iPhone in the UK - Sums and play?

M4RKM

jamfool wrote: »

But how much would you end up paying over say a course of 12 months, and how does that compare to just getting one on contract?

Is this the cheapest route?

For me, yes.

£540 for PAYG, plus 6 X £35 takes me to end of contract. = £750

If i then look at a simplicity package, i'm looking at £26 a month, so even if i add 12 months of that (which it won't be, it'll be only 6 months ish) it still works out cheaper. I might not go for simplicity, as i'll lose visual voicemail, call merging etc, but it's an option. Anyway.. the other option...

or

£205 for paying off contract, plus £275 for new phone, plus £35 x 18 to take me to an end of contract = £1110

Now, not perfect like for like. But, in 12 months, there will be the next latest greatest iPhone that I'll probably want, so then, i'll be the same situation on a contract, and it will need to be paid off again. So, the PAYG option is cheaper, for the plan of getting the next gen iPhone that will be out in 2010, i finish a contract, on penalty, and have a clear run at the next on. It also gives me a few options...

It's unfortunate that o2 do nothing but 18 month contracts on these devices, If they offered the phone on a 12 month contract, with the same minutes and texts, then that would be a perfect solution for most of us fanbois, or should i say, early adopters.

If people do pay off the contract, they'll be in exactly the same situation in 12 months time.

Maybe the cheapest cheapest way to have iPhones, is to go with 2 year contracts, but have 2 phones, and 2 contracts... one expires just about the right time for the new phone, and one still has a year to run, and vice versa...

hmm.. just given myself an idea... muahahah


M

jamfool

markymoo wrote: »

For me, yes.

£540 for PAYG, plus 6 X £35 takes me to end of contract. = £750


M

Ok it makes sense, you have convinced me - but where did you get the 6X£35 from surely a payg you can top up whatever you want?

Top up £10-£14 and get 500 minutes
Top up £15-£29 and get 1000 minutes
Top up £30+ and get unlimited minutes

M4RKM

the 6x£35 is the remainder of my contract i CURRENTLY have with an iPhone 3G taken out on the 11th July last year.

I will just use that sim in the PAYG phone, and get my normal features, and not use the PAYG iPhone sim for anything.. might just sell it with the iPhone 3G that i'll be ebaying!

and hang on.. top up £15 a month and get 1000 minutes? each month?

wow, that's actually cheaper than a bluddy contract at £35.. but i don't get visual voicemail or call merging.. not that i use either often... visual voicemail is nice though when i do get the odd voicemail once every other month.. hmm...

M

jamfool

I see.

Looking at the tarrfis though they are not great on PAYG you either choose a minutes inclusive or a text inclusive. If you try and get both you only get 100 min and 100 text per month if you spend less than £30 per month. Which is naff considering 50 texts will cost £5. mind you it depends how much you use it. Does anyone know if the minutes / texts roll over on PAYG?

So maybe ill get a PAYG iphone & get the 12 months free web bolt on, then find the best top up option for me. I heard somewhere there is a way to get free texts on the iphone through some sort of app? This could help.

Then id look at going onto the simplicity tarriff or buy a new iphone next year.

Its just a shame that quidco dont do cashback on iphones. Is there anywhere else we can get cashback?

gregrichards

jamfool wrote: »

I see.

Looking at the tarrfis though they are not great on PAYG you either choose a minutes inclusive or a text inclusive. If you try and get both you only get 100 min and 100 text per month if you spend less than £30 per month. Which is naff considering 50 texts will cost £5. mind you it depends how much you use it. Does anyone know if the minutes / texts roll over on PAYG?

So maybe ill get a PAYG iphone & get the 12 months free web bolt on, then find the best top up option for me. I heard somewhere there is a way to get free texts on the iphone through some sort of app? This could help.

Then id look at going onto the simplicity tarriff or buy a new iphone next year.

Its just a shame that quidco dont do cashback on iphones. Is there anywhere else we can get cashback?

The carphone warehouse have cashback on quidco for new iphone contracts. I know its not 02 but its better than nothing.

I don't know what to do to be honest.

jamfool

never had a payg phone that had inclusive minutes / texts. How does it work? Is there a time limit on using your allowance or does it roll on?

The more I think about it the more im up for a PAYG option. Im going to phone my current network up tomorrow and ask them for my average usage on texts and calls over the last 12 months. Then work out the bext PAYG option for me.

Then Buy an iphone 3GS on my cashback credit card. And in 12 months time see if I want the new new iphone. if not - go onto simplicity.

Camp_Freddy

It has been suggested to me by a source who cannot be named that O2 may be having a re-think regarding the new iPhone. I've no idea of that's going to be a change in policy regarding early upgrades or a change in handset price or what. However, it was suggested that an announcement might be made by the end of the week and anyone thinking about upgrading now or buying out their contract etc. should hold off until the weekend.

These are not my words, so if it's not true, don't come to me. I can't see that holding off a few days would hurt anyone anyway.

Sol00

It's not available until the 19th anyway and it can't be pre-ordered, so nobody would be buying it before then.

M4RKM

Camp_Freddy wrote: »

It has been suggested to me by a source who cannot be named that O2 may be having a re-think regarding the new iPhone. I've no idea of that's going to be a change in policy regarding early upgrades or a change in handset price or what. However, it was suggested that an announcement might be made by the end of the week and anyone thinking about upgrading now or buying out their contract etc. should hold off until the weekend.

These are not my words, so if it's not true, don't come to me. I can't see that holding off a few days would hurt anyone anyway.

Why would they? Pricing maybe, the prices are more than the USA version, and in the USA, they don't pay off the rest of the contract, they just have another price, which is $100 more than the new contract price.

Yes people are in an 18 month contract, so you should agree to that. O2 should have a 12 month contract for iPhone users, as it gets replaced once a year!!!

M

fiish

Sol00 wrote: »

It's not available until the 19th anyway and it can't be pre-ordered, so nobody would be buying it before then.

You're right, and O2 can chop and change the pricing as much as they want before the phone actually goes on sale.

I have a theory that O2 have deliberately put high prices on the table, 10 days before the iPhone 3GS actually goes on sale, in order to gauge customer reaction. After all, if people appear acquiescent to the new, high prices then they could make more money without losing sales (in economic terms reducing the consumer surplus). However, there seems to be popular anger at the prices offered so it is possible that O2 might cut their prices before the phone becomes available.