I don’t have an iPhone. I want one, but I don’t have one yet. I was waiting for the release in Ireland so I could have visual voice-mail and a nice data plan. Neither of theses are on offer with O2 Ireland.
Also, as the months passed since the US release (9 now), the argument has been gaining weight for holding out for the 3G version release which, all things considered, will almost certainly happen somewhere in the world (read USA) this summer. It will probably be released in the UK at the same time.
So now I am in a situation where I still want an iPhone but it really doesn’t make sense to get one with O2 Ireland as I can get a cheaper unlocked one in Belfast or cheaper still in New York and yet have all that is on offer with buying one on contract with O2.
To be logical, it really doesn’t make any sense at all to buy an iPhone this close to the 3G release, but as I have been wanting one for a while now, O2 Ireland could have easily cashed in on me and pushed me to getting one if the price/data plan was right and they at least matched the UK prices for the handset. This didn’t happen. Which is very unfortunate for both O2 and me, because now I have to wait a little longer to get my hands on something I have wanted since last June and O2 lose a new customer (for now at least). It’s good for Vodafone though as I’ll remain on their network.
I could have forgiven the lack of visual voice-mail if there was even a hint that it was in the works (Which there wasn’t so I presume it isn’t).
In a way O2 have done me a favour; they’ve removed the carrier/contract factor from the equation and put me in a position with a pretty simple choice; either buy a 9 month old phone or wait perhaps 4 months and get version 2. It’s fair to say with Apple hardware, there are right times and wrong times to buy, depending on the position in the revision cycle, (Of course Apple are very secretive with their release dates and the iPhone is no exception, but going on recent reports around the net, the 3G release won’t be long) this is certainly a wrong time to buy the iPhone so I’m waiting.
If O2 sell the 3G version when it is released in a few months (Which I sincerely doubt - I’d say it will be 4 months behind the UK) and they have visual voice-mail or have a better data plan, I may jump in then. Otherwise I’ll pick myself up an unlocked 3G iPhone when it’s released in the US.
Either way, I’ll be waiting a bit longer to get my hands on the iPhone. Sorry O2.
Edit: New O2 Ireland prices for iPhone released. Things are looking up!
Just caught your blog off of twitter. This is a great post as the exact sentiments are shared by myself (USA) and my buddy Andreas (www.digitalistic.com) in Sweden - both eagerly anticipating the launch of the 3G version (will there be battery power issues with 3G?) … he seems to have some information that it will be literally any day here in the US.
Hi AK,
Hard to say whether there’ll be a battery issue with the 3G version. Steve Wozniak reckons there won’t: http://www.intomobile.com/2008/03/03/steve-wozniak-battery-life-is-cop-out-for-3g-on-iphone.html
The entry-level 3G iPhone is supposed to retail in the US at $199. If they sell in Europe at the current Dollar-to-Euro exchange rate, it should be priced around €130 here - at which price it would undoubtedly fly off the shelves. However knowing American corporations and their approach to the weak dollar, I don’t think we can expect that cheap a price.
According to an O2 press release, the prices in Ireland will be fairly reasonable: http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single11235
Personally I am engaged in the age old Irish art of the Boycott. I am Boycotting the Apple iPhone on the basis that I am denied a choice of network provider.