IPhone 3GS

It's coming......

http://www.apple.com/uk/iphone/

Doesn't look like much of an upgrade to me. I won't rush into buying one.

I'm more excited about finally getting Tomtom on the iPhone!

In reply to a post by gilesjuk:

I won't rush into buying one.

I intend to wait until O2 let me upgrade my iPhone 3G and then i'll get the 32GB one.

I bought an iphone in November, and since then it has done nothing but cause me grief and money. I won't be rushing to get this. This is no good upgrade. And they have the nerve to charge for tethering! i already get that free with my jail broken phone!

Stuff you 02! when my contract is up, im off with 333333 baby!

TomTom turn-by-turn navigation will be sweet.

then it has done nothing but cause me grief and money.

*Swims up to bait*

*sniffs*

*swims away*

Sitting here somewhere in the middle of mainland Greece trying to find out what's going on with my iPhone GPS... I dunno but wasn't WWDC 2009 a bit of a non event? Where's the front facing iChat camera for a start? Hmm so we have a bit faster iPhone CPU, same for MBA and the Macbook gets FireWire back plus an SD card reader and SL is still 3 months away. No wonder Steve Jobs is staying away - come on Apple, boring!

What was the stuff about getting the old 3g phone cheaper?

I'm sticking with 3G methinks!! I expected so much more!

Probably only in countries such as the USA where it's more difficult to justify paying for non existant 3G networks, LOL.

O2 have decided that "tethering" your phone to your laptop and surfing the Internet requires a Bolt-on thus more money disappearing from your wallet. I've been doing tethering with all my phones (currently a BlackBerry) for years. Come on this is just not on.

Looks like the rip-off continues:

You don't need a monthly contract to get an iPhone 3G. There are three models to choose from:

iPhone 3G 8GB - £342.50
iPhone 3G S 16GB - £440.40
iPhone 3G S 32GB - £538.30

Previous model iphone for £342.50? They've gotta be kidding.
I thought it said on the keynote $99?

$99 for new AT&T customers.

Indeed, where's the OLED screen?

The biggest issue is that O2 won't let you upgrade, you have to pay off your whole remaining contract and sign a new one.

I'm not that happy with O2 and so I might see my 3G contract out and consider my options. I like the iPhone but I just think O2 are being too greedy.

O2 are being greedy. Apple should be looking to provide the iPhone to all UK operators.

Edited by deleted (Tue 09-Jun-09 19:09:47)

This is the SIM free price by the look of it. Unlocked iPhone.

I remember with the original iPhone you could upgrade to the 3G version in your contract and just sign up for another 18-months. This makes sense. Paying off the remainder of your contract to upgrade to the 3GS, doesn't.

In reply to a post by Kiggs:

I remember with the original iPhone you could upgrade to the 3G version in your contract and just sign up for another 18-months. This makes sense. Paying off the remainder of your contract to upgrade to the 3GS, doesn't.

That was because the first version was sold at a non-subsidised price. So the airtime contract didn't contribute to O2's cost recovery. The 3G version was subsidised by the 18 month airtime contract, so O2 would lose money if they let you cancel your contract prematurely without penalty.

I haven't yet been able to find out what they want to cancel my remaining contract time, as the O2 CS person I spoke to yesterday had been given no information and had no access to the O2 web pages I was looking at. She asked me to read off the tariffs to her! I suspect the cancellation fee will vary according to what contract you are on, what phone and contract you want to buy next, who you speak to, the phase of the moon, and other factors we can only guess at.

Its simple to work out the cost to finish you contract early. You just need to multiply the remaining months of your contract by your tariff level.

Of course, why didn't I think of that

Yes but the £35 a month I'm paying is a combination of phone subsidy and bundled calls/texts.

All they have to do is work out how much I owe on the phone and then ask for that sum. If I pay off the contract and sign a new one then effectively I'm pay for about 6 or 7 months of bundled calls and texts I won't get. That is if the new 18 month contract starts as soon as I pay off the old one?

It all stinks. This is why I've always bought SIM free before.

Edited by deleted (Tue 09-Jun-09 22:40:12)

£245 plus handset price and another 18 months of rubbish O2 service. I don't think so.

3G speeds are dire where I am. At home I don't even get Edge.

Agreed. And that's why I believe the cancellation price will not be anonymous' (months remaining x tariff). But I also don't believe it will be zero, because there *is* a component of what you are paying per month that contributes to the price of your 3G iPhone.

Combine this with the incentive to get you into another 18-24 month contract with a new iPhone, and only O2 can assess the net value of that business to them. Only they can calculate a cancellation charge that will meet their business objectives AND entice you/me to upgrade, rather than waiting out our contracts and then going elsewhere for a Pr�

In reply to a post by gilesjuk:

£245 plus handset price and another 18 months of rubbish O2 service. I don't think so.

3G speeds are dire where I am. At home I don't even get Edge.

3G is non-existent in darkest Dorset, and at home I don't get a signal at all - not even GPRS.

But Edge or WiFi is available a lot of places I go, and at home I have WiFi and a phone landline.

My interest in the upgrade options is academic. I'll get iPhone OS 3, and I can live without a compass and improved camera. I expect to skip the 3G S and wait for the next iteration.

Edited by deleted (Tue 09-Jun-09 22:58:51)

Seriously, it's not worth it.

In reply to a post by AlanH:

My interest in the upgrade options is academic. I'll get iPhone OS 3, and I can live without a compass and improved camera. I expect to skip the 3G S and wait for the next iteration.

I agree. iPhone 3G + OS 3.0 will keep me happy for a long time. Also, since the form factor is the same, who's to know I haven't got a new one?

In reply to a post by gilesjuk:

O2 are being greedy. Apple should be looking to provide the iPhone to all UK operators.

I'm not sure I'd agree with that, O2 iPhone plans are some of the best available in the world. Vodafone, 3, Orange or T-mobile may not have been as generous if they'd won the contract but I agree opening up the competition at this stage would be a good thing. I think it's fair to charge extra for tethering otherwise we'd see data limits coming to the iPhone itself.

a friend just emailed me this:

"Option 1 - wait until eligible for an upgrade.
All O2 Pay Monthly customers are part of O2 Priority List and those paying £35 or more a month, have the oppotunity to upgrade early. Customers won't have to see out the full term of their existing contract before being eligible for an upgrade."

looks like it's a cut and paste from the o2 website.

If your paying more per month you can upgrade earlier.

Upgrading to the new iPhone 3G S
Existing Pay Monthly customers have the following options for upgrading
to iPhone 3G S:

Option 1 - wait until eligible for an upgrade.
All O2 Pay Monthly customers are part of O2 Priority List and those paying £35 or more a month, have the oppotunity to upgrade early. Customers won't have to see out the full term of their existing contract before being eligible for an upgrade.
All customers continually spending over a minimum of £80.00 a month, receive a 6 month early upgrade
All customers continually spending over a minimum of £50.00 a month, receive a 3 month early upgrade
All customers continually spending a minimum of £35.00 a month, receive a 1 month early upgrade

Yes, thanks, I'm well aware of everything on the O2 web site. There's still nothing there that tells me how much it would cost me to buy out my current contract.

Post deleted by billford

i didn't get the last bit with prices.

i don't even qualify for the £35 minimum, 1 month early deal, since the reduction in VAT.

One month? That's pointless.

It's Ian, not Aretha.

Most people who took the upgrade last time will be out of contract about january 2010, so will only have 5 months to wait for the next one. So maybe the best option for those still in contract is to sit this one out, of course if too many present customers sit this one out, apple may lean on O2 to release people early to increase handset take up.

I've had my iPhone 3G 16GB for 5 months+, and love it. Looking forward to seeing what differences are in OS 3.0.
I bought the iPhone on PAYG so there's no contract issue here. I have a years free web and wifi so, no problems there. I really like the look of, and new features of, the 3GS. It's a pity about theres no ichat cam.
I want the new one but will wait for the 2nd gen one. Maybe.

Still want a MacBook.

I'm looking at upgrading my laptop rather than my iPhone. Any problems I have with my iPhone are largely due to O2 or the battery life. I don't think the new one will be a huge improvement on that.

pitfff. All the same you are.

Dagnabbit Bill, gimme a chance to enjoy it before wielding the axe (been out all night)!

I'm going to have to wait until next June to get my iPhone as I'm still in contract - hopefully by then there will be a new one out.

I was going to buy an iphone 3g not s when I heard that they will be sold much cheaper but seeing o2's prices I'm just going to get a ipod touch, I don't use the phone much anyway, and I don't have to pay 02's extortionist prices.

Get the 32gb iPod Touch. You will have plenty more space for music/apps/games. I wouldn't be as anxious for the 3G [s] if my 16gb iPhone had 32gb of space..

Thanks, I'm actually going to hold on a little while as I think Apple will update the touch soon. See here also:
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/