iPhone
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From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 16 Feb 2010 05:48 On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:07:57 GMT, Rob <patchoulianREMOVE(a)gmail.com> wrote: >Having just got back from hols with an iPhone holder in our party, I've >decided the time has come. Couple of questions: > >I figure PAYG is cheaper by about �200 for me over the two years of a >contract, including the cost of year 2 wireless. Is this �200 likely to >result in hassle/loss of features? No, although I *think* that currently only O2-on-contract has working Visual Voicemail. Which I've never missed, and certainly isn't worth �200. >If I get a contract (say �35 p/m O2) is it usual to keep the phone at >the end, and jailbreak at my convenience, for example? Contract phones are always yours to keep at the end. And you can get it carrier-unlocked by them at contract end, too. With a PAYG, you can likely get it unlocked earlier - but eg with O2 you lose any remaining months of the free-for-12-months data bolt-on and have to pay �15 as well for the privilege. Note: Jailbreaking is different from carrier-unlocking, it allows you to run non-App Store programs, and you can jailbreak anytime*. You do need to jailbreak to do an illegitimate carrier-unlock. * Any time that there's a jailbreak for the current OS, anyway, which there is at the moment for all iPhones (but not the latest Touch). >http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iPhone is saying 'Don't Buy!!!!', but >I don't see anything especially revelatory beyond being a long way into >the product/version cycle. Would you buy now, or wait? Your choice, the buyersguide page is mostly just enjoying being able to reliably predict something on the hardware release schedule! If you get a PAYG 3GS then you can always sell it and buy the new one if turns out worth having. Cheers - Jaimie -- Never sleep with anyone crazier than you are.
From: Rob on 16 Feb 2010 05:59 On 16/02/2010 10:15, Jim wrote: > On 2010-02-16, Rob<patchoulianREMOVE(a)gmail.com> wrote: >> I figure PAYG is cheaper by about �200 for me over the two years of a >> contract, including the cost of year 2 wireless. Is this �200 likely to >> result in hassle/loss of features? > > I can't speak for how well the contract vs. PAYG works out for you > financially (in my case I make about 2 calls a month, and that's *up* from my > previous usage) but so far as I'm aware the only feature you _don't_ get on > PAYG is Visual Voicemail. You'll get free access to The Cloud and BT > OpenZone WiFi spots for 12 months (you might have to ask for that, can't > remember). > OK, thanks - sounds similar to my usage. Something I don't get is the wifi - I thought that worked over the mobile phone signal, but on reading it seems to be only cloud/BT hotspots. Is this what 'roaming data not included' means? I was hoping I could use the internet on a train, for example.
From: Rob on 16 Feb 2010 06:03 On 16/02/2010 10:48, Jaimie Vandenbergh wrote: > On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:07:57 GMT, Rob<patchoulianREMOVE(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > >> Having just got back from hols with an iPhone holder in our party, I've >> decided the time has come. Couple of questions: >> >> I figure PAYG is cheaper by about �200 for me over the two years of a >> contract, including the cost of year 2 wireless. Is this �200 likely to >> result in hassle/loss of features? > > No, although I *think* that currently only O2-on-contract has working > Visual Voicemail. Which I've never missed, and certainly isn't worth > �200. > Thanks - I don't know what that is, so it's hardly a priority! Phone use is secondary - it's the internet and roamingness (other post) of the iPhone over the Touch that's of interest. That and the camera, compass, GPS, built-in mic, stuff . . .
From: Jim on 16 Feb 2010 06:05 On 2010-02-16, Rob <patchoulianREMOVE(a)gmail.com> wrote: > On 16/02/2010 10:15, Jim wrote: >> On 2010-02-16, Rob<patchoulianREMOVE(a)gmail.com> wrote: >>> I figure PAYG is cheaper by about �200 for me over the two years of a >>> contract, including the cost of year 2 wireless. Is this �200 likely to >>> result in hassle/loss of features? >> >> I can't speak for how well the contract vs. PAYG works out for you >> financially (in my case I make about 2 calls a month, and that's *up* from my >> previous usage) but so far as I'm aware the only feature you _don't_ get on >> PAYG is Visual Voicemail. You'll get free access to The Cloud and BT >> OpenZone WiFi spots for 12 months (you might have to ask for that, can't >> remember). >> > > OK, thanks - sounds similar to my usage. > > Something I don't get is the wifi - I thought that worked over the > mobile phone signal, but on reading it seems to be only cloud/BT > hotspots. Is this what 'roaming data not included' means? I was hoping I > could use the internet on a train, for example. It's both. If you're out of range of WiFi then it will connect to the Net using GPRS, Edge or 3G, depending on what's available where you are. If you are in range of WiFi that you are allowed to use (such as your home WiFi or a free WiFi hotspot) OR you're in range of a WiFi hotspot owned by The Cloud or BT Openzone then it can use that instead. You get them a lot at places like motorway service stations. My experience with the BT Openzone ones is that they don't work roughly half the time. Jim -- http://www.ursaMinorBeta.co.uk http://twitter.com/GreyAreaUK "Get over here. Now. Might be advisable to wear brown trousers and a shirt the colour of blood." Malcolm Tucker, "The Thick of It"
From: Jaimie Vandenbergh on 16 Feb 2010 06:11
On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:03:09 GMT, Rob <patchoulianREMOVE(a)gmail.com> wrote: >On 16/02/2010 10:48, Jaimie Vandenbergh wrote: >> On Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:07:57 GMT, Rob<patchoulianREMOVE(a)gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Having just got back from hols with an iPhone holder in our party, I've >>> decided the time has come. Couple of questions: >>> >>> I figure PAYG is cheaper by about �200 for me over the two years of a >>> contract, including the cost of year 2 wireless. Is this �200 likely to >>> result in hassle/loss of features? >> >> No, although I *think* that currently only O2-on-contract has working >> Visual Voicemail. Which I've never missed, and certainly isn't worth >> �200. >> > >Thanks - I don't know what that is, so it's hardly a priority! Phone use >is secondary - it's the internet and roamingness (other post) of the >iPhone over the Touch that's of interest. Yes, the only way to use a Touch comparably would be to have a 3G device (or phone) that acts as a wifi hotspot in your other pocket. Which seems silly. >That and the camera, compass, GPS, built-in mic, stuff . . . Serious functional omissions, pushing people to get the iPhone. Cheers - Jaimie -- "You know how dumb the average person is? Well, by definition, half of 'em are dumber than THAT." - J.R. "Bob" Dobbs |