Cheapest iPhone discussion

wonderemxx · 30 July 2008 at 1:48PM

ryandeean wrote: »

What is the best way of getting out of my current contract with 3 mobile and getting an iphone. Does anyone know if o2 would buy out my contract - it runs out in October.

Thanks in advance.

o2 won't buy you out of a contract but carphone warehouse will. a tip is to reduce your current contract as low as possible and then see how much it costs to buy yourself out of it. In the past i have had around 3 months left and expected to pay £120 but the network provider only charge £95!

Another bit of information- if your currently in on a contract with O2, they will allow you to upgrade early and have an iPhone 3g for £99!! you keep your number etc just a new phone!

Steamrunner · 30 July 2008 at 2:12PM

I think the article title is a little misleading - perhaps it should be called "Best value iPhone"?

All the sums, whilst correct, are about which iPhone package offers the most minutes for your money - this is quite different to which deal works out the cheapest overall, yet that's what the "Cheapest iPhone" title implies the article is about.

According to your sums, it's the £30 contract which is actually cheapest, yet that hardly gets a mention!

greencode · 30 July 2008 at 3:02PM

Umm, this could be an interesting discussion. I reckon getting an old iPhone on eBay for £200ish and then trying to get the cheapest web add on and/or minutes add on could be the best bet.

Looking around most of the phone companies have a £15 a month SIM only deal
plus you'd have to pay around £7.50 for the web bolt on but this is usually restricted to a certain amount of data i.e. 500mb on Vodafone.

Then add in the cashback i.e. £90 for Vodafone SIM only deal and you could somehow get yourself a pretty good deal.

Can I leave this to someone else to work out the possible savings :rolleyes:

rageagainstthecashmachine · 30 July 2008 at 9:04PM

Could you please let me know if this is possible as I don't want to misunderstand the info given here. I thought the fact that the old iPhones weren't 3G capable was down to the hardware, but this forum describes it like you can buy an old Edge iPhone and install 2.0 software then badda bing you have a 3G iPhone.

If this is true then would it just be a case that I get an old iPhone from eBay, attach it to iTunes, then install 2.0 and it will work with my '3' monthly contract SIM?

V confused now, sorry.

qwerty2k · 30 July 2008 at 9:11PM

im currently only 4months into an 18 month 3 contract, i really want an iphone as well

, i may buy out my contract later on as its only a £15 a month job and i got like £60 cashback on it

Cactus_Jack · 30 July 2008 at 9:30PM

wonderemxx wrote: »

o2 won't buy you out of a contract but carphone warehouse will. a tip is to reduce your current contract as low as possible and then see how much it costs to buy yourself out of it. In the past i have had around 3 months left and expected to pay £120 but the network provider only charge £95!

Another bit of information- if your currently in on a contract with O2, they will allow you to upgrade early and have an iPhone 3g for £99!! you keep your number etc just a new phone!

I'm tempted to upgrade early (upgrade date is Oct) but I'm guessing e2save will notice the difference in bills etc and deny me the rest of my cashback (£200).

Looks like I'll be waiting. I don't need all those minutes/texts but I think I'll get an iphone when I can - madness :eek:

bestmate2008 · 30 July 2008 at 10:11PM

wonderemxx wrote: »

o2 won't buy you out of a contract but carphone warehouse will.

I'd be very careful about having any dealings with Carphone Warehouse. They refuse to give you contract details in writing, make misleading statements and missell their products (they have been fined for this), renew contracts even though you specifically ask them not to, ignore your letters of complaint to Customer Services (even the CEO has not had the courtesy to respond so I can't blame the incompetent department that claims to be their customer services department).

What you don't want is an iphone that gives you more grief than satisfaction and the chances are that this is what you'll get if you deal with CPW.

johnsmclean · 30 July 2008 at 10:52PM

greencode wrote: »

Umm, this could be an interesting discussion. I reckon getting an old iPhone on eBay for £200ish and then trying to get the cheapest web add on and/or minutes add on could be the best bet.

Looking around most of the phone companies have a £15 a month SIM only deal
plus you'd have to pay around £7.50 for the web bolt on but this is usually restricted to a certain amount of data i.e. 500mb on Vodafone.

Then add in the cashback i.e. £90 for Vodafone SIM only deal and you could somehow get yourself a pretty good deal.

Can I leave this to someone else to work out the possible savings :rolleyes:

You could get an O2 PAYG SIM card and have the Bolt On which gives unlimited data (more or less) for £7.50. You can do something similar with T-mobile.

Didn't know 2 iPhones were going for £200 on Ebay. I have an unlocked one which I may just sell and upgrade !

Mr_Skills · 30 July 2008 at 10:56PM

rageagainstthecashmachine wrote: »

Could you please let me know if this is possible as I don't want to misunderstand the info given here. I thought the fact that the old iPhones weren't 3G capable was down to the hardware, but this forum describes it like you can buy an old Edge iPhone and install 2.0 software then badda bing you have a 3G iPhone.

If this is true then would it just be a case that I get an old iPhone from eBay, attach it to iTunes, then install 2.0 and it will work with my '3' monthly contract SIM?

V confused now, sorry.

The 2.0 upgrade is for the iPhone's software. This provides updates to the existing programs, as well the "App Store" which lets you download new programs - some for free, some paid for.

That is separate from the iPhone 3G's hardware improvements:

3G internet (faster than the old phone)
GPS (so the phone knows where you are for maps etc.)
Better battery (although the 3G internet, GPS and games can all hammer the battery life. If you switch these off then it's like the old phone but lasts twice as long)

Leopard · 31 July 2008 at 1:19AM

With regard to the cost of data usage with a 2G iPhone on O2 PAYG, this is what I have been told at two different 02 shops recently when I went in about something else. I can't vouch that it's correct; it's just what I was told...

With that proviso,

1. To use any iPhone in an orthodox manner (i.e. with O2) you have to have a special O2 iPhone SIM, not an ordinary SIM.

2. If you have a 2G iPhone that's conventional and unmodified (i.e has previously been run on an O2 iPhone contract), you can buy an O2 iPhone PAYG SIM (now) for nothing or next to nothing (£0? £5? £10? - can't remember) and if you simply add £10 a month to it every month, you get unlimited data (only on the device itself - you can't use it as a modem for your laptop.)

3. If you want the unlimited use of WiFi hotspots, you have to fund that by £10 a month, as well.

So, £120 a year for unlimited data - another £120 a year for unlimited WiFi.

Mind you, it will also qualify you for the £5 a month discount on O2 broadband - so that's a saving of £60 if you aren't already receiving it.

What the economics for data are, on an iPhone that's been jailbroken and unlocked, I don't know and I'm sure others can explain.

I'm just quoting what O2 told me about using the thing officially - on O2 PAYG.

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