O2 Loosing iPhone exclusivity

[Anonymous]

I note that the Palm Pre launch has been brought forward which is very interesting as it coincides with the rumoured date that the Apple iPhone exclusive contract end with O2.

I have to say after the shabby way O2 have treated my wife (O2 customer for 10 years) I will be setting her up with an iPhone from another network provider.

Maybe as the exodus occurs someone in the ivory towers will actually wake up and see that these customer thingies that pay their wages are a little bit upset with O2.

[Anonymous]

I think O2 will see a significant loss of iPhone customers to Orange and Vodafone. The O2 network stinks and they hacked off thousands of early adopters with the 3GS upgrade thing. Every iPhone user I have spoken to about this is leaving for Orange in December.

But do you really truly honestly think that any other network would have let 3G users upgrade early for free or very cheaply to the 3GS? New handsets will ALWAYS come out during your contract. The original iPhone wasn't subsidised by O2 and so when the 3G came out original customers were offered a very good deal. Fair play in my opinion, but the 3G was susbsidised. I'm looking forward to other networks offering the iPhone so then at least iPhone customers do get a choice (and there'll be one less thing for them to whinge about) and there'll be competition which is always good, but don't assume that the grass will be greener on another network, they're businesses just like O2.

[Anonymous]

When I was a lad people used to complain that new customers got better deals than existing ones. Now they are complaining because they get the same

(Apologies to Monty Python)

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if o2 will have to unlock your phone if you decide to move to another network?

Most networks have to provide an unlock code after you spend so much on top ups or your contract finishes.

[Anonymous]

I think O2 will see a significant loss of iPhone customers to Orange and Vodafone. The O2 network stinks and they hacked off thousands of early adopters with the 3GS upgrade thing. Every iPhone user I have spoken to about this is leaving for Orange in December.

In which they are making a bad mistake. O2 is better than Orange, well for me anyway. I wish the iphone could stay o2 for good since it is a great network.

Also you think, Orange and T-mobile are merging around november aswell. So the prices will go higher. So you think o2 might still have the best deals.

[Anonymous]

I've been a 02 customer a very short time, (Since Spring) when i got the Iphone 3G, after alot of ummm'ing and ahh'ing. Initially everything was great, good reception, google maps on a phone was a revelation (Never got lost again) and the icing on the cake, 1000's of apps. However......

Since the release of the Iphone 3Gs and the firmware update to enhance the functionality of the Iphone (copy/paste, search, etc). My iphone performance has literally nose dived, it frequently loses network connectivity, affecting receiving of calls and my apps that rely on data connectivity. Now i get complaints from people that they can't call me/txt me and end up ringing my work phone or house phone hoping i'm there. At the moment I am pretty livid and the strange thing is most people who have a Iphone 3Gs haven't suffered. But is it a iphone problem or a network problem?

[Anonymous]

Oh dear strange visitor your facts are strange as vodafone do have iphone 3gs

[Anonymous]

A. its apple so it will still have a high cost
B. it will push up other handset subsidiaries making all the other phones on that network more expensive
C. theres not enough stock for just 1 network, what will happen when we start dividing it by 3????