Comments on: The tale of the “O2 Fail” (starring the iPhone 3GS) http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/ The blog and portfolio of an Apple iPhone Developer Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:13:42 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Ben Dodson http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-472 Ben Dodson Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:41:52 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-472 I eventually decided to go for the iPhone 3GS on PAYG and found it to be a fairly good deal as it was £440 plus a £10 O2 top-up for the SIM (which doesn't bother me that much). I then sold the unused SIM card and iPhone 3G I used to have on eBay for £280 and lowered my monthly contract from £45 to £35. I was also able to sell my iPod Nano (as I only used it for Nike+ which the iPhone 3GS has built-in) and so made another £90 meaning the entire thing only cost me about £80 which I'll make back after 8 months due to my saving in contract prices :D I eventually decided to go for the iPhone 3GS on PAYG and found it to be a fairly good deal as it was £440 plus a £10 O2 top-up for the SIM (which doesn’t bother me that much). I then sold the unused SIM card and iPhone 3G I used to have on eBay for £280 and lowered my monthly contract from £45 to £35. I was also able to sell my iPod Nano (as I only used it for Nike+ which the iPhone 3GS has built-in) and so made another £90 meaning the entire thing only cost me about £80 which I’ll make back after 8 months due to my saving in contract prices :D

]]> By: Alan http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-471 Alan Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:35:54 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-471 Although O2 have been a pain I have been pleasantly surprised that the value (on eBay) of a good condition iPhone 3G has been sufficient to make the upgrade process economic - the going rate seems to be £250-£280 plus shipping. Which on a 16Gb to 16Gb upgrade the cost to upgrade is much the same as O2 want but without the new contract. Not sure how long this will continue but I upgraded both my own and my wife's phones this way and have gone from unhappy to content :) Although O2 have been a pain I have been pleasantly surprised that the value (on eBay) of a good condition iPhone 3G has been sufficient to make the upgrade process economic – the going rate seems to be £250-£280 plus shipping.

Which on a 16Gb to 16Gb upgrade the cost to upgrade is much the same as O2 want but without the new contract.

Not sure how long this will continue but I upgraded both my own and my wife’s phones this way and have gone from unhappy to content :)

]]> By: Ben Dodson http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-469 Ben Dodson Sun, 19 Jul 2009 10:39:23 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-469 If you're contract has expired then there is no problem "upgrading" as it's just taking out a new contract. There is no special deal for original iPhone owners as the deal when the 3G came out was just that you could restart your contract and pay the same price as everyone else for the 3G. Now that your contract has run out, you can do exactly the same thing with the iPhone 3GS so I'm not quite sure where the problem lies... If you’re contract has expired then there is no problem “upgrading” as it’s just taking out a new contract. There is no special deal for original iPhone owners as the deal when the 3G came out was just that you could restart your contract and pay the same price as everyone else for the 3G. Now that your contract has run out, you can do exactly the same thing with the iPhone 3GS so I’m not quite sure where the problem lies…

]]> By: Nick http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-468 Nick Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:42:54 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-468 I'm still pissed off because I didn't have the money to upgrade to the iPhone 3g when it came out. Then I was stuck with an original iPhone for months as o2 wouldn't let upgrade until my original contract ran out. now I'm left waiting again!! I didn't know how the phones where subsidised untill the 3gs came out and that just makes me more angry the fact that o2 wouldn't let me upgrade from my original iPhone whenever I wanted to!! I’m still pissed off because I didn’t have the money to upgrade to the iPhone 3g when it came out.
Then I was stuck with an original iPhone for months as o2 wouldn’t let upgrade until my original contract ran out. now I’m left waiting again!!
I didn’t know how the phones where subsidised untill the 3gs came out and that just makes me more angry the fact that o2 wouldn’t let me upgrade from my original iPhone whenever I wanted to!!

]]> By: Andrew McNaughton http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-417 Andrew McNaughton Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:20:53 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-417 I totally disagree that someone with the iPhone 3G doesn't need the 3G S. Neither do I agree that Apple didn't design the 3G S for 3G owners. I've been using the 3G S for the past week and I honestly can't believe I never smashed my 3G for how painfully slow it was. The performance gains in the 3G S are wonderful and every previous iPhone owner should look forward to getting the 3G S if they can. The 3G S feels like iPhone was meant to. No delays. Everything is responsive and sleeker than ever. I was never that interested in the camera. I'm not that interested in the compass. However I am absolutely thrilled with the performance gains. I could not imagine going back to the 3G. I don't get the 'remaining subsidy' bit and saying O2 will have given you free airtime. First of all I would have thought people would first think about paying off their remaining monthly payments to the end of their contract. O2 permits this. Secondly, paying off the phone... which I've never heard of before... would not result in free airtime because what about the monthly fees they've been getting for that airtime? Why are they suddenly invalidated by paying off the phone itself??? Confused.com. Strange argument IMHO. Pay off your contract and start a new one or buy a Pay & Go and swap in the contract SIM whichever you favour. Easy peasy. I totally disagree that someone with the iPhone 3G doesn’t need the 3G S. Neither do I agree that Apple didn’t design the 3G S for 3G owners. I’ve been using the 3G S for the past week and I honestly can’t believe I never smashed my 3G for how painfully slow it was. The performance gains in the 3G S are wonderful and every previous iPhone owner should look forward to getting the 3G S if they can. The 3G S feels like iPhone was meant to. No delays. Everything is responsive and sleeker than ever. I was never that interested in the camera. I’m not that interested in the compass. However I am absolutely thrilled with the performance gains. I could not imagine going back to the 3G.

I don’t get the ‘remaining subsidy’ bit and saying O2 will have given you free airtime. First of all I would have thought people would first think about paying off their remaining monthly payments to the end of their contract. O2 permits this. Secondly, paying off the phone… which I’ve never heard of before… would not result in free airtime because what about the monthly fees they’ve been getting for that airtime? Why are they suddenly invalidated by paying off the phone itself??? Confused.com. Strange argument IMHO. Pay off your contract and start a new one or buy a Pay & Go and swap in the contract SIM whichever you favour. Easy peasy.

]]> By: How O2 brought on the big fat fail. | Lost in Tech http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-415 How O2 brought on the big fat fail. | Lost in Tech Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:46:48 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-415 [...] http://bendodson.com/blog/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/ [...] [...] http://bendodson.com/blog/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/ [...]

]]> By: Gui http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-399 Gui Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:27:04 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-399 Thanks for your reply. It does make sense but getting it for free again would be great. I totally backup the free tethering. I am originally from Brazil, where 3 networks do sell iPhones oficially and all three are saying there is no extra charge for the tethering functionality as it is also free for all other telephones that support it. And I'm sorry o2, but if networks in Brazil can do it, I'm pretty sure you can too! Thanks for your reply. It does make sense but getting it for free again would be great.

I totally backup the free tethering. I am originally from Brazil, where 3 networks do sell iPhones oficially and all three are saying there is no extra charge for the tethering functionality as it is also free for all other telephones that support it.

And I’m sorry o2, but if networks in Brazil can do it, I’m pretty sure you can too!

]]> By: Ben Dodson http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-397 Ben Dodson Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:26:36 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-397 @Roy - If you get a new contract for the iPhone 3G S then the iPhone will be the one with the new number. If you wanted your iPhone to have the number your Blackberry currently has and the Blackberry to get the new number, then I don't believe this can be done. @Gui - The difference is that the $199 / $299 quoted for the iPhone 3G were for an 18-month contract at a certain price with AT&T whereas for the iPhone 3G those same prices related to a 24-month contract so there was a price increase but it just didn't seem like one. In actual fact, the UK is actually getting a better deal on iPhone prices than the US is (and we get MMS and Internet Tethering on launch day which is nice too). The iPhone 3G S is more expensive as it has better hardware (faster processor and RAM) as well as larger storage space. I paid £60 for my 16GB iPhone 3G last year but I'll be paying £100 for my 32GB iPhone 3G S (although that is a 24 month rather than 18 month contract) - both are on the £45 tariff. @Roy – If you get a new contract for the iPhone 3G S then the iPhone will be the one with the new number. If you wanted your iPhone to have the number your Blackberry currently has and the Blackberry to get the new number, then I don’t believe this can be done.

@Gui – The difference is that the $199 / $299 quoted for the iPhone 3G were for an 18-month contract at a certain price with AT&T whereas for the iPhone 3G those same prices related to a 24-month contract so there was a price increase but it just didn’t seem like one. In actual fact, the UK is actually getting a better deal on iPhone prices than the US is (and we get MMS and Internet Tethering on launch day which is nice too). The iPhone 3G S is more expensive as it has better hardware (faster processor and RAM) as well as larger storage space. I paid £60 for my 16GB iPhone 3G last year but I’ll be paying £100 for my 32GB iPhone 3G S (although that is a 24 month rather than 18 month contract) – both are on the £45 tariff.

]]> By: Gui http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-396 Gui Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:18:14 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-396 Very nice post Ben! I agree with everything. There is something that doesn't get into my head. I got a 3G iPhone last year the day it came out so I'm still 6months from upgrade. My wife hasn't got a contract so we're going to get a 3G S for her. Now, Apple announced the 3G for $199 and $299 and now the 3G S at the exact same price. I got my iPhone from o2 for free on the £45 tariff, why the hell are we being charged £87 for the phone on the same £45 tariff if the price of the phone is the same?! This is doing my head in and it feels like I'm being fooled by o2. If you have an explanation for that I'd love to know. Cheers, Gui Very nice post Ben!

I agree with everything. There is something that doesn’t get into my head. I got a 3G iPhone last year the day it came out so I’m still 6months from upgrade. My wife hasn’t got a contract so we’re going to get a 3G S for her.

Now, Apple announced the 3G for $199 and $299 and now the 3G S at the exact same price. I got my iPhone from o2 for free on the £45 tariff, why the hell are we being charged £87 for the phone on the same £45 tariff if the price of the phone is the same?! This is doing my head in and it feels like I’m being fooled by o2.

If you have an explanation for that I’d love to know.

Cheers, Gui

]]> By: Roy http://bendodson.com/2009/06/13/the-tale-of-the-o2-fail-starring-the-iphone-3g-s/comment-page-1/#comment-393 Roy Thu, 18 Jun 2009 04:21:34 +0000 http://bendodson.com/blog/?p=167#comment-393 Great post - thanks! I will be taking out a second contract with O2 myself for the iPhone 3Gs. I currently have a Blackberry on O2. I would like to transfer numbers between the contracts if possible, so that the new iPhone has my new number. Does anybody know if that can be done? Great post – thanks!
I will be taking out a second contract with O2 myself for the iPhone 3Gs. I currently have a Blackberry on O2. I would like to transfer numbers between the contracts if possible, so that the new iPhone has my new number. Does anybody know if that can be done?

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