iPhone - Orange or 02

Sol00

edinweegie wrote: »

I'm going through the same process as the OP. I'm due an Orange upgrade right now and was very pleased that Orange were getting the iPhone. I'm pretty familiar with the phone as my wife has had one on O2 for over a year.

First thing I noticed was that the mid tarrifs £34-£44 are essentially identical on both networks. I felt that the maps showing Orange's greater 3G coverage might swing me to stay on Orange, but then the 750Mb fair usage policy surfaced in the Orange iPhone T&Cs.

I've read many views on how this "limit" may or may not be enforced, and some of the press releases from Orange about how it's "where they'd like people to be" in terms of data usage. I've also read people on forums like this saying 750Mb is way too much data for the average user, and that in their time with their iPhones on O2, they've never approached this limit anyway.

For me though, 750Mb is a problem. A lot can happen in a contract length of 18-24 months in technology, and 750Mb today might be inadequate tomorrow. I did a quick experiment on my wife's iPhone with the newish TVcatchup service for iPhone. 2 mins of live TV equated to about 8Mb. It doesn't take a genius to work out how long you'd get before you'd used up your monthly limit on Orange using a streaming service like this (on 3G or wi-fi). The SKY app that has just been launched also offers TV services. One analysis of this showed that watching an EPL game on your Orange iPhone would see you hit your monthly limit in 15mins.

It probably is perfectly adequate if you only browse the web on it and use the push email functionality, but if you spend hours like me sitting around airports and want something smaller than a netbook that you don't have to frantically try and close down and pack away when your flight is finally called, the iPhone with streaming services like TVcatchup, SKY and YouTube is perfect. Does anyone know if Orange are planning to allow a one-off data package add-on for the iPhone?

All that aside, after 13 years with Orange for a personal phone, and 13 years with O2 for work, I can categorically say that Orange is not any better than O2 for coverage in Scotland. I travel the length and breadth of Scotland and the UK and can honestly say that certainly in the last few years, I can't think of an occasion when I've had no signal on my O2 phone, but quite a few with none on my Orange phone.

I'm just back from a weekend just outside Aviemore, and of the 6 people who were staying in a lodge, I was the only one without signal for the entire weekend unless we ventured into town. I was also the only one on Orange.

I have a strange loyalty to Orange, perhaps because it's the first and only network I've had my personal phones on, but barring an announcement from O2 saying that they too will put a figure next to their "fair usage" which is in the region of Orange's 750MB, I'm swaying toward O2 for my iPhone.

I have to disagree with your comment about Scotland.

I lived in an old tenement flat in Glasgow for a couple of years and when I was with O2 I was lucky if I got 2 bars and when I went to the back of the flat, it would cut off altogether. Orange on the other hand had 5 bars where O2 dropped out.

Fact is, it'll be patchy wherever you are in the UK.

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

Horses for Courses... I left Orange a few years ago because of the poor signal and went to O2.. Hand on heart, unless i'm in a bunker i havent ever seen my signal disappear even when out in the sticks.

At my house Vodafone is appalling (work phone) and dont even start me on how shocking the missus T-Mobile is! Could well be her 6600 Slide thats crap rather than the network, but she loses signal on Motorways! lol

Personally I'd lean towards O2.

talkalot

At the end of the day its which network suits your needs most. In my area O2 is just pants and Orange has great coverage. The main differences between the two are.
O2
allows MMS to be used out of your text allowance
unlimited data use
1471 last caller

Orange
free calls to your magic number
Orange Wednesdays free film tickets
If you have Orange care guaranteed next day replacement
Orange data FUP of 750 mb (YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED IF YOU GO OVER)

sky_rat

Well ive taken the plunge and ordered the 3GS (32Gb) on O2 with an 18 month contract.

Ive been looking at getting an iphone for over a year now so Im now REALLY fedup of messing about and just took the plunge.

Now its obvious Orange havent caused a price war, I cant see Vodafones prices and tarrifs being any different either.

Ive ordered via Quidco so I should get £60 cashback and Ill get £60 for my Nokia N73 (via Fonebank).

So that knocks £120 off the expense of the iPhone.

I only hope O2 proove to be alright.

I was expecting more from Orange who dissapointed me because their prices are exactly the same as O2 and they have a 750Mb limit on the data download.

Plus it seems alot of people seem to complain about poor customer service from Orange.

I need to get a home broadband package at some point as well, so I can take advantage of O2's discounted broadband (£7.34 per month) which saves more money.

O2's broadband is suppose to be good, or so I hear (better than Orange).

In fact, O2 are offering a tethering package where you can use your iPhone as a mobile broadband modem for your laptop which has a data limit of 3Gb.

It costs £9.79 per month BUT if you order before 2010 you get free home broadband.

So for £9.79 per month you can get mobile internet on your laptop using your iPhone AND home broadband.

The only question I have is about the 3GB data limit when tethering. When you use your iPhone as a stand alone device to browse the internet, does the data you use come out of the 3GB limit ?

Or does it know when its being used in tethering mode, therefore only take the data out of the 3GB when tethering ?

Also, O2 will now legally unlock the iPhone to be used on any network any time you like, for free of charge. Though you will still have to honour the remainder of the minimum term on your contract.

But it means you dont have to worry about jailbreaking your iPhone if you want to change providers at the end of the 18 months.

At the end of the 18 months you could probably get £200 for the iPhone 3GS from somewhere like Fonebank should you want to upgrade, so you can claw some of your money back that way as well.

jclegs

I wouldn't bother with the tethering package, I don't think the iPhone battery would last a whole day if you used it like that.

sky_rat

talkalot wrote: »

Orange data FUP of 750 mb (YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED IF YOU GO OVER)

You will not be charged but they will tell you to buy a bolt on package so if you keep going over the limit it will end up costing you.

sky_rat

jclegs wrote: »

I wouldn't bother with the tethering package, I don't think the iPhone battery would last a whole day if you used it like that.

If you were tethering wouldnt you have the iPhone connected to the laptop via the USB port ? In which case it would charge from the USB port as well wouldnt it ?

Simon_Wallace

sky_rat wrote: »

Is O2 broadband any good though ?

If they're LLU'ed in your local exchange I would thoroughly recommend it.
Consistently over 11Mb for me, and great customer service,

Cheers
Simon

INT1

o2 I find has better coverage than Orange although Orange markets they have best in UK?

Also I read on another website that o2 was better in value with the data bundling?

What you have to think now is Orange is going to have to make it's money back by bringing that phone on to their network where by o2 have been doing it for the past 2 years... So I would go with o2 for better value.

sky_rat

Simon_Wallace wrote: »

If they're LLU'ed in your local exchange I would thoroughly recommend it.

What is LLU'ed ?

The area I will be living in is Milton Keynes.

Which considering is a newish modern town, has a pretty rubbish broadband network.

I did a broadband check on O2's website and put in a postcode and it said its available in the area.

But i didnt have a telephone no. to check what speed.

The free package is the standard package (up to 8Mbps) which is fine for me.

Most places in MK wont be able to run at that speed due to the poor infrastructure of the cables and exchanges.

My last broadband could only manage 0.5Mbps (Namesco) !

I think the maximum rate obtainable with any provider was about 2 to 3 Mbps, due to the cabling and distance from exchange etc.