iPhone 5 How to buy

whellman1030

I've been checking the prices and after 24 months buying an iphone 5 from O2 or buying an unlocked iPhone 5 from apple store and then using tesco mobile for 24 months, all goes to nearly the same price in the end (about 1800 euro).

So with apple store I get an unlocked phone, my only concern is then using tesco mobile: Is it a good network for 3G? Wouldn't it be slower than O2? I ask this because actually I use tesco mobile with no problems, but my Roaming icon in my phone is always activated, so it seems Tesco Mobile uses some VOIP without telling us to make normal calls and I think they could be using some kind of proxy to bring the 3G network which could affect performance...

jbv

As far as I know, Tesco is using O2 network. A bit like roaming on it. Android phones are showing that you are roaming and also the roaming data has to be enabled to work. On Iphone no roaming is showing. Speed is the same. So Tesco is roaming on O2 network, my opinion.

Mimikyu

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whellman1030

Captain Morgan wrote: »

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Really 1.5 Mbps? Where did you get that information from? Because if that's true I'll buy from O2 and that's it for me.#

BTW what's the maximum speed for O2?

brav

whellman1030 wrote: »

Really 1.5 Mbps? Where did you get that information from? Because if that's true I'll buy from O2 and that's it for me.#

BTW what's the maximum speed for O2?

It uses HSPA+ so theoretically the limit is 21Mbps but I'd say average for most is 8Mbps max.
If speed is an issue, should check Vodafone which uses DC-HSDPA and is double the speed in cities, so right now on a iPhone 5 with Vodafone getting 15.1Mbps down and 1.4Mbps up over 3G

dilallio

Captain Morgan wrote: »

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This is also true with 48 who use O2's network.

I moved to 48 last year - their customer service had assured me at the time that their speeds were the same as O2 because they were using the same infrastructure.

I was getting 3Mbs - 7.5 Mbs with O2, but never exceeded 1.5 Mbs with 48.

After complaining many times, 48 went from telling me that it must be a phone issue, to a technical issue, to eventually admitting that their speeds were capped.

Mimikyu

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whellman1030

brav wrote: »

It uses HSPA+ so theoretically the limit is 21Mbps but I'd say average for most is 8Mbps max.
If speed is an issue, should check Vodafone which uses DC-HSDPA and is double the speed in cities, so right now on a iPhone 5 with Vodafone getting 15.1Mbps down and 1.4Mbps up over 3G

You're sure Vodafone it's the best? I heard many friends that have Vodafone complaining that Vodafone it's the worst network in Ireland.

guil

whellman1030 wrote: »

You're sure Vodafone it's the best? I heard many friends that have Vodafone complaining that Vodafone it's the worst network in Ireland.

It's the fastest in some cities

brav

whellman1030 wrote: »

You're sure Vodafone it's the best? I heard many friends that have Vodafone complaining that Vodafone it's the worst network in Ireland.

Worst network it is not, most expensive it is, however close to most reliable and defiantly the fastest on iPhone 5 in cities

ITS_A_BADGER

how are emobile speeds?

guil

ITS_A_BADGER wrote: »

how are emobile speeds?

Get anywhere from 2.5 upto 8.5 mb download and 1-3 mb upload

whellman1030

brav wrote: »

Worst network it is not, most expensive it is, however close to most reliable and defiantly the fastest on iPhone 5 in cities

So I'm undecided between the 2 plans:

http://shop.vodafone.ie/shop/phonesAndPlans/plans/plansListing/VFIEmyWayPlanBuilderMain.jsp?PlansName=RED&planSkuId=sku91540006&bundleSkuItemId=sku1400047&phoneAsFirstVariant=phoneAsFirstVariant&cart=cartOpen&_requestid=2698556

http://www.three.ie/online/shop/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=1739&p=voice&tariffType=contract&step=5&src=p&edt=0&itemId=0&dch=0

3 network advantages: Price and unlimited 3G Data. Maybe the speed is not very good?
Vodafone advantages: Maybe the speed?

What are your recommendations?

Mimikyu

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whellman1030

A third option:

Buy from apple store unlocked 700€ + 20€ top up from 3 network with unlimited data

Advantages:
Unlocked and keeps the warranty.
After 24 months I payed only 1180€ against 1611€ for contract with Vodafone.

Disadvantages:
Since I'm not in a bill pay I think I cannot upgrade to iPhone 6 after 1 year.

Mimikyu

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nightster1

i bought iphone 5 directly from apple.ie, im a heavy phone user so i'm on anytime 30, sim only PAYG,with meteor. This gives me any network unlimited. If a better offer comes along from another operator, i'm free to move:) i'd wait for iphone 5S at this stage if I were you

Soarer

I always buy my phones direct from apple. At the minute I'm on Tesco's €10 per month plan. Suits me fine.

Would feel sick to be paying €40-€50 per month over 2 years when the phones are updated every 12 months or less.

whellman1030

SO I dedcided to buy from apple store.

3 network advantages: Price and unlimited 3G Data. Maybe the speed is not very good?
Vodafone advantages: Maybe the speed?

What are your recommendations?

ITS_A_BADGER

whellman1030 wrote: »

SO I dedcided to buy from apple store.

3 network advantages: Price and unlimited 3G Data. Maybe the speed is not very good?
Vodafone advantages: Maybe the speed?

What are your recommendations?

stay away from three is my advice, i moved to them a week ago and am moving away again, long story short my data ceased working and no can fix it and some of my calls were dropped, im thinking of moving to emobile

whellman1030

ITS_A_BADGER wrote: »

stay away from three is my advice, i moved to them a week ago and am moving away again, long story short my data ceased working and no can fix it and some of my calls were dropped, im thinking of moving to emobile

Strange I have a friend with an iPhone 5 from 3 and loves it.....

Any more opinions?

hoodwinked

whellman1030 wrote: »

I've been checking the prices and after 24 months buying an iphone 5 from O2 or buying an unlocked iPhone 5 from apple store and then using tesco mobile for 24 months, all goes to nearly the same price in the end (about 1800 euro).

So with apple store I get an unlocked phone, my only concern is then using tesco mobile: Is it a good network for 3G? Wouldn't it be slower than O2? I ask this because actually I use tesco mobile with no problems, but my Roaming icon in my phone is always activated, so it seems Tesco Mobile uses some VOIP without telling us to make normal calls and I think they could be using some kind of proxy to bring the 3G network which could affect performance...

have a look at the 12 month contracts you'll pay more for the phone upfront but it will cost less over all,


im with o2 i paid €400 at launch for the iphone 5 on a 12 month contract, at €50pm i will be out of contract in october when the new one will be just out and should get an upgrade discount of some kind...


that contract is €600 per year and i get all the data and calls and texts i need... all in for €1000, with upgrade every year....

ITS_A_BADGER

whellman1030 wrote: »

Strange I have a friend with an iPhone 5 from 3 and loves it.....

Any more opinions?

well that was just my experience with them, maybe yours will differ

The Ayatolla

I pay 13euro a month with 48. thats for unlimited calls and texts and 750mb of data.

phone cost 679 euros from Apple store.

Cost after
1 year: 835
18 months: 913
2 years: 991

No brainer if you ask me.

And I can sell the iPhone 5 after a year and get maybe 70-80% of the cost and upgrade to iphone 5s or iPhone 6. Happy days

whellman1030

OK, I didn't post here before an important requirement for me. I want to have the iPhone unlocked even if its illegal, so when I go to other European countries I can use a card from that country.

whellman1030

Another question is that if I unlock the phone illegally, and send it to be fixed in warranty, will they be able to detect it and deny fixing it?

whellman1030

Ok a friend of mine showed me an iPhone 5 with 3 network working with 3G inside at 2Mbps. Is that engough for watching youtube and for web expert usage?

guil

Sweet Jesus you're like the kid in the sweet shop asking much is that one

quad_red

ITS_A_BADGER wrote: »

how are emobile speeds?

Fyi: I work in Dublin city centre and live in Dublin 12. I'm on emobile and the Mrs is on Vodafone.

And she always has better coverage and significantly faster speeds.

Even with full coverage in a high building with clear views of the horizons in Dublin city, the very max I get is between 2 and 2.3 mbps. And upload of around 1.6mbps would be average.

In D12, I generally have very little or no 3G access and the emobile edge network is piss poor. While the Mrs always has 3G access.

7upfree

whellman1030 wrote: »

So I'm undecided between the 2 plans:

http://shop.vodafone.ie/shop/phonesAndPlans/plans/plansListing/VFIEmyWayPlanBuilderMain.jsp?PlansName=RED&planSkuId=sku91540006&bundleSkuItemId=sku1400047&phoneAsFirstVariant=phoneAsFirstVariant&cart=cartOpen&_requestid=2698556

http://www.three.ie/online/shop/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=1739&p=voice&tariffType=contract&step=5&src=p&edt=0&itemId=0&dch=0

3 network advantages: Price and unlimited 3G Data. Maybe the speed is not very good?
Vodafone advantages: Maybe the speed?

What are your recommendations?

I use an factory-unlocked iPhone 4s on Three. €20 a month. Free texts to all networks. Free calls to all networks at weekends. And unlimited data. And the sweetest of all: unlimited data on Three networks abroad. Plus €10 worth of credit every month. I'm with them 2 years. No problems. Around 3 Mbps down/up.

Piliger

I bought a new iPhone 5 from Apple.com/ie and use it on 48. 13 quid a month and I get 24/7 3G and unlimited calls and texts. Best value of all options imho.