O2 bringing the iPhone to Ireland
As you might have heard by now (especially if you're an iPhone fan in Ireland), O2 will be bringing the iPhone to the Emerald Isle. Starting on March 14th our Irish friends can pick up a 8 gig iPhone for €399 or the 16 giger for €499. Plans start at €45 per month and all include 1GB of data per month (there is no unlimited data plan at the moment for the iPhone in Ireland).
One thing to note is that the Irish iPhone does not support Visual Voice mail, as is mentioned on this O2 page.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jon said 1:39PM on 2-28-2008
They've really crippled it. I think more people will use it on other carriers because they have no reason to stay with O2. Visual Voicemail and unlimited data were the only reasons.
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Dave said 1:45PM on 2-28-2008
Crippled indeed. But it's interesting that much of what's included is the same as what unlockers in Canada are getting with the iPhone on Rogers: 1GB data, no visual voice mail, etc. Rogers is a bit more expensive than O2's plan, but not a whole lot.
So the question is, why hasn't the iPhone come to Canada when Apple is now clearly willing to make such concessions? I guess we know where the blame rests (looking at you Ted). Oh well, at least we have anySIM.
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Tinman said 1:49PM on 2-28-2008
Yea and 1 GB of data is a pretty lot on EDGE. Heck, I don't think I've ever exceeded 200 MB in any given month--and I've had an iPhone for nearly 8 months now.
--
Mike
ac said 2:25PM on 2-28-2008
For you Canadians (like me) does the data plan work on Fido or just on Rogers? I understood that it didn't work at all here? Thanks and sorry for the OT question.
tom.landy said 1:50PM on 2-28-2008
You have no idea, I work for O2 Ireland and we got told about this this morning! Talk about informing your staff!
Also I have gone through the internal information available to me and it looks like what you see is what you get I'm afraid, no visual voicemail, no timeframe for implementing it...
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johnmc said 2:04PM on 2-28-2008
Maybe you should have read the Galway Advertiser - Somehow they knew about it in January. I didn't believe it back then, but it was true. I might have to pay more attention to the middle sections of regional free sheets in the future.
johnmc said 2:22PM on 2-28-2008
That came off a bit snarkier than I had intended - I blame a lack of sleep. Anyway, I posted about it in January, but I couldn't figure out how to post the link just now - I win so much today:
http://johnmc.net/2008/01/25/back-in-ireland-reading-strange-rumours/
Patrick O'Doherty said 2:22PM on 2-28-2008
The price plans are really expensive and you get much less for your money. 1gb of data even with a €100 price plan is really not worth it, and the lack of visual voicemail is unacceptable. its one of the phones main features and o2 don't support it.
All I can say is that even more iphones will go unactivated when it launches
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punkassjim said 2:53PM on 2-28-2008
Why the hell is the phone so damn expensive in Europe? I mean, I know the USD is weak, but damn!
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Josh* said 2:59PM on 2-28-2008
So you could as well buy a US one and unlock / jailbreak it.
o2 are SH!T but unlimited data would at least help things a little. No one wants to go on the internet on a timer...
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Glen said 3:25PM on 2-28-2008
There are more people in Toronto than in all of Ireland, this is ridiculous. Why hasn't the iPhone been announced in Canada yet?
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Rob said 3:57PM on 2-28-2008
Wow! Apple is raping its Euro customers.
Case in point:
499.00 EUR = 759.553 USD
Based On: 1 EUR = 1.52215 USD 1 USD = 0.656965
Considering the 16GB iPhone sells for $499 USD right here in nYc, which equates to it selling for 328.022 EUR.
...OUCH!
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pscs said 4:40PM on 2-29-2008
yeah, that's 1.5x more expensive than the US iphones (since the euro is like 1 to 1.5 now)...
but you would still buy it because people like me freaks out when the iphone crashes or breaks (like mine, except it's fixed now).
luke said 4:01PM on 2-28-2008
I think Apple will have to work harder to prevent users from cracking the phone and moving provider.
No Visual Voicemail and no unlimited data plan just urges people to crack and move provider. Even the €100 monthly plan has a 1GB limit, which sucks.
Will wait for 3G iPhone and considering purchasing then, having an EDGE phone is a backward step for me, not giving up my 3G SE phone anytime soon.
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Colman said 4:21PM on 2-28-2008
Protecting their Blackberry business? Insufficient capacity on their network here? My BB, on O2 Ireland, has unlimited data as far as I know.
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Azon said 4:42PM on 2-28-2008
Please Apple!!! Give Sweden the iPhone or else! There are so many unofficial iPhone owners in Sweden that makes almost a official release totally pointless. Don´t us wait much longer! You will loose it all!
Best regards
Azon
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Joid said 5:02PM on 2-28-2008
When Apple + any telco is planning to ask these kind of prices in Europe, they are only stimulating the trade in "illegal" iPhones. (is that where the "i" stands for?)
These prices are ridiculous.
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James said 8:00PM on 2-28-2008
This is ridiculous. I've been chomping at the bit for an Irish iPhone release and gave up hope after Christmas. Now it's here and I'll tell you what - Apple fanatic that I am, they're making it really easy for me to not buy an iPhone. Expensive and not 100% features. Screw you Apple.
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Rob said 6:34PM on 3-02-2008
Tell you what, since I'm in nYc (land of cheap iPhones) I could always ship one over to ya! ;-)
kevteljeur said 6:49AM on 2-29-2008
I'm happy that Apple is offering the iPhone in Ireland now - damn pricey, but I'm considering it because my Nokia N73 is rubbish. Not sure I can afford the upfront price though.
However, why do people think Apple owe them an iPhone, and cheaply at that? It's an expensive device, and Apple isn't losing by not flooding the market with them. They know what they're doing. The other issue is that entry into a given market is dictated as much by local carriers as anything else - they have to make big concessions to Apple to have it on their network, but at the same time they want to be able to make money from it.
I've never seen anyone kick and scream about the N95, which costs around the same. Does Nokia have to lose their shirt so people can have their top-of-the-line phone? None of the players are bringing you the iPhone out of altruism (Maybe I'm preaching to the choir here, but seems to me the reality check is needed).
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