Following last night's unveiling of the 3G iPhone, UK mobile operator, O2, has unveiled price plans for its customers in anticipation of the July 11th launch.
On its website, O2 states "There's only one thing better than an iPhone. The new 3G iPhone." It adds that customers can now receive the iPhone 3G handset free of charge when purchased on selected monthly tariffs.
As with the original iPhone, all tariffs include unlimited browsing, unlimited Wi-Fi access, visual voicemail and reduced roaming rates. All sounds rather good, doesn't it?
Well, let's take a closer look at the monthly tariffs themselves:
| Monthly Charge | £30 | £35 | £45 | £75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of 8GB iPhone | £99 | £99 | Free | Free |
| Cost of 16GB iPhone | £159 | £159 | £59 | Free |
| Minutes | 75 | 600 | 1200 | 3000 |
| Texts | 125 | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| Unlimited Data & Wi-Fi | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visual Voicemail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reduced Roaming Rates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum contract length | 18 months | 18 months | 18 months | 18 months |
You'll notice that the minimum monthly tariff has dropped thanks to the introduction of a new £30 option. It offers little in terms of minutes and texts, but could prove to be an option for users who need only web access.
In order to take advantage of O2's free 16GiB iPhone 3G offer, you'll have to cough up for a £75 monthly contract. With a minimum contract of 18 months, you'll be paying a total of £1,350. That's cheaper than the £1,619 total 18-month cost of the old iPhone, but it's still no small sum.
Existing iPhone owners will no doubt be feeling the sting of O2's low price plans for the new-and-improved handset, but there are options for existing customers to upgrade. In order to do so, however, you'll need to agree to a new 18-month minimum term contract. Opting for the £30 or £35 tariff will make the iPhone 3G available as a £99 upgrade, and opting for the £45 or £75 contract will make the handset available for free. O2's upgrade offer will be available from 11th July until 11th October 2008.
Perhaps the most significant development, however, is that O2 has revealed that Pay & Go options will soon be available to iPhone customers. O2's official iPhone website states: "Customers will soon be able to enjoy all the great features of iPhone without a monthly contract with the iPhone for Pay & Go."
Pay & Go pricing has yet to be announced, and though users can no doubt expect to be paying large sums for the iPhone 3G handset itself, it could prove to be a successful option.
Ronan Dunne, CEO of O2 in the UK, said:
"The iPhone is already a phenomenal success in the UK and now we're making this revolutionary product more affordable for even more customers. iPhone quickly became our fastest selling device ever and with this new pricing, iPhone 3G is an unbeatable proposition."
Pricing has been a determining factor in UK iPhone sales thus far. Will the new iPhone 3G coupled with lower prices convince you to make a purchase? Share your thoughts in the HEXUS forums.
Source: Official O2 iPhone website
