O2 iPhone Customers Allowed To Unlock For Free, Network Offers Sky Mobile TV Trial
It looks to be an amicable split between O2 and the iPhone, with T3 reporting that owners of Apple’s device on the network will be allowed to unlock their devices and roam freely at the end of their contract.
This puts paid to rumours that O2 would shackle iPhone lovers looking to switch, as pay monthly customers will be permitted to leave at no cost, whilst prepay folk will be required to cough up a mere £15 upon departure.
O2’s CEO Matthew Key was upbeat in the face of a potential exodus, with Orange advertising proudly the strength of their 3G network as many users face reception issues on the bubbly network:
“Once the iPhone becomes available on other UK networks, we will allow O2 customers to unlock their iPhones, although of course they will still need to honour any outstanding contract period they have.”
“At the end of their contract period, they are entirely free to move to another operator – though naturally we hope they won’t want to!”
On the issue of reception, Keys said:
“We are constantly increasing the capacity of our networks and the good news is that we now better understand and know what fixes we need to put in place to improve our levels of service.”
With the iPhone on Orange due to launch on the 10th of November, the anticipation of availablity of the coveted device has reached fever pitch, with a bumper launch both in store and online from 7am (if they can get past the throngs of gamers in line for Modern Warfare 2!).
O2 has made an attempt to retain some customers by offering a 3 month trial of Sky Mobile TV, an app enabling subscribers to watch Sky Sports 1,2 and 3, Sky Sports News, Sky Sports Extra, Sky News, At the Races and ESPN live on their iPhones.
A text to the number 2020 waives the £6 monthly line rental required for the Wi-Fi only service, but with TVCatchUp enabling FreeView on handsets for nothing, this gesture may serve as little incentive for O2 customers to stick around…
Tags: iPhone, iphone on orange, iphone orange deals, o2, o2 iphone, Orange, tv catchup