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O2 Ireland defends high iPhone costs
As we reported last week, O2 is set to release the iPhone in Ireland at either €399 (8GB model) or €499 (16GB). That's approximately $605US or $757US, respectively. Consider that their cheapest contract runs for 18 months (which figures out to a minimun of €1,209) with 1GB of data per month, no visual voicemail and 175 call minutes, and some customers are unhappy. However, O2 Ireland's CEO Danuta Gray has an answer."...I have music on it, videos on it, DVDs, photo albums, camera. To me it's just an amazing device and I think the type of price here compared with this type of functionality is where the value should be judged."She goes on to predict that Apple fans will be lined up (or "queuing" as they say over there) when the phones become available, and we agree. After all, some of us (yours truly included) paid the Early Adopter Fee for our American iPhones.
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.
UK iPhones having service / reception issues?
It's not clear how widespread the problem is, but a number of iPhone users in the UK are reporting serious reception issues on O2's network. Our source in the UK has told us that his O2 iPhone currently has no service in the same room as other O2 phones with five bars and an unlocked iPhone on Vodafone with full service, and Apple's UK support forums are buzzing with similar reports. Users are also reporting that replacement iPhones don't exhibit the same problems, so the problem might be with the device itself -- but that would be strange, seeing as iPhones in other countries don't have the same issues. For its part, Apple appears to be replacing units as they're brought in, and hasn't made any official statement on the matter yet -- any UK iPhone users out there care to chime in?[Thanks, Wil]Read - InformationWeek articleRead - Apple Support thread about the issue
Hands-on with O2's Xda terra
While O2 announced two new Windows Mobile handsets yesterday -- the Xda terra and nova -- sadly, we were only able to get our mitts on one of them this morning at CeBIT. It seems the Nova part of the "Terra Nova" duo was missing in action, as the device is apparently still being tweaked to perfection by the gents at O2. Unlike its HTC Herald-based twins known as the Vodafone VPA Compact IV, Dopod C800, and the original HTC P4350, the Terra flies out the door rockin' Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Thinner than the TyTn and sporting that full QWERTZ keyboard we all love, you can expect it to hit 02 retail in May. Hands-on with O2's xda terra
