New iPhone pricing policy a bit... unappealing?

[Anonymous]

Is it me or is the new iPhone pricing policy looking a bit... well.. non-appealing (that's the politest phrase I could think of).

First off, there is the cost. At WWDC the following was announced that in the US;

3G 8GB goes from $199 to $99.
3GS 16GB to be $199 (same as old price for 3G 8GB)
3GS 32GB to be $299 (same as old price for 3G 16GB).
From O2 in the UK we get price rises rather than cuts. For example on PAYG;

3G 8GB stays the same price.
3GS 16GB costs about £50 ($80) more than the old 3G 16GB
3GS 32GB costs about £150 ($240) more than the old 3G 16GB

and on Pay Monthly tariffs where you need to pay for the ‘phone you’re looking at paying an up front cost of around £55 ( $88 ) more for a 3GS 16GB than the 3G 16GB, and £145 ( $235 ) more for a 3GS 32GB than the 3G 16GB was!!!

This price increase is also reflected in the £45 per month tariff where the old 3G 16GB was free, now you have to pay £87.11 ($140) for the phone.

Now looking at Tethering, On pay Monthly tariffs “unlimited UK data and Wifi

[Anonymous]

even a child of 3 can understand that prices and markets aren't static when their Milky Bar costs 5p more when they're a year older.

I doubt that very much!!!

Shhh! Don't spoil it!

Hi all i'm a newbie to this forum but couldn't resist a grumble. I jioned O2 when the iphone 3G came out and have been impressed with the service and hardware. What I want to know is why couldn't O2 simply offer an upgrade from a 3G to a 3GS now on a 24 month contract, that way they still get the six months we have left to pay on our original 18 month contract and the following 18 months are all signed for, Everyones a winner, we get the upgrade and O2 get their money for the remainder of this contract and a further 18 months after that. Fingers crossed they'll see sense the wife wants my 3G but looks like she'll have to wait

This is my own beef too, and it's frustrating to see so much trolling in these forums rather than objective focus.

The contract is the most important part of the deal between us and them, and it should bring assurance to both. The win-win solution is obviously to allow renewal of contracts before agreed term (they have no problem letting our contracts roll on without loyalty benefits).

This is easily the most vulnerable area in the O2 deal because precedents for renewable contracts are everywhere - AT&T have a $18 handling fee, O2 have done it themselves in the past, and many services companies delight in the opportunity to extend your commitment to them (Virgin Media will jump through hoops to get you upgrade so they can refresh your contract).

[Anonymous]

I'm aware the US prices are based on 24 month contracts where as O2s were based on 18 month contracts- that was the case with iphone 3G and so it should be with 3GS. Anyone who thinks the new prices are better needs their head examined. The only thing I care about when it comes to the US deals is that on the same contract length the 3GS 32gb is the same price as the 3G 16gb, where as on O2 its £100 more. PAYG are particularly stuffed.

I was seriously thinking about an iPhone (I switched to O2 a few months ago on sim only, partly to be on the right network) and was waiting for this update- I'm not buying one now give the appalling prices.

Oh, and I've got no sympathy for anyone bleeting about the upgrade price when they signed an 18 month contract- you'd expect the same deal with any other subsidised phone so this shouldn't be any different.

[Anonymous]

It's quite simple really, you signed an 18/24 month contract at the end of that contract you can upgrade to a tariff with either a free or upfront payment option.

Now here's the important bit YOU SIGNED A CONTRACT, why for the love of God should you be able to get out of it early and expect preferential treatment.

Our service providors have invested heavily in the networks wheresas in america they havent just read comments on other forums and you'll soon realise how lucky we are.

So please just accept this is the way things are, O2 need to make a profit as well in order to be able to bring you handset in the forst place.

[Anonymous]

Not all of us have iPhones here. I'm a non-iPhone owner, was *very* tempted by the 3G S (the improved camera and battery life being the main reasons), yet I'm not placing my order due to O2s policies.

Yes comparing the phones price on O2s tariffs to AT&Ts isn't worth a lot, but the key point for me is that neither companies tariffs have changed. Both O2 and AT&T are offering the same contracts for a 3G S as they did for a 3G, yet AT&T can manage a price cuts and the new models occupying the price points of the older models were at and O2 give us a fixed price for the bottom end model and price rises for everything above that.

There is also the issue of only offering new customers an 18 month contract on a product which has, for the last 2 years, had a 12 month refresh cycle.

To me this indicates that O2 is focused more on their bottom line than it is on their customer service, and to me that's not a company I want to sign a contract with.

[Anonymous]

Hi all i'm a newbie to this forum but couldn't resist a grumble. I jioned O2 when the iphone 3G came out and have been impressed with the service and hardware. What I want to know is why couldn't O2 simply offer an upgrade from a 3G to a 3GS now on a 24 month contract, that way they still get the six months we have left to pay on our original 18 month contract and the following 18 months are all signed for, Everyones a winner, we get the upgrade and O2 get their money for the remainder of this contract and a further 18 months after that. Fingers crossed they'll see sense the wife wants my 3G but looks like she'll have to wait

Because if/when the next iphone comes out, they will have people moaning about their underhand tactics of the horrible company who wont let them have a new phone 12ms in to their 24m contract.

[Anonymous]

The iPhone 3gs looks great but not that great!
For existing customers who bought the 3g in July 08 will have to pay £245 to buy out of their contract.
I think this will stop alot of customers upgrading from 3g. The only problem then when you upgrade in January you will have a new 18 month contract. Then in June I suspect a new iPhone will appear, leaving you with a years contract left, could cost you then double to buy out of that contract!
O2 have got it all wrong. I am hopefull by January Apple will team up with a new carrier as o2 sales will have been very dissapointing.
Looks like I will be waiting till June 2010, unless an alternative phone comes on the market. :robotmad:

[Anonymous]

It's a very enticing deal for an original iPhone owner, however I have bought another phone in the meantime so I guess I shall be waiting for the 2010 iPhone now....

[Anonymous]

In the news today: http://www.computerworld.com/action/art ... Id=9134267

AT&T has 48 hours to answer iPhone pricing complaints, says crisis expert
More than 8,000 sign Twitter petition demanding that AT&T rethink iPhone 3G S surcharge

If this works for AT&T customers then please try it for O2 Customers.
Please
Petition: O2 to offer reasonable iPhone 3GS upgrade and tethering #o2fail http://twitition.com/owzm4

[Anonymous]

Given that carphone warehouse is only taking pre-orders on iPhones with pay-monthly contracts, I'm pretty sure O2 are going to milk the "must have" early adopters for all they can and then look at offering some price adjustments if sales really are poor.

Until the sales figures are in it could all just be hot air from people trying to get the best deal possible, the only way to make O2 do something is actually make good on the threat (i.e. don't pay the early release fee and instead talk to them about porting your number to another provider when your contract is up, or just hold off buying a iPhone for a few months and wait for a price drop).

As for Twitter campaigns, well they seem to end up being more like trying to threaten people with sharks with lazer beams...

[Anonymous]

I honestly don't think this Iphone has been made for people who already have an Iphone, I'm quite a technical person and like having a good spec phone but to be honest, for the difference I wouldn't even bother. I really think this is targeted at new users (which from the calls were getting, seems to be working) and the OS was just to keep the existing Iphone customers happy until the next one which will then be a much better handset.