O2 removes 200MB Fair-Use policy for UK iPhone

Wasn't this EXACT post on Gizmodo yesterday by Haroon Malik? It's not there anymore and I know I'm not going crazy.

I find all O2s T&Cs disgusting on this one. According to their own website, you cannot use the sim out of the iPhone in another handset.

Biggest problem is that after the 18 months, you continue paying the contract/enter into a new one, or your iPhone is useless (they actually say 'to be able to continue using your iPhone, you need to continue your contract'. Be great to actually see them enforce this down the line.

Iphone has entered the UK market (well as of Friday), and yes it's made a big splash, but I think this is going to end up going the wrong way. If successful, other makers are going to start demanding things like Apple, handsets get locked down ect.

I'm happy using my unlocked iphone on O2 already, but i'm getting rid, I'm missing two features, MMS and texting more than one person at a time.

@jerome

If I own a nokia on contract (£free) and then next month diecide I want another nokia I can buy one full price (£200) and change the sim over. The network (providing they are not 3*) are happy with this as long as I stay for the entire contract lenght.

Isn't it a different story with the iphone? Activate iphone1 then purchase iphone2. Iphone2 will want activating on a new plan + the sim won't switch over because it is sim locked (as well as networked locked)?

Correct me if I am wrong please.

*3 terms and conditions say that the phone must have come from 3. They check IMEI's and after a while they cut you off (sooner if you leave the phone on GSM only). Phone them up and they say go buy a 3 pay as you go for £19.99 if you have lost/damaged your original equipment.

@snife

Sorry, it may be different with an iphone if it is bought outright but if they cancel the agreement it is because you have violated the fair data usage, thus they can charge you.

I have seen this happen many times with customers for various reasons (normally unlimited text offers, where people think 6,000 texts in a month is fair!!). However take em to small claims and the customer always wins!

@David

How can that be true - if it is them who wish to terminate the contract and I have already paid for the phone (i could understand if it was subsidised but it is not or if i wanted to cancel my contract) but not if they deem I have broken an unspecified limit. I have successfully gotten my money back from 2 ISPs for exactly the same thing, they refused to provide me the service because I broke an unspecified rule.

#33, I mean when you buy your iPhone2 next year. No reason for them to stop you using it instead of your old iPhone. The hardware isn't subsidised, but Apple get a kickback from o2, hence the locking.

Visual voicemail won't work on other o2 contracts, you'll need a special iPhone SIM to have the proper access to the network to download the files.

The French unlocked iPhone won't be a universal open iPhone...it'll only work with French iTunes accounts etc.

#33, I mean when you buy your iPhone2 next year. No reason for them to stop you using it instead of your old iPhone. The hardware isn't subsidised, but Apple get a kickback from o2, hence the locking.

Visual voicemail won't work on other o2 contracts, you'll need a special iPhone SIM to have the proper access to the network to download the files.

The French unlocked iPhone won't be a universal open iPhone...it'll only work with French iTunes accounts etc.

Sounds like Sprint and Verizon. Sprint terms people as a "needy customer" if they call customer support over 27 times in a calendar month. They cancel service with you. It's pretty sad. When are cell phone companies going to allow true unlimited data? One day I hope

@29 and 26

Surely they don't "love it". If they are limiting how many you can buy then there must some kind of subsidy involved. Also do you mean SIM locked or networked locked?

@28

If you are right won't ALOT of people sing up to a 1 month contract on simplicity with data then buy a french (unlocked) iphone from ebay? That would save LOADS (50%?) over 18 months + surely visual voice mail would work as the whole of the o2 network would have been altered.

ajb26: No not currently. I'm guessing there's a special voicemail number you have to program in to make it work. I'm hoping that after Friday that voicemail number will drop on the interwebs.