O2 Unlimited Web

chrestomanci

Hi all,

Just wondering - I currently have the O2 unlimited web bolt on on my current contract. If I were to get an Iphone (on payg), would I be able to get high speed internet for use with applications with my current bolt on, or would I need an extra bolt on/data/something? Asked customer serv. but they weren't too sure - some said my unlimited web would be enough for high speeds, and others said that I need an extra £10 500mb data bolt on...

Thanks.
Merry Crimbo!

Browntoa

I'm under the impression you need the iphone bolt on , you do on O2 simplicity

chrestomanci

What's the iPhone bolt on? I can't find any information related to that...

Wintermute

If you're speaking to somebody at O2 about using an iPhone ask them if they're in the iPhone team or "smartphone trained" to ensure they know what they're on about

If you buy an iPhone on PAYG and use it with your existing contract with the unlimited web bolt-on it'll work and you'll be able to get the same speeds as a customer on an iPhone tariff (based on first hand testing with the speed test app and a tariff change). What you will need to do is change some of the settings by going to settings > general > network > mobile (or cellular) data network > and change all the APN settings from idata.o2.co.uk to mobile.o2.co.uk, except for the MMS APN which should be wap.o2.co.uk.

The only services you'll miss out on by not being on an iPhone tariff are visual voicemail and call merge, both of which are only available on O2 so plenty of people survive without them.

Edit: As for the iPhone bolt-on, it's no longer available any more, there's just specific iPhone tariffs where instead of spending an extra fiver on the bolt on the charge and the allowance is built into the tariff.

split_second

qwertymz wrote: »

Hi all,

Just wondering - I currently have the O2 unlimited web bolt on on my current contract. If I were to get an Iphone (on payg), would I be able to get high speed internet for use with applications with my current bolt on, or would I need an extra bolt on/data/something? Asked customer serv. but they weren't too sure - some said my unlimited web would be enough for high speeds, and others said that I need an extra £10 500mb data bolt on...

Thanks.
Merry Crimbo!

are you planning on using it on payg?

500mb is included in text and web, available as part of payg simplicity or if you want 1gb buy web and wifi at £10pm

if you are using it on contract, change your contract to an iphone tarriff, there is no price difference between that and smartphone tarriffs (as far as i know)

speed is determined by signal strength and not by your tarriff, wifi is faster than network connection though

chrestomanci

Wintermute wrote: »

If you're speaking to somebody at O2 about using an iPhone ask them if they're in the iPhone team or "smartphone trained" to ensure they know what they're on about

If you buy an iPhone on PAYG and use it with your existing contract with the unlimited web bolt-on it'll work and you'll be able to get the same speeds as a customer on an iPhone tariff (based on first hand testing with the speed test app and a tariff change). What you will need to do is change some of the settings by going to settings > general > network > mobile (or cellular) data network > and change all the APN settings from idata.o2.co.uk to mobile.o2.co.uk, except for the MMS APN which should be wap.o2.co.uk.

The only services you'll miss out on by not being on an iPhone tariff are visual voicemail and call merge, both of which are only available on O2 so plenty of people survive without them.

Edit: As for the iPhone bolt-on, it's no longer available any more, there's just specific iPhone tariffs where instead of spending an extra fiver on the bolt on the charge and the allowance is built into the tariff.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Just to make sure -- mobile.o2.co.uk means it all goes out of my unlimited web bolt on (i.e. I don't pay anything)? I never got anything re: change in bolt on-ness, so I'm not sure if I'm still unlimited or 500mb or what!


@split second: I know there's virtually no difference - but I'm on an old Simplicity plan (£20 for 1200 minutes and 1600 texts), and I was quite reluctant to change to an iPhone tariff (which would give me unlimited texts but less minutes!).

Wintermute

qwertymz wrote: »

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Just to make sure -- mobile.o2.co.uk means it all goes out of my unlimited web bolt on (i.e. I don't pay anything)? I never got anything re: change in bolt on-ness, so I'm not sure if I'm still unlimited or 500mb or what!


@split second: I know there's virtually no difference - but I'm on an old Simplicity plan (£20 for 1200 minutes and 1600 texts), and I was quite reluctant to change to an iPhone tariff (which would give me unlimited texts but less minutes!).

If you've got any sort of data allowance on O2 you should never end up paying for data, even with the newer tariffs with the data you don't get charged for going over your allowance, instead your connection gets throttled.

O2 will give you a free of charge micro SIM without forcing you to change to an iPhone tariff if you go for the iPhone 4 and activate your number to it. All you'll need to do is change the APNs to mobile.o2.co.uk which is most likely the APN you're already using (that or wap.o2.co.uk).

If you still have a text message allowance and you've not changed any data bolt ons for the past 6 months then you're most likely still on the unlimited data

The older tariffs without unlimited SMS do offer better value for money in my opinion providing you're not a heavy user of SMS (personally I send about 100 a month), you get free MMS providing you don't go over your allowance and better yet, you get free roaming SMS if you don't go over your allowance. It's just a pitty they're not available any more.

chrestomanci

Well, I travel a lot, so the roaming texts do come in handy! That's probably the only reason I don't want to get an iPhone tariff. My only concern is that my unlimited web is somehow "bad" and won't provide good speeds (I come from the WAP/GPRS era!).

You're really helpful though. Thanks.

chrestomanci

Hmm. O2 just sent me this email:

"you have to pay extra for Data and
Unlimited Wi-Fi and you can't use all the features of iPhone.

You can use your Web Bolt On with iPhone, but the browsing will be
slower compare to iPhone tariff.

As the Web has to perform different actions its speed is much slower
than Data Bolt On. Also Data Bolt On is much faster as it has to perform
actions related to Data and so on. The Data and Web are two different
terms, but are interrelated to each other."

- Will my browsing really be (significantly) slower???? Is it worth checking if I can swap my Unlimited Web for 500Mb Data?