Posts Tagged ‘iphone’
Consumers Having to Compare iPhone Deals on Anything But Price
March 3rd, 2010 by admin 
Looking for a decent deal on your mobile phone is a tricky task at the best of times, but with everyone scrambling for a piece of the Apple pie iPhone contracts seem fixed within some very rigid parameters.
The problem is that, demand for the iconic device is so high that Apple can afford to keep the price of it’s handsets high when selling to the carriers, who in turn make their profits on sheer sales volume.
O2 was the first network to carry the iPhone on it’s UK launch, way back in November of 2007 and for two years it remained the sole carrier of iPhone in the UK.
Hopes for a fall in the price of iPhone contracts were then pinned on Orange iPhone Deals, which were announced toward the end of 2009. However consumers, expectant of a drop in price to result from the increase in competition, were again disappointed.
Even wheniPhone’s third UK carrier, Vodafone pitched in with their own Vodafone iPhone deals this January, the price situation remained the same.
So, what’s a customer to do?
In the absence of any price war, it seems that consumers have had to choose a network according to other non-price criteria, for instance data policy or 3G coverage.
So how do the major networks’ iPhone deals measure up on non-price factors?
O2’s 3G network coverage has been notoriously patchy, so Orange and Vodafone are now keen to stress their superiority in that field – previously Orange have claimed to have the best coverage. For their part, Vodafone now advertise a ‘Sure Signal’ service which allows customers to boost the signal in their home.
Meanwhile, it turns out that so-called ‘Unlimited Internet’ deals are not the passes for unlimited internet access that they purported to be. Orange stipulates a 750MB monthly limit before they start asking questions. Vodafone, by comparison allows a more reasonable 1MB per month.
So it’s vital to bear in mind how heavy your data usage is likely to be – or you could end up with an unexpectedly large phone bill.
Lastly, contract length is an important consideration: Networks now offer 24 month contracts with slightly lower monthly costs, however considering that updates to the product come about every 6 months, being tied down to an older model for 25% longer than a 18 month contract might prove painful if you’re the sort of gadget freak who has to have the latest model.
Is the price situation going to improve for UK deal-seekers?
Most probably not. Considering the unwavering demand for Apple products it’s unlikely that prices for any Apple products are going to take a dip. And going forward you can expect the situation to prevail for future apple products too – for instance iPad and the next iteration of the iPhone (iPhone 4g) when they arrive in the UK later this year.
Professional Police Training: Police Trainer for the iPhone
May 26th, 2009 by admin
Developed zwstudio, Professional Police Training is a Police Trainer-inspired tap shooting game for the iPhone. Featuring “5 different types of skills to test: Accuracy, Reaction, Color and Shape, Judgement and Speed.” Available now through the App Store, priced at $0.99. Video after the break.