Cheapest iPhone discussion

RedAl

I believe you can get it unlocked for free by O2 then either get a better PAYG tariff with O2 or look around for a better deal.

dvs

marz wrote: »

Could someone please clarify....if my service provider is o2 but I bought the contract and phone with the carphone warehouse, am I am o2 customer or not? I know when I tried to query my bill a few months ago I had to go to carphone warehouse not o2. I am just wondering if I have any bargaining power with either o2 or carphone as my contract is ending in Feb and I am considering an iphone....

When you buy an O2 contract from the Carphone Warehouse you are a Carphone Warehouse customer - with the exception of the iPhone (in which case you are an O2 customer). There are some instances where you may be transferred from Carphone Warehouse to O2's billing system (for example when you add the Family Bolt On).

I'm not sure the Carphone Warehouse will discuss any rentention deals involving the iPhone - I would give it a try or just try contacting O2 direct.

dvs

spendaholicinseattle wrote: »

Hi folks

Am coming to the end of my O2/Carphone Warehouse contract on the 30th Dec. I have a few questions:

- The iPhone is now mine. Can I swap it for any old SIM card ie PAYG or another contract from another provider?
- Do I have to get it unlocked to move to another provider?
- I am anxious to save money and get the best deal possible, obviously. What general advice can you guys give me on what I should do given that I like using my iPhone so want to keep it?

Many thanks !

Spenda

The phone can be unlocked by O2 free of charge. I would recommend asking for the Simplicity for iPhone tariff from O2. It's £20 a month and you get 600 minutes, 1200 texts, free internet and free wifi - as well as visual voicemail. 1 month contract so you won't be tied in.

jamese333

d123 wrote: »

looking at the orange t&cs it seems they are typically orange and are limited quite dramatically when compared to o2.


So it seems with orange the bundle is added at activation without the need for any top-ups, but is hardly "unlimited".

hi d123, please your opinion on taking the orange £10 top up free web and wifi for 12 months, then useing skype or other better??? Voip for calls. It does sound like moneysaving any catches? Happy new year

d123

why not rather just buy it on o2, (same price) ask for the unlock (which Orange won't do yet) and then use the network of your choice.

The Orange PAYG data limit is only 250MB, and then you pay the (exorbitant) prepay data rate.

albinicat

I just tried calling o2 to see if they have any more refurb offers, but was told that they don't do those anymore and haven't for a year or so even for existing customers (although evidence on this thread seems to indicate otherwise).

Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on whether a price drop may be imminent? Seems to me like a possibility given that Vodafone are going to undercut the price of the handset slightly, plus we are now post-Christmas and a new raft of smartphones are coming out soon (eg Googles Nexus One).

Otherwise, best deal to me appears to be to buy the Iphone 3g from o2 for £342.54 which according to the website comes with free web and wifi bolt-on for 12 months. If I can use that with the £15 a month SIMplicity (300mins 600texts) for 12 months until the free web expired the cost would be £180, then after that change to the £20 deal that includes the free web for six months (cost would be £120), the total cost for handset and 18 months of sim only contract would be £642.50, compared with about £730 if I bought the same phone on a £35 contract. Plus this would have the advantage of not being tied into a contract.

dauvit

I'm currently on an O2 monthly simplicity deal. I've been looking for a decent deal on an iPhone for a while now. Prompted by the feedback on this discussion thread I called O2 today and asked what options were available to me. I stated I was interested in an iPhone but wanted to keep a hold of my unlimited texts. When told this wasn't available with the iPhone I said that there was nothing to make me stay with O2 so I was transferred to the retention team for a PAC number.

I said the same to the very helpful advisor on the retention line and he said he'd look into what he could do. He came back with the following options:

iPhone 16GB (refurb)
600 mins
Unlimited texts
Unlimited wifi & data
£31.50 per month on 18 month contract

as above but iPhone 32GB (refurb)
£39.50 per month on 18 month contract

Was advised that they currently do not have any handsets in stock but will get some more early in the new year and to call back then.

hebangsthedrums

dauvit wrote: »

I'm currently on an O2 monthly simplicity deal. I've been looking for a decent deal on an iPhone for a while now. Prompted by the feedback on this discussion thread I called O2 today and asked what options were available to me. I stated I was interested in an iPhone but wanted to keep a hold of my unlimited texts. When told this wasn't available with the iPhone I said that there was nothing to make me stay with O2 so I was transferred to the retention team for a PAC number.

I said the same to the very helpful advisor on the retention line and he said he'd look into what he could do. He came back with the following options:

iPhone 16GB (refurb)
600 mins
Unlimited texts
Unlimited wifi & data
£31.50 per month on 18 month contract

as above but iPhone 32GB (refurb)
£39.50 per month on 18 month contract

Was advised that they currently do not have any handsets in stock but will get some more early in the new year and to call back then.

Could I ask how long you have had your simplicity contract for? I have been on PAYG with orange for years and have finally decided a contract would be worthwhile. I was wondering whether the short term simplicity for 3/4 months would be a route to a retentions deal from o2 along the lines above but am wondering if it will look exactly like that to them and hence not an option?

iblametheparents

albinicat wrote: »

I just tried calling o2 to see if they have any more refurb offers, but was told that they don't do those anymore and haven't for a year or so even for existing customers (although evidence on this thread seems to indicate otherwise).

Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on whether a price drop may be imminent? Seems to me like a possibility given that Vodafone are going to undercut the price of the handset slightly, plus we are now post-Christmas and a new raft of smartphones are coming out soon (eg Googles Nexus One).

Otherwise, best deal to me appears to be to buy the Iphone 3g from o2 for £342.54 which according to the website comes with free web and wifi bolt-on for 12 months. If I can use that with the £15 a month SIMplicity (300mins 600texts) for 12 months until the free web expired the cost would be £180, then after that change to the £20 deal that includes the free web for six months (cost would be £120), the total cost for handset and 18 months of sim only contract would be £642.50, compared with about £730 if I bought the same phone on a £35 contract. Plus this would have the advantage of not being tied into a contract.

Did you ring through to upgrades or retentions?

Babymumbles

Hi guys, I rung up o2 today(had the phone a week), went straight through to retentions and said that the 500 texts i recieve a month isnt enough and were they able to keep me on the unlimited texts i had before i upgraded. I was told that option wasnt available with the iphone how ever he spoke to his manager and said as a good will gesture they will let me have the bolt on for free!

So my contract now stands at.

Iphone 3gs white 32gb
18 month contract
£35 per month
600 minutes
Unlimited texts
Unlimited web

Phone cost me £24 and is a 'refurb'
Also have taken out insurance for £7.50 a month