MSE News: Orange dashes hopes of iPhone price war

Haffiana

eljmayes wrote: »

The cap is an advisory limit (if you go over you will get warned)- and so unless you are downloading GBs a month (exactly the same as O2 policy) you maybe restricted in the future. My mate had an Iphone on O2 when they first lauched and was warned only when he used 3GB in a month, and has never been warned since.

This is a very clever piece of spin by O2- on either network if you use 3GBs plus of data in a month you will be warned so please keep that in mind.

I don't quite understand what you mean? I agree that if you are downloading megaloads on O2 that they will most probably pull a fair usage restriction out of the Terms and Conditions and warn you/pull the plug. They have to protect other users and their network. As anyone who has looked into the matter in the world of ISPs knows, 'unlimited' never truly means unlimited...

However, that is a completely different matter to an openly stated 750MB fair usage limit, which is what Orange have put on all their iPhone tariffs. On Orange you will never get the chance to get anywhere near 3GB - you won't even get 1GB. Unless you are suggesting that they will send you a warning at 750MB, but not actually do anything until you are close to 3GB? I don't think so at all. It means 750MB, or else they would have left it off the tariff.

eljmayes

Haffiana wrote: »

I don't quite understand what you mean? I agree that if you are downloading megaloads on O2 that they will most probably pull a fair usage restriction out of the Terms and Conditions and warn you/pull the plug. They have to protect other users and their network. As anyone who has looked into the matter in the world of ISPs knows, 'unlimited' never truly means unlimited...

However, that is a completely different matter to an openly stated 750MB fair usage limit, which is what Orange have put on all their iPhone tariffs. On Orange you will never get the chance to get anywhere near 3GB - you won't even get 1GB. Unless you are suggesting that they will send you a warning at 750MB, but not actually do anything until you are close to 3GB? I don't think so at all. It means 750MB, or else they would have left it off the tariff.

I can remember O2 setting a similar limit when the Iphone first landed (I believe around 1GB). Orange have put 750MB simply to warn off users from using the phone recklessly and taking up bandwidth. The reality is that Orange won't enforce that 750MB limit much like O2 never enforced their limit when they first had the rights to the phone. It's seems to me like direct/indirect spin from O2.

Mic2904

Have been speaking to an advisor last night and apart from buying out my contract, they wont do any kind of early upgrade...

My problem is that I have just upgraded in July, when they had the price change thingewing and got the Hero :beer:

Still happy, but wouldnt have been complaining if I was able to get the iphone.

legoman

Haffiana wrote: »

Why on earth would anyone choose Orange over O2?

i have a really good reason...

legoman

well i may have shot myself in the foot now... i called orange to set up a contract and they did a credit check and was refused point blank. now i gotta leave o2 as well as they have terminated my contract. i never thought of this when i was p*****d at o2!!

spiderPlantMan

Just a quick update on the T&Cs front: Rory Cellan-Jones at the Beeb has updated his original blog piece (I can't post links, but bbc site > blogs > technology) with some more info from Orange stating that they don't intend to stop people using Spotify, YouTube, Facebook etc etc as long as they are within their Data Usage.

This isn't what their original (or current) T&Cs state, but it looks like yesterday's backlash hit them for six!

Good news then. Just the limited data usage cap remaining as the only hurdle (for me, anyway)

Jamey_2

Do you live (or work) in a place where O2 have poor 3G coverage compare to Orange?

Because as far as I can see that is the only reason to get the iPhone on Orange instead of O2, since...

1) Orange have the 750MB cap, O2 don't.
2) Orange charge you for sending picture or video messages whereas on O2 it's included in the bundled aloowance.
3) Orange charge you for all roaming text messages whereas on O2 many countries fall within the bundled allowance.
4) Every other aspect is the same.

So basically, there are three differences (all of them in O2's favour) and everything else is the same, pricing-wise. The 3G coverage is the only reason to consider Orange.

O2 have even said they'll unlock iPhones once it's available on other networks:
http://www.bitterwallet.com/o2-will-unlock-iphone-for-use-on-other-networks/20369

stugib

Jamey wrote: »

4) Every other aspect is the same.

Unless you're on the £30pm deal where you get double the amount of minutes and texts which is why I went for Orange (as well as hopefully better 3G coverage which doesn't work in our office though Voda does). The MMS using your inclusive text allowance was attractive, though I probably only send 3-4 per month.

Jamey_2

Hadn't actually noticed that, apologies. Although it's probably fair to say that the lowest Pay Monthly tariff on both networks represents fairly poor value for money for the sake of saving an extra fiver on the standing cost.

Jamey_2

Bitterwallet have now published a story based on the MMS/roaming info:
http://www.bitterwallet.com/iphone-on-orange-youll-pay-for-mms-and-texting-from-abroad/20848