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Source · Sep 17, 2007, 09:14 AM

Engadget is reporting that o2 have won the rights to be the Apple iPhone European carrier.

Now, when I thought T-Mobile was going to be the exclusive carrier, I was cool with it, because they offer 'Unlimited internet browsing' with their tarrifs. But o2 charge £3 for every megabyte of data downloaded!

I really hope that I'm being completely retarded and reading this incorrectly, because if that's the case, then there is absolutely no way I can justify buying iPhones for myself and my colleagues/employees - hell - I wouldn't even consider it!

£3 is an absolutely outrageous price per meg! I may consider unlocking the iPhone and going with T-Mobile, if they are offering anything but unlimited internet browsing with the iPhone. This phone was practically made for browsing on the go, with the best mobile browser available, so to charge those kind of prices is quite frankly, a joke.

Let's hope I'm just being blind and missing some text somewhere, or that they'll offer a different tariff with the iPhone.

richwig83 · Sep 17, 2007, 09:24 AM

I think they will probably make a special iPhone tarrif (living in hope). Having said that, we've been waiting so long that i doubt most ppl will care!!!

Source · Sep 17, 2007, 09:34 AM

I hope so, Rich. I've never really been a fan of O2's pricing plans - hence why they're the only mobile carrier I've never used - so I'm hoping they offer something decent.

jokell82 · Sep 17, 2007, 09:46 AM

Apple wouldn't sign on with any carrier that wanted to charge a per-megabyte fee.

icruise · Sep 17, 2007, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by jokell82

Apple wouldn't sign on with any carrier that wanted to charge a per-megabyte fee.

I agree. It wouldn't make sense.

Gee4orce · Sep 17, 2007, 10:55 AM

well, we'll find out tomorrow I guess !

the other big question is 3G or not 3G ? The rumors are looking like a big fat 'no'. I think this is a big ironic because the iPhone is probably the first phone that would really get a benefit from 3G for the average user. Even so, I seriously doubt that the networks would be at all happy with an unlimited 3G tariff for the iPhone.

I'm going to make my decision after tomorrow's announcement. If the iPhone is on a limited O2 tariff, and is the same non-3G model that's in the USA, then I'm going to either forget about it until the second generation and keep my order for the Touch; or cancel the Touch and buy a USA phone on eBay and unlock it for use on my current carrier.

If Apple are serious about the mobile and/or convergence market, they need to bring about a 3G iPhone on an unlimited data plan for Europe. Anything less will be a case of all style, and no substance

macintologist · Sep 17, 2007, 11:25 AM

Apple, once again, is positively affecting a market for the good of the consumer by forcing companies to lower their rates. In the area of digital music, Apple forced music companies to keep songs at 99 cents. In this market, Apple's influence will end the insane data pricing that most companies employ and instead will force mobile companies to compete for the unlimited data customers which will grow in great numbers.

Nexus5 · Sep 17, 2007, 11:32 AM

T-Mobile UK has almost zero EDGE coverage. No EDGE = no iPhone !
This is why they have choosen o2.
This also indicates why there will be no 3G version of the iPhone (in the near future).

nexus5.

biscuit · Sep 17, 2007, 02:49 PM

Well, supposedly Orange is the only UK network with any significant EDGE system, so I'm not sure what that means.

I'd imagine that O2 will create an all-you-can-eat package for data; Apple probably require it. T-Mobile isn't a great carrier outside of the UK's cities and even here in London it isn't very good. My office is bang between The City and The West End and I can't use my T-Mobile phone properly there. I also get a lot of calls that simply report "you have dialed an incorrect number". I do wonder whether that's my W880 though, the RAZR I had before seemed a little better.

I'd be happy to go with an iPhone on O2, but it won't be for a year as I signed an 18 month contract with T in April :-(

biscuit

redhot_nyc · Sep 17, 2007, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Source

£3 is an absolutely outrageous price per meg!

Come to Canada, $50 per meg here. We won't be getting the iPhone anytime soon.

Enigmatic · Sep 17, 2007, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by redhot_nyc

Come to Canada, $50 per meg here. We won't be getting the iPhone anytime soon.

More like $1/meg(you can get a 5mb surfing plan from rogers for $5 more on your bill), which is still ridiculous compare to unlimited data for $20 a month. The best we have is 200mb for $200 a month(I think the $200 only covers data, not the rest of your phone bill).