'The iPhone comes to Tesco' (UK)

Tabnabs

[UK] Is an iPhone price war about to break out? After Vodafone and Orange bagged the iPhone – after O2’s two year monopoly expired – we learn today that Tesco, the UK supermarket leviathan, is to sell the iPhone on Tesco Mobile, its MVNO joint venture partnership with O2.

Both iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS handsets will be sold in Tesco Phone Shops and online through Tesco Direct in the UK. There’s even a pre-regsitration website Tescomobileiphone.com – but it’s showing a 500 Internal server error.

Tesco Mobile focuses on the low end of the market with voice and text, but there is no word yet on data packages, which is something of a necessity where the iPhone is concerned.

Could it be possible that Tesco might offer a deal which forces the larger players to discount? Now that would be interesting.

source

positron

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/25/iphone-to-be-sold-by-tesco-in-the-uk-hemorrhages-cachet/

So we know the iPhone has been slumming it and selling itself on Walmart shelves in the US for a while now, but it's retained a somewhat more dignified cachet over here in Europe. Until today, that is. Just "in time for Christmas," British retailer Tesco will make it possible for you to buy your socks, no-frills groceries, and shiny smartphone all in the same place. You'll still be riding O2's network, thanks to the Tesco Mobile service, but the department store chain is likely to price its contracts more aggressively, as it already has a £30 per month plan that includes unlimited calls, texts, and web surfing. There might be something to this whole "competition" thing after all then, eh?

Any chance of anything like that here?

ashleey

Competition? Ireland?

ShadowHearth

ashleey wrote: »

Competition? Ireland?

+1

drunkmonkey

there's no server error, the link works http://direct.tesco.com/p/inc/specials/iphone/default.asp

LinoRichie

mail from Tesco Ireland:

I regret to inform you that the Apple iPhone will not be introduced on our Irish Network. Tesco Mobile Ireland is only a 2G Network, therefore the Apple iPhone will not work as it is a 3G phone.

in the queue

LinoRichie wrote: »

mail from Tesco Ireland:

I regret to inform you that the Apple iPhone will not be introduced on our Irish Network. Tesco Mobile Ireland is only a 2G Network, therefore the Apple iPhone will not work as it is a 3G phone.

Tesco Mobile WILL go 3G in quater 1 next year.
Tesco Ireland and Tesco Mobile Ireland are a different company.
They are planning to offer full 3G, Bill pay, Mobile BB and a range of phones and tariffs that will shake up the Irish mobile market.

They are doing a promotion at the moment that you get double credit for life!
This "may" end for new customers shortly... It WILL continue for ALL existing customers that are registered on the network.
My advice is to get on to the network now and take advantage of the double credit "for life" while still available.
There are agents in most stores to assist you move from your current service provider, you keep your number and move all your contacts over and the only thing that changes is the costs.
Just remember you then buy Tesco mobile credit (NOT O2).

You can purchase a SIM card for €2.50 they will switch you over and you will have €27.50 credit on it. (€20.00 registration and €7.50 for bringing your number over(porting))

Call costs equate to 10c per min to ANY Irish mobile or standard landline and 4.5c per SMS. ( Advertised rates are halved when you take the double credit into account. )

You will cut your costs by changing to tesco mobile.
They have downsides at the moment like 2G, International call charges etc but this will change soon....

Mark my words .... "this is the one to watch" get on to it now!

costacurta

Any word on the release date for this in the uk?

LinoRichie

in the queue wrote: »

Tesco Mobile WILL go 3G in quater 1 next year.
Tesco Ireland and Tesco Mobile Ireland are a different company.
They are planning to offer full 3G, Bill pay, Mobile BB and a range of phones and tariffs that will shake up the Irish mobile market.

They are doing a promotion at the moment that you get double credit for life!
This "may" end for new customers shortly... It WILL continue for ALL existing customers that are registered on the network.
My advice is to get on to the network now and take advantage of the double credit "for life" while still available.
There are agents in most stores to assist you move from your current service provider, you keep your number and move all your contacts over and the only thing that changes is the costs.
Just remember you then buy Tesco mobile credit (NOT O2).

You can purchase a SIM card for €2.50 they will switch you over and you will have €27.50 credit on it. (€20.00 registration and €7.50 for bringing your number over(porting))

Call costs equate to 10c per min to ANY Irish mobile or standard landline and 4.5c per SMS. ( Advertised rates are halved when you take the double credit into account. )

You will cut your costs by changing to tesco mobile.
They have downsides at the moment like 2G, International call charges etc but this will change soon....

Mark my words .... "this is the one to watch" get on to it now!

hmm...

from Tesco Mobile Ireland:

"I regret to inform you that we do not have any immediate plans to upgrade our network to 3G."

cornbb

LinoRichie wrote: »

hmm...

from Tesco Mobile Ireland:

"I regret to inform you that we do not have any immediate plans to upgrade our network to 3G."

I thought Tesco Mobile used O2's network/infrastructure? Could be wrong of course..

seamus

cornbb wrote: »

I thought Tesco Mobile used O2's network/infrastructure? Could be wrong of course..

Yep, but here in the good old emerald isle, we consider the internet to be a newfangled premium service that only a handful of people would ever want and should therefore be priced accordingly.

No doubt O2 have two reseller rates - one for 2G MVNO's and a whole other disproportionaly raping and confusing price structure for 3G MVNO's. There's only so many pipes to teh interweb doncha know.

Spooky1666

After sending a complaint email to Tesco mobile Ireland complaining about the lack of good phones this is the reply i got

"Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for contacting Tesco Mobile.

Tesco Mobile currently operates as a 2G Network in Ireland, which means that many of the top of the range handsets available on the market today will not work on our Network. However, we are upgrading to a 3G Network during the months of July and August and hope to have a new range of 3G handsets available in September.

If you require any further assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care Team by replying to this email, calling 1749 from a Tesco handset or 089 4200000 from any other phone.

Kind Regards,

***** *******

Tesco Mobile Customer Care

These means that by September 2010 high end 3g phones will be coming to Tesco mobile Ireland and this could possibly mean that by the end of this year or next year Tesco Mobile Ireland might be getting the iphone YAAY

sok2005

According to a salesman in Tesco Thursday, the iPhone will be introduced to Tesco Mobile users in Sept 2010 and it's gonna be very competitively priced!

Spooky1666

sok2005 wrote: »

According to a salesman in Tesco Thursday, the iPhone will be introduced to Tesco Mobile users in Sept 2010 and it's gonna be very competitively priced!

Thats is great news Looks I am going to stick with Tesco mobile at least untill October and see what happens They already just finished upgrading their network to 3G They are giving out their 3g sim cards now which let you roam in over 100 countries around the world.

Spooky1666

Tesco mobile have been behind and hiding in the market for quite awhile now but this is soon to all change. There is going to be a massive change happening which is going to make them be able to compete with the likes of o2 and voda like in the U.K. First of these examples is their network upgrade to 3G. Following a complaint email I sent to Tesco mobile complaining about the lack of good phones they replied with an email stating that because their network is 2G most smartphones would not work(be suitable) on Tesco mobile and that they plan to upgrade their network in July and have a new range of 3g phones out by September. Just a few days ago they finished upgrading their network to 3G and are giving out new 3G sims for free to all there current customers. (You have to ask for it though) This new 3G sim allows you to roam in 100 countries around the world. This is a major improvement compared to the previous 6 countries you could roam in. In the email response they didnt state if the iphone 4 will be included in new range of phones coming out in September but after speaking with an employe in a Tesco store he said the iphone 4 is being planned to come to Tesco mobile in September and it will be competitively priced like in the U.K This is all fantastic news as it means Tesco mobile are turing into a full on proper network which might finally bring some much needed competition into the Irish phone market.

drunkmonkey

:rolleyes: dreams & reality. Tesco are an MVNO, not a network!! They do not have a 3G license.

OCD

Spooky1666 wrote: »

Tesco mobile have been behind and hiding in the market for quite awhile now but this is soon to all change. There is going to be a massive change happening which is going to make them be able to compete with the likes of o2 and voda like in the U.K. First of these examples is their network upgrade to 3G. Following a complaint email I sent to Tesco mobile complaining about the lack of good phones they replied with an email stating that because their network is 2G most smartphones would not work(be suitable) on Tesco mobile and that they plan to upgrade their network in July and have a new range of 3g phones out by September. Just a few days ago they finished upgrading their network to 3G and are giving out new 3G sims for free to all there current customers. (You have to ask for it though) This new 3G sim allows you to roam in 100 countries around the world. This is a major improvement compared to the previous 6 countries you could roam in. In the email response they didnt state if the iphone 4 will be included in new range of phones coming out in September but after speaking with an employe in a Tesco store he said the iphone 4 is being planned to come to Tesco mobile in September and it will be competitively priced like in the U.K This is all fantastic news as it means Tesco mobile are turing into a full on proper network which might finally bring some much needed competition into the Irish phone market.

Tesco re-sell the O2 network. They (tesco) won't be upgrading any network because they don't have access to the sites or the backbone. They literally buy millions of units from O2 at a discount and then sell those units at a higher rate to the punters.

bigjohnny80

Spooky1666 wrote: »

Tesco mobile have been behind and hiding in the market for quite awhile now but this is soon to all change. There is going to be a massive change happening which is going to make them be able to compete with the likes of o2 and voda like in the U.K. First of these examples is their network upgrade to 3G. Following a complaint email I sent to Tesco mobile complaining about the lack of good phones they replied with an email stating that because their network is 2G most smartphones would not work(be suitable) on Tesco mobile and that they plan to upgrade their network in July and have a new range of 3g phones out by September. Just a few days ago they finished upgrading their network to 3G and are giving out new 3G sims for free to all there current customers. (You have to ask for it though) This new 3G sim allows you to roam in 100 countries around the world. This is a major improvement compared to the previous 6 countries you could roam in. In the email response they didnt state if the iphone 4 will be included in new range of phones coming out in September but after speaking with an employe in a Tesco store he said the iphone 4 is being planned to come to Tesco mobile in September and it will be competitively priced like in the U.K This is all fantastic news as it means Tesco mobile are turing into a full on proper network which might finally bring some much needed competition into the Irish phone market.

This sort of rubbish uninformed post is irritating
.

And the thread title is so misleading.

Spooky1666

I know their an MVNO but until a few days ago they were only 2G. In other words they only used o2's 2G network. Now they use o2's 3G network and even if its an MVNO there is nothing stopping it from becoming as great as normal networks. MVNO's in the U.K have proven this and Tesco mobile U.K is one of them. Many of the people using phone wont even know what an MVNO is so it doesn't really matter in a marketing point of view.

whiterebel

Spooky1666 wrote: »

I know their an MVNO but until a few days ago they were only 2G. In other words they only used o2's 2G network. Now they use o2's 3G network and even if its an MVNO there is nothing stopping it from becoming as great as normal networks. MVNO's in the U.K have proven this and Tesco mobile U.K is one of them. Many of the people using phone wont even know what an MVNO is so it doesn't really matter in a marketing point of view.

And using the say so of a Tesco exployee to start a thread saying they will have the iphone 4?:mad:

uvox

A triumph of hope over reality.

Have you considered a career as a tech correspondent for the Irish Times or the Sunday Business Post?

I LOVE IT!

Spooky1666

whiterebel wrote: »

And using the say so of a Tesco exployee to start a thread saying they will have the iphone 4?:mad:

Well there whole upgrade scheme there carrying out now such as 3G, more roaming, new phones, possible bill pay plans meant that they could possibly bring it to Ireland. They have it in the U.K so I don't see why it cant be done here. Then getting it backed up by 2 Tesco representatives. The one in the shop I talked about earlier and an email I just received from Tesco mobile stating that they are interested in carrying the Iphone 4 and that they may have it in the near future. This really is just reassuring my hopes. I know its all speculation now and that you cant be 100% convinced until its official but I think thats this is good news because if they do take the iphone 4 they will probably price it competitively and cause competition

ShaneU

For what it's worth, The tesco store I work in got a box of 3G sims in today.

Spooky1666

Ok guys sorry about the thread name I should have used a question mark or rephrased it. I didn't mean it to look as if I was announcing something sorry

Spooky1666

uvox wrote: »

A triumph of hope over reality.

Have you considered a career as a tech correspondent for the Irish Times or the Sunday Business Post?

I LOVE IT!

Haha thanks That would be a good career I guess.

Spooky1666

To everyone:

I was just posting my hopes and the possibility of it happening on boards I didn't mean for it to be offending/irritating/misleading. Sorry if you found it that way.

pah

Spooky1666 wrote: »

To everyone:

I was just posting my hopes and the possibility of it happening on boards I didn't mean for it to be offending/irritating/misleading. Sorry if you found it that way.

I reckon these fanboys are being a little tough on you Spooky :rolleyes:

uvox

Spooky1666 wrote: »

Haha thanks That would be a good career I guess.

Go for it! You'd have 4,000 followers on Twitter within a week hanging off your every word. Just look at the current ones...:)

rebeve

Do they just piggy back on o2 ?

Tom Dunne

Guys, can we keep it civil here, please?

Spooky1666 was only trying to help.

We can point out the inaccuracies in a post without being nasty about it.

Spooky1666

Tom Dunne wrote: »

Guys, can we keep it civil here, please?

Spooky1666 was only trying to help.

We can point out the inaccuracies in a post without being nasty about it.

Thank you Tom Dunne

Spooky1666

rebeve wrote: »

Do they just piggy back on o2 ?

Yep. They only use the o2 network. They don't have their own.

Spooky1666

uvox wrote: »

Go for it! You'd have 4,000 followers on Twitter within a week hanging off your every word. Just look at the current ones...:)

I think ur being a bit optimistic but sure i'll try it Just set up my twitter page. Usernames spooky1666 same as here

brophs

Someone involved with Tesco Mobile suggested to me that the iPhone won't be launched until after Christmas, along with some new price plans. No idea how accurate that is though.

chiefhappy

Spooky you seem to know your onions on this one, do you know do the data bundles they have at present cover 3g data use ? Their website says "Includes WAP and GPRS mobile internet browsing, and web based WAP/HTTP/HTTPS compatible email. "

I rang 'em but they didn't sound too convincing - want to make sure I will actually get 3g and not just wap

Spooky1666

chiefhappy wrote: »

Spooky you seem to know your onions on this one, do you know do the data bundles they have at present cover 3g data use ? Their website says "Includes WAP and GPRS mobile internet browsing, and web based WAP/HTTP/HTTPS compatible email. "

I rang 'em but they didn't sound too convincing - want to make sure I will actually get 3g and not just wap

Hi chiefhappy I was thinking the exact same thing because on there website it says its wap only and not high speed broadband. I rang tesco mobile and they said since its 3G it is high speed and not 2G wap. I wasn't so sure they knew what they were talking about so I sent a few emails to them just to make sure and I got mixed results. 3 of them said it is high speed internet and one said its wap and not 3g high speed internet( and that they plan on changing to high speed internet in the future since their network is now 3G.) didn't know who to believe so I asked for the new 3G sim and got it in the mail this morning I activated it and sadly I got no 3G signal Don't know why I have perfectly great 3G signal with o2 in my house so I know for sure its not a coverage problem it's something else. I rang Tesco and they didn't know ether so they took the case down and are going to pass it to their technician for an investigation. hopefully they can fix this and if they do I will take a test and see if its wap or real 3G and post the results back here

ubuntulinux

Have been using my Tesco sim in an unlocked LG Viewty 3G/HSDPA handset for the past five or six months and it connects to the O2 3G network no problem,with high speed downloading.;)

Soot-fan

Tesco launch £6/month Sim only - 100 mins + unlimited txts in UK. :eek:

mondeo

Soot-fan wrote: »

Tesco launch £6/month Sim only - 100 mins + unlimited txts in UK. :eek:

Competition for you...

Spooky1666

Ireland is a rip off. Get used to it