Just as I finished a column about what O2 should do next to placate its customers who couldn’t upgrade to the 3G model today, the company issued a press release. The good news is that “to ensure fairness, O2 will sell the device on a strictly first come, first served basis to both new and upgrading customers in all retail outlets”. The operator confirmed that its online shop completely sold out of 3G iPhones within a few hours of taking pre-orders this morning, and claimed that it had “invested several million pounds to increase the order capacity of the site” to “over 250 times its normal rate”, yet admitted that it “still couldn’t process the sheer weight of demand”. Hmm. O2 says it’ll continue to publicise new supplies of the 3G model on its website, while it’s also starting to take orders for iPhones through its O2 Business channels. Finally, it’s confirmed that the Pay and Go 3G iPhone won’t be on sale this Friday, but instead will be out “in time for the Christmas shopping period, with pricing details to be confirmed closer to launch”.
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This is great news. Is there an official source of the press release, I looked on their site and could not find one after 2.7.08 ?
actually, there are two different types of upgrade customer. 1. O2 customer and 2. O2 iphone customer the latter according to the O2 site have to upgrade online…..
David is correct – have you got the text of this press release so we can confirm it does actually include O2 iPhone owners, not just O2 owners of other handsets?
Thanks
Sure, here goes with the copy’n'paste:
07/07/2008 08:49
O2 Sees Unprecedented Demand for iPhone 3G
iPhone 3G goes on sale in stores at 8.02am on 11 July
O2 today announced that Apple’s highly anticipated iPhone 3G will go on general sale from 8.02am on Friday 11 July in O2, Apple and Carphone Warehouse retail stores*. To ensure fairness, O2 will sell the device on a strictly first come, first served basis to both new and upgrading customers in all retail outlets.
Demand for the revolutionary device is already at unprecedented levels, far in excess of the original iPhone. “We’ve never seen any mobile device create the excitement and demand of the iPhone 3G,” said Ronan Dunne, CEO of O2 in the UK. “We want to ensure that everyone who wants an iPhone 3G can get one so we’ll be working with Apple to continually replenish our supplies throughout the summer.”
This morning customers who had pre-registered their interest in iPhone 3G were given the opportunity to purchase via O2’s online shop (http://shop.o2.co.uk) a limited stock of devices which had been set aside. The response was so great that the online store completely sold out of iPhone 3Gs within just a few hours. Though O2 had invested several million pounds to increase the order capacity of the site (with order processing capacity increased by over 250 times its normal rate), at times the site still couldn’t process the sheer weight of demand.
Details of when new supplies of iPhone 3Gs will be available via the O2 online shop will be updated regularly via the website.
Business customers can from today also start placing orders for iPhone 3G through O2 business channels. Delivery timings will be communicated when an order is placed.
iPhone 3G combines all the revolutionary features of iPhone with 3G networking that is significantly faster than the first generation iPhone. The device has built-in GPS for expanded location based mobile services, iPhone 2.0 software (which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync) and runs the hundreds of third party applications already built with the recently released iPhone SDK. These can be accessed via iTunes.
The 8GB iPhone 3G will be available for free to customers opting for the £45 or £75 tariffs and £99 on the £30 and £35 per month tariffs. The 16GB model will cost £159 on the £30 and £35 tariffs, £59 on the £45 tariff and it will be free on the £75 tariff. All customers will continue to receive unlimited UK data browsing over O2’s mobile network and unlimited access to over 9,000 Wi-Fi hotspots through both The Cloud and BT Openzone***.
Existing iPhone customers can upgrade early to the iPhone 3G through O2 channels by re-signing a new 18 month contract, taking advantage of the same great offer as new customers. They will then be able to give their existing 2G iPhone to a friend, family member or colleague who can transfer onto an iPhone tariff if they are an existing O2 Pay Monthly or business customer, stick in their existing O2 SIM and buy the appropriate Bolt Ons for unlimited data, or buy an iPhone Pay & Go SIM card from 11 July offering unlimited data and unlimited Wi-Fi access to The Cloud and BT Openzone hotspots for £10 per month. Full information is available on o2.co.uk/iPhone.
The iPhone 3G will launch on O2 Pay and Go (Prepay) in time for the Christmas shopping period, with pricing details to be confirmed closer to launch.
-ends-
Note to editors:
*The iPhone 3G will go on sale at 8.02am in all Apple stores and at selected O2 and Carphone Warehouse stores on the high street. All remaining stores will open at standard trading times. Check with your local store or online for opening times.
**Based on 3G and EDGE testing. Actual speeds vary by site conditions.
*** Subject to O2’s excessive use policy
So, I took that to mean existing iPhone customers can only upgrade EARLY online, but that they can also upgrade in-store on Friday if they’re happy to queue..
If that’s not the case, obv, I shall be liveblogging it with suitable outrage from a laptop outside my local O2 store at 8.04am on Friday ;o)
I will be joining you…. if I queue after all of this and find we can not upgrade in store….I will be very upset.
I *may* consider although after all these screw-ups i’m debating whether to bother at all.
It wouldn’t be so bad if either O2 or Apple apologised to those of us who wasted hours trying to order one but hey.
If I do go, and am told I cannot upgrade in store, most likely, I may get a little annoyed, rant a little about O2 in front of the poor mugs queuing and hopefully get one or two to leave
i’m with you guys i will kick off if they cock this up