iPhone '4' thread

Wine_of_the_World

dvs wrote: »

I take it you are already with O2? O2 are currently only providing the iPhone 4 to existing customers.

The bolt-on options (including O2 to O2 calls) were changed when they refreshed the tariffs in February. iPhone tariffs with contracts and Simplicity iPhone tariffs do not give you the option to have O2 to O2 calls either as a bolt-on or instead of the internet. You may be able to get them to add it but I'd check before you buy if this is important to you.

An option you've got is to add O2 Family - costs £7.50 a month (one person in the group pays), you add 4 friends and calls, texts and mms are all free between all of you. You all need to be O2 and billed by O2 (i.e. not billed by Carphone Warehouse etc).

I'm not with O2 at the moment, I'm not with anyone - I have an old, old hand-me-down at the moment. I can wait till the end of the month for them to become available to new customers.

Is there anyway to negotiate free 02 to 02 calls as a new customer signing up - I thought it was only possible to haggle as an existing customer.

sookipeaspud

watcherman wrote: »

I think it's just down to the confidence of the "fella", if your not confident carrying a specific phone, I think the problem is more inwards than outwards :eek:

I hear what you say. However carrying an iphone is the equivelent of a man wearing a pink mini skirt and carrying a feather duster whilst a dwarf rubs baby oil into your man boobs.

It is not a confidence thing, its more of a metrosexual thing. Im all for metrosexual if thats what the modern thing is but for me it is a no no.

Thanks for the alternative view but sorry, im not going to carry it,

mr-mr_2

they set the handset price
they set the tariffs
there is not much if any difference between all the networks

shouldn't the competition authority be investigating apple.

DUTR

Why? If people want one and are willing to pay, then why not?

DarkConvict

Nope, Apple are allowed to set the price of their handset as they wish as they are the manufacturer, they can also choose who to supply to. If someone wants to do cheap tariffs they can choose not to supply them.

Competition Commission would come in where another smartphone company wanted to buy out apple or visa versa giving them a greater smartphone market share, or if retailers were doing price fixing between themselves.

The IPhones cost alot to develop and they are a premium handset, they will not be cheap to buy.

Oscar_The_Grouch

mr-mr wrote: »

they set the handset price
they set the tariffs
there is not much if any difference between all the networks

shouldn't the competition authority be investigating apple.

I think I see where you are coming from here; you feel that Apple are forcing the networks to set their tariffs at an inflated figure. Unfortunately, that's not what is happening at all.

Let's compare the HTC top end smartphones with the iPhone. On a "Sim Free" basis, the phones would cost you:

HTC Desire (play.com) £389.99 RRP £479.99
HTC HD2 (play.com) £439.99 RRP £579.99
iPhone 3GS 8GB (Apple.com) £419.00
iPhone 4 16GB (Apple.com) £499.00

So what we have here is 4 phones that can be considered to be at the top end of the market and for comparative prices.

When you look at purchasing any of these phones from the networks, the contract prices are vastly different. The reason for the dramatic difference in contract price is simple: HTC allow the networks to subsidise the cost of the handsets and obtain bulk purchase discounts, where Apple do not.

There is nothing wrong with the way that Apple price their phones; they are in line with the rest of the market. Their marketing model is, however, different from that of HTC. Apple want people to aspire to own the iPhone and HTC would like to get market share. Both are probably, in the long run, making as much money from their smartphones but HTC have to "shift" more handsets because of the bulk discounts.

The HTC Desire has become so popular that demand outstrips supply. Have a look at the HTC Deals threads on this website and you will see that the cost of owning one on contract has gone up, as you would expect in a free market situation. Apple have opted to restrict supply to maintain demand and have staggered the release across the world of the iPhone 4 to help maintain a good international demand for an extended period (as demand drops in the UK, Australia suddenly come on line).

Both marketing models are valid. I wouldn't be surprised to see HTC maintaining demand for the Desire by reducing its cost slightly when they release their new Android 3 phones with better screens and more battery, just as Apple dropped the price of the 16 and 32 Gb 3GS just before the release of the iPhone 4.

I hope this helps you to understand the situation a bit better. If not, go and get yourself a Desire. It's not an iPhone, but I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

secretmsg

can anyone tell me please that is there any cashback for iphone4 through quidco?? on three network it says iphone but havent mentioned iphone4 or 3g...

custardy

secretmsg wrote: »

can anyone tell me please that is there any cashback for iphone4 through quidco?? on three network it says iphone but havent mentioned iphone4 or 3g...

£100

for The One Plan (including all iPhones)

.....................................

secretmsg

cooL so its only three giving cashback for iphone4

lucylucky

sookipeaspud wrote: »

I hear what you say. However carrying an iphone is the equivelent of a man wearing a pink mini skirt and carrying a feather duster whilst a dwarf rubs baby oil into your man boobs. Is this how you imagined yourself when you got one?

It is not a confidence thing, its more of a metrosexual thing. Im all for metrosexual if thats what the modern thing is but for me it is a no no.

Thanks for the alternative view but sorry, im not going to carry it,

The black one with a black border thingy doesn't look girly in any particular way.