iPhone on O2 in the UK released soon.

[Gordy]

http://www.tuaw.com/2007/09/18/metal...he-word-event/

Summary

* iPhone coming to the U.K. November 9th
* Will cost £269 and be available from Apple Retail stores and the Carphone Warehouse. 8GB model, EDGE not 3G (so the same model as the US). iTunes WiFi Music Store will of course come with the iPhone.
* O2 is the exclusive carrier
* Contracts cost £35, £45 or £55 a month and include unlimited (within fair-use) WiFi at The Cloud hotspots and EDGE & GPRS on O2. For more details there's a shiny new O2 page http://shop.o2.co.uk/promo/iphone

Anyone else totally underwhelmed by this?

Frankly I'm due for a renewal in december and was seriously considering an iPhone. However Costing £269 with an 18month contract, only 8Gb and no 3G they can forget it. There are plenty of other choices out there at zero cost on a 12month contract with 3G.

[Funkstar]

Don't forget that oly 30% of the UK has EDGE coverage with O2.

I think i'll stick with the HTC TyTN II / Kaiser / HTC P4550 / Vario III on t-mobile. At least then i can get decent data packages using HSDPA or HSUPA.

[dangel]

Predictably expensive I suppose. Part of the 'apple experience' ?

[menthel]

Shockingly bad package tbh. Especially without 3G. I see little point in a phone with those capabilities not having 3G!

[Funkstar]

Oh, and total costs for the 18 month contracts are £900 to £1260 depending on the tariff.

O2 store is down, dead or crashed.

[DaBeeeenster]

No 3g, no active sync, ludicrously expensive o2 package. Hmmm.

Be better off buying one in the US and unlocking it, surely?

[charleski]

I'm not even remotely interested until they allow open development on the platform. 2 updates in 10 days just to force people to pay for ringtones - that's the sort of attitude that's not going to entice me to get out my wallet.

"We picked the best one, the most popular carrier, it's O2."

[[GSV]Trig]

Edge eh, is that why I now have an E on the top of my screen?

[ytrebil]

I know the guy who runs my phone shop where I get my upgrades from. He’s a pretty straight talking fella. His store is mainly T-Mobile supported but he can get most phones available! Anyway I asked him about the iPhone and he said he wouldn’t waste his time with it. He said they’ve had to cut prices in the States and refunded original purchasers as the phone has not been as big a success as they had hoped. He rubbished the phone and said there are already a few phones on the market that are much better than the iPhone.

I guess the majority of people who buy it will be the new age of Apple fan boys & gals.

[DR]

I picked one up... over here, so I have it now - 2 months earlier, it was cheaper and mine is unlocked....

[Howard]

Predictably expensive I suppose. Part of the 'apple experience' ?

Quite.

What are the merits of this thing over a PDAphone/Smartphone? Apart from (aparantly) design/looks?

[Trash Man]

Quite.

What are the merits of this thing over a PDAphone/Smartphone? Apart from (aparantly) design/looks?

Mainly the UI, that's all I can think of.

Apple say they never gave it 3G coverage because it uses to much battery life. No doubt they will release another version in 6-12 months with 3G tho.

[DR]

Its a lot better than a Smartphone - and has decent battery life

[mildlyAmused]

I want one but with the lowest tariff starting at £35 + handset cost at £269, I think I'll buy one unlocked off ebay or ask a colleague to get me one from the states.

[DR]

Best plan...

[Lee @ SCAN]

What happens for example if you get 1 from the US unlocked and then after 8 months the item breaks?