Orange UK's iPhone contract & pay as you go pricing plans detailed

We're just about a week away from the Orange iPhone launch, and if you folks across the pond were wondering what the deal was going to cost you, you now have your answer thanks to a dizzying but thoroughly helpful series of tables that lay out the costs of the phones, plans, and the various accoutrement to be included. Those willing to sign up for 24 months can get an 8GB iPhone 3G for free for a minimum of £29.36 ($48) per month, but step up to the £122.34 ($200) monthly plan with unlimited everything and you'll get a 32GB 3GS gratis. Meanwhile, on a pay as you go plan that same 8GB 3G will cost you £343 ($561), while the 32GB 3GS is a rather more painful £539 ($881 -- haven't you figured out the conversion rate yet?). You know what that means: contract ahoy.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 12:38PM]

Will orange lift there "unlimited internet allowance" which is capped at 500mb then ?

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 2:14PM]

ouch, so much for the iphone price wars.

[OrsonX Posted Nov 2nd 2009 4:19PM]

24 Months!!

"....just sign in blood here sir, thank you..."

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 2nd 2009 4:24PM]

@ Iain.
O2 got rid of their 200MB FUP cap a good year ago or so. This cap, when it was in place, was for those on PAYG, it was never the case for those on monthly contracts. I regularly use approximately 1.5 - 2GB a month and have done so for some time without O2 coming down on me like a tonne of bricks.

I would have expected Orange to provide a better deal than O2. I'll stick with O2 thanks.

[Step666 Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:31PM]

Actually, it did/does apply to contracts.
At the time O2 didn't offer 'unlimited' monthly web bundles on PAYG.

And all O2 did was re-word things to hide the value that they will limit you to if they deem your usage excessive but it is still 200MB - that's the figure they still tell their official retail partners.
If you read, for example, a Carphone Warehouse catalogue, on the page where it details all the different network's tariffs it also makes mention of the size of 'unlimited' web bundles and it still states 200MB. That information has to be correct otherwise they'd fall foul of advertising laws.

And it wouldn't be the first time that a network was deliberately vague whilst a retail partner had the correct information available to them.
I have a mate who's on Vodafone. He was told by Voda that he had a truly unlimited web bundle when he upgraded hos contract, he later read on (I think) P4U's website that the bundle was only 500MB and when he called Voda to check they confirmed it was actually just the half a gig.


As I've said though, the precise value is not important as these aren't limits, they're just nominal values quoted in the small print by the networks to cover themselves legally.
Plenty of people go over their FUP values and are never charged.

[JBaker Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:27PM]

In order to get unlimited texts you HAVE to pay £122 a month? That is outrageous. The monthly rate is clearly only that high because the 3GS 32GB is free on that tariff, but what if you want unlimited texts on the cheaper phones?

They should really scale the texts with the minutes also.

I've been with Orange for 3 years - they better have a sweet loyalty deal for me on a 3GS.

[Step666 Posted Nov 2nd 2009 5:32PM]

Don't hold your breath.
If it's like O2, then there won't be any loyalty discounts.

[(Unverified) Posted Nov 3rd 2009 10:19AM]

There will be no loyalty deal, i have just rung up orange and basically not interested in offering me anything with the iphone, normally if you wanted to leave they would crawl over hot coals to offer you the phone phone you want cheap or free, did i get offered anything off a iphone for being loyal for 3 years, absolutley nothing, just a excuse that its a super duper phone and very expensive, but the last time i renewed my contract