iPhone launch 14th March on O2 Ireland...

BostonB · 04-03-2008 10:06AM

Its a "Paddy Tax"
http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single10431

AFAIK theres no good mobile data rates here unless your with 3. So its hardly surprising that it was going to be an issue with the iPhone which without decent web access is very limited.

Oafley Jones · 04-03-2008 10:49AM

Could somebody clarify this for me.

Aren't phone operators in Ireland obligated to tell you how much they are subsidising any phone? And once that has been paid off are they not required to supply an unlock code?

Also, we know that Apple is making a profit from each iphone sold and that O2 aren't supplementing the cost of the actual phone, so the only "subsidy" is the percentage of your contract that O2 kicks back to Apple. My question here, under the law can this be regarded as a subsidy?

Are you forced into signing a contract when you buy the phone, or is like in the States where you buy it and start the contract via itunes.

DK86 · 04-03-2008 10:58AM

i am seriously thinking of buying one of these.. i am currentlty with vodafone ready to go and thinking of changing. i have never even had an ipod so just a few questions..

1. can i keep my exsisting phone number and change it to bill pay (i.e the 18 month contract required with o2)

2. maybe this is a stupid question but with regard to getting songs on to your i phone are they free to upload or what is the price per song??

Oafley Jones · 04-03-2008 11:03AM

DK86 wrote: »

i am seriously thinking of buying one of these.. i am currentlty with vodafone ready to go and thinking of changing. i have never even had an ipod so just a few questions..

1. can i keep my exsisting phone number and change it to bill pay (i.e the 18 month contract required with o2)

2. maybe this is a stupid question but with regard to getting songs on to your i phone are they free to upload or what is the price per song??

1. Yes

2. You can upload your songs via itunes, which transfers your cd or mp3s to the phone. You can also buy songs from Itunes Store.

Personally, I'd buy an ipod touch, keep my old phone and avoid being gouged by O2.

cheerspal · 04-03-2008 11:38AM

If you are due an upgrade you cant even use it against the Iphone!

Bloody joke

Moofy · 04-03-2008 12:26PM

faceman wrote: »

i was going to get one until i read the tarriffs. I can live with the fact the phone is not subsidised, but higher tarrifs and longer contracts are not justified. Its a real test for consumer power, if demand is low then o2 will be forced to review their price book.

However given most people is this country dont send back a cold meal in a restaurant, i reckon my call to o2 to register my dissatisfaction was the only one.

I challenged the price comparison in the UK and the response was, "well the offer is competitive to other countries." My response was simply, "yes but no the UK. Why not? You give free roaming between the UK and ireland so why is the tarriff higher? Plus its not competitive with your existing offerings in ireland"

The response was "ehhh, but it is competitive with other countries."

muppets.

Is there really free roaming between the Ireland and the UK though?

The roaming charges nearly gave me a heart attack when I saw .59cent per minute. With Meteor using T-Mobile in the UK I was only paying .17 cent per minute. Also the charges for using Edge are €8.30 per MB!!!
Please tell me thats wrong, otherwise I will have a shiny new iPhone that I wont be able to afford to use when I travel

All phone tarrifs here are ripping us off , so why pick on O2?
I am in no way defending them but they are offering similar deals to other phone companies. The fact that you get hundreds of minutes with all tarriffs in the UK makes no difference to us. We are being ripped off in everything anyway.

There is a huge demand for the iPhone with O2 so no luck with them reviewing their prices anytime soon.
Its a case of if you want it buy it, if not don't.

Basq · 04-03-2008 12:32PM

Moofy wrote: »

Is there really free roaming between the Ireland and the UK though?

The last time I checked it wasn't!

navin.r.johnson · 04-03-2008 01:35PM

Apparently when the hit stores in Japan they will be 3G capable.

Moofy · 04-03-2008 01:42PM

basquille wrote: »

The last time I checked it wasn't!

Thats what I thought

My calls will have to be short and sweet then- "I got here, still alive, bye":D

Oh the other thing is it costs .29 cent per minute to receive a call!
I never paid to receive a call while using T-Mobile in the UK.

120_Minutes · 04-03-2008 01:45PM

cheerspal wrote: »

If you are due an upgrade you cant even use it against the Iphone!

Bloody joke

says who? Afaik existing o2 bill pay customers can get the iphone regardless of upgrade status

faceman · 04-03-2008 01:51PM

DK86 wrote: »

i am seriously thinking of buying one of these.. i am currentlty with vodafone ready to go and thinking of changing. i have never even had an ipod so just a few questions..

1. can i keep my exsisting phone number and change it to bill pay (i.e the 18 month contract required with o2)

2. maybe this is a stupid question but with regard to getting songs on to your i phone are they free to upload or what is the price per song??

go to www.callcosts.ie to see what price plan is best for you. Whatever one it tells you will be cheaper than the iphone price plan!

It might be more cost effective to get an ipod touch which has all the same functionality as the iphone (except the phone bit obviously!) and is cheaper.

Moofy wrote: »

Is there really free roaming between the Ireland and the UK though?

All phone tarrifs here are ripping us off , so why pick on O2?
I am in no way defending them but they are offering similar deals to other phone companies. The fact that you get hundreds of minutes with all tarriffs in the UK makes no difference to us. We are being ripped off in everything anyway.

o2 bill pay customers get free roaming with the UK on request, most other operators give it by default.

Why not pick on o2? Im not a customer of the other operators!

cheerspal · 04-03-2008 02:10PM

120_Minutes wrote: »

says who? Afaik existing o2 bill pay customers can get the iphone regardless of upgrade status

Says a sales guy I was talking to in O2

faceman · 04-03-2008 02:15PM

120_Minutes wrote: »

says who? Afaik existing o2 bill pay customers can get the iphone regardless of upgrade status

It also says that on their website, so even if you upgraded yesterday, you can still get the iphone when it is launched.

Moofy · 04-03-2008 02:20PM

faceman wrote: »

go to www.callcosts.ie to see what price plan is best for you. Whatever one it tells you will be cheaper than the iphone price plan! It might be more cost effective to get an ipod touch which has all the same functionality as the iphone (except the phone bit obviously!) and is cheaper.

o2 bill pay customers get free roaming with the UK on request, most other operators give it by default.

Why not pick on o2? Im not a customer of the other operators!

Fair enough, pick on O2 all you want then

Is there some sort of criteria that needs to be met to get free roaming.
I am not technically an O2 customer yet but will be on the 14th, am travelling the following week so can hardly ask to roam for free at that point;)

slegs · 04-03-2008 02:30PM

cheerspal wrote: »

Says a sales guy I was talking to in O2

Thats because its not an upgrade...anyone can buy it

cheerspal · 04-03-2008 02:36PM

slegs wrote: »

Thats because its not an upgrade...anyone can buy it

I know that now. Still it would be nice to get some money off it considering all I have spent with 02 the past 2 years.

wreckless · 04-03-2008 03:16PM

Story in the daily mirror today that 02 will be charging the irish RIP OFF prices for the iphone.

page 6, have a read, it wud make u sick. 1.6m customers and compared to the uk customers, we get fek all for our money.

one group is calling for all irish to boycott this when it launched and see what happens then. it will only work if everone says no to these high charges and forces them to offer a better and fairer service to us irish.

I have used on myself, yes its jazzy, but large, think ill be sticking with the
N95 for now anyway, its way better

SAY NO TO O2

Branoic · 04-03-2008 04:24PM

navin.r.johnson wrote: »

Apparently when the hit stores in Japan they will be 3G capable.

Link / support for this?

navin.r.johnson · 04-03-2008 04:42PM

Branoic wrote: »

Link / support for this?

The transition to 3G by all Japanese mobile providers was completed in 2006.

Archytas · 04-03-2008 07:48PM

wreckless wrote: »

Story in the daily mirror

The majority of the people who will buy this phone do not read the daily mirror. Or probably any newspaper.

I'm not defending o2 or anything here but can they really be blamed for the high prices? People WILL pay them. Both my bosses will be buying one. Various other folks I know will be buying them because they can afford them and don't really care. That's how o2 will make their money.

bobhoskins · 04-03-2008 07:57PM

I agonised over it for the whole weekend... and to be honest its not the data limit that bothers me, its not even the crap price plans or whether it does or doesn't have visual voice mail... I love apple products - I have mini macs/ macbooks and work all day on a mac pro, I have and have had Ipods for years and love them... but at the end of it all over 18 months, factoring everything in its just not worth it financially. I've decided to upgrade my vodafone to the new black N95 8gig which is exceptional value at 169 euro. At the end of the day the bottom line has to be does it answer a call when you press 'answer', can you make a call and can you send and r/c an sms. Photos / emails / web browsers and mp3 players. etc.... don't really come into it for me and for the majority of people (although I do admit all of the above is on the N95). Some people disagree and thats fine, each to their own,but I'm disappointed to say my own is not the Iphone - a product I really looked forward to, but just cannot simply justify the price point.

Oafley Jones · 04-03-2008 08:02PM

Archytas wrote: »

The majority of the people who will buy this phone do not read the daily mirror. Or probably any newspaper.

I'm not defending o2 or anything here but can they really be blamed for the high prices? People WILL pay them. Both my bosses will be buying one. Various other folks I know will be buying them because they can afford them and don't really care. That's how o2 will make their money.

Yes, they can be blamed. Let's face it we're not talking about a Ferrari here, most people should be able to afford it. It's more the principle of it, I refuse to be ripped-off because O2 (unlike Vodafone) didn't tell Apple to shove their monthly percentage kickback.

Sellphone · 04-03-2008 09:42PM

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Yes, they can be blamed. Let's face it we're not talking about a Ferrari here, most people should be able to afford it. It's more the principle of it, I refuse to be ripped-off because O2 (unlike Vodafone) didn't tell Apple to shove their monthly percentage kickback.

"unlike Vodafone", were you sitting in the board room when they decided that? Every network so far has had to agree to the Apple terms, if they wanted the iPhone.It's a given, in July or August next when Apple launch iPhone II this will all seem so ridiculous and it will start again, rip off tariffs, mad purchase prices yada yada. It's what they call life. Get used to it!;)

chrislad · 04-03-2008 10:57PM

*looks at his iPhone data usage*

768megs since November 15th. Hmmm. That's quite low, considering I use it for at least 1 hour of web surfing a day plus email.

*wonders why people are moaning about the 1gig limit*

BostonB · 04-03-2008 11:06PM

chrislad wrote: »

*looks at his iPhone data usage*

768megs since November 15th. Hmmm. That's quite low, considering I use it for at least 1 hour of web surfing a day plus email.

*wonders why people are moaning about the 1gig limit*

What did that cost.

cgarvey · 04-03-2008 11:15PM

o2 charging for voice mail: nothing new.
Apple charging way over the odds (taking currency and varying sales tax rates into account): nothing new.
lack of any decent network offering decent data plans (Three doesn't count for obvious reasons): nothing new.

The alarm and shock in the responses to iPhone IE launch: priceless.

Comparing like for like, o2 iPhone bundles are cheaper than what o2 offer already.

If ONLY we chould channel this energy in to questioning our rediculous ARPUs, our lack of data roaming, our high mobile termination fees, and our completely substandard data offerings (price and QoS).

ardmacha · 04-03-2008 11:38PM

our lack of data roaming,

I think Apple missed a major trick by not ensuring a roaming scheme for iPhone users. If Apple had said to network operators "if you want iPhone you have to sign to a data roaming agreement with other iPhone operators" then you could bring your iPhone anywhere without being gouged for data charges. O2 are particularly guilty here are they could easily make an arrangement with other Telefonica owned operators at least.

cgarvey · 04-03-2008 11:50PM

Absolutely ardmacha.. although the operators could have done this to date, Apple's "total user experience" people should have put the pressure on. It'd cost the operators nothing (ongoing; maybe a small initial software cost)

chrislad · 04-03-2008 11:57PM

BostonB wrote: »

What did that cost.

9.99 a month, Meteor 250 meg add on.

05-03-2008 12:38AM

No way in hell am I getting this. Very poor value. I like the phone but O2 are just taking the mick with their price plans.

iPhone launch 14th March on O2 Ireland...

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