Posts by Bruce Robinson 15 publicly visible posts • joined 15 Jul 2007
Also appears that the tethering charges are pretty much the same as well, although Orange does offer a lower volume usage rate for it business customers.
I'll just wrap my 3G in cotton wool, roll over my O2 contract in Dec and wait for the new 4GSX iPhone in June 2010. That way I don't lock myself into a good, but already ageing, 3GS for 24 months, or to put it another way, two iPhone updates.
One thing that seems to have been overlooked here is that Apple support these phones with a network of Apple stores and Apple Geniuses who will fix and train folks how to get the most out of the device.
My Iphone broke the other day when the docking pins got bent whilst using a mains dock. The Apple store checked the phone, wrote it off there and then, and gave me a new phone for free no questions asked. That is what I call support. Carphone warehouse et al won't do that for you if your Samsung breaks or Nokia goes t*ts up.
You're buying into more than phone...it's the service and support of Apple Stores as well. They are pretty special.
With all the issues concerning the Iphone 3G I'm not surprised that O2 are trying to shift them now. It is still a little too delicate and fussy to be a real alternative to a normal PAYG phone. Lets face it most PAYG users aren't going to be using loads of data...they'll want an easy to use phone with a good high res camera and video, that allows MMS and SMS forwarding and cut and paste so they share jokes etc.
Yes it's easy to use, but not when it comes to those simple things that most normal phones do and many PAYG customer want. At £300 + it's not a good or cheap option.
I love my Iphone 3G by the way, but I'm slightly geeky and willing to put up with silly software issues. In addition I'm not fussed about the camera functionality or MMS, but I know loads of people who are, and they are mostly PAYG folk.
Glad they've dropped the price.
I won't feel guilty now as I throw my Orange SE P990i in the nearest scrap heap where it belongs. Orange won't or couldn't unlock it so I could get rid of the appalling Orange 990 software, so it's good by SE 990 and ORANGE and hello to Apple and O2.
A whining, peasant bastard !!!!
This price drop is surely a shelf clearing exercise and I'm waiting for iPhone II.
I moved to a short term contract with Orange just for this situation. The iphone 1 was never going to make a real long term tool. Apple were just using it to test the water.
Now they should know what the punter want and I’ll be ready to shelve Orange and their appalling service as soon as the iphone 2 is released, subject to improved functionality, a reasonable price and decent contract conditions. Maybe on the same terms as Oz or China (Ha, Ha).
If these improvements don’t happen, then its a Samsung or SE for me and many others I’m sure. (..and Apple will have lost the chance to clean up in the phone war; the competition will not give them another chance to get it right. They will be shafted and rightly so.)
Safari isn't up to much, even on a iMac, Firefox beats it hands down in all areas so far. So even Mac uses prefer FF.
As for the bundling issue, isn't what MS got fined over, a few years ago ?
Steve Jobs is starting to act a little like Steve Gates these days. Principle isn't clearly something these chaps hold dear.
Got more important issues to worry about. I still have a choice and Firefox is it.
" bought by people with more money than sense, so it is logical to target the device at business users."
and your point is ???
If the general public can't be had by an expensive, up front cost for a phone, then lets try screwing a few bucks out of the business user after all it's not real money after all, the company and the taxpayer will be paying for it. Cool move.
... or maybe they've just sold more and SJ wants to tell everybody tomorrow at Macworld.....No, I find that hard to swallow as well.
Or just maybe tomorrow, they're going to announce Iphone 2 which will still be offered at a silly price, (No lesson learned there), but at least will be worth having on a lousy contract ....and to show there are no hard feeling, you can have the old Iphone for free on an O2 contract, as we've got loads left over after Christmas.
Now lets see what tomorrow brings !!!!
...this time next year Apple may have learnt a very basic lesson and have an offering that meets user expectations. Just look at the ipod and see how far that has come, from a great idea to the omi-present icon of today.
Apple will get it right eventually I'm sure, but this iphone Mk 1 isn't it.
Luckily the rest of the market isn't really able to respond. Their phones are turgid and numbingly dull. Even with this feeble competition this phone can't make a real mark because it's just over priced (to purchase and contract ( the contract is actually laughable)).
So over 10% of the mobile market by this time next year, it could be with realistically priced and capable iphone mk2 or 3, but not with this over priced, fashion accessory.
Are we going to see a price cut before Christmas to keep the iphone bandwagon rolling? Rumour has it that it could be on the cards.
Actually heard several stories of men ashamed to tell their wives and sweethaerts that they've purchased an iphone....! At £268 a pop I wonder why ? She'll be expecting a whole lot of flowers and candy this Chrismas to sweeten that pill. Mind you, she'll be over the moon to know that your device is second in internet browsing league, that should impress her almost a much as the £630 life time charges that you;ll pay for a phone you can't unlock from O2 in 18 months time.
She may wonder what type of chap she's dating ????
In the US, I'm sure that such a mark up is achievable, but in the UK I think O2 and Apple maybe be far less confident of the BIG iphone rush.
The problem is that last year all the mobile companies sprung the 18 month contract trap and there are loads of techno and fashion junkies locked into these.
The 18 month contract is now know for what it is...a set of handcuffs.
The fact that we have to also pay some £260 for the privilege of buying into this iphone contract as well, really doesn't sit well with me and several others.
So will Apple be doing the same level of business with the iphone in the UK...I doubt it. The only thing that might help the iphone is the fact that neither Nokia, SE or Samsung have anything like it. So for novelty value, the punters might think about buying into the iphone dream...that is until they realise that they have to pay £260 to buy into an 18 month contract with a mediocre phone with few apps and a flash interface.
I will no doubt by an iphone one day, but not this time around and not until it's more of a real phone and not just a fashion accessory.
Next year folks, next year, just about the time that most of the first tranche have woken up to the fact that they still have 6-8months to go on their first contracts.
Not very happy with 2007 tool bars which seem to have a logic all of their own.
Would willingly go back to 2003 tomorrow if possible.
Also noted that OEM 2007 license was not transferable although I'd not be keen to transfer it to any thing but the scrap heap frankly.
With Vista and the new direction of MS Office software I'm becoming increasingly attracted to Apple iMac and their "Office" package. All the people I've met who have made the switch to Mac have stated they'll never go back to a PC, and MS and the OEM have increasingly contributed to this shift.
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