O2 Ireland: iPhone and iPhone plans are expensive, but worth it
Posted by Will on Monday, March 3rd, 2008 at 2:20 pm under Announcements, Apple, Mac OS, O2, iPhone
Sure, the iPhone is expensive, everyone knows that. I actually paid a significant premium to be one of the first few iPhone adopters, and I’m sure there are a lot of people in Ireland that will be just as eager to own an iPhone.
However, the problem with the iPhone plans on O2 Ireland are that they’re ridiculously expensive for what you get. On top of the price of the iPhone itself - €399 for the 8GB model ($605) or €499 for the 16GB model ($757) - O2 Ireland will require at least an 18 month contract for a plan that offers only 175 minutes, 1GB of data, and no Visual Voicemail. There are bound to be people that have a problem with that ridiculous pricing schedule, but, as O2 Ireland’s Ireland’s CEO Danuta Gray put it, ”
“You can’t compare it with other products. Comparing it with a standard handset is just not like-for-like. I have music on it, videos on it, DVDs, photo albums, camera. To me it’s just an amazing device and I think the type of price here compared with this type of functionality is where the value should be judged.”
The problem is (well, it’s actually a boon for O2 Ireland), that while the iPhone is expensive and the iPhone plans are unfairy expensive, there will be a good number of people that will wait in line to own the iconic handset. Come March 14th, “I’d say your Apple freaks will be queuing out the door when we launch,” says Gray.
Such is the power of Apple hardware.
I don’t know what would make me angrier - buying an iPhone on day-one and getting shafted for $200 soon thereafter, or buying a first-generation iPhone only to find the new 3G iPhone launched a few months afterwards.
[Via: MacNN]
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:09 pm
…must…not.. be.. sarcastic…and..make.. fun.. of.. *arrggh*
March 4th, 2008 at 5:38 am
in fairness to O2 (and I am not an O2 customer), the price plan for the iPhone is similar to price plans for other phones that they offer - the inclusion of 1gb of data with the plan is what makes it more expensive compared to other price plans (both O2 and competitor).
What it really demonstrates, because it’s so easy to compare, is how we in Ireland are being absolutely screwed by all mobile service providers in terms of the packages we get.
O2 packages for UK and Ireland - In Ireland for €45 you get 175 minutes, 100 texts and 1gb data. In the UK for £35 (€45.94) you get 600 minutes, 500 texts and unlimited data.
Is it any wonder that the average revenue per user in Ireland is €44.66 (France is in second place at €34.33-UK is €33.72). [Source - http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg07106.pdf page 40).
And I won’t be getting an iPhone at this time. I may get a second or third generation version, when it’s available on other mobile service providers.