iPhone 4S Announced

[pazz]

I worked out that buying the 4s outright will be more expensive than contract over 24 months with 100mins/100 texts, based on iPhone 4.

Think I'll wait for a contract deal.

I strongly recommend a Three 12 month sim-only contract £15 pm 600mins/2000txts/1GB for a good sim-only deal.

How good is three coverage these days?  I know it had pretty awful feedback a few years back but this £10 tariff is tempting me!

SIM 300 - 12 month gives you:
300 Minutes
3000 texts
1GB internet

Winrya I've never had a problem. On occasions when I've not had signal, friends/colleagues on other networks havent either. Often I find I have 3G signal when others dont (particularly folk on O2 and Voda). It's important to point out that Three only operate/provide a 3G network. This has its pro's and con's.

Pro's are that when you do have signal its 3G and therefore fast. It's as such, reliably fast. Just the other day a m8 was trying to get footy scores on his O2 iPhone 4 and the app was taking ages to refresh because he could only manage a 2G connection. I pulled out my iPhone 4 on Three and got the scores up straight away. Having a smartphone is pretty much useless in my honest opinion if its >50% of the time on 2G.

Cons are that battery life is rumoured to be worse because somebody on a 2G + 3G provider will find themselves sometimes in an area where only 2G is available. When the phone is using 2G the phone will consume less power. Dont forget to make just a standard phone call all you need is 2G. If you live in a built up area though you will probably be on 3G all the time anyways. Another con is that you can't save battery life by forcing the handset only to use 2G (iPhone's allow you to do this). Forcing onto 2G can be useful when you have for example only 20% juice left and need it to last as long as possible.

[Dave63]

LOL Carl. You would still be selling the iPhone 4 for £350 as well. So the cost would actually be £430.

+1  

Sim-only/phone outright gives you the freedom and option to sell the handset at any time and upgrade.

Tbf, you can do this with a contract.

I've gone sim only anyway! :)

[vRS Carl]

Exactly so a contract can work better or at least equal to 

Being tied in contractually over a period of time, isnt better or equal, to having the choice to pick and choose the best sim only deals. In my opinion. 

We are talking about pure cost. So it doesn't matter how you play the figures you are still paying out on a monthly basis to be able to talk to people on your phone. It's just buying the phone outright has a higher initial cost.

[Phil_T]

You guys that buy the phone outright what do you do for a contract then? as surely if you bought a sim on contract you are still tied to 18-24 month contract?

[Oli]

I thought it was 2 pre-orders per customer?

It was two per order - I just did two seperate orders, and have confrimation for 4 phones!

[Oli]

You guys that buy the phone outright what do you do for a contract then? as surely if you bought a sim on contract you are still tied to 18-24 month contract?

I have four phones on my work account.  Going Vodafone sim only and buying the phones outright will save me £3-4k over two years - no brainer!  Im also now on a 12 month sim only contract

[andrewparker]

You guys that buy the phone outright what do you do for a contract then? as surely if you bought a sim on contract you are still tied to 18-24 month contract?

My O2 sim-only contract (£15 per month) was 12 months initially, then it just rolls.

[Phil_T]

What do you guys think to this, My current phone is I phone 3gs 16gb on orange 1200 mins, unlimited text, 750mb internet for £45 a month on 24 month con

Now my current contract ends April next year but I can upgrade early in Jan

But if I end early now I pay buy out fee of £140 but my 3GS is worth £140 ish

Then I can get a 4S for same contract details but handset for free on 16gb or 32gb for £80

What you guys think?

[pazz]

LOL Carl. You would still be selling the iPhone 4 for £350 as well. So the cost would actually be £430.

+1  

Sim-only/phone outright gives you the freedom and option to sell the handset at any time and upgrade.

Tbf, you can do this with a contract.

I've gone sim only anyway! :)

You can, but obviously you still have to honour the contract and tariff and if your not using it, therefore a total waste of money.

[winrya]

I worked out that buying the 4s outright will be more expensive than contract over 24 months with 100mins/100 texts, based on iPhone 4.

Think I'll wait for a contract deal.

I strongly recommend a Three 12 month sim-only contract £15 pm 600mins/2000txts/1GB for a good sim-only deal.

How good is three coverage these days?  I know it had pretty awful feedback a few years back but this £10 tariff is tempting me!

SIM 300 - 12 month gives you:
300 Minutes
3000 texts
1GB internet

Winrya I've never had a problem. On occasions when I've not had signal, friends/colleagues on other networks havent either. Often I find I have 3G signal when others dont (particularly folk on O2 and Voda). It's important to point out that Three only operate/provide a 3G network. This has its pro's and con's.

Pro's are that when you do have signal its 3G and therefore fast. It's as such, reliably fast. Just the other day a m8 was trying to get footy scores on his O2 iPhone 4 and the app was taking ages to refresh because he could only manage a 2G connection. I pulled out my iPhone 4 on Three and got the scores up straight away. Having a smartphone is pretty much useless in my honest opinion if its >50% of the time on 2G.

Cons are that battery life is rumoured to be worse because somebody on a 2G + 3G provider will find themselves sometimes in an area where only 2G is available. When the phone is using 2G the phone will consume less power. Dont forget to make just a standard phone call all you need is 2G. If you live in a built up area though you will probably be on 3G all the time anyways. Another con is that you can't save battery life by forcing the handset only to use 2G (iPhone's allow you to do this). Forcing onto 2G can be useful when you have for example only 20% juice left and need it to last as long as possible.

Thanks for the detailed reply.  Do 3 still use orange for coverage in non 3g areas?

[pazz]

What do you guys think to this, My current phone is I phone 3gs 16gb on orange 1200 mins, unlimited text, 750mb internet for £45 a month on 24 month con

Now my current contract ends April next year but I can upgrade early in Jan

But if I end early now I pay buy out fee of £140 but my 3GS is worth £140 ish

Then I can get a 4S for same contract details but handset for free on 16gb or 32gb for £80

What you guys think?

Depends entirely how badly you want to upgrade.

But bear in mind the £140 buy out fee is for a tariff you wont use.

[JPC]

Got my 4S being delivered in the morning ;)

[winrya]

Got my 4S being delivered in the morning ;)

Mine is out for delivery

[Oli]

I have mine!

[bondy]

Waiting for mine.