[nokiauk]

Now the UK iPhone launch is only about 4 weeks or so away wonder if anyone could shine some light on this idea.

I have no problem with buying an iPhone for £269 but the contracts available are so bad and expensive it's not worth my while. Now unlocking/activating by other means seems to cause no end of bother also.

Lets say I buy an iPhone for £269 go thought the contract conditons etc and activate via iTunes then say 3 days later call 02 say I've changed my mind, and want to cancel during the 7-10 day grace period thats usually allowed.

Now I have a genuinely activated iPhone which is still locked to 02, thats ok cause I have a 02 pay as you go/pre pay sim card.

Put that card into the iPhone and bingo one activated iPhone not unlocked, that should be eligible for updates.

Any problems with that?

[ghoti]

AFAIK, the iPhone only works with specific SIM cards, so you can't just put another SIM card into it, even from the same carrier. But perhaps there's a way to switch your contract over to prepaid or something, or a trick that's similar to failing the credit check on purpose in the US (which drops you into a prepaid plan).

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Originally Posted by ghoti AFAIK, the iPhone only works with specific SIM cards, so you can't just put another SIM card into it, even from the same carrier. But perhaps there's a way to switch your contract over to prepaid or something, or a trick that's similar to failing the credit check on purpose in the US (which drops you into a prepaid plan).

Bingo. You'll want your prepaid plan tied to the SIM that comes with the iPhone. Otherwise at some point, your iPhone will deactivate (it won't even work with your current O2 SIM) and will be worthless unless you figure out a way to unlock it.

[nokiauk]

I see , so the sim card is a tie in to the phone, despite my other card also being 02. phone must keep a note of the of the actual sim card number (not the phone number).

Looks like the only way around this could be to fail the credit check somehow, then ask 02 to make the card a prepay one.

Seems this is the way to go, might wait and see if anyone can find a way to fail the UK credit check.

[chriswallace00]

This would be brilliant if it was possible to buy the handset then just cancel the contract (I would be queuing outside the o2 shop if it was) but I fear it might not be so simple.

Normally when you get a phone on a uk network (o2 for example), you get the handset for free (or some nominal fee) and are then locked into a contract - 12months or 18months. Won't the iphone contract work the same way?

For example, if I went into the o2 shop today and agreed a contract and got a handset for free (or some nominal price) then asked to cancel the contract. Wouldn't they demand the phone back?

This is what worries me about the iphone, I'd love a handset (and don't mind paying £269 for it) and my current contract (or Pay as you Go), I'm not so keen on the £30 ($60) / month with only 200mb data contract.

Am I wrong? I hope so. Anyone have any thoughts?

[nokiauk]

not sure but I believe as we in the Uk are paying full price for the handset and thats it's not subsidized in any way they can't ask for the handset back.

[chriswallace00]

I was thinking about getting an iphone and using the activation hack and using my current sim card with the phone. I figure if I stay one version behind the jailbreaks (assuming I know, that every update is hackable) and waiting until they are working, there should be minimal problems.

What concerned me was the iphone's edge/gprs. My current contract (with o2) charges a fortune to use GPRS, is it possible to deactivate EDGE permanently so I dont run up any charges? ie to just use the iphone for regular calls/sms/mms and wifi? Is this possible at all?

[MacLahoriya]

All of you who got iPhone either in USA or in UK, I wanted to ask what happens when the contact period is over. Will AT&T or O2 or Apple provide a fix so you can use it with any SIM or iPhone will become a phoneless-iPod? Did you ask this question from teh sales person when you got your iPhone?

[chriswallace00]

Originally Posted by MacLahoriya All of you who got iPhone either in USA or in UK, I wanted to ask what happens when the contact period is over. Will AT&T or O2 or Apple provide a fix so you can use it with any SIM or iPhone will become a phoneless-iPod? Did you ask this question from teh sales person when you got your iPhone?

This was a question I asked the o2 online help, here's their reply (pretty standard for a contract phone really):

Hello Chris, Thanks for emailing us to ask what will happen to the iPhone after you complete your 18 month contract period. The following options will be available to you after you complete your contract period: 1) upgrade your contract (change your contract) 2) move to a SIM Only deal 3) give 30 days notice to cancel your contract 4) move to our Pay & Go service. I hope I've explained this clearly for you. If there's anything else we can do for you, please reply to this email. You can also visit our online help centre at: http://www.o2.co.uk/help Important - When you email us please provide: your date of birth, postcode and mobile number as it helps us answer your query faster. Kind regards, Aparajit Buragohain O2 Customer Service.

[MacLahoriya]

Correct me if I am wrong but this means the iPhone remains LOCKED to O2 no matter which option you take from these four.

[herodian]

i have just been speaking with Orange about closing my account, PAC codes etc


I spoke with Chris, and he was very helpful he said they have had a trickle of people leave for the iPhone but they dont have many people leave anyway.

firstly, he said there was a rumour at Orange that they would offer free iPods for anyone wanting to leave for the iPhone. nothing as yet.

secondly, he offered me a £5 pm contract, for 18 months with 8 months (equalling mins and texts for lowest O2 equiv) free to stay with them. If it was for anything other than the iPhone, i would have said yes. I said if they really want me to stay, buy me an iPhone and pay my O2 bills. We both laughed.

Basically, the PAC code can take 5-7 days to transfer and that needs to be within the 30 day PAC code period i.e you need to give O2 the code about 21 days after you get it.

So... i recommend no-one gets their PAC code untill 19-23 October. This way there is 3 weeks till launch (21 days) and 9 days+ for number transfer.

[Taskiss]

Originally Posted by MacLahoriya All of you who got iPhone either in USA or in UK, I wanted to ask what happens when the contact period is over. Will AT&T or O2 or Apple provide a fix so you can use it with any SIM or iPhone will become a phoneless-iPod? Did you ask this question from teh sales person when you got your iPhone?

I asked that question. They said that the contract would revert to a month-to-month contract. The only carrier the SIM would work with was AT&T and that SIM was the only SIM that the iPhone would recognize.

Keep in mind that this was the store clerk talking. I've heard different stories from 2 different store clerks before.

[awilso]

I would really love to have an Iphone, but can't really justify another phone on top of an existing contract. I think a lot of people are going to be in the same situation. Apple need to realise that the way the phone industry works in the EU is quite different to the US if Apple wants big sales in the EU it needs 3G and it needs to get the price of the phone from the mobile supplier not the customer. We will then continue to get our contracts the way we always have and pay upgrade costs if necessary. It's anti-competitive to only allow O2 to have the contract. How long does O2 get exclusivity, before the rest are allowed in?