I want to buy Mrs D an iphone to use with an existing Vodafone contract, (hence I don't want a new contract.) I've no idea on specs 3g v 3gs....but I don't need it to be latest mega premium priced spec.
Let me know what I shoudl go for & a likely no strings cost from where please.

thks,

D (Who'd have a dial on his phone if he could)

 

You would have to buy a 'jailbroken' iphone to work on the Vodafone network. This will be fine - but if your iPhone ever gets an update from Apple then it will stop working.

You should wait until Vodafone bring out the iPhone on their network next year. A new phone without a contract is going to cost you £500-700.

 

If you look at Gumtree or similiar you will find an iPhone 3G/16gb for £200ish. If you would like it to work with Vodafone, then you will have to Jailbreak and unlock the phone, although O2 are now offering an unlock service for phones over a year old.

As mentioned above, if you jailbreak your phone you are playing 'cat and mouse' all the time as when Apple upgrades the firmware, you have to wait for a hack to unlock that version before you can apply the upgrade.

Not really a problem, I've been doing it for a couple of years now although finally got fed-up and just got a phone on contract with Orange for my wife.

Steve

 

You want to get an iPhone? Baaaaa Baaaaa Baaaaa! You're a sheep!

Sorry, I thought I'd get that out of the way before someone else says it. Now onto a constructive post.

The reason I went for a 3GS was that I wanted to get the latest device. This was my first iPhone and I didn't see the point in getting an older model.

You can see Apple's comparison of the 3G vs 3GS here.

As said by David and Steve, for use on a network other than O2, at present, you'll need to jailbreak and unlock it. As also said, when Apple find the holes to allow this they'll block them, typically in the next software update for the phone. Thus if you rely on an unlock, which at present you would if you needed to use the phone on Voda then you could not upgrade to the latest software until a new exploit to unlock the phone is found.

I really do wish Apple would simply sell the phone unlocked and allow the consumer to choose the network. I think this might happen when the AT&T exclusivity contract has ended, which is rumored to possibly be mid next year. I don't see Apple doing this until there are more networks carrying the iPhone in their home market, as it'd just nark off AT&T.

If you're not after contracts then you can get a pay-as-you-go iPhone, however, it is rather expensive from what I recall, as the phones are subsidized and if you're going PAYG this subsidy is reduced so the cost passed onto the consumer.

 

Cough...and they work on Orange now

I am sitting here with my new (free) Orange iPhone 3GS 32gb

 

How much does this 'Free' phone cost you per month

 

Thks - sounds like it's more grief than it's worth to run on Vod, I thought I'd seen something recently about them now being officially unlocked onto any network ?

D

 

My take - I've got an iPhone 3G 8gig. Bought it in the Summer after the launch of the 3gs.

I have now Jailbroken my phone (but still locked to O2). I've got a video camera (not usually on the 3G) and I don't really notice the difference in speed that you get with the 3GS.

I didn't (and still don't) see the REALWORLD advantage of the 3gs over the 3g. The additional cost is entirely up to you

DAn

 

In incremental terms nothing.

I use a lot of minutes per month and the contract price would have about the same with no new phone, a brick, a back of rubbish or an iPhone. In fact, by going onto the iPhone tariff I have chosen I get the same number of minutes and data I had before and it is £11 a month less than I was paying.

I suppose I could have got a contract with 3 or one of those deals you get in the street up Edgeware Road, but as a business user I need a phone that has a signal and works anywhere in the world.

 

£470 my little bro paid for one about a month ago on O2 sim free. The newest one I think too, madness for a phone

 

I, of course, completely forgot that they were now officially available on Orange and will be, if they aren't already on T-Mobile as well, and then, finally, I believe they may well be coming to Vodafone too.



Probably about the same as if he purchased the iPhone. Obviously you don't get anything for nothing, and so the tariffs are probably structured to slightly make up for them not charging you for the phone, however, it is possible David may well be at that tariff level prior to getting the phone, thus there isn't any increase.



You may have seen mention of O2 saying that they will, upon fulfillment of your contract, unlock your iPhone, thus allowing you to take it to any network you wish. I'm not sure if this would apply to PAYG though, plus I am unsure as to what happens if you cancel your contract early, they may refuse to unlock it until you have had at least six months with them.

 

Just spoken to Vod who have confirmed it will be available from Jan 2010 & it's now listed as a TBC on their website. Think I'll wait & do it properly than have to play with jailbait and techie stuff.

D

 

Unlock my iPhone - iPhone

 

Now that I get free data and the tariff is slightly cheaper I actually worked out that my iphone costs me £11 per month less than before (although £6 of that Orange already gave me for free as a contract discount).

So no increase, indeed a decrease!

 

So what? £70 a month??

 

Wow, didn't know O2 offer free official unlocking!! How did that slip past me. Good work Apple, good work O2.

 

They kept it quiet, didn't they?

I'm interested to know how come the price hasn't come down at all now other networks can offer it... aren't there laws against price fixing?

 

You do have a bee in your bonnet don't you!

For interests of sanity it is £40 per month.

I was paying £45 per month plus £6 for 250mb out of contract.

 

I think it's because the iPhone is subsidized by Apple, and thus Apple tells the networks what the phone will be sold for. So even though Orange say it's "Free", to the consumer it will be, but they will be passing this on in some way, or taking a hit to enable them to have the iPhone on their network.

If the network won't play ball then Apple won't allow them to sell the iPhone.

I believe this is one of the reasons the 2G didn't come to Canada. AT&T was offering an unlimited (ok, probably one of those limited unlimited deals, but we'll ignore that for the moment) data plan for a very good rate. I believe that Rogers, well known for being thieving bastids when it comes to their data rates, hence their nickname of Robbers, didn't like this unlimited idea, as they'd not be able to rape their customers as much for data, so they tried to dictate terms to Apple, who don't like being dictated to, so it was a case of "No iPhone 2G For You!". Wether there is any truth to this I know not, but it would not surprise me at all if this was indeed what happened. For the 3G, the data side of things was changed, no unlimited for AT&T and thus as this was removed, I'm guessing this made things more amenable to Rogers.

The other reason is that comwave a VIOP company had a voip product named iphone 4u (or something similar, contained the work iphone though) and this was prior to the iPhone coming out and thus prior art when it comes to trademarks and such like, so Apple I believe needed to negotiate with them over the name and I assume some settlement was agreed upon as iphone 4u isn't advertised and more.

 

Same as any other "free" handset with any network. The monthly charge is a service charge, usually same regardless of the handset you choose.

Shame on you Jack, you have gone right down in my ratings now
Just kiddin. Good to see movement.

 

You cant get a 3gs 32gb free fro orange unless your on a business 75 2 year plan, the same amount of minutes without an iphone (pick from 8900, e71, e75 or 97 mini) is 45, so your paying 30 a month for an iphone!


If your on the business 45 plan the 3gs 16 gb is free, the 32 gb is 97.50!



So you have paid for your iphone!

 

I guess the directly comparable offerings would be the PAYG options, in which case (for example) the 16GB 3GS is £440 regardless of which network you buy it from. The fact that this hasn't come down since the other networks were able to offer the phone is what seems to me like it might be illegal price fixing.

Agree it's more complicated when the phone is being subsidised by a monthly fee as part of a contract.

 

I thought that illegal price fixing is when companies conspire to maintain an artificially high price. In this case it is a supplier dictating how much a product is sold for, that is perfectly acceptable. Nintendo do something similiar.

Steve

 

Is there any truth that you can buy them unlocked in Germany for a big discount in comparision to the UK ? (Any pitfalls, if I go this route ?)

D

 

Completely agree. My wifes cousin boyfriend bought one for like £500 and they are on the bones of the *****. Complete waste of money IMO.

This is my phone. It was free with a contract phone I flogged on ebay for £230.

 

02 unlocked my 4 month old 3Gs last week - for free. Obviously I still have to complete my contract, but once that is finished I can sell the phone as unlocked & hopefully get a good price for it. That said I will probably just give it to the wife & buy the 4G when that arrives.

 

There are some countries where their laws require all handsets to be carrier unlocked. I'm not sure if Germany is such a country. I'm fairly sure Australia and maybe New Zealand are though. However, these factory unlocked phones will probably NOT be cheaper than a UK sourced one and that's including any exchange rates. People know that others want factory unlocked phones so can charge more for them.

 

From the Govt's Business Link web site:

Price fixing and the law

Competition law prohibits almost any attempt to fix prices - for example, you cannot:

• agree prices with your competitors, eg you can't agree to work from a shared minimum price list
• share markets or limit production to raise prices, eg if two contracts are put out to tender you can't agree that you'll bid for one and let your competitor bid for the other
• impose minimum prices on different distributors such as shops
• agree with your competitors what purchase price you will offer your suppliers
• cut prices below cost in order to force a smaller or weaker competitor out of the market

The law doesn't just cover formal agreements. It also includes other activities with a price-fixing effect. For example, you shouldn't discuss your pricing plans with your competitors. If you then all 'happen' to raise your prices, you are fixing prices.
There are exemptions to the law and some agreements are not prohibited by competition legislation, particularly between companies with insignificant market shares. However, there are very few occasions where an agreement concerning price-fixing would be allowed."

 

I am so glad to have you in my life...

...except you are not and you are incorrect. You clearly missed my Orange repay loyalty thread.

I have in front of me a brand new free iPhone 32gb 3GS for which I pay a monthly tariff of £40. I get 1300 minutes (1200 standard plus a 100 minute freebie some woman in a call centre offered me for being nice on the phone), plus 750mb per month data.

It is an 18 month contract. In fact it is a 17 month contract as they have waived the first months fee due to some farting around with the switchover.

It is a non-standard contract as I have been an Orange customer for a very long time (1996 if I remember correctly) and they like me.


BTW I was offered a free iPhone 32gb 3GS on ANY iphone tariff. So I could have got one for even less per month but I use the minutes.

So I get phone calls for 2.8p per minute and a free top end phone. Bargain!

 

I too get non standard deals, they do love a loyal customer Orange