The Problem

The real problem is that Apple updates hardware on a 12 month cycle whilst O2 has contracts on a 18 month cycle.

There needs to be some way of ratifying this, and it should be O2 that give customers 12 month contract. I get that there might be higher monthly costs so that we can pay of the subsidy over a year and not 18/24 months, but that’s the price we pay for cool new stuff.

One way to appease iPhone users right now is to give them an option to just pay off the subsidy on the iPhone and extend the contract to cover paying for the new phone.

If you talk to someone from O2 you will be told that most of the upcoming benefits come from the software upgrade not the hardware upgrade and so will be available to all current 3G owners. I have mentioned this previously and agree with them.

Unfortunately the 3 new features I want are:

1. Higher res camera with auto focus
2. Voice commands
3. Better possessor

I’d not bother with the hardware upgrade. but they are the three things I’ve always wanted on my iPhone, and so I will be waiting outside O2 to get mine on the 19^th.

There is some hope if you want to upgrade early though. Check how much of an “Early upgrade” you can get. Every iPhone customer can get one, it could be 6 months but it might only be one month:

All O2 Pay Monthly customers are part of O2 Priority List and those paying £35 or more a month, have the oppotunity to upgrade early. Customers won’t have to see out the full term of their existing contract before being eligible for an upgrade.

• All customers continually spending over a minimum of £80.00 a month, receive a 6 month early upgrade
• All customers continually spending over a minimum of £50.00 a month, receive a 3 month early upgrade
• All customers continually spending a minimum of £35.00 a month, receive a 1 month early upgrade