COMPETITIVE UPDATE!

I wasn't totally aware of all the details, but as the July 11 iPhone 3G launch approaches, I've been paying more attention. Here's an interesting article in the San Francisco Chronicle: "Cheaper iPhone will cost you more over time." They did the math, and came up with the figure of $1,999 as the cost of a base package of voice, data, and hardware with the forthcoming iPhone 3G. And here's the part I had missed: If you want Exchange Server capability, you pay an additional $15 a month! Wow! The SFC's summary:

"The challenge for its cheaper and more mainstream-minded successor, the $199 and $299 iPhone 3G, will be to get people to pay the increased monthly voice and data plans, which raise the cost of ownership over two years to more than the original iPhone."

Check out the article and let us know what you think.

 

It's interesting. They don't seem to say where the extra $15 is coming from. It seems to infer a Blackberry like licence add on to the data bundle but it's the first I've heard of it. I saw a post on Gizmodo which just seem to infer ALL the 3G Iphone tariffs were simply more expensive than the regular tariff (I guess you can technically download more a month so they've bumped the price up) but I've not seen mention of the "magic" $15 a month for Exchange.

Just found this:

http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/01/iphone-101-eight-3g-iphone-plan-pricing-details-you-need-to-kno/

"3. Exchange costs $15/month more beyond that. The normal 3G iPhone data plan costs $30/month. Enterprise data costs $45/month. This buys you access to all the standard Exchange features. If you need to get Exchange mail, or access data inside your firewall, you're an enterprise user. AT&T isn't saying they'll disable ActiveSync and Exchange on normal iPhone plans for non-corporate users so we're unsure how they'll police this policy. Our Christina speculates that the enterprise plan sets up the server to accept exchange support; you could do IMAP from your exchange account but if you want non-MobileMe push, you gotta be on the enterprise tier plan."

This just seems to suggest an upgraded business account tariff.

This actually sounds like a standard. Verizon Wireless has the same kind of pricing for data. Windows Mobile Devices can sign up for what they call "Email and Web for Smartphones" which is $29.99 (no exchange support). If you wanted to have exchange it would actually cost $44.99 a month which is $15.00 more. They have the same pricing for blackberry also $29.99 if you don't need blackberry enterprise support but if you do it's $44.99. All of them include unlimited data transfer, and yet another $15.00 if you want to tether it as a modem. It must have something to do with licensing but I haven't been able to find specific info on it.There is also an option for $24.99 which only includes 10mb of data and no exchange or tethering.

It may work out cheaper here in the UK.

Here is the pricing structure from O2 UK:

O2 UK:

Best of all, the new 8GB iPhone won't cost you a penny on our £45 and £75 tariffs. And it's just £99 on our £35 tariff and new £30 tariff.

If you'd prefer the 16GB version, it's free on our £75 tariff. Then you'll just pay £59 with the £45 tariff and £159 on our £30 and £35 tariffs.

All tariffs include unlimited browsing on your iPhone, unlimited Wi-Fi access, visual voicemail and reduced roaming rates with our International Traveller Service and are subject to a minimum term contract of 18 months.

That means that if you get the 8Gb version on the £30/month tariff (which includes free unlimited web access) it will come in at £639 - about $1280 over 18 months.

It also means that if you get the 16GB version on the £30/month tariff (which includes free unlimited web access) it will come in at £699 - about $1400 over 18 months.

I think you're right, I think that does make it cheaper in the UK. I believe the original Iphone was £199 on a £30 tariff wasn't it? I also think that O2 have upped their all you can eat dat ceiling as well haven't they?

 Yeah, it was £199 on a £35/month tariff (although this gave less than the normal £35 tariff).

On the 2nd February '08 O2 updated all of its tariffs and it's fair usage policy for unlimited web access. Basically, you get more now.

Each tarrif now gives you more minutes/texts etc. and on tarrif over £35 you can now choose a free unlimited bolt-on. These include:

• Unlimited texts – an unlimited text allowance that can be used anytime, for any network
• Unlimited O2 to O2 calls – an unlimited allowance of calls to other O2 mobiles
• Unlimited Web Bolt On – Unlimited browsing on your mobile
• Unlimited weekend calls – unlimited calls to any UK network from 12:01am on Saturday to 11:59pm on Sunday
• Unlimited landline calls – an unlimited allowance of minutes to call UK landlines
• 200 Anytime minutes – add another 200 minutes to your tariff which can be used to call any UK network at anytime
• Unlimited WiFi – Get unlimited access to over 7500 WiFi hotspots in the UK. Find Out More

N.B. They normally cost £7.50. + iPhone owners do not get to choose a free unlimited bolt-on, but get the Free Wi-Fi and Free Web bolt-ons as standard at no extra charge.

 

 As mentioned, their fair usuage policy was also updated:

O2 UK:

• The Web Bolt On allows you unlimited use of Telefónica O2 UK Limited's Edge/GPRS/ 3G networks (as applicable to your handset), for personal internet use via your mobile phone. All usage must be for your private, personal and non-commercial purposes. You may not use your SIM Card:
  • in, or connected to, any other device including modems;
  • to allow the continuous streaming of any audio / video content, enable Voice over Internet (Voip), P2P or file sharing; or
  • in such a way that adversely impacts the service to other O2 customers.

If O2 reasonably suspectsyou are not acting in accordance with this policy O2 reserves the right to impose further charges, impose network protection controls which may reduce your speed of transmission, remove the Web Bolt On from your account or disconnect your tariff at any time, having attempted to contact you first.

This basically means that you have an actual unlimited download allowance. Teathering is not allowed nor is constant streaming. I view a very large number of YouTube videos, probably 500Mb/month and they have not complained about this. I think it's more a measure incase somebody's downloading does affect their own traffic levels.