[gbp]

Besides , average mainstream European mobile phone user knows more about the phones than the average American mobile phone user.

For example , you do not have to explain to the European user about multitasking and how the Pre has a better UI to tap into this multitasking thing.

[Duo]

Ummmm....you don't pay an extra £108.67 to get a "FREE" phone...You pay it to have service for an extra 6 months which would normally cost 6 x £34.96 = £209.76 more, but now it only costs you £108.67 more.

I see what you mean but you are locked in a contract for 2 years verus 18 months and have to pay £108.67 for the priviledge. You do not get anymore messages or minutes on the 24 month plan.

My first post was wrong, I edited, see above.

Still makes sense though, unless all you need is the phone and don't care about the plan at all. However, I assume you're going to use your phone.

You can take the Pre for £34.26 for 18 months with 600 mins + 500 texts + Internet + Wi-Fi and pay £96.89

Total: £713.57

Then for the remaining 6 months you could get the SIM Only option with 600 mins and 1,200 texts + Internet for £19.58.

Total: £831.05

18 Month Contract + 6 Months SIM Only: £831.05
Straight £24 Month Contract: £822.24

Only a small difference but massive flexibility after 18 months. However you do loose Wi-Fi but since this is UK only I personally don't see it as much of a loss when you have an unlimited 3G data tariff. It can be added for £7.34 per month unless O2 offer a combined Internet and Wi-Fi tariff for £10 for the Pre like they do for the iPhone, which should make it much cheaper.

[no1smartphone]

I am not sure what your brother does for living , I know folks who work for NHS ( their hospital system) who use WinMo all the time and don't like iPhone at all. Some of the folks are old PALM faithful. They used few of the medical software on old PALM OS. They were are looking at Pre as an alternative to their "reboot a day" WinMos.

He's a Dr. He won't be running any medical software on his phone - needed it for MS Exchange more than anything else and preferred a keyboard but after using my Iphone he was won over.

Seriously though - Palm Pre Pricing in the UK is all wrong. At least in the US it was far far cheaper than the Iphone but in the UK it's just a tad cheaper.

He currently has a Winmo phone. The HTC Leo looks nice but I am getting sick of o2 getting exclusives. They spend all their effort in securing exclusives and not a penny on their netowork.

Vodafone has by far and away the best network.

[dansus]

On the contracts that O2 UK have released for the Pre it actually works out cheaper buying the phone for £96.89 on the 18 month £34.26 pm contract.

18 Month x £34.96= £616.68
+ £96.89

Totals= £713.57


24 Month x £34.96= £822.24
+ FREE Pre

Totals= £822.24

Difference of £108.67 for the priviledge of a "FREE" phone .

I am just finishing a 18 month contract with O2, don't know whether I could get a loyality discount

These prices take the P*ss and its not like they are built like bricks and will last 2 years, instant fail.



The N97 and N900 are way cheaper.

Combi 35 WnWalk with 500mins + 375 text + unlimited data is £39.15pm on a 12 months contract with only an upfront of £40.

Total cost £508.

Combi 30 + Web'n'Walk with 700mins + unlimited text + unlimited data is £34.26pm on a 18 months contract and free phone.

Total cost £616.

HTC Hero aka T-Mobile G2 Touch

Combi 35 + internet (18 months)

* FREE G2 Touch
* Unlimited internet
* 800 minutes
* Unlimited texts

All for just £36.50/month

What the hell is O2 doing? You should all hold off buying one in protest until the price comes down.
.

[no1smartphone]

Agree Dansus - you could see this coming from a mile away. o2 grabbed the Pre to protect their Iphone sales.

If Pre had gone to say Vodafone the last thing o2 wanted was a price war, so they decided its better to get the Pre and price it the same as the Iphone.

The N900 or HTC Leo are the phones for me - if the Pre was released about 6 months ago I would have bought one but now its just pointless as there are far better phones out. Palm missed the boat.

[kamakazikev24]

Agree Dansus - you could see this coming from a mile away. o2 grabbed the Pre to protect their Iphone sales.

If Pre had gone to say Vodafone the last thing o2 wanted was a price war, so they decided its better to get the Pre and price it the same as the Iphone.

The N900 or HTC Leo are the phones for me - if the Pre was released about 6 months ago I would have bought one but now its just pointless as there are far better phones out. Palm missed the boat.

Which one of these two will you go for? I think the N900 is on Vodafone - T mobile and the Leo is on o2. There both nice phones but I like the idea of the Mameo I think....

[dansus]

Which one of these two will you go for? I think the N900 is on Vodafone - T mobile and the Leo is on o2. There both nice phones but I like the idea of the Mameo I think....

The N900 will initially be available from a range of carriers through resellers, this is a good one;

Nokia N900 at MPDirect Free for £30pm on a 18month Tmobile contract if your interested.

CPW is offering it with O2 initially it seems, but im sure Vodafone and Tmobile will be there at launch.

Palm and O2 are just ripping us off with the Pre, im off to get the N900 on payg through Mobile Phones Direct, its only £392 and it will come unlocked and unbranded.



Bye Palm.
.

[no1smartphone]

Dansus

I have a business account with Voda so when they get the N900 I will be grabbing it with both hands. I will not touch o2 with a barge pole. Vodafone is far and away the best network. o2 is way way way overpriced.

Vodafone also have the Sony Ericsson Satio as do T-mobile.

n900 if the video demo are real then it wipes the floor of the Pre.

[Spooke]

*sigh* This pains me. I've already got a vendetta against o2 so to have to pay iPhone prices to get the Pre hurts.

I really want a pre though, I want to support Palm and I want them to continue but this is expensive and on a carrier who I really despise.

I'm going to read through the forums and see what these problems you guys have been talking about and then decide.

[no1smartphone]

As I said before I would have loved to support Palm as I wanted something different ot the Iphone but that was 6 months ago when there was no HTC leo or Nokia N900. I have always been a Nokia fan but recently they have lost their direction but if the N900 is upto scratch and it seems its available at a steal then its' mine.

One thing I find worrying is that with the Iphone entry into the market o2 and other operators have used to try force 24 month contracts onto people or really expensive 18 month contracts. The problem is the ones that fell for the expensive plans - I waited off and I am happy I did - sorry but I am not going to be fleeced £45 per month on a 18 month contract when I can get the same minutes and internet access for about £20-£25 (thats without a phone) but shows you how much o2 are taking in for the exclusivity.

One thing I have noticed every other phone no matter by who within 3 months has dropped to free on a £35 per month contract expect the Iphone whose price has not budged.

Sorry but if you are a sucker for an Iphone then pay for it - its a top phone no doubt but that great that I spend £45pm on it? No way.

[IphoneinScotland]

Has any existing O2 customers got any deals on the Pre for an upgrade yet? I am currently paying £25 per month for 600 minutes, 1000 texts and unlimited internet. I am expecting to lose this discount but wondered if anyone had managed any deals?

[ToniCipriani]

For those looking to get a Pre Unlocked in Germany and frustrated with the QWERTZ keyboard... here's a hint:

Rapid Repair - Palm Pre Repair Guide by RapidRepair
http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/Pa...-removal-1.jpg
... and your local Sprint store, won't you look at those phone dummies.

Oh, and once the UK webOS doctor is released, that too, just in case the software is different and is German only.

[symos]

That would void the warranty though, no?
If I'm going to buy a Pre without warranty, I'd rather buy a UK qwerty one off ebay and not have to do this myself.

Assuming of course an unlocking solution will be found, but I'm 100% certain it will and will probably even be provided by O2 themselves.

[ToniCipriani]

I'm buying parallel imported version from Germany in Hong Kong, so I could care less about warranty. I just need to test the heck out of it within the 7 days exchange period...

[donm527]

Most likely O2 grabbed Pre because they are losing exclusivity of iPhone.

O2 Loses iPhone Exclusivity In UK | Cult of Mac

Agree Dansus - you could see this coming from a mile away. o2 grabbed the Pre to protect their Iphone sales.

[spud101]

Just wondering. The Irish Pre, will it be the same SIM locked one as the UK version? Or do we still have a chance in an unlocked version there?

[crowning73]

For those looking to get a Pre Unlocked in Germany...

I'm here!

In your view, how long before we will find the d^mn thing on ebay.de?

In the UK many vendors have been taking pre pre-orders (excuse me the punt for a while, is this happening in Germany as well? What's the recommended retail price exactly?

[mencho]

I'm buying parallel imported version from Germany in Hong Kong, so I could care less about warranty. I just need to test the heck out of it within the 7 days exchange period...

How much is it in HK?

[donm527]

Vodafone to Sell iPhone in UK and Ireland - Vodafone

[ToniCipriani]

How much is it in HK?

Well nobody knows at this point... All I know is I will never, ever get it from Bell Mobility.

If anything I might look in Shenzhen as well... Those guys even got it working with China Mobile, so unlocked GSM should be no issue. If anything China's where the phones came from, via Hong Kong then to their intended destinations.

When units start showing up on Taobao (Chinese version of eBay), then I know the time is right.