UK Sells out of 3G iPhones - but not without controversy!
Posted by Jedimark on 08 July 2008 - 07:13 · 31 comments & 6590 views
About the Author
Full name: Unknown
Forum name: +Jedimark
Contact: via forum PM
Submissions: Normal · Headline
Full name: Unknown
Forum name: +Jedimark
Contact: via forum PM
Submissions: Normal · Headline
Slashdot It!
Submit to reddit
Submit to blinklist
Bookmark on del.icio.us
Add to furl
Share on Facebook
Add to Windows Live
Add to Google- Advertisement
-
-
(2 replies)
#1 Posted by +Jedimark on 08 Jul 2008 - 07:17
- What an absolute farce it was - however, O2 have now back tracked and will allow people to upgrade in-store from Friday at 8.02am.
-
#1.1 Posted by kinetix63 on 08 Jul 2008 - 08:12
- (Jedimark said @ #1)What an absolute farce it was - however, O2 have now back tracked and will allow people to upgrade in-store from Friday at 8.02am.
Is this confirmed? And if so, do you have a source at all? -
#1.2 Posted by +Jedimark on 08 Jul 2008 - 10:11
- (kinetix63 said @ #1.1)(Jedimark said @ #1)What an absolute farce it was - however, O2 have now back tracked and will allow people to upgrade in-store from Friday at 8.02am.
Is this confirmed? And if so, do you have a source at all?
Yes - The O2 website has changed to say:"The iPhone 3G will then be available for upgrade from 11th July at 8.02am in any of our O2 high street stores. Any stores in shopping centres will open at their usual times."
Source: http://www.o2.co.uk/assets/O2HybridNav/1_i...gCustomers.html
-
(2 replies)
#2 Posted by +Ji@nBing on 08 Jul 2008 - 07:21
- The iPhone 3G is a rip off in every way, no matter what country you buy it in. I'm going to see about getting a used original on Ebay for cheap. I don't need 3G anyway. There is nothing I need to do data wise that can't wait until I can find an open Wifi spot.
-
#2.1 Posted by Chicane-UK on 08 Jul 2008 - 07:41
- Comes out as a pretty good deal in the UK actually. I know lots and LOTS of people who are not Apple enthusiasts (one is quite the opposite in fact) who are busting to pick one up so Apple must be doing something right.
-
(1 reply)
#3 Posted by +kraized on 08 Jul 2008 - 07:33
- I'm an existing O2 non-iPhone customer and I got the text at about 07:30 yesterday morning. Managed to nab a 16GB by half eight and confirmation emails from O2 arrived just before nine.
-
#3.1 Posted by maxsquared on 08 Jul 2008 - 09:20
- Oh? What does it say in the confirmation email? I think I've got a 8GB, it just says:Thank you for your order. We are processing this and will contact you if there are any complications with the details you have provided
After I submit my order yesterday afternoon and I still haven't got any confirmation email
BTW I am a existing O2 non-iPhone customer too.
-
#4 Posted by Cpugeni Ω on 08 Jul 2008 - 08:21
- It is unclear whether or not existing customers with an iPhone can upgrade in-store on Friday with O2 customer services saying that people can - and store managers saying they can't!
lol this is absolutely typical of O2, nobody seems to know anything! I have to say, customer service isnt their strong point at all.
-
(8 replies)
#5 Posted by Exosphere on 08 Jul 2008 - 09:05
- The alternative, is to buy a decent phone instead of following the hype.
-
#5.1 Posted by +status-seeker on 08 Jul 2008 - 09:26
- *sigh
-
#5.2 Posted by cyberdrone2000 on 08 Jul 2008 - 09:31
- iPhone it is then?
Minor problems aside, everything I've heard has me to believe it is both a decent phone, and a good mp3 player.
It has a unique input system (not counting the problems with on-screen keyboard), a great high-resolution screen, and what sounds like a large library of software, either in development or waiting to be released.
In my mind, minor faults such as no mms (don't use it anyways, ever), no video recording (don't use it anyways, ever), and a poor onscreen keyboard are completely redeemed by:- The best mobile browser available (played with the iPod Touch version, it rocks)
- Large library of apps available (or coming soon)
- Integration with iTunes (don't give me crap about drag and drop organization, it boils down to preference and I prefer iTunes for organizing my music)
- Syncing with all the apps I use daily via exchange.
- A slick interface (blackberry is alright, windows mobile is horrid)
My point being, when the hype disappears, you are still left with a pretty decent phone, and an excellent music player. Now if only Rogers would price them competitively, I might be able to afford one. -
#5.4 Posted by Chicane-UK on 08 Jul 2008 - 12:59
- HTC Diamond it is for me.
I have a colleague at work who won't go near an iPhone and SWEARS by HTC products. Yet in the same breath he freely admits that the products have been in steady decline over the years and he's never had a smartphone as good as his SPV C500. Not sure which one it is he has at the minute (has a slide out keyboard tray and is fairly compact) and he's continually railing at the fact that it often struggles to work out whether it is in landscape / portrait, it locks up frequently, etc.
Nothing about the HTC products impresses me. Bring on the iPhone 3G. -
#5.5 Posted by MightyJordan on 08 Jul 2008 - 14:43
- (Exosphere said @ #5.3)HTC Diamond it is for me.
+1. -
#5.6 Posted by Deviate_X on 08 Jul 2008 - 15:37
- (MightyJordan said @ #5.5)(Exosphere said @ #5.3)HTC Diamond it is for me.
+1.
I'm waiting for the new HTC diamond on my network. The new iPhone doesn't seem much different from the old one really, its stll good, but not worth the all that money. -
#5.7 Posted by plastikaa on 08 Jul 2008 - 22:52
- So true - everones opinions on what they need differs... and thats basically where people say its fantastic of crap... I know phones I would prefer, as I like to have a full button keyboard for writing messages and I just cant stand the on screen qwerty on the iPhone - however as a whole touchscreen in nice.
People searching or a phone that does everything best in the phone market are crazy - some people complain phones are way over sized, others complain they are getting to small to read the screens or press the buttons - one phone cant and shouldnt suit everyone. -
#5.8 Posted by Unplugged on 10 Jul 2008 - 08:12
- (cyberdrone2000 said @ #5.2)iPhone it is then?
Minor problems aside, everything I've heard has me to believe it is both a decent phone, and a good mp3 player.
It has a unique input system (not counting the problems with on-screen keyboard), a great high-resolution screen, and what sounds like a large library of software, either in development or waiting to be released.
In my mind, minor faults such as no mms (don't use it anyways, ever), no video recording (don't use it anyways, ever), and a poor onscreen keyboard are completely redeemed by:- The best mobile browser available (played with the iPod Touch version, it rocks)
- Large library of apps available (or coming soon)
- Integration with iTunes (don't give me crap about drag and drop organization, it boils down to preference and I prefer iTunes for organizing my music)
- Syncing with all the apps I use daily via exchange.
- A slick interface (blackberry is alright, windows mobile is horrid)
My point being, when the hype disappears, you are still left with a pretty decent phone, and an excellent music player. Now if only Rogers would price them competitively, I might be able to afford one.
The only thing apple got right was the UI. For something that's pedalled as an "advanced music player" the fact it doesn't have stereo bluetooth makes it a complete laughing stock from the outset. The fact it's peddled as being an "Outstanding smartphone" the fact is lacks common components such as MMS and Video Recording ( regardless of IF you personally use them or not is irrelevant a lot of people do ) take out the fact they every other OS has free and extensive range of software out now with hundreds more in development shows it still have a lot of maturing to do.
The only design decision they got right is the UI and they coldent do it correctly to do one handed operation ( even without the tactile feedback which is currently usual for a touch screen device )
Maybe when they release the iPhone 3 in a few months they will have perfected all the quirks.
-
(1 reply)
#6 Posted by +DrCheese on 08 Jul 2008 - 09:50
- I don't even think current iphone users should be allowed to break out of their contract/start a new one anyway, they KNEW what they was getting into when they bought the first iphone. Other phone users are usually forced to wait until the last month of contract before upgrading. I certainly can't dump my N95 for an N96 when it comes out without paying to end my current contract.
So tbh, current iphone users should just accept what they are given and quit crying about not getting it on release. They are already extremely lucky to be allowed to upgrade anyway -
#6.1 Posted by kinetix63 on 08 Jul 2008 - 09:57
- Sure, but existing iPhone handsets were NOT subsidised by the network in any way shape or form - whereas more "regular" handsets such as your N95 were - hence why you can't end it early. TBH - I am very unsurprised that O2 allowed this - it really is no skin off of their nose to do it.
-
#7 Posted by Julius Caro on 08 Jul 2008 - 11:54
- in spain it is rumored that they're gonna favour new customers / from other companies, screwing the poor customers they already have. sad.
but it's all rumors since they're gonna announce the tariffs and price the day before.
-
#8 Posted by Airlink on 08 Jul 2008 - 12:29
- I'll wait for the HTC Touch Pro to hit North America, thanks.
-
(1 reply)
#9 Posted by necrosis on 08 Jul 2008 - 12:40
- O2 people need to stop crying. At least you can get them online.
-
#9.1 Posted by Julius Caro on 08 Jul 2008 - 13:50
- at least they know how much it was going to cost the day it was announced. in spain not even movistar knows how much they're gonna charge for it
-
(1 reply)
#10 Posted by +Orange on 08 Jul 2008 - 16:56
- Rather stick with my N95 8GB lol
-
#10.1 Posted by 3rd impact on 08 Jul 2008 - 17:49
- (Orange said @ #10)Rather stick with my N95 8GB lol
+1. and all this controversy over a fashion accessory that made people believe that 3G is the latest innovation.
-
(1 reply)
#11 Posted by +Orange on 08 Jul 2008 - 19:03
- Iphone maybe looks nice but 2MP camera? abit behind the times.
-
#11.1 Posted by plastikaa on 08 Jul 2008 - 22:59
- If you want a phone with a good camera, look at Sony Ericson. Also anyone basing picture quality purely on MP knows nothing about picture quality. Lens quality, flash quality, and other parts in the camera have a much larger impact. Just because it says 2MP on it, doesnt mean the pictures are worse than one claiming to have 5MP - it just means the sensor records less pixels.
Seeing adverts for super budget cameras with 8MP is a joke... you would never want to print the pictures they produce so theyre essentially useless. The colours would be horrible, the image probably not crisp, out of focus, poor light reading etc. etc.
-
#12 Posted by ajua on 08 Jul 2008 - 21:29
- I don't see why people are surprised that a cellular carrier prefers new customers than to serve existing ones. They are business first. It is wrong, i know, but all over the world carriers behave like this.
The iPhone is a good phone and music player, but the new contracts being offered are more expensive than any other handsets, which i think it is just to take advantage of the hype.
I prefer HTC Diamond ot HTC Touch, however. I like the realm of apps you can install on Windows Mobile, without being expectant of what happens with the iPhone SDK and the apps that are being developed...
-
#13 Posted by Atlonite on 09 Jul 2008 - 11:18
- was released in new zealand today at a cost of $199nz 8GB or $349nz 16GB + a 2year contract at $250 per month (thats $6000nz for the 2 yr contract) if your wanting to buy it outright and put it on prepay the iPhone will cost you $979.00nz for the 8GB model and a hefty $1129nz for the 16GB model or if your like me you'll just go buy an Nokia N95 instead
Last edited by Atlonite on 09 Jul 2008 - 11:29
-
#14 Posted by +M2Ys4U on 10 Jul 2008 - 15:12
- I managed to finish the order process, but got a text from O2 this morning sayingO2: Sorry your experience on Monday wasn't great if you were trying to order iPhone 3G. Go to http://shop.o2.co.uk/info/ to find out the latest details
I've yet to get a text through saying if my order went through, so I'm doubting it.
The day hasn’t been without controversy however. Existing iPhone customers who registered their interest for the 3G iPhone weeks ago received text messages this morning telling them they could complete their upgrade request online only to be faced with a website that at best allowed them to complete the first stage (of about 5) of the order.
As the day progressed it became increasingly apparent that O2 were prioritising new customers (makes business sense I suppose) and by mid-afternoon there were no more orders been taken with only a handful of existing customers managing to submit an upgrade request.
It is unclear whether or not existing customers with an iPhone can upgrade in-store on Friday with O2 customer services saying that people can - and store managers saying they can't!