iPhone launch 14th March on O2 Ireland...

stevenmu

ve wrote: »

What I don't understand and this has been done for ages is, how do people get out of the contract?.

You don't agree to a contract before you leave the store. All you do in the store is buy the actual phone (and I think you might fill out some questionaire or something). The phone you walk out with isn't activated, the proper way to activate it is to bring it home and connect it to iTunes, you then arrange your contract and get the phone activated through iTunes.

KJF

ve wrote: »

@KJF: Visual voicemail is the ability to see a list of voicemail messages on your phone's screen, and simply select the one you want to play back. So for example if you have 5 messages and you want to listen to the 3rd, you don't have to listen to the first 2 messages first. You can simply select the 3rd, like an audio track on a CD. It's nice, but not available here yet. There's vids on youtube showing off this functionality too.

Sounds like a handy thing to have but this is hardly the showstopper people are making it out to be. So o2.ie won't be supporting it when the iPhone launches, that's not to say it won't be made available at some point. People have been able to live without it until now.

ve

Thanks all for that

Now thought we have a case whereby O2 are exclusively rolling out the iPhone in Ireland in the next 2 weeks. What if it is only available to purchase in a O2 store?, surely you will have to sign a contract then? or do you think that the apple stores or carphone warehouse will have them ex contracts?

If that's the case do you think we can use Ziphone to jailbreak, activate, unlock them? (or have we not got a 1.1.4 solution yet?)

aidan_walsh

There will be no ex-contract iPhone, the set up is exactly the same if you buy from an O2 store as if you buy from an Apple Retail Store or online.

krudler

ve wrote: »

Thanks all for that

Now thought we have a case whereby O2 are exclusively rolling out the iPhone in Ireland in the next 2 weeks. What if it is only available to purchase in a O2 store?, surely you will have to sign a contract then? or do you think that the apple stores or carphone warehouse will have them ex contracts?

If that's the case do you think we can use Ziphone to jailbreak, activate, unlock them? (or have we not got a 1.1.4 solution yet?)

you can buy them in o2 stores,carphone warehouses and o2.ie, no independent dealers are getting them and they can only be bought as a new connection on the iphone tarriff or on an upgrade but you dont get any discount whatsoever off the price of the phone as its not subsidised by the company

ve

krudler wrote: »

you can buy them in o2 stores,carphone warehouses and o2.ie, no independent dealers are getting them and they can only be bought as a new connection on the iphone tarriff or on an upgrade but you dont get any discount whatsoever off the price of the phone as its not subsidised by the company

****e!

krudler

im waiting for the n96 myself, the iphone is the most overhyped gadget ever, it was outdated when it was first launched, i cant see why people are going so crazy over a year old phone that has no mms or 3g when you can get far superior handsets already on the market

Trotter

I was all for it but for that money... not a chance.

Tom Dunne

krudler wrote: »

im waiting for the n96 myself, the iphone is the most overhyped gadget ever, it was outdated when it was first launched, i cant see why people are going so crazy over a year old phone that has no mms or 3g when you can get far superior handsets already on the market

I think you are missing the point - it's the wow factor. Non-techies don't care it hasn't got 3G. In fact, in the US, people are not as aware of 3G as we are over here.

It's Apple's legendary marketing and image branding that got it where it is today.

Blaster99

We're not loving it in Europe by the looks of things. Sales are somewhat humdrum. €45 a month for that bundle is complete insanity, and that probably doesn't help.

bluemachaveli

ive been using my iphone now for bout 4 mths.
i decided this morning i was goin to buy one, the only reason i wanted a contract was for the unlimited data. i would use it a lot.
the 1gb cap is really poor on o2's part.
Mate of mine workin in o2 reckons there gonna try and push the data add-ons that they recently launched.

I'm undecided now if im gonna buy one or not.,
Goin to the states next week, may just pick up a 16gb!

wheresmybeaver

For every 20 techies on this board who swear never to buy an iPhone off O2, there'll be 100 less-than-techies who will actually buy the thing, and happily, at those prices.

Devices with iPhone-like features have been around for ages, and Apple haven't really done anythig special here except slap on an interface that makes it super cool. Whereas us on WM5 or WM6 devices have a very functional yet very un-cool looking interface. They're cottoning on though, with WM6 extensions such as TouchFlo and the new Opera Mobile 9.5 browser.

So, those in the know will have a more practical device. And I don't know about ye, but my friends would be appalled if I got an iPhone. It's a real poser device.

mike65

Just listening to 02 Ireland rep on Matt Coopers programme, you cannot buy a phone overseas and get it registered here. If it ain't on thier database its a dead phone to them by the sound of it.

Mike.

Archytas

wheresmybeaver wrote: »

It's a real poser device.

I dunno about that. I've seen a good few about and its not that bad. Still expensive. Not that much of a problem. But on o2 only... thats an annoying problem. I don't like unlocking phones so wont be buying this phone unfortunately.

chrislad

The 1gig limit is grand. I use my iPhone regularly and quite heavily and I barely go over 200megs a month. That's with using Installer, Mail and Safari.

Rics

Whether you like the iPhone or not this is simply another case of being ripped off in Ireland. In every other country the iPhone has been released, they have had unlimited data plans also usually supported by an agreement for use of wi-fi hotspots such as AT&T's wi-fi spots in the US and O2's own wi-fi hotspots in the UK. In the UK iPhone subcribers also have access to cloud wi-fi network which is a nationwide wi-fi provider inclusive in their O2 tariff.
What is interesting here is that the iPhone is only available in the UK on O2 and in Ireland on O2. This gives us a direct comparison between pricing policies in the UK and Ireland via the same company, for example: high tariff UK is £75 (€105) Vs €100 in Ireland. In the UK you get 3000 minutes of calls but in Ireland you get 700 minutes. In UK you get 500 texts and in Ireland you get 250. In UK you get unlimited data and wi-fi (O2 hotspots and cloud) and in Ireland you get a 1GB limit, 2c for every additional 1MB and no deal with any wi-fi hotspots. And also in Ireland, additional calls are 20c per minute which is pretty high and additional texts are 10c per minute, also relatively high.
Even a tech-related article I read today states this:
"Fees will start at €45 per month under an 18-month contract; users will not however have access to unlimited data, the cap being set at 1GB for all plans. Similarly, Visual Voicemail is not being supported in the initial deployment, though it may arrive later. Both of these changes will make the Irish iPhone distinct from that in any other country."
Also, quoting the O2 website:
"Unused inclusive minutes and texts cannot be carried over to the following month." and
"*** Visual voicemail is not currently supported".

We are the only country so far with no unlimited data plan. O2 are also launching this product on St. Patrick's day March 14th. It is nice to know that O2 are sending us a happy Paddy's day gift by ripping us off.

carrotcake

No WiFi access included. That's pretty pathetic. Same goes for the 1GB of EDGE data, although I'd imagine you'd have to be very patient to get a gig via EDGE.

The Germans don't get as many minutes or texts, for the comparable tariffs (link), but they get unlimited data (EDGE and WiFi via T-Mobile hotspots, which are everywhere) and free weekend calls to landlines and other T-Mobile customers.

Tom Dunne

Rics wrote: »

We are the only country so far with no unlimited data plan. O2 are also launching this product on St. Patrick's day March 14th. It is nice to know that O2 are sending us a happy Paddy's day gift by ripping us off.

Don't tell me O2 have moved St. Patrick's Day too?

You are right, Rip-off Ireland at it's best.

(great first post, btw)

bobhoskins

Eh.... anyone got anything positive to say about it? Not being smart at all - just wondering are there any positives?

Solair

Well at least the creepy blue branding and bubbles will suit the modern brushed metal Apple look

Creamy Goodness

Solair wrote: »

Well at least the creepy blue branding and bubbles will suit the modern brushed metal Apple look

there is no branding on iphones, well my AT&T one wasn't branded at all.

eamon234

I can't see why everyone's moaning about the tariffs - I'm on Talk 200 with Meteor and I pay €40 a month for 200 minutes, 60 texts and no data - if I want a poxy 250 meg I have to pay an extra €9.99. and in fairness 2c per meg over the 1gb cap is pretty reasonable given the data rates on Meteor

The equivalent tariff on Vodafone is €49 a month with 200 texts and the calls over your minutes are 5c more expensive

Of course the handset was going to be expensive - this is Apple we're talking about they've always been expensive - bottom line is if you don't like it - don't buy it and if someone else wants to buy it that's their business it doesn't make them any more clever than you and it doesn't make you any more clever than them it's a matter of personal choice.

mobius42

Have a look at this page on o2's website: http://www.o2online.ie/wps/wcm/connect/O2/Home/Shop/Phones/iPhone/

The iPhone picture is a link to "Project_Boston landing page"
Sounds very mysterious:D

Seriously though, with visual voicemail not supported and the 3G iphone coming out later this year, you'd be mad to buy one now.

jor el

If there is no subsidy on the phone's price by the network, how can they justify imposing an 18 month contract on it? I thought the contracts were there so the network can recoup their loss in selling the phone at below cost. I'm also wondering why, if you pay outright for the phone, it's not available on pre-pay?

Not that I would actually buy one or anything. I have an iPod already, and don't see the need to mix my phone and mp3 player. I bought one of these instead. Not quite an iPhone, but at 1/4 the price, it's pretty decent.

chrislad

The only thing I find unreasonable, to be honest, is the 18 month contact, but apparently, you can still upgrade after 12 anyways, so it's not a major issue.

Creamy Goodness

there's a 24 month contract in the states, so it's not too shabby 18months tbh.

stevenmu

jor el wrote: »

If there is no subsidy on the phone's price by the network, how can they justify imposing an 18 month contract on it? I thought the contracts were there so the network can recoup their loss in selling the phone at below cost. I'm also wondering why, if you pay outright for the phone, it's not available on pre-pay?

AFAIK in the US apple take a slice of the subscription revenues. Assuming the same is true here (and in the UK), I'd imagine that apple played a role in setting the contract terms and fees.

Blaster99

Apple has revenue share on the subscriptions everywhere; that's where the €45 a month comes from.

I guess I can buy one straight from Apple and jail-break and unlock it, if I really wanted one? Or is it only sold over the counter with a contract [in Ireland]?

hosi

I don't want to defend o2/Apple (I use myself N95 8GB on voda ) but IMO the tariffs for iPhone introduced in Ireland are not that bad. Just checked T-Mobile website in Germany. They pay €49 for only 100 inclusive minutes!!! :eek: They must also sign contract for min. 24 months!

http://www.t-mobile.de/iphone/showTariffs.do;jsessionid=471930DA6BC476084119E8E8B3DC46B6.hiro1_ds77901a

strecker

hosi wrote: »

I don't want to defend o2/Apple (I use myself N95 8GB on voda ) but IMO the tariffs for iPhone introduced in Ireland are not that bad. Just checked T-Mobile website in Germany. They pay €49 for only 100 inclusive minutes!!! :eek: They must also sign contract for min. 24 months!

http://www.t-mobile.de/iphone/showTariffs.do;jsessionid=471930DA6BC476084119E8E8B3DC46B6.hiro1_ds77901a

that's nuts!
And then they wonder why so many iphones are hacked/unlocked...