iPhone 3G S Hits Pre-order As CPU Specs & 3.0 Firmware Spill Comments

Can you post a link to the o2 pre-order page please. I called them yesterday and they said they were not taking pre-orders this year for the iPhone. I can't find the pre-order page on the o2 website.

"O2 has also defended its pricing saying a) the iPhone 3G S isn't subsidised to the same level as the iPhone 3G"

Hmm, okay then, I'll believe that O2 isn't giving customers as big a subsidy on the 3G S, no problem there. So, uh, why are the contracts the same price for the same number of minutes, texts and data exactly? Why are we still commited to 18 or 24 month contracts? Why isn't there a £25 or £20 a month option to account for the extra £120 we're paying to buy the handset.

Come on O2, your customers (or in this case potential customer) aren't stupid. You've gotten greedy and now don't compete with the rest of the market to an almost comical degree, plain and simple.

i installed it last night aswell, working fantastically. I have been trying to figure out all '100 features' that are new to this OS 3.0 release. The one thing i thought was on this OS was the 'percentage battery life indicator', but i cant seem to find it. Do you reckon it is just for the iPhone 3G S?

"That said if you really want to get back at O2 buy the iPhone 3G S on PAYG" - i was thinking about this, but do you then also have to fork out for bolt-ons for unlimited Wifi and internet etc, which come as standard with the 35 tariff?

That T-Mobile leak is actually from the Dutch T-Mobile.
I just looked at the prices on T-Mobile here (Netherlands) and they are actually quite attractive from a minutes/messages and data for you money point of view. It is pretty much impossible to impossible to get a comparable plan on T-Mobile with any other phone for the same amount of money. Pretty strange I'd say. It's €30 for 150 minutes, 150 SMS messages and unlimited data, I just can't get anything comparable for that price. You quickly end up being about €10 more expensive than that for a roughly comparable plan.

Tried installing new OS but it just reinstalls current OS... What I am doing wrong? Do you need a jail broken phone?? It doesn't let me select the file.

You suggest getting a Simplicity SIM with a PAYG 3GS but there's a snag: you're charged just under £1 a day whenever you access data - so you'd end up with a pretty heft bill. Best just to use the SIM that comes with the PAYG 3GS. It gives you unlimited data for 12 months. Thereafter you pay £10 a month to continue using browsing the web etc.

@Ninjakettle - Gordon is right at the moment you can select a bolt on to be included in the tariff price on Simplicity, so for £19.58(inc VAT) you can get 600 Minutes 1200 Texts and Unlimited Web Bolt on and only a 30 day contract. It's also worth noting that at the moment I can tether my N78 to my laptop (or my ipod touch) and use the Unlimited Web at no cost, I think if you started to use it for downloading music or movies they would soon catch on though.

@Gordon - Thanks dude!

@Dylantherabbit - What you must do is download the corresponding file as suggested above by using any popular Torrent sites then go to iTunes, connect your iPhone/iTouch, then hold down SHIFT and click on update then select the file you downloaded!

Just installed this as well...
Anyone know if Voice control works with this update and a 3G?

I've just been on the phone to O2, and the carphone warehouse, both have told me they are not taking pre-orders from current O2 customers? I've been waiting since my K810 contract ended in april, on an O2 simplicity tariff, because I NEED an iphone. Trustedreviews told me to wait (sensibly - thank you TR) but now I'll have to wait for the great unwashed to get their iphones first, because I'm a loyal customer?? At the first opportunity, I shall dump O2 like a hot potato..............but annoyingly, I'll still be on the phone friday morning...damn gadgets.

@Rob,
As Gordon points out, you can get an unlimited web bolt-on with the £19.58 tariff, which includes 600 minutes and 1200 texts.
That comes out at around £40 more for an 8GB 3G over 18 months, but it's got 8 times as many free minutes and virtually no commitment.
To me this just points out how silly these tariffs are, when even the overpriced PAYG looks like a good deal...

@Jai...Cheers I think I was using CTRL and not SHIFT .... I am such a muppet at times.

I looked a the PAYG + Simplicity route but it doesnt work out cheaper over 12months the equivalent monthly cost at £20pm would be approx £65pm taking into account the price of the 32gb iphone 3gs. 18months would be £50pm and 24months £42pm.

The contract 32gb iphone 3gs at £35pm works out £50pm on an 18m contract and £42pm on a 24m contract so is an extra £20pm and the loss of visual voicemail worth the freedom of a 12m contract?

All in I may go with a 32gig iphone on a 24m contract if the iphone evolves as it has done so far with only incremental changes then I'd be happy to sit the next one out.

Guys..I was just wondering, are the iphones on payg unlocked?

If you use Quidco.com you can get £60 cashback from mobiles.co.uk on a new 3GS... Not a bad deal that. No affiliation with myself.

@sktobites: Yes, I was referring to the 8GB 3g on the cheapest contract, I imagine it would look worse the further up the range you go.

@Apoc: No, unfortunately.

Ok here are my figures - got bored!

All figures are for the 32GB 3GS on the £34.26p Tariff.

CONTRACTS:

It will cost you £890.91p on an 18 month contract (600 Mins + 500 texts + Web + Wifi)
It will cost you £997.43p on a 24 month contract (600 Mins + 500 texts + Web + Wifi)

SIMPLICITY: All figures are assuming the £19.58 simplicity tariff & £538.30 handset.

It will cost you £890.74p equivalent over 18 months (600 Mins + 1200 Texts + Web NO WiFi)
It will cost you £1,008.22p equivalent over 24 months (600 Mins + 1200 Texts + Web NO WiFi)

Remember you also get free 12 months Web & WiFi with the sim card that comes with the iPhone. If you were to use this and stayed on a 'Text & Call' PAYG tariff - which you would have to top up by £15-£29 each month- you would only get 100 mins talk and 100 txts included.

If you stayed on this tariff and only topped up by the minimum £15 per month, & assuming that you just made calls on your £15 credit @25p p/m - this would give you an extra 60 mins talking - so a total of 200 mins talk + 100 txts p/m. The web bolt-on needs to be added at an extra £10 p/m after month 12 as well.

PAYG:

18 months would cost - £868.30 (for 200 mins & 100 Texts + 18 months web + 12 WiFi)
24 months would cost - £1018.3 (for 200 mins & 100 Texts + 24 months web + 12 WiFi)


Breath deeply....So, what can we tell from this little exercise, apart from the fact that i'm a sad g*t for working that out? :o)

Put simply- you're all being screwed for roughly a grand what ever option you pick, and that's assuming you don't have any extra bill events over the entire period!

(PS Disclaimer: of course I could be completely wrong)

@Apoc
No they're not. Not the O2 payg ones at least.

@Eddie_fb
You could just port your nmuber to another network on payg and then transfer back. Hassle but you'll be a new customer.

@Apoc - nope. All the iPhones being sold by O2 will be locked.

@skotbites - I'm not sure how you have worked it out over 12 months because you don't know how much O2 would charge for the iPhone on a 12 month contract. However the costs work out about the same over 18 months.

contract £34.26 x 18 months = £616.68 + £274.23(32gb iphone cost) = £890.91 /18 months = £49.50pm

Simplicity+PAYG £19.58 x 18 months = £352.44 + £538.30(32gb iphone cost) = /18 months = £49.48pm

The latter route would mean you don't get access to wifi hotspots but does mean you get an extra 700 texts pm. I think saving 2p and having an extra 700 texts per month is a small price for having no contract and means your free to buy the next iphone or whatever new comes out whenever you want to.

Then of course you could always put your 3G S on ebay at a later date.

@lifethroughalens - I think I'm pretty sad now too :-s

Help!! Anyone have instructions on how to update using a Mac? Jai's instructions don't work for me!

last time I checked which was a good few months ago the 'unlimited' web bolt on wasnt fully unlimited this may have, and hopefully has, changed since then

I sold my HTC Touch HD on eBay a couple of months ago for some £360. I then just plugged in a cheap PAYG phone to my existing O2 contract (200 mins, 200 texts, unlimited web for £27 a month) and have waited for iPhone and Android news.

The pricing of the new iPhone has taken me a little by surprise. I was fully expecting to be purchasing my first Apple product, but being financially minded, I will like many naturally compare it to similar phones which are much cheaper, and also to other expenditure.

For a 16gb PAYG iPhone, I could pay my council tax for 3 months. My water bill for a year. My broadband connection for two years. My motorbike insurance for two years. It seems disproportionate sometimes, but that isn't limited to the iPhone and O2.

I still want an iPhone, and a lot of my desire is formed upon the coolness factor. But I had to take a step back and look at how I use my phone now, and how I would change my habits if I had an iPhone.

How do I use my phone now? Very few calls - I never exceed my 200 minutes per month. Texts? Every now and then, I exceed my 200 per month, normally when I use MMS (counts for 4 SMS with O2).

What I do use my phone for a lot is as a modem for my notebook. I have a second home and don't keep a phoneline there as I'm only there for 4 or 5 days per month. It is invaluable for this. And whilst everyone is different, herein lies the crunch for me - to have to pay an additional £15 per month to tether the new iPhone.

Much of the internet use I would get out of tethering I could do on the iPhone - not all but most. The notebook is far easier. To be forced to pay an extra £15 per month - that's £180 per year (my bike insurance for the year again) to let me instead of O2 decide how exactly I can access the bandwidth I've already paid for.

So whilst I can buy a new iPhone next week, I won't. I've moved from a certain iPhone buyer to someone who is prepared to wait. When exclusivity for O2 ends, I'll look again. But if there's another smartphone out in the meantime that ticks my relatively simple boxes (and I doubt I'm different to 50% or more of users) I'll take that instead. After all, the cash made from selling the HTC is sitting there waiting.

End of the day is having it for 24 months really so bad?
Sure it sucks not having the freedom, but when there's phones out as good as the iPhone and Palm Pre etc I really don't see the BIG deal in staying with one for two years.
Sure tech gets better, but I've managed with a K810i for over 2 years now, I'm sure I could stick with something like an iPhone for that long.
On the other hand though, the pay monthly options and prices are disgusting..

for those installing the new firmware - make sure you update to itunes 8.2 otherwise it won't work!

Just answered my own question :

1.- Open iTunes.
2.- Connect your iPhone.
3.- Sync it (it will do the backup automatically).
4.- Press and hold the ctrl key (alt if you're on a mac) and click the Check For Update button.
5.- Select the IPSW file that you just downloaded

@Greg
Yep Im with you here - the smart money is never an early adopter. You get screwed - a grand for aphone (sic) and contract? - no way no thanks... me wait to see how Palm et al distrupt the karma

just so everyone knows there are 2 different versions for ipod touch
iPod1,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw for first gen, about 230Mb
iPod2,1_3.0_7A341_Restore.ipsw for 2nd gen, about 260Mb

I wanted to get a new iphone when my current contract with 3 finishes in Sep. By looking at what iphone 3gs offers, I hesitated big time.

I may well switch my number from 3 to o2 payg so I can use my 3g without unlock.

Apple, please deliver next time.

Question: Are there any potential pitfalls of buying an iphone 3gs from a country that doesn't lock it to a network (eg SE asia?), other than warranty issues? (On that note, is n't the warranty global?)

Is it just a matter of bringing it back to UK, slip in SIM (Vodafone/Tmobile/Orange) with mobile internet plan and it'll just work, including the tethering?

Currently not an O2 customer, don't fancy becoming one by the sound of it, but the lure to the 3gs is so great that I'm now thinking abroad...

Anybody having trouble sending MMS,also how do i get the spotlight to search my gmail IMAP mail ?

Many thanks Gordon.

I had a very useful chat to O2. People should look at taking out a business account (especially if you have a partner on O2 as well.) (Remember to add the VAT on the prices you see though!) Apparently you are eligible for an upgrade after the first year.

@JPG: You are a star! I already wanted to change to a business tariff to stop my phone being a taxable benefit. On the £30.91 (+VAT) tariff the 16GB 3GS is £75 up front. OK, it's a 2 year contract but I struggle to see what other phone would keep me happy for 2 years!! I tend to ring the same numbers again and again so the tariff is plenty generous enough for me. It will make the iPhone a similar deal for me as the O2 Orbit 2 was. I'm pleased now as I was going to boycott O2 in the future - but couldn't see any phone I wanted more than the iPhone!!

I'd be all over this business deal if the cheapest tariff included a few more text messages :(

@lukealexander: you might be able to get a "bolt on" for more texts...

On the exclusive license issue/debate, I have it on good authority from within O2 that they have a 5 year exclusivity license with Apple. If my sums are correct, 2009 is year 3?

I just bought two iphone 3Gs on pay as you go and the next day tried to buy 2 simplicity contracts which was refused, I tried to find out why and was directed to email O2s Debt Prevention/Fair Usage department, which I did and received the following reply:

Dear Mr Xxxxxx

Thanks for your letter about your recent application for a contract with O2.

As well as our credit scoring system, we use business policies to assess all new applications. On this occasion you didn't meet our criteria so we're unable to accept your application.

As our business policies are commercially sensitive then I am unable to discuss the specific reason why we rejected your application.

Regards


Xxxxx Xxxxx
Debt Prevention / Fair Usage
0113 202 3754
Telefónica O2 UK Limited


I have removed any names, does this mean that O2 are trying to stop people from using Simplicity cards on the Iphone?