Cheapest iPhone discussion

austin

hmm.

right. have decided on a 16gb 3gs. typically me, i want one now, not next week! so, im weighing up whether or not to buy one online from the apple store via quidco and (eventually) get the 11 pound-odd cashback. or i just tootle down to o2 or cpw and get one there and lose out on the cashback.

equally, the simplicity sim only deal has got me indecisively scratching my head. same price, £19.58PM each, both gets you the wifi bolt-ons, but the differences between the 1 and 12 month contracts (we're talking online here, not in-store) are that the 12 month contract offers 800 mins / 1600 texts AND you get the £35 cashback via quidco. however, the 1 month rolling contract offers only 600 mins / 1200 texts BUT you don't qualify for the £35 cashback. the only advantage is you're not tying yourself down for a year. its worth noting that, in favour of the 12 month, if you do get the £35 cashback, it means you'll only be paying for just over 10 months, not 12. also, i suppose, if you opt for the 12 month plan, you stand a better chance of a retention deal at the end.

so it leaves me asking, do i really need the extra mins/texts?
do i need the freedom of a rolling contract?
do i really need an iphone, more to the point! (no.)
do i really want an iphone? (yes!)

to me, it seems there are a tad more advantages to going for the 12 month rather than the 1 month.

what would you guys do?

Encantador

austin wrote: »

hmm.

right. have decided on a 16gb 3gs. typically me, i want one now, not next week! so, im weighing up whether or not to buy one online from the apple store via quidco and (eventually) get the 11 pound-odd cashback. or i just tootle down to o2 or cpw and get one there and lose out on the cashback.

equally, the simplicity sim only deal has got me indecisively scratching my head. same price, £19.58PM each, both gets you the wifi bolt-ons, but the differences between the 1 and 12 month contracts (we're talking online here, not in-store) are that the 12 month contract offers 800 mins / 1600 texts AND you get the £35 cashback via quidco. however, the 1 month rolling contract offers only 600 mins / 1200 texts BUT you don't qualify for the £35 cashback. the only advantage is you're not tying yourself down for a year. its worth noting that, in favour of the 12 month, if you do get the £35 cashback, it means you'll only be paying for just over 10 months, not 12. also, i suppose, if you opt for the 12 month plan, you stand a better chance of a retention deal at the end.

so it leaves me asking, do i really need the extra mins/texts?
do i need the freedom of a rolling contract?
do i really need an iphone, more to the point! (no.)
do i really want an iphone? (yes!)

to me, it seems there are a tad more advantages to going for the 12 month rather than the 1 month.

what would you guys do?

Depends on whether you have had a iphone before or know for sure you will like it. The main reason I went the simplicity route is so that if after 1-3-6 months a) I decided I didn`t like it or b) something better came along, I could move on.

I remember something about wifi NOT being included as it is with a normal contract. Not quite sure what that means, mine works with my wifi at home, not tried it anywhere else though, just in case that makes a difference.

fiish

Encantador wrote: »

I remember something about wifi NOT being included as it is with a normal contract. Not quite sure what that means, mine works with my wifi at home, not tried it anywhere else though, just in case that makes a difference.

You don't need WiFi added to your tariff to use YOUR home broadband connection. The package gives you access to Cloud and BT Openzone networks when you're not at home. Depending on the O2 3G coverage in the areas you visit this may be useful.

Encantador

fiish wrote: »

. The package gives you access to Cloud and BT Openzone networks when you're not at home.

That may be what they meant, that you don`t get access to these, can`t remember what they said, but there is definitely something different between wifi access with a normal contract and with the simplicity sim.

Andyblizz

I got my iPhone 3GS 16gb on payg (from o2 shop) and then got a o2 12 month £20 simplicity from o2 online (via quidco tracked at £23.33 but will increase to £35)

with a none iPhone contract sim you don't get visual voicemail. And as you are using a simplicity sim you don't get free access to cloud and bt openzone. But access to all free wifi places work (your house, work if you have them and free public wifi like mcdonalds star bucks etc....)

I went with payg handset and 12 month simplicity contract so that if a new phone is out next year I'm not in a long contact and as mentioned before you get offered rentention deals from a 12 month simplicity (well you did but o2 don't seem to be doing much in rententions at the moment)

regards

Andy

austin

Encantador wrote: »

Depends on whether you have had a iphone before or know for sure you will like it. The main reason I went the simplicity route is so that if after 1-3-6 months a) I decided I didn`t like it or b) something better came along, I could move on.

I remember something about wifi NOT being included as it is with a normal contract. Not quite sure what that means, mine works with my wifi at home, not tried it anywhere else though, just in case that makes a difference.

no never owned one. i would have had one sooner had someone not told me that iphones didnt have bluetooth!!

space_rider

I've got over what the iPhone doesn't have!

DigitalJedi

austin wrote: »

hmm.

right. have decided on a 16gb 3gs. typically me, i want one now, not next week! so, im weighing up whether or not to buy one online from the apple store via quidco and (eventually) get the 11 pound-odd cashback. or i just tootle down to o2 or cpw and get one there and lose out on the cashback.

equally, the simplicity sim only deal has got me indecisively scratching my head. same price, £19.58PM each, both gets you the wifi bolt-ons, but the differences between the 1 and 12 month contracts (we're talking online here, not in-store) are that the 12 month contract offers 800 mins / 1600 texts AND you get the £35 cashback via quidco. however, the 1 month rolling contract offers only 600 mins / 1200 texts BUT you don't qualify for the £35 cashback. the only advantage is you're not tying yourself down for a year. its worth noting that, in favour of the 12 month, if you do get the £35 cashback, it means you'll only be paying for just over 10 months, not 12. also, i suppose, if you opt for the 12 month plan, you stand a better chance of a retention deal at the end.

so it leaves me asking, do i really need the extra mins/texts?
do i need the freedom of a rolling contract?
do i really need an iphone, more to the point! (no.)
do i really want an iphone? (yes!)

to me, it seems there are a tad more advantages to going for the 12 month rather than the 1 month.

what would you guys do?

LOL you sound SO much like I did last week. I even had my credit card out at the O2 store for the 32GB version but thanks to fate, the additional deposit they wanted from me gave me a sanity check.

The pause allowed me to move from an emotional (IWANTITNOW!!!) purchase to a logical one.

In the end I bought a 2nd hand 16GB 3G from eBay which included 12 months unlimited data. This allows me to have a good old play and sign up to the Simplicity contract if I decide to keep it. If I decide to upgrade to the 3GS, i can sell the 3G on again and prices are still holding well so shouldn't take much of a hit.

The price difference between the 3G off eBay and 3GS was substantial. The only thing I lose which I was vaguely bothered about was the video camera function which to be honest wasn't worth the additional money to me.

So far I'm really happy with my choice as now I'm not tied into a contract and have options when Apple release a new model.

Andyblizz

austin wrote: »

no never owned one. i would have had one sooner had someone not told me that iphones didnt have bluetooth!!

They do have bluetooth but it is restricted to only link to handsfree devices.

But i believe if you jailbreak the phone you can open up the bluetooth usage

melissa'smoney

DigitalJedi wrote: »

LOL you sound SO much like I did last week. I even had my credit card out at the O2 store for the 32GB version but thanks to fate, the additional deposit they wanted from me gave me a sanity check.

The pause allowed me to move from an emotional (IWANTITNOW!!!) purchase to a logical one.

In the end I bought a 2nd hand 16GB 3G from eBay which included 12 months unlimited data. This allows me to have a good old play and sign up to the Simplicity contract if I decide to keep it. If I decide to upgrade to the 3GS, i can sell the 3G on again and prices are still holding well so shouldn't take much of a hit.

The price difference between the 3G off eBay and 3GS was substantial. The only thing I lose which I was vaguely bothered about was the video camera function which to be honest wasn't worth the additional money to me.

So far I'm really happy with my choice as now I'm not tied into a contract and have options when Apple release a new model.

I could have written this myself!!! Same place i was lat week!

In the end i bought a 16gb 3Gs from apple online as non in stock in shops anywhere....

then after much debate went for Simplicity 30 day tariff as i decided i really didnt need the amount offered on the 12 month sim....

I'm pleased with my purchase/decision but my only disspointment is the CRAP battery life on the ihpone, i went out yesterday with 100% and after a couple of phone calls 10 minds each...by 2pm by battery had died!!!
Ive read all the google stuff re how to save battery and have done all those but dissapointed that in order to have more battery life you have to turn off most of the things you bought the iphone for in the first place!!!
3G OFF
Location service OFF
Push OFF
Wifi OFF
brightness LOW
Email check HOURLY
Don't use it OK!!

So for me i'm dissapointed. My batery is a little better today but thats because of all the above!!? :rolleyes::mad:

x