[Ben]

O2 is looking to win over eBay buyers who've picked up a second-hand iPhone or another make of smartphone. Today it launched new 'Simplicity' Sim-only tarrifs aimed at people who aren't looking for a new handset.

The packages will also encourage iPhone owners who've come to the end of their contract to stay with the cellco, O2 undoubtedly hopes.

Prices start at £15 a month, which includes 300 minutes' call time, unlimited texting, unlimited data and unlimited Wi-Fi hotspot use. Monthly subs run to £45, which puts no limit on the bundled call minutes.

Those rates tie the subscriber to a 12-month contract. If you want to be bound for only 30 days, you'll pay an extra fiver a month for the same airtime, text and Wi-Fi limits.

O2 said punters can add internet tethering to their subs for £10 a month - with a 3GB data transfer limit - or £2 a day, which appears to grant you 10GB of data in 30-day period.

The carrier applied the same price structure for other smartphone Sim-only packages with the same call time, text and data limits, but not bundled Wi-Fi hotspot access.

Vodafone introduced a similar Sim-only tariff rejig earlier this month.
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2010/02/26/o2_iphone_sim_only_tariff_revamp/

So £45 for unlimited everything? ^5

[Hands0n]

Hmmm, this may well be the realisation of 3GSU's one fee all inclusive deal that he's been speculating about for the past several years :) Although at £45 I think I would pass - unless I eschewed my landline and all other forms of communications. But then I'd pretty much only break even ...

So well done O2 - except that I could never use them again. The experience on their network was horrible - it felt like being on a 1980s cellular network. And 3G? Forget it as a bad joke!

[getti]

I have an O2 Sim only with 30% discount and am quite tempted to change to the £45 Unlimited plan dropping it to £31.50 then £5 for data.

[Hands0n]

I have an O2 Sim only with 30% discount and am quite tempted to change to the £45 Unlimited plan dropping it to £31.50 then £5 for data.

If the O2 network is evident in your area it could be a very good thing to do. In my case it'd be a complete waste of £540 and a thoroughly disheartening experience to boot :(

[Ben]

I consider myself part of a 'newer breed' of mobile user that doesn't really consume voice minutes. In fact, going by my Vodafone bill apparently I don't even consume much data thanks to the iPhone's seamless WiFi. I'm a messenger and browser, and weirdly we seem to be getting incredibly good deals.

I'm on Voda's SIM only at the moment, but they've since done a revised model that can include WiFi. That might be nice... in-building penetration in Canterbury sucks, but I see a bit of Openzone floating around. I should probably ring them. Argh.

[getti]

I have a 30% discount as I know someone at O2, also get full 2G at home which is why i am considering it. However on the other side i would get 50% off T-Mobile even a sim only and also have 30% off my Vodafone line but i have had some big issues with them recently and been lied too so they are not on my Christmas card list atm

[hecatae]

as of today 18 month and 24 month contract tariffs have been revised too.

unlimited texts and non-inclusive mms, plus voicemail no longer free

[getti]

I have decided to stick to T-Mobile and Voda. Full HSDPA on these networks compared to 2G on O2 just really hit me how differently each company looks at their network. With the T-Orange merger looking to be agreed tomorrow if rumors are right the new company will have the best 3G network around which is what I am looking for.

Also helps i get 50% off T-Mobile :p

[Hands0n]

as of today 18 month and 24 month contract tariffs have been revised too.

unlimited texts and non-inclusive mms, plus voicemail no longer free

Oh well, there is little now to differentiate O2 from Vodafone then ... except that the latter includes "unlimited" texts in their 18/24 month contracts. And it also has a network that actually provides 3G outside of the metropolis in more than postage stamp-sized cells.

The value proposition at O2 just gets worse and worse.

[Ben]

Surely the O2/Voda sharing agreement will start to bear fruit soon, and there'll be much less to differentiate between the networks on a radio level? It surprises me how little we hear about the share agreements.

[a_ukboy]

as of today 18 month and 24 month contract tariffs have been revised too.

unlimited texts and non-inclusive mms, plus voicemail no longer free

Voicemail is still free within your inclusive mins, or 10ppm