02 Iphone today... talk me out of it

jesso

Hi everyone,
I'm currently with Vodafone, paying them about €100 a month for my phone and mobile broadband.
My contract has just expired, and being a mac fan, I'm itching to get into the whole Iphone thing.
I went down to the 02 shop yesterday, and I know that within a couple of hours plus €100 I can have a shiny 3GS in my sweaty little hand. Tempting.

I know vodafone are about to get the Iphone, but you know how these things usually go... They say they'll have it by the end of Jan but I don't trust em. By the time they get one, I'll probably want to wait a bit longer for the 4G version.
So basically my question is, should I just say "aw feck it" and go ahead today, or hold my horses till I see what vodafone come up with.
It's worth mentioning, I've been googling and it seems that in the UK, vodafone are relying on their extra quality and bandwith to beat 02, they aren't going to be any cheaper.... maybe that's an indication of what's to come in the Irish market? Also, in the UK vodafone seem to be offering a 24 month contract, which is a bit too long IMO.
Would anyone agree that the new competition will force 02 to up their game? Which would mean that pretty soon anyone on the 02 network will see better coverage, along with whatever tethering options vodafone will offer? (tethering is a big factor for me, cos it could give me the cash saving option of giving up my 3g modem for my laptop)
Any thoughts people?

Jesse

pogsick

i have an iphone and trust me if i was you i would go for it you can always switch over to vodafone if the price plans are better but i doubt the price will improve by much seeing as it's apple that's keeping the price up

jesso

Would you have any complaints coverage wise?
I find the vodafone 3g dongle to be pretty good country wide.
Coverage is a bit of a dealbreaker for me!

whiterebel

pogsick wrote: »

i have an iphone and trust me if i was you i would go for it you can always switch over to vodafone if the price plans are better but i doubt the price will improve by much seeing as it's apple that's keeping the price up

What have Apple got to do with the price plans?

OP, VF are playing it cagey at the moment, selling the iPhone through a third party (Plenty of threads on here about it, if you use the search). They are using terrible tariffs at the moment, easily as bad as O2s if not worse, and jacking up to 18 month contracts too, yet they say that these may not be the iPhone tariffs. Being a Mac user too, I held off until I bought a second hand 3G last year, and it is brilliant, but my contract is up in May and I'll certainly be waiting to see what the 4G brings.

jesso

Thanks whiterebel,
So it is possible to get an iphone today through vodafone? I'll do a search.

deep1

jesso wrote: »

Thanks whiterebel,
So it is possible to get an iphone today through vodafone? I'll do a search.

it's possible, but vodafone won't offer you any insurance on the ph and if anything happens to ph you will need to send it back to IOS.

jesso

Hmmmm... doesn't seem worth the extra wait/risk. I'm swaying towards O2, especially as the vodafone packages don't look like they will be any better.
It's funny, you can always keep waiting for the next upgrade or whatever, but I reckon your better off just getting the use out of the current technology. It's the same thing with the torturous decision of when to upgrade a mac!
I'm swaaaaaying.... any more reasons not to head down to the shop in the next 10 minutes?

Gregor Samsa

jesso wrote: »

Thanks whiterebel,
So it is possible to get an iphone today through vodafone? I'll do a search.

Here's a thread over at the Talk To Vodafone board that talks about getting an iPhone though IOS on Vodafone

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055794792

As deep1 said though, it's an 18 month contract, and the tariffs don't seem any better than O2. Also, Vodafone are currently having trouble with 3G access on certain Apps (YouTube, Weather, Stocks, etc) - there's some threads about that on that board too. It's basically a pre-release of the iPhone on Vodafone for those that really want it.

Personally, I think I'll wait for the next gen iPhone - should be out by the summer. As a long time Mac user, I've been itching for an iPhone for ages (but I' don't want to switch to o2). If Vodafone had offically released the 3G S back in November, I would have snapped one up, but seeing as they're saying "1st Quarter 2010" (which in my understanding of CorporateSpeak™ means March at the earliest), I might as well hold out for the next gen seeing as there's a good chance it will come out fairly soon after that.

jesso

Ah yes, waiting... that most noble of artforms.
I'm crap at waiting! I'm still swaying towards going down to the O2 shop after lunch and taking the plunge!

GUIGuy

Ah instant gratification... but 18 month is a long time when a new iPhone is due April-June time frame.

deep1

jesso wrote: »

Ah yes, waiting... that most noble of artforms.
I'm crap at waiting! I'm still swaying towards going down to the O2 shop after lunch and taking the plunge!

If you really want 1, then prob i will buy 2nd hand 2g for under €200 and play it and sell it once new one comes out, you wouldn't loose much that way.

jesso

Not a bad idea at all... can I just put the sim from my N95 straight into a 3G and have it work no problem?

deep1

jesso wrote: »

Not a bad idea at all... can I just put the sim from my N95 straight into a 3G and have it work no problem?

You will need to unlock it, which is very simple, check the sticky for all info.

jesso

Deep 1, I've been having a quick look at adverts.ie, and it seems like 3g Iphones don't go for less than 300 squids... which is a wee bit pricey for me at the moment TBH.

deep1

jesso wrote: »

Deep 1, I've been having a quick look at adverts.ie, and it seems like 3g Iphones don't go for less than 300 squids... which is a wee bit pricey for me at the moment TBH.

I said 2g and they all have same software so you won't miss much apart from camera and speed etc.

jesso

Ah I see...
I'm still very tempted to go down to the shop in the next hour or 2... especially cos I reckon I'll appreciate the speed of the 3GS for running music apps and stuff. And it's only a hundred squid... I don't think I can resist.
Thanks for all the help here so far.

Sad Professor

I'm kinda in the same boat. I've been fighting the temptation to get an iPhone all week. I've held off getting one for the longest time but I'm so sick of my current phone that I'm close to biting the bullet now. I'm gonna try and wait though.

dazedandlost

jesso wrote: »

Ah I see...
I'm still very tempted to go down to the shop in the next hour or 2... especially cos I reckon I'll appreciate the speed of the 3GS for running music apps and stuff. And it's only a hundred squid... I don't think I can resist.
Thanks for all the help here so far.

Do it Jesso, I had the original 2g iPhone and changed to the 3GS last Year, it is much quicker...

Just be aware that there will most likley be a new model released at some stage this summer, rumours already out there as to what it might contain such as 5mp camera... but you could wait forever if always waiting for the next release...

jesso

Wow this thing is amazing! Writin this from my new iPhone!

deep1

jesso wrote: »

Wow this thing is amazing! Writin this from my new iPhone!

So you couldn't resist and we couldn't talk you out.:D
you won't regret for sure, enjoy new ph.

irish1967

I knew you would. Come to think of it coming to an iPhone thread to get talked out of it was a lil bit of reverse psychology maybe with your patience you will have it jailbroken by let's say 2pm today

gartcork

Enjoy jesso!!

rebel.ranter

Another Nokia convert! There are thousands of Apps, there is a really useful, "can't live without" one for even the biggest technophiles out there! Enjoy!

Peppapig

Does anyone know when O2 lose the licence thing for the Iphone

banquo

We should have a special thread for people posting off an iPhone/iPod touch

rebel.ranter

They won't lose the license to sell the iPhone, Apple are allowing Vodafone to sell it from some time this quarter in addition to O2. Apple really control everything about the iPhone, including the types of tariffs offered. They want punters to use the device to its fullest potential. In order to make the best use of an iPhone a data bundle/package/add on is needed.
Apple have taken a completely different approach to the other handset manufacturers, in fact they even insisted on a revenue share model with any operator that signed up with them initially. I'm not sure if this is still the case anymore. Here is a story about it for AT&T, this has since been dropped. I'm sure the same idea was pursued in other markets including Ireland.

Leiva

jesso wrote: »

Wow this thing is amazing! Writin this from my new iPhone!

LOL....

O.P comes onto a Apple Thread asking to be talked out of buying a 3GS , less than 10hrs later is caught posting on same thread with his new phone.
Shame on all you Apple media regular posters , you failed miserably , keep up the good work .

Jesso my friend you have what's called no patience ! , you will fit right in .

Welcome to the "Apple users , no patience " fan club .

M.

banquo

I love this club.

jesso

I know I'm a pathetic marketing mans dream.
I couldn't even wait to see what vodofone were gunna do, or what apple are gunna do in the next couple of weeks re iphones and tablets etc.
Thing is, I'm delighted with the phone. No more opening my laptop to check emails. I have all my business and personal calenders synched, which is gunna make my life much easier. The graphics are way better than I expected, and the handset is lighter and easier to use than I thought it would be too.
Even the camera/video is acceptable for my needs. My N95 used to take aaaages in between photos, or actually to do just about anything. The 3GS is in a different league totally.
I'm very impressed, and even if the 4G comes out in the next couple of months, I'll be happy as larry to use this handset for the next 18 months.
Thanks for not talking me out of it!

Leiva

jesso wrote: »

I'm very impressed, and even if the 4G comes out in the next couple of months!

I would say you will be closer to your 18months been expired before you see the 4G.
I would say 2010 is the year of the iTablet not the 4G .
My own personal view but I have a hunch .

Enjoy your phone , you wont regret it .

M.

The Orb

I have heard from people working in O2 and in Apple's Irish distributors that there will be a new iphone in July, we'll have to wait and see. Vodafone and consequently O2 will show their hands sometime in March when the Vodafone shops stock the iphone, I like the OP's " feck it, I want it now" attitude but I'm prepared to wait until the summer to see what happens phone wise and whether package prices come down thanks to competition.

rebel.ranter

There has been a new release every year since it was available in Ireland; 2G, 3G & 3GS. So it is a good assumption that there will be a new model this year again.
Having just recently moved from a 2G to a 3GS I don't see absolutely revolutionary leaps forward, more of an evolutionary improvement. When do you stop waiting for the "new model"?

Leiva

True but I think that with the iTablet confirmed announcement in the next couple if weeks that the rumour mill is now on the 4G.

whiterebel

rebel.ranter wrote: »

There has been a new release every year since it was available in Ireland; 2G, 3G & 3GS. So it is a good assumption that there will be a new model this year again.
Having just recently moved from a 2G to a 3GS I don't see absolutely revolutionary leaps forward, more of an evolutionary improvement. When do you stop waiting for the "new model"?

Next one is rumoured to be pretty revolutionary with the back casing being touch sensitive as well.

banquo

Macrumors.com, AppleInsider.com and similar sites will be taking a traffic pounding in the next ten days.