[killahbad]

iPhone is not yet available pre-paid from the UK.
The cost will certainly be more than the $4500 at first.

Sources believe it'll be £350 so £5500. Wouldn't surprise me as the N95 was almost £400.
We shall have to wait and see.

I'm gonna wait it out.

[er2]

Originally Posted by cendrillon

You can't really get 500 MB for less then $400 per month.

Hmm. On Smartone's website it seems you can. 200$ plan includes unlimited 3G usage as long as it is only http. Looks good to me - am I missing the catch?

[cendrillon]

"Hmm. On Smartone's website it seems you can. 200$ plan includes unlimited 3G usage as long as it is only http. Looks good to me - am I missing the catch?"

The catch is that it isn't real internet access. It's quite funny how they advertise their service as 'the real mobile internet' when it is anything but.

It's actually just access to their portal. You have to run their special software on your phone to access the web. This software is not available for iphone.

Plus, having fake internet means no access to google maps (goodbye GPS functionality), no youtube, no facebook app, no uploading photos, no MSN, no stock price app, no weather app... I believe they may also block webmail sites to force you to pay extra for their email 'service'. And what's the point in having 'unlimited' access if all you can do is browse the web?

Apple in fact refused to supply iphones to certain telcos (Telstra) that wanted to limit users to their fake internet service. Apple wants people to have real internet access on the iphone.

So whilst fake internet on Smartone for $200 and an illegitimate iphone for $4500+ (that you may not be able to crack) sounds like a bargain, but I think I'll stick to $188 and $2900 upfront for a legit iphone and for real internet access

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by cendrillon

"Hmm. On Smartone's website it seems you can. 200$ plan includes unlimited 3G usage as long as it is only http. Looks good to me - am I missing the catch?"

The catch is that it isn't real internet access. It's quite funny how they advertise their service as 'the real mobile internet' when it is anything but.

It's actually just access to their portal. You have to run their special software on your phone to access the web. This software is not available for iphone.

Not quite true there.

$488 for an unlimited data plan and thats access to the true internet, I am currently on smartone on an unlimited dataplan using my touch dual and no you do not need to run 'special' software to access the web. Just fire up a browser and away you go. Nothing is blocked and I can access hotmail, g mail and youtube etc with no issues whatsoever.

I'm even using my touch dual as an hsdpa modem for my laptop with no issues whatsoever.

[cendrillon]

I was talking about the $200 plan that er2 referred to. That's for their internet portal.

Indeed an unlimited plan is $488, plus $128 for voice, for a whopping total of $616 per MONTH!!!

I'll stick with $188. Over 2 years I'll save myself more than $10k

Although I'll admit if you're a heavy user downloading a lot over your laptop maybe it is worth it? Still, wouldn't it be better just paying $18 to Peoples to get unlimited access to their wifi network?

[cendrillon]

By the way, has anyone seen the new '3G' 'Web and Talk' plans from PCCW?

It's pretty funny, they call it 3G but it's actually GPRS. It's not even EDGE!!! If you've never tried using the web over GPRS, then take it from me that it's too slow to be usable at all. All in all EDGE is not that bad, but the coverage of Peoples EDGE network (the only EDGE network in HK) is pretty poor.

[PDLM]

Originally Posted by cendrillon

It's pretty funny, they call it 3G but it's actually GPRS.

What's your evidence for that assertion? PCCW Mobile has a full 3G network.

[cendrillon]

Originally Posted by PDLM

What's your evidence for that assertion? PCCW Mobile has a full 3G network.

I'm referring to the '3G Web and Talk' plans specifically, not the $488 + $128 3G data plans.

I'd post a link but the forum wont seem to let me.
Go to the PCCW website and click on '3G Web and Talk'. It's quite amusing that they call it 3G, presumably because it's a 3G voice plan, meaning that you get to make video calls, awesome!

Apparently this is how PCCW is 'striking back' at 3 in order to keep their customers from migrating for the iPhone. PCCW is really clueless. Maybe it's time to long 3 and short PCCW?

[er2]

Originally Posted by cendrillon

The catch is that it isn't real internet access. It's quite funny how they advertise their service as 'the real mobile internet' when it is anything but.

Thanks! The was the information I was looking for (but utterly unable to find). You're right, under these circumstances I think there is not much point in buying a cracked phone to use it with another provider.

[cendrillon]

Originally Posted by er2

Thanks! The was the information I was looking for (but utterly unable to find). You're right, under these circumstances I think there is not much point in buying a cracked phone to use it with another provider.

Yes, I just can't understand why so many people are complaining about the 'high' price of the iphone and the plan. I mean, $188 per month and $2900 for the phone? I think it's a bargain. Heck, even if I didn't want an iPhone I'd consider going on the same plan because it's so cheap.