iPhone in an orthodox manner (i.e. with O2) you have to have a special O2 iPhone SIM, not an ordinary SIM.

2. If you have a 2G iPhone that's conventional and unmodified (i.e has previously been run on an O2 iPhone contract), you can buy an O2 iPhone PAYG SIM (now) for nothing or next to nothing (£0? £5? £10? - can't remember) and if you simply add £10 a month to it every month, you get unlimited data (only on the device itself - you can't use it as a modem for your laptop.)

3. If you want the unlimited use of WiFi hotspots, you have to fund that by £10 a month, as well.

So, £120 a year for unlimited data - another £120 a year for unlimited WiFi.

Mind you, it will also qualify you for the £5 a month discount on O2 broadband - so that's a saving of £60 if you aren't already receiving it.

What the economics for data are, on an iPhone that's been jailbroken and unlocked, I don't know and I'm sure others can explain.

I'm just quoting what O2 told me about using the thing officially - on O2 PAYG.

Regarding points 2 and 3, according to O2's web site, the £10 bolt on gives both unlimited data and unlimited Wi-Fi. Either of those alone can be obtained for £7.50 a month.

jemclajess

wonderemxx wrote: »

Another bit of information- if your currently in on a contract with O2, they will allow you to upgrade early and have an iPhone 3g for £99!! you keep your number etc just a new phone!

Hi,
I am currently on a contract with O2 which I will be in my final month from tomorrow and I have been seriously considering the iPhone after playing about with my brothers on Sunday (he has the 2G version) and was wondering if anyones knows if I telephone them there is any way I would be able to get the new contract with the iPhone any lower than they advertise - min £30 a month with 75 minutes and 125 texts and £99 phone? At the end of my last contract with them 11 months ago I managed to bargain with them and got a contract that I was extremely happy with all because I had seen a better deal with dial-a-phone. Unfortunately with the iPhone because it is O2 exclusive I will not be able to do this will I?
TIA and sorry if this is the wrong board for this post!!!

Mercury

I am considering buying an iPhone, and am looking at the best way to get some cashback.

I'm with Quidco, and I'm trying to understand whether the following assumptions are correct:

Using Carphone Warehouse via Quidco I would get £20 cashback
Using O2 via Quidco I would get £35 cashback

Can anyone confirm this is a correct interpretation?

Thanks,
Mercury

freakyhello

wonderemxx wrote: »

o2 won't buy you out of a contract but carphone warehouse will. a tip is to reduce your current contract as low as possible and then see how much it costs to buy yourself out of it. In the past i have had around 3 months left and expected to pay £120 but the network provider only charge £95!

Another bit of information- if your currently in on a contract with O2, they will allow you to upgrade early and have an iPhone 3g for £99!! you keep your number etc just a new phone!

So if i sign up to 02 simplicity this month for 20 pounds a month with all the free texts and minutes and then say i want an iphone, i can keep my contract as 20 pounds a month and just buy the iphone for 100 quid?

chuckie79

freakyhello wrote: »

So if i sign up to 02 simplicity this month for 20 pounds a month with all the free texts and minutes and then say i want an iphone, i can keep my contract as 20 pounds a month and just buy the iphone for 100 quid?

Unfortunately I don't think it works like that - I wish as just gone on simplicity 20 too What I think the other poster meant is if you're in an 18 month contract say O2 will let you out of that early to get an iphone and go on an iphone tariff. Problem with simplicity is that you only have to give a months notice anyway so not tied in.

richardo

I think that MSE should put a health warning on the article about getting the iPhone using Carphone Warehouse and cashback.

I had the following experience which I found quite unbelievable. I bought the iPhone online going through a cashback site and used my American Express card to pay for it (so I could get even more cashback). I asked them to deliver the phone to their shop round the corner from my work rather than to my home address (as I am not around during the day to take delivery). There followed a series of problems, but the one that was insurmountable was that in order to pick up the phone from the store I had to validate my identity by using the chip'n'pin machine in store with the card I used to purchase the phone.

This is when it was discovered that although the website explicitly states that it accepts American Express, and they had deducted payment from my card already, the shops themselved do not accept American Express cards so they could not verify my identity and give me the phone! I really think you are better off buying the phone direct from o2 and giving CPW a miss.

mitchbligh

Am I being stupid here or is it impossible to actually but an iPhone via Quidco? I can click through the Quidco site to O2, but it seems you can't buy the iPhone on-line from them. Car Phone Warehouse has a £20 offer through Quidco but I don't want to use them after reading a lot of unfavourable things. I can't buy off Apple online either. Can anyone help here. Trying to get a bargain isn't always easy!!!