O2's sees 8,000 iPhone activations on day one of 5-year UK exclusive

[AppleInsider]

O2, the wireless arm of Telefonica and exclusive iPhone provider in the UK, beat its own expectations for iPhone activations by more than twofold on Friday, the first day the Apple handset was made available for sale in Europe.

Citing a source "deep within the belly of O2," ArsTechnica reports that the British carrier saw just over 8,000 iPhone activations at the close of business on Friday, Nov. 9th.

According to the source, O2 higher-ups were expecting more like 3,000 activations, so the early activation numbers "came as a pleasant surprise" and run "contrary to many reports this [past] weekend that the launch was a flop in Europe.*"

The source also revealed that, like Apple's deal with U.S. carrier AT&T Wireless, O2's exclusive contract to sell and service iPhone in the UK spans 5 years, expiring sometime in late 2012.

During O2's third-quarter conference call on Monday, mobile chief Peter Erskine said his firm, along with retail partner Carphone Warehouse, had sold "tens of thousands" of iPhones since Friday.

“It has been the fastest-selling device we have ever seen,” he said.

Erskine added that two thirds of customers buying the Apple handset were new customers to O2, though he refused to go into detail about which networks those customers were coming from.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

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[hdasmith]

I went from Vodagroan, who promtly tried to tell me that the phone was a piece of poo, and constantly pointing out that the battery is non-user changable. I told them, neither is the iPods, but I've changed that myself. I had to hang up on the guy on the end of the phone because he wouldn't shut up. After that, I don't plan to return to Vodafone for a new contract in the future. That's two down after T-Mobile accused me of lying after a dispute over cancelling my TV package after the free trial ended.

[Bear]

Originally Posted by hdasmith

I went from Vodagroan, who promtly tried to tell me that the phone was a piece of poo, and constantly pointing out that the battery is non-user changable. I told them, neither is the iPods, but I've changed that myself. I had to hang up on the guy on the end of the phone because he wouldn't shut up. After that, I don't plan to return to Vodafone for a new contract in the future. That's two down after T-Mobile accused me of lying after a dispute over cancelling my TV package after the free trial ended.

And the truth of the matter is, in my first iPod, I had to change the battery, but it's new batter is still good after a few years. In my second iPod (4th Gen, Color) I'm still going strong on the originalbattery.

The odds of the battery needing to be replaced in under two or three years is pretty slim. And the people whose batteries are most likely to die from use are the ones likely to buy a new phone. Yes you may get some random failures not due to usage/chaging habits, but that should be a very low number in the first 2 or 3 years.

[Ireland]

User-replaceable battery is the least of your problems

[VinitaBoy]

To paraphrase Sammy Davis on the old "Laugh-In" show . . .

"The iPhone's in session, the iPhone's in session; now here come da FUD, now here come da FUD!"

[quinney]

Originally Posted by VinitaBoy

To paraphrase Sammy Davis on the old "Laugh-In" show . . .

"The iPhone's in session, the iPhone's in session; now here come da FUD, now here come da FUD!"

nice reference. you must have remembered to take your ginkgo today

[Eriamjh]

I can't replace my battery!?!?!?

Oh, wait. Who cares?

[StuBeck]

I care, but the iPhone isn't made for me anyways.

[hdasmith]

Forgot to mention, my insurance with the CPW is meant to cover me for batteries anyway.

[tapete]

Originally Posted by VinitaBoy

To paraphrase Sammy Davis on the old "Laugh-In" show . . .

"The iPhone's in session, the iPhone's in session; now here come da FUD, now here come da FUD!"

I think you're referring to Flip Wilson.

[astromac]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Citing a source "deep within the belly of O2," ArsTechnica reports that the British carrier saw just over 8,000 iPhone activations at the close of business on Friday, Nov. 9th.

I'm sorry, but didn't we just see a story out that they sold "hundreds of thousands" of iPhones in the UK? I knew that couldn't be right, but how do we explain the huge difference?

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by astromac

I'm sorry, but didn't we just see a story out that they sold "hundreds of thousands" of iPhones in the UK? I knew that couldn't be right, but how do we explain the huge difference?

No. O2 <b>ordered</b> 200,000 from Apple to fulfill expected demand in the next few months. They've not sold them yet. Only another 192,000 to go.

[Tracker]

Hmmmm. 8,000 does not sound like all that much for only 1 day.

Yes it's a large number but I figured it would have been way more. Was it hyped up like in the US? Where there long lines?

In any case I'm sure it will be a huge sucess!

[DaveGee]

Originally Posted by tapete

I think you're referring to Flip Wilson.

Sammy Davis, Flip Wilson...... Must resist, must resist... KIDDING!!!

D

[mono]

I'd love to be one of the owners of the remaining 192,000 phones but, I won't be.

Not that I mind buying an unsubsidised handset; I always do that.

Not that I mind paying £15 a month, 50%, more for 30% less minutes and 50% less texts because I'll have included data.

Not that I mind being on O2; I've been with you for ten years.

The bit I can't understand is being tied to a contract for 18 months. What am I getting for that commitment? Visual Voicemail? Is that all? I only get 3 or 4 voicemails a week and, to be honest, I don't care if I have to listen to them all at once.

Tell me O2, what do I get for my commitment? Apart from having to tie myself to a service that may not deliver (although I've never walked, I like the option) or a handset that may not be suitable in six months.

I would have asked you via your web-site (which isn't great at working with Safari, by the way) but I can only send short questions on that. It doesn't say how short just that my question was too long. Even after four sets of editing.


Yours

MacBook Pro / iPod Nano / MacPro owner.

[jApple]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

like Apple's deal with U.S. carrier AT&T Wireless, O2's exclusive contract to sell and service iPhone in the UK spans 5 years, expiring sometime in late 2012.

I'm surprised that Apple had to sign the same long exclusive. I would have thought that after ATT's success with the iPhone Apple would have had more leverage to negotiate a less lengthy exclusive.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Bear

The odds of the battery needing to be replaced in under two or three years is pretty slim. And the people whose batteries are most likely to die from use are the ones likely to buy a new phone. Yes you may get some random failures not due to usage/chaging habits, but that should be a very low number in the first 2 or 3 years.

I think the battery is probably going to fade a lot quicker than the iPod just because it's used a lot more. Most normal phones don't seem to last longer than a couple days on a charge. People saying they recharge their iPhone every day seem to be pretty prevalent, it's what goes with the smart phone territory. Battery capacity fades a tiny bit on every charge too. So in about 13 months, you're already down to 80% of original capacity, assuming the battery performs as good as Apple claims.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by mono

Not that I mind buying an unsubsidised handset; I always do that.

It's not really an unsubsidized device, it's just subsidized in a different way than usually done.

[addabox]

Originally Posted by DaveGee

Sammy Davis, Flip Wilson...... Must resist, must resist... KIDDING!!!

D

Oh, but it gets worse: the black guy we're apparently having trouble singling out is actually "Pigmeat" Markham, a black vaudevillian who got national exposure on Laugh In at a time when black performers were still working the "chitlin' circuit" in front of all black audiences.

[ikir]

8,000 in one day is a lot for any european contry. And iPhone is a outstanding product, sadly here in italy "flat" for data doens't exist, you can pay even 100 euros/months but yuo will not have unlimited data. I would buy iPhone now if it is released here with Gemran or Uk prices, data is important for me.

[jimf1912]

Originally Posted by Ireland

User-replaceable battery is the least of your problems

Ireland, care to expand on your quote?

I am new to smartphones, I've seen folks struggle with Blackberries and the like, they didn't really float my boat. Having been an Apple user since 1992, I was interested in the iphone, but was pretty ambivalent about it, thinking I'd wait for version 2 with 3G, a better camera, etc etc, despite my existing O2 contract being up.

Then I read the review on Trusted Reviews. That convinced me. I dropped into a quiet Carphone Warehouse first thing Sat morning, fired up my Mac when I got home, and sailed through the activation process on iTunes. Within 15-20 minutes, my existing number was active on the iPhone, and the SIM disabled (for my existing number) on the old phone.

I can live with the fact that O2's network coverage isn't fantastic where I live (but the same on the old phone), and the fact that EDGE isn't available everywhere. Even so, it does the job. For me, the user experience is just fantastic - even better than I was expecting.

From what I know of smartphones, its clearly NOT a business phone. Its an effective crossover of personal phone with some business functionality, and REAL internet.

Folks on here who are dissing the device - remember that its not for everyone, we all have different needs. Yes it could be better, but I am still happy with mine. And in 18 months, I'll look again at what's on the market. It might be another iPhone, but we'll see.

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by jimf1912

Then I read the review on Trusted Reviews. That convinced me. I dropped into a quiet Carphone Warehouse first thing Sat morning, fired up my Mac when I got home, and sailed through the activation process on iTunes. Within 15-20 minutes, my existing number was active on the iPhone, and the SIM disabled (for my existing number) on the old phone.

So can you take the new working SIM out of the iPhone and have it working in your old phone too or does it only work in your iPhone?

[Lemon Bon Bon.]

iphone=revolution. It reallly is great. I played with one. It IS astonishing. The best blend of software and hardware ever.

However.

£269. No problem.
02? No problem.
Lock in? No problem.
18 month contract. Hmm. I could live with that.

But...£35 a month for my contract...per MONTH!?!??!

That's more than I'd pay for Sky, phone and INternet. More than one of my weekly food bills.

It's...I pay as you go now. And if I use £10? In two months?

Hey. I told the 02 lady. Tell Steve Jobs and 02 management. The £35 a month is an eye gauge too far. And that short of being hit with red kryptonite...? I wouldn't be buying for Christmas...or after until the plan is in the £10-15 range.

Lemon Bon Bon.

[Lemon Bon Bon.]

Yeesh. I guess all the blind people wandering around with the long silver spoons get to play 1st. I'll just keep poppin' into the store to get my fix.



Lemon Bon Bon.

[SpinDrift]

Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon.

iphone=revolution. It reallly is great. I played with one. It IS astonishing. The best blend of software and hardware ever.

However.

£269. No problem.
02? No problem.
Lock in? No problem.
18 month contract. Hmm. I could live with that.

But...£35 a month for my contract...per MONTH!?!??!

That's more than I'd pay for Sky, phone and INternet. More than one of my weekly food bills.

It's...I pay as you go now. And if I use £10? In two months?

Hey. I told the 02 lady. Tell Steve Jobs and 02 management. The £35 a month is an eye gauge too far. And that short of being hit with red kryptonite...? I wouldn't be buying for Christmas...or after until the plan is in the £10-15 range.

Lemon Bon Bon.

OK, you spend all day sending email and surfing the web on your PAYG phone and see how much you spend! £35 / month for unlimited data is a bargain mate!

Orange Data plans for example:
(These plans are data only and do not include calls)

£23.50 - 65 MB
£41.13 - 80 MB
£52.88 - 400 MB

[Lemon Bon Bon.]

you spend all day sending email and surfing the web on your PAYG phone

I don't. And there's millions like me.

Lemon Bon Bon.

[mrtotes]

Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon.

I don't. And there's millions like me.

Lemon Bon Bon.

Then the iPhone's not for you. Get a iPod touch and one of the Sony Ericssons that plays nicely with OS X/iCal etc.

If I really wanted Internet on the move I'd probably get one of these for my TiBook:

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobil...home_broadband

[aegisdesign]

Originally Posted by SpinDrift

OK, you spend all day sending email and surfing the web on your PAYG phone and see how much you spend! £35 / month for unlimited data is a bargain mate!

Orange Data plans for example:
(These plans are data only and do not include calls)

£23.50 - 65 MB
£41.13 - 80 MB
£52.88 - 400 MB

It's easy to get suckered in to expensive contracts. On Orange PAYG, it's £1 a day with a 25MB limit but I'm not sure they police it at all. Certainly I went about two weeks without broadband recently (due to BT cocking up a line move) and used my mobile on PAYG data as my main net connection to my Mac and I'm certain I was WAY over their limit. It also showed me that not having 3G is a BIG mistake.

They also do a £5 a month unlimited evenings and weekends bundle. If you're only an occasional data user outside of a wifi hotspot then Orange PAYG may actually be a lot cheaper than the £20 extra you're paying on O2 and of course the beauty is you can stop paying if you want to.

Also, on O2 and Orange Business contracts the data plans are both more generous and cheaper. Unfortunately O2 won't give you an iPhone on a Business contract which is a pity as that gives you free calls/texts within your company. Normal consumer contracts generally suck.