Vodafone: iPhone Jan 14, tariffs revealed, 1GB data cap, tethering...

Jonny Evans
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December 21, 2009
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Vodafone will begin selling the iPhone on January 14, 2010, in the UK - but has announced price tariffs which seemingly reduce the chance of a consumer-benefiting price war between carriers here.

The cheapest Vodafone tariff will be £30/month for 24 months, plus additional handset charges ranging from £59 (iPhone 8GB) to £239 (3GS 32GB).

Vittorio Colao, Vodafone’s chief executive, admitted last July that its UK business had been “hurt” by the absence of a deal with Apple to sell the iPhone. Vodafone was the UK’s largest mobile operator, but O2 overtook it in 2006, and the iPhone deal in 2007 enabled it to strengthen its grip on the market.

The carrier is also imposing a 1GB data usage limit on customers - competitor Orange has a 750MB limit. Vodafone will be offering unlimited WiFi.

Customers will also be able to use up to 1GB data on one of the UK's largest Wi-Fi networks, BT Openzone. Vodafone is also offering iPhone users the chance to use their iPhone as a modem to get themselves online. “Customers wishing to use their iPhone as a modem can do so for £5 for 500MB, £10 for 1.5GB or £15 for 3GB,” the company said.

Guy Laurence, chief executive of Vodafone UK, said that the company had been preparing its network for over a year to handle the introduction of the iPhone.

Laurence also said: “We started preparing our network over a year ago so that iPhone customers will really feel the advantage of being with Vodafone,” he said. "We will offer an outstanding iPhone experience wherever our customers live, work and travel, delivering speed and reliability - something our customers have told us they really value."

Tesco offers the 3G iPhone on a 12 month contract at £20 per month. However, customers pay £222 for the handset.

As a thank you to consumer customers who have already registered interest in iPhone and choose to pre-order, Vodafone will give them free Vodafone to Vodafone phone calls, for the life of their initial contract.

Meanwhile, as carriers consider the move toward data services on iPhones and prepare themselves for the impact of VoIP calling entering mainstream use, O2 has announced plans to buy Israeli VoIP firm, Jajah.

Comments (12)

Carnegie (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 4:00am

So the new iphone (4G) is already being tested in California & is being released on June 28th, so people need to think very hard about signing up to anything longer than a 6 month contract (which obviously doesn’t exist). There’s nothing particularly to like about these tariffs (I’m already using Vodafone on a 30 day rolling contract 250mins/500texts/500gb data @ £9.96 per month). These tariffs are such a let down.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 5:00am

Agree, pricey plans in comparison to o2, though consistent with Vodafone's brand positioning.

Not worth it, unless someone can tell me what my average GB usage per month has been for the past 18 months...?

Why buy now when June doesn't seem that far off (even though I lost my own uninsured 3G last week so am also going to have to wait).

 

BT (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 7:51am

I've never used more than 1gb a month in cell data.  Are the voice minutes a flat rate or is this similar to anytime minutes here?  

I sure would like the included unlimited texts here (I still can't believe AT&T charges 20 on top of the data charge for this - a charge I still can't stomach paying).  I have never understood why our telecos here are so backwards on the texting.

LD (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 8:05am

I regularly go well over 1GB/month.  Luckily I have unlimited data with AT&T.  3 weeks into this billing cycle and I am at 9GB.  And I work from home with wifi, so I can't imagine if I wasn't home 5 days a week from 8-5 what my use would be!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 12:25pm

I could understand a cap if it was a sane one. Any provider can look at the iPhone and work out that the inevitable syncing sessions, some email, the odd browsing session and so on will easily take a user over 1GB in a month. In fact my usage is not high on my iPhone but seems to have been over 1GB every month of the 13 I have had it!

It looks like Vodafone want the iPhone on its price list, but do not want iPhone USERS! Having waited to see their tariffs and hoping they were better than Orange's (which were poor), I find that my existing O2 tariff is the best after all. Lousy network, grim 3G coverage, poor reliability (the data network went offline this morning again). But the best tariff.

So my imminent iPhone replacement choice is poor O2, slightly poorer Orange or grim Vodafone? Looks like I will just grit my teeth and stay with O2!

CMEdinburgh (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 12:26pm

I could understand a cap if it was a sane one. Any provider can look at the iPhone and work out that the inevitable syncing sessions, some email, the odd browsing session and so on will easily take a user over 1GB in a month. In fact my usage is not high on my iPhone but seems to have been over 1GB every month of the 13 I have had it!

It looks like Vodafone want the iPhone on its price list, but do not want iPhone USERS! Having waited to see their tariffs and hoping they were better than Orange's (which were poor), I find that my existing O2 tariff is the best after all. Lousy network, grim 3G coverage, poor reliability (the data network went offline this morning again). But the best tariff.

So my imminent iPhone replacement choice is poor O2, slightly poorer Orange or grim Vodafone? Looks like I will just grit my teeth and stay with O2!

CMEdinburgh (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 12:27pm

I could understand a cap if it was a sane one. Any provider can look at the iPhone and work out that the inevitable syncing sessions, some email, the odd browsing session and so on will easily take a user over 1GB in a month. In fact my usage is not high on my iPhone but seems to have been over 1GB every month of the 13 I have had it!

It looks like Vodafone want the iPhone on its price list, but do not want iPhone USERS! Having waited to see their tariffs and hoping they were better than Orange's (which were poor), I find that my existing O2 tariff is the best after all. Lousy network, grim 3G coverage, poor reliability (the data network went offline this morning again). But the best tariff.

So my imminent iPhone replacement choice is poor O2, slightly poorer Orange or grim Vodafone? Looks like I will just grit my teeth and stay with O2!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 12:29pm

It is disappointing to see that Vodafone's prices don't indicate any real competition in the market. With Orange prices being similar it appears that either Apple controls (to a large extent) the pricing structures, or the UK phone operators are exhibiting slight 'cartel' tendencies.

 

Tesco has introduced some competition but nothing significant.

 

When will Apple sell unlocked iPhones in the UK?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 1:25pm

They are definitely a cartel. By the time the European body in charge of this finds out and acts, 5 years or more will have gone by. I'm sorry, but cartels among established players is a common fact in spite of the cost when caught.

I am a Vodafone user. Have been waiting for them to offer the iPhone. I'm so dissappointed I will now move to another network (probably O2 or Tesco), but won't get the iPhone. After all this, I rather wait to buy it free of any ties, like I did with my Blackberry.

Who knows, between now and July, which is when I expect Apple will understand that it is better for customers if they can buy the phone without any abusive contracts, we might have some alternative by the likes of Google and the google phone.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 1:28pm

What does it mean "Unlimited" Wi-Fi? BT OpenWorld unlimited?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | December 21, 2009 - 2:08pm

What about pay and go option? I'm with O2 at the moment but would give Vodafone a try as O2's 3G service is a joke!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | January 03, 2010 - 4:19am

Why anyone would bother with vodagrone iphone tarrif is beyond me ! I am a current iPhone o2 user & believe me


people are gonna get hit with large bills because of the 1GB data cap !!!


Also on June 19th the iPhone 4G HD will be released so the 3gs is already dated !


Which carrier will get it i wonder ? (02 me thinks !)