iPhone 3G on O2: pricing and upgrade info
Within 24 hours of Steve Jobs announcing the iPhone 3G, O2 published info on their own website regarding pricing and, of interest to anyone who already owns a first-gen iPhone, their upgrade policy (yes, they have one!).
What’s interesting here is that existing iPhone owners can upgrade to the new 3G handset simply by agreeing to sign up to a new 18-month contract - replacing the one they already signed up to with the first handset. Even better, if you’re on either the £45 or £75-per-month plans, the new phone won’t cost you a penny. If you’re on the £35-per-month tariff, you’ll pay the same £99 for an 8Gb model as your non-iPhone-owning chums - but keep in mind you still get to break from that original 18 month contract, rather than wait it out until next summer. By which time there’ll probably be another iPhone anyway (the rumours start here!).
What’s not clear at present is whether an existing user will have the option to upgrade to the 16Gb model for an extra fee - since this model costs anyone else just £159 with a new contract, it would be nice to think the same option would be available for existing users. That limited-edition white version would look neat next to my iMac…
There’s also a new, £30-per-month entry-level tariff, which for just £5 less than the next plan up scrimps on the goodies a fair bit: 75 minutes (compared to 600) and 125 texts (compared to 500). Still, every little helps in times of credit crunchiness.
So we get the picture, it’s all being made more affordable and iPhone 3G could just go mass-market. But O2 have pulled off a ‘one more thing’ all of their own: they’ll be offering the iPhone 3G on a pay-as-you-go plan. Exact pricing details seem to be ‘TBC’ right now, but as soon as they’re announced we’ll post ‘em up - and in the meantime you can sign up to be kept updated right from O2’s website, where you’ll also find full details of all the above.