O2 Ireland defends controversial iPhone plans
updated 09:10 am EST, Fri February 29, 2008
O2 defends Irish iPhone
The Irish version of the iPhone remains a good deal, despite its cost, insists the head of O2 Ireland. The device will be unusually expensive in Ireland, costing €399 ($605) for the 8GB version or €499 ($757) for the 16GB one; the latter costs the equivalent of €430 in the UK, or €370 ($499) in the US. Subscribing to the cheapest possible 18-month contract, an Irish iPhone user will have to pay a minimum of €1,209. This will still only net 1GB of data per month, and 175 minutes of talk-time, without any access to Visual Voicemail.
"You can't compare it with other products," says O2 Ireland CEO Danuta Gray. "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."
As a result, Gray argues, the lineups for the iPhone seen in other countries will likely be repeated on March 14th. "I'd say your Apple freaks will be queuing out the door when we launch," she notes. She adds, though, that anyone who has bought and unlocked a foreign iPhone will not be able to transition to a legal subscription. "We won't accept unlocked phones," she states.
Wow.
02/29, 10:05am reply
What a smug, assnine stance to take. Translation: "There's no other phone like it, so we're going to rape the potential customers, whom we think of as freaks, on the price of the phone and the 18 month contract".
My advice to anybody in Ireland thinking of getting an iPhone - jump over to London, pick one up there, and jailbreak it to run on some other Irish network. Since O2 Ireland isn't even giving you visual VM, you aren't loosing anything.
factorguy
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2005
Why Bother?
02/29, 11:06am reply
If you are limited in how much data you can use and no visual voicemail. Is it because of the limitation of the network or are they giving a big F You to Irish customers.
Bennyboy
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2005
Not clear on the details
02/29, 11:51am reply
But this seems ridiculous. So what is an O2 Ireland user paying per month for only 1GB Data and 175 min talk time? THe phone itself seems outrageously high-especially for basically being in the UK.
mgpalma
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Sep 2000
shocking
02/29, 03:02pm reply
the Consumer..being ripped off...for electronics...in Ireland....colour me Stunned!!!
s*** Phone, s*** Network
theiliad
Dedicated MacNNer
Joined: Apr 2001
You'd have to be a fool..
02/29, 04:28pm reply
...to think you can get the best phone in the world at the lowest price!
McD
McDave
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2006
Was she drunk?
02/29, 04:41pm reply
The CEO of a major telecom went on the record with "I'd say your Apple freaks will be queuing out the door when we launch." She sounds more like a not-so-savvy crack dealer.
malax
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2006
Just say no
02/29, 05:32pm reply
This is an example where any customer with half a brain will truly vote with their pocketbook.
I just wish there were more folks out there who would actually do this, but I bet Gray is correct and that there will be a huge queue of Apple freaks just waiting to buy the stupid phone just to have the most fashionable gadget.
lamewing
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2004
Potato-iphone famine
02/29, 06:02pm reply
My ancestors left Ireland for America because of the high cost of potatoes but now I think it might have been a vision of the future high cost of iphones. Is there a disease causing a shortage of iphones like there once was for potatoes or are the cell lords taking advantage of the peasants?
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
Ireland is not
03/01, 05:43am (1 reply) reply
"basically the UK"
That would be like saying Mexico is basically the US.
They are entirely separate individual soveriegn states and have been for 80 years.
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
Complete Rip Off
03/01, 12:58pm reply
Found this on Digg. Some guy in Ireland using an unlocked iPhone analyses the decision of O2 Ireland. Very good.
http://digg.com/apple/iPhone_Ireland_rip_off_and_O2_Ireland_CEO/
Plenty of links on his post to previous posts comparing O2 Ireland to the UK etc.
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999