Cheapest iPhone discussion

space_rider

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My battery has been fine. I do have to charge it every night but it does last the full day. There are times when I`ve used it heavily and it has gone to 20% which it is on now but it will still last until bedtime without cutting out. I do check emails and browse the net on it and use it to listen to music. If I listen to music for a couple of hours like I have today then the battery does get to 20% around this time.

Yes the tilt thing can be a nuisance, more when I am listening to music and jogging at the same time! It has never got hot and I find the camera adequate for taking the odd photo when out and then texting it. It is much better being able to text photos rather than emailing them as I did before the software update.

I don`t have that many apps now. I did download quite a few until I realised that some of them take up alot of memory so I know only have the ones I use and also a few games for my 9 year old.

Before this phone I would never have paid more than £25 a month for a mobile contract. I love the iphone and will definately get another one when this contract is up.

jamtart6

hmm thanks for those points. Im just weighing up against the £200 cheaper nokia 5800. the apps are drawing me in though, but i assume once the novelty of them wears off, I'll get bored and just use it like a regular phone??

space_rider

jamtart6 wrote: »

hmm thanks for those points. Im just weighing up against the £200 cheaper nokia 5800. the apps are drawing me in though, but i assume once the novelty of them wears off, I'll get bored and just use it like a regular phone??

I've had the phone since Feb and novelty not worn off as yet. Only time I haven't used it is when I was abroad because of the high charges.

[Deleted User]

jamtart6 wrote: »

hmm thanks for those points. Im just weighing up against the £200 cheaper nokia 5800. the apps are drawing me in though, but i assume once the novelty of them wears off, I'll get bored and just use it like a regular phone??

It depends what you want it for. If it's mainly going to be a phone then I'd stick with a Symbian/Windows Mobile based one. There are lots of free apps for them and you have a lot of choices for the actual phone. Plus, they are much cheaper and do most of same stuff (play music, phone functions, apps, photos, web browsing, email, GPS etc)

The iPhone basically gives you a nice interface for it all, and a huge library of apps if you can afford them. Saying that, because Apple won't allow apps which "duplicate" functionality the iPhone already has, unless you jailbreak you have to use their email program, their music player, their web browser etc. I.e. there is no choice, and even if you jailbreak it's pretty limited.

Of course, other phones, especially the Blackberry, have pretty nice interfaces too and more features like a proper keyboard, better format support for music, USB disk mode, replaceable batteries, memory card slot etc.

The iPhone is slick, but like you I am looking at other phones now. The Apple iTax is just too high to justify it I think, and with the possible exception of web browsing there are other phones that do everything the iPhone does, only better. Some people just want to drive a stylish car rather than a practical one I guess.

[Deleted User]

space_rider wrote: »

I've had the phone since Feb and novelty not worn off as yet. Only time I haven't used it is when I was abroad because of the high charges.

I don't know if you can do it on a locked iPhone, but if you jailbreak you can definitely set it so that it will only use wifi for all data services. Lots of places have free wifi now.

jamtart6

Yeah thats what I don't want to do (nice car analogy!). Mainly texting, phoning, web browsing and e-mail. Not even bothered about the music player really. I have never had the internet on a phone before but have just changed tarrif so can get it - it is just shocking on the N73 though really bad , I think it is WAP so I am after another one. I like the touch screen but like the idea of a stylus with it. The Nokia N900 looks awesome but also abour £400. Looking to spend £200 max but if the iPhone is definitely £200 better I'd get that. Not convinced it is though!

My new tarrif has free web but not wifi - i don't even know the difference !! I am so behind on mobile terms it is unreal!

shaggy

DELETED USER wrote:

I don't know if you can do it on a locked iPhone, but if you jailbreak you can definitely set it so that it will only use wifi for all data services. Lots of places have free wifi now.

even on an unjailbroken Iphone theres a setting which lets you switch data off if roaming. I think roaming data is disabled by default anyway according to that setting.

As for the iphone itself - i got the original 2G when it went down in price last year, but sold it within a couple of weeks. That was before the App Store existed.

Then I got myself a 3GS a couple of months ago on PAYG and using my Simplicity sim in it. Sure, it is a very very expensive gadget, and it has its faults.

I mainly got the iphone to listen to podcasts/music, watch the odd video, but most importanly, use it to browse the web and of course use it as a phone.

Of course, it has its annoyances, like the rather limited bluetooth (you can't transfer files to and from another bluetooth device as far as I'm aware), but what it does do, it does really really well.

For example, I listen to podcasts a lot, so the ability to half finish a podcast and resume it at the same point later on is a big big plus, even if you listen to other podcasts/music in between. This doesnt happen on many other phone music players for example.

The App Store is way way ahead of anything the competition does. Most apps are free or 59p - £1.50 (ish). When you know which apps are good or bad you can then weed out the bad ones and only pay for what you need , and anyway theres ways out there to get the apps for free if you know how

I'm always playing Harbour Master for example whenever I get the time - quite simply the best, funnest game ever which beats the pants off most £40 console games anyday, and only for 59 p!!!

As I said, I mainly got it for web browsing. This it does really really well. Apart from no flash (which can get annoying at times) the Safari browser is excellent and caters for my browsing needs fine when I'm out and about.


So overall, a great device, if a tad expensive. Usually I get bored with phones after a month or so, but 2 months in, and I'm still playing and fiddling around with it daily.

As others have said, if you get it then definitely jailbreak it as it unleashes its full potential when jailbroken. :beer:

hjdx

Hi there, so its upgrade time for me, and already being an O2 customer and really really really REALLY wanting an iphone I'm getting myself armed and ready to do the customary upgrade haggle. I wondered if you all could have a think about what I can say? Usually I just tell them all about a cheaper deal I've found, but I can't do that with the iphone :-( stupid monopoly!! I am, unusually perhaps, quite happy with O2 and their service and customer service, so I've not got a vested interest in leaving them.

Here's the deal the online upgrade section is offering me:

18 months, reconditioned black iphone 3G (NOT the S) for free, £34.26 a month, 500 texts, 600 minutes, free unlimited data.

Outwardly that's not a bad deal I think, considering the reconditioned phones are subject to the same warranties and returns as new ones, and I can update the soft/firm-ware...

However, here's what I think I want:

a free new black iphone 3G S, not to pay more than £35 a month, 500 texts, (don't care about the minutes as I prefer texting and facetoface) and unlimited data!
Currently to get the phone I want for free I'd have to pay £73.41 :eek: (from the tariffs at O2's site)


So, I guess I have three main questions to start.

1. Is the 3GS really the phone I want? when I know I can update the 3G to the latest release and get the new functions (so that's copy and paste right?), but is the faster system, longer battery life etc really worth it?

2.a) Take as a given that their online upgrade package is the base and so I clearly can do that and have an iphone on an ok deal, albeit 3G, is there any way I can get a 3GS for free for less than £35 a month (and still have 500 texts), and very importantly - keep my number?

2.b) Has anyone managed to haggle O2 into a great deal in the last month??? Can I use you as inspiration?!?!?


Additional info that may help me get a great value deal overall - I currently have an N95, its is pretty good shape, I still have all the accessories and the box, and I've researched on ebay that they go from £60 to over £100. So I guess I can also consider paying up to £100 for an iphone... (but I don't want to get an iphone from ebay myself!)

Right then collective Money Saving brains, can you help me get a great deal????

(:Tmany thanks in advance!:T)

hjdx

jamtart6

Only read half the post as in a rush but why dont you go for simplicity 800 mins and 1600 texts and a free web or wifi bolt on £19.50 a month then buy whichever iPhone you want on pay as you go. thats what I intend to do but can't justify the £440 for a 16gb 3GS just yet!

hjdx

jamtart6 wrote: »

Only read half the post as in a rush but why dont you go for simplicity 800 mins and 1600 texts and a free web or wifi bolt on £19.50 a month then buy whichever iPhone you want on pay as you go. thats what I intend to do but can't justify the £440 for a 16gb 3GS just yet!

Ah, but I can't afford an outlay of £440 for a 3GS, or £342.50 for a 3G, or in fact of any kind. I guess I need an option when I can spread the cost of the phone by adding to my tariff...