So here are the basics about the iPhone launch in the UK, as announced by Steve Jobs in London. It was a pretty utilitarian affair with a predictable demo by Jobs of the iPhone’s features, an announcement about the carrier, a chat from the O2 CEO and some Q&A. Almost everything was predicted beforehand, except the rather clever idea behind O2’s service which will see it partner with European-wide WiFi network The Cloud to bundle in access for iPhone customers and the fact that the iPhone will switch seamlessly onto those Wifi nodes.
For the ‘live blog’ check out CrunchGear here.
• Apple’s iPhone will go on sale to UK customers on November 9.
• The handset, which will be available exclusively to O2 customers, will cost £269 – more than the $399 (£200) that it costs in the US. Users will have to sign an 18-month contract priced at either £35, £45, or £55 depending on the call package, but this covers “unlimited” per month usage across O2’s network and 7,500 WiFi hotspots managed by The Cloud.
• 02 has partnered with independent retailer Carphone Warehouse to sell the phone, giving Apple 1300 points of distribution in total, covering 90% of the UK population.
• Every store will have an iPhone expert in store. And there will be a dedicated care centre for iPhone customers.
• O2 has fired up its netwrok with the slower Edge technology (as against Europe’s love affair with HSDPA) to accomodate the iPhone.
• There is no 3G iPhone as yet because, as Jobs said at the launch, the “The trade off with 3G [in battery life] is too bad right now.”
• In the UK the iPhone will look for the fastest network and seamlessley switch to it. (That sounds different to how it operates in the US?).
• No Starbucks iTunes music Store in the UK as yet.
• O2 has 5.5 million customers and their in-house research says 80% of their high value customers want an iPhone and 40% of other network’s customers said they would switch carrier to get the iPhone.
Right, here’s how it went with Carphone Warehouse (CPW) in St Austell (AKA; St Awful) in Cornwall, UK:
Good points; Didn’t have to queue and… erm… that’s it!
Bad points; When it came time to pay the EPOS had crashed and wouldn’t take mastercard!
I had to withdraw £200 from a cashpoint (Wouldn’t let me have any more till midnight!)
I’d maxed out my overdraft and only got £30 from main account. With the £25 I had in my wallett I was still £15 short! (Yep, I really want an iPhone!)
CPW wouldn’t accept a cheque!
I left the shop empty handed, Friday ruined!
Half way home and ping! An idea. phoned the bank and transfered some money from a rainy day account and managed to withdraw the necessaries! Yay!
Went back to shop and walked out with my iPhone!
It was getting on and still had work gear on so took a shower and ate dinner.
Then sat down and plugged that little bad boy in and got to the PAC code request. Que?!? Okay, so the pre-lauch info did mention it, but I wasn’t given a PAC code and when I phoned CPW they were closed! (The generic PAC code for existing o2 customers is; MAR 170 402).
No activation! Off to bed with a frown!
Next morning I called CPW and they said “didn’t they give you the PAC code when you bought it? They should have!” NO, they were too busy trying to sell me ‘value bundles’ I didn’t need. “This bundle has earphones, you don’t get earphones with the phone mate!”. So I had a look in the box. Here’s the frigging earphones… mate!
Anyway, since ‘activating’ the phone at around 9:30am yesterday it still has no service. O2 said it’ll take around five hours. 25 hours and still no service. My old O2 phone has a full signal, so it ain’t a blind spot, although we never had a TV signal here (still had to by a frigging TV licence tho!)
I can play with the iPhone as long as I stay within range of Wi-Fi, but apart from that its just an iFing, no Phone!
I’d phone O2 and see what’s up with my ’service’ but their lines are closed! Customer care? Product support?
On top of all this I recieved a bill for the ’service’ provided (indirectly) from O2. There’s an extra £1.45 added to the already steep £45 tarriff I went for.
What for? WHY? Cheep skates!
Shame, its a really good peice of kit. REALLY GOOD! Apple should have been more circumspect before getting into bed with CPW. The Apple will be tarnished by this. And we all now how quickly apples rot once they catch a fungal infection!
Right, I’m off to split some logs. That’s quite easy when you’re miffed! Thanks CPW, thanks for making me a productive log splitter.
Laters
Okay, that was a bit of a rant!!!
Nice and calm after a few deep breaths… And relaxxxx
The waters were cleared somewhat today. The axtra £1.45 isn’t a sneaky tax leavied by stealth. It was for one day’s use. They had to bill me for a month and a day to ’sync’ me into their billing date.
The phone worked as a phone after I re-booted it upon the advice from Apple.
O2 have been very helpful, once I found a way to speak to them. Having done the deal with CPW I am tied to their call centres for technical support and customer service. I managed to speak to O2 directly after trying many different numbers. They were very helpful and knowledgable.
Moral of the story is; Don’t buy an iPhone from CPW! You save no money and will probably walk out with a load of stuff you don’t need having been sold it by a salesperson of questionable virtue. O2 shops are nicer places too.
Bye bye