Which would you say is best?

MarkieT · 12-09-2009, 9:59 PM

Hi all,

I'm really wanting an iPhone 3GS but I'm currently on Orange, due an upgrade, but I will be out of Contract come November, anyway my question is:

Should I upgrade on Orange and sell my upgraded phone to fund the 3GS, or would it be better to just wait till November and move to O2? Main reason I ask really is because of all the talk of JB and Unlocking possibly becoming harder with each firmware update.

thanks for you replies (if any

) in advance.

Mark.

a l e x · 13-09-2009, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkieT

Hi all,

I'm really wanting an iPhone 3GS but I'm currently on Orange, due an upgrade, but I will be out of Contract come November, anyway my question is:

Should I upgrade on Orange and sell my upgraded phone to fund the 3GS, or would it be better to just wait till November and move to O2? Main reason I ask really is because of all the talk of JB and Unlocking possibly becoming harder with each firmware update.

thanks for you replies (if any

) in advance.

Mark.

Depends on the tariff orange are offering. If your getting twice as much with orange for half the price stick with them.

Saying that, given the choice i'd go onto o2. Its such a hassle having to unlock phones etc etc and like you say, you dont know what the future holds regarding unlocking and jailbreaking. At least on o2 your guaranteed to have a working iphone!

MarkieT · 13-09-2009, 9:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by as20

Depends on the tariff orange are offering. If your getting twice as much with orange for half the price stick with them.

Saying that, given the choice i'd go onto o2. Its such a hassle having to unlock phones etc etc and like you say, you dont know what the future holds regarding unlocking and jailbreaking. At least on o2 your guaranteed to have a working iphone!

I was thinking I'd get a few less minutes with Orange, but would get unlimited text's, but saying that, I know exactly what you mean regarding it being easier if your on O2 with not having to re-jailbreak the phone. Think it might just be better to wait till November, just a shame that Apple HAVE TO lock the iPhone to O2, would be great if you could put any sim you wanted in there, but not have to JB it, know I wouldn't really be too bothered about JB'ing it if it was Sim Unlocked.

Anyway, thanks for your reply.

Mark.

Gary D · 13-09-2009, 9:43 AM

Orange may offer you unlimited texts or calls, but do you need them? There is no point in sticking with provider just because they are offering you 4 billion minutes and 8 billion texts if your not going to use them.

IMO O2 are abusing their position as sole provider of the iPhone as the contract is pretty ropey in terms of mins etc. however, they have the handset and its the handset that is important. you can always add bolt ons to your tariff if need be.

If you want the handset i'd say move to O2 - or stick with orange, and then unlock it. The later option comes with the added bonus that you can spend happy hours moaning about trying to unlock it. you can then post endless threads about not getting the internet settings to work. All that because you decided to stick with orange because they offered you more of what you didn't need.

I'd pay £100 to run an iPhone if i had too. It is the best handset on the planet. period.

G

chelsea.tone · 13-09-2009, 10:03 AM

Why not tell Orange you want the 3G, ok not a 3GS but you get an iPhone and stay with Orange

funkyspider · 13-09-2009, 10:20 AM

Just to throw another variable into your confusion. Would you want a iPhone 4G when it's released ?

So far apple have released a new model early summer of each year and I don't know for sure but suspect this may be true next year. If you took out a contract with O2 you'd be locked in for min 18months and I doubt you'd be eligible for upgrade to a 4G mid term ?

I'm staying with Voda, not taking my upgrade around christmas as that would lock me in for another 18months. If I don't take an upgrade my contract just carries on rolling, but I can terminate when I like. I'm buying a second hand 3G iPhone now, unlocking and will see what I want to do when the 4G (or whatever it will be called) is released.

chelsea.tone · 13-09-2009, 10:34 AM

^^^

Gary D · 13-09-2009, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkyspider

Just to throw another variable into your confusion. Would you want a iPhone 4G when it's released ?

So far apple have released a new model early summer of each year and I don't know for sure but suspect this may be true next year. If you took out a contract with O2 you'd be locked in for min 18months and I doubt you'd be eligible for upgrade to a 4G mid term ?

I'm staying with Voda, not taking my upgrade around christmas as that would lock me in for another 18months. If I don't take an upgrade my contract just carries on rolling, but I can terminate when I like. I'm buying a second hand 3G iPhone now, unlocking and will see what I want to do when the 4G (or whatever it will be called) is released.

what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts though. if you take the 3Gs in November then you will be able to upgrade to the 5G in 2011 (assuming that's June'ish 2011).

I'm in a similar position now - i had my 3G in October 08 but i cant upgrade until just before the 4G would be announced (assuming that's June'ish 2010). The upshot of that will be that i miss out the 3Gs altogether.

If you can afford the 3Gs in November then just buy it, there is no guarantee that there will be a 4G - that's just speculation and educated guess work. So you could hold off for something that might not appear.

As we all know about technology there is ALWAYS something better over the horizon and you have to make the leap sometime. You can only make a decision based on the information in hand. you can wait if you like, but there is no guarantee that they will make the announcement in the spring they might leave it until autumn. and you might leap in summer.

my advice buy it when you can and enjoy it.

G

RobM · 13-09-2009, 11:21 AM

Don't bother waiting, as if you wait for the next one (which is going to be 10 months away at least) then you may as well hold off buying that one too and get the 5G... but then that's only a year away from being replaced, so you may as well hold off and wait for the 6G....

The 3GS is superb. And being on O2 means no hassle with unlocking or not being able to upgrade. Yes, you don't get as many minutes or messages... but you get free data and WiFi with no fair usage policy or limits applied. So if you're running out of text messages... email

MarkieT · 13-09-2009, 1:02 PM

Cheers guys (and gals if there were any),

I think I'll wait till November and see what happens, Orange maybe have the 3G by then and so possibly force O2 to change some of their tariff's too compete, where I must admit I'd prefer the 3gs to the 3g, but agree that O2 would most probably the way forward to save the hassel of JB/Unlocking each time an update comes out, that's if it can be unlocked the next time round!!

Thanks again.

Mark.

chelsea.tone · 13-09-2009, 1:08 PM

Orange already have the 3G

funkyspider · 13-09-2009, 1:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chelsea.tone

Orange already have the 3G

Shhhhh, it's a secret still isn't it

chelsea.tone · 13-09-2009, 1:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkyspider

Shhhhh, it's a secret still isn't it

MarkieT · 13-09-2009, 1:30 PM

LoL, is that Orange-T-Mobile who've got it??

Know they're rumours flying around about the 3G coming to Orange.

Gary D · 13-09-2009, 2:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chelsea.tone

Orange already have the 3G

yeah put its on Orange

MarkieT · 13-09-2009, 3:06 PM

What do you reckon the chances of Orange getting the 3GS? or not for another year or so?

Sorry, I know it's off topic, but if I did goto O2 and took my number with me, if I decided to go back to Orange when my Contract was up, would I be able to switch my number back to Orange again?

Understand if the latter question can't really be answered

RobM · 13-09-2009, 3:30 PM

The latter question is the easy bit - Yes. You can indeed port back to Orange from O2 in the future if you wish.

It's the former question that can't be answered with any authority or certainty at the moment. It's highly likely that Orange and TBag will be getting the iPhone independently in the short term, as a joint entity once that situation is resolved. But until it's sat on a shelf for sale, or until Apple and the networks confirm officially, you'll have to either sit tight and wait or get it on O2.

MarkieT · 13-09-2009, 5:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobM83

It's the former question that can't be answered with any authority or certainty at the moment. It's highly likely that Orange and TBag will be getting the iPhone independently in the short term, as a joint entity once that situation is resolved. But until it's sat on a shelf for sale, or until Apple and the networks confirm officially, you'll have to either sit tight and wait or get it on O2.

Cheers for the reply, yea that's a good answer, I suppose in other words I was asking how long a piece of string was.

Thanks again.

Mark.

RobM · 13-09-2009, 6:39 PM

It's a fair question. The answer depends on how urgent you are to get an iPhone and how desperate you are to stay with Orange.

I use my iPhone more for data than I do calls and texts and therefore the iPhone tariffs are the best value for money of all the networks offerings. Again and again I challenge people to find a better value tariff on another network and nobody can / wants to

The iPhone is all about data. Be it iTunes, internet, App Store, email or goodness knows what else... so the unlimited data and WiFi on the O2 tariffs sealed the deal for me.

Oh, I'm also a huge fan of visual voicemail. Couldn't live without it now with the number and frequency of messages I get left

MarkieT · 13-09-2009, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobM83

It's a fair question. The answer depends on how urgent you are to get an iPhone and how desperate you are to stay with Orange.

I've been with Orange for aound 15 years or so, never really thought about leaving them until I started wanting an iPhone, more so the gs version, but have to say it does **** me off a little that my Wife's on Orange PAYG and usually gets little (gifts I'd probably call em) whenever she tops up, but us people on Contract get nothing!!!

So I suppose in answer to your question, I'll probably move to O2 come November which is when my Contract with Orange is up, but presume will have to wait due to wanting to take my number with me, I've heard of people buying out the remainder of their contract, but not sure how that works out, and if your able to take your number with you too!!!

Again thanks for the replies

Mark.

Gary D · 14-09-2009, 5:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkieT

a little that my Wife's on Orange PAYG and usually gets little (gifts I'd probably call em) whenever she tops up, but us people on Contract get nothing!!!

i'm on contract and I get a new O2 treat every 3 months

MarkieT · 14-09-2009, 7:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary D

i'm on contract and I get a new O2 treat every 3 months

Oh right, what do O2 give you??

RobM · 14-09-2009, 7:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkieT

So I suppose in answer to your question, I'll probably move to O2 come November which is when my Contract with Orange is up, but presume will have to wait due to wanting to take my number with me, I've heard of people buying out the remainder of their contract, but not sure how that works out, and if your able to take your number with you too!!!

You can indeed buy out your contract and take your number with you. You need to tell Orange you're leaving and request your PAC, they will then work out a figure you need to pay by multiplying your monthly line rental by the months remaining on your contract. So if you pay £20 a month now and have two months left, your buy out cost is £40.

They then provide you with your PAC code which you give to O2 when signing up for your contract with them. This takes up to 3 days to process and the number is then ported, at which point your Orange contract officially ends.

It's a fairly painless process these days.

Gary D · 14-09-2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkieT

Oh right, what do O2 give you??

texts and minutes. are given on a 3 month rolling basis, not many but its better than nothing.

G

MarkieT · 14-09-2009, 4:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobM83

You can indeed buy out your contract and take your number with you. You need to tell Orange you're leaving and request your PAC, they will then work out a figure you need to pay by multiplying your monthly line rental by the months remaining on your contract. So if you pay £20 a month now and have two months left, your buy out cost is £40.

They then provide you with your PAC code which you give to O2 when signing up for your contract with them. This takes up to 3 days to process and the number is then ported, at which point your Orange contract officially ends.

It's a fairly painless process these days.

I probably should have thought about buying myself out of my contract earlier, currently paying around £50 a month, but contracts up November. Might be just as well to wait till November now with September's Billing date just passed, also (can but hope) if the iPhone does come out on Orange next month O2 might change their tariff (txt message wise) to compete, but not sure what the likely hood of that happening is though!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary D

texts and minutes. are given on a 3 month rolling basis, not many but its better than nothing.

G

as you say, definitely better than nothing, and more than Orange give people on Contract.

Cheers

Mark.