Why multi-touch matters
Multi-touch. Most people’s first introduction to this futuristic user interface was the 2002 Spielburg movie, Minority Report. Manipulating a computer generated 3D environment with ease is where multi-touch comes into its own. For many, seeing Tom Cruise’s character flip and spin those images around was a kind of eureka moment, a realisation of how things might be ten years from now. What we didn’t quite know at the time was how we would get from the humble computer mouse to that super-slick UI. Did we ever imagine that it would be a phone?
How to get even cheaper iPhone tariffs
“O2 Open” is O2’s offer for the employees of selected corporate accounts. In a nutshell, if you or a friend work for an eligible company, then you can get 30% off any retail monthly tariff or £20 off any pay and go mobile that costs more than £80. Not bad.
It’s for in-store tariffs only (no online or SIMplicity deals), and Blackberrys, XDAs and PDAs are not part of the scheme. Until last Friday, iPhones were also excluded, but that has now changed.
This means you can get a free 8Gb iPhone on the £45/month tariff, which works out to £31.50 a month with the 30% discount applied. That’s pretty tasty!
There must be a gotcha?
From the FAQ: “The scheme is open to all new and present customers with the same deal. However, you cannot cancel your present O2 contract mid-term to join O2 Open.”
Until October 11th, O2 are offering those with existing iPhone contracts the choice to break their existing contract and upgrade to the iPhone 3G. I asked in-store on Friday, and was told that existing iPhone customers can also upgrade using O2 Open!
So: a new phone and I’ll be paying O2 less per month (for more minutes). What’s not to like? Suddenly, I’m not so bothered about missing out on a 16Gb iPhone on day one 
A video introduction to the new iPhone
I’m very happy to introduce a new contributor today – James Burland, of Nokia Creative and The Creative Life Blog.
James has put together a high quality video of the 3G iPhone, taking a close look at the external detail of the device.
It’s delicious torture for those of us who weren’t able to get their preferred iPhone today
Look out for more video from James soon.
Defeated! And the shops aren’t even open…
This was the scene outside Reading’s O2 store at 6.30 this morning.
See that man at the front of the queue? That’s Darren. Darren arrived at 2.30 this morning. That my friends, is dedicated geekery. The next in line did not get there until 5.15.
Almost everyone in line wanted the 16Gb version, and many are sure to be disappointed. I was – there won’t be any 16Gb iPhones left at the end of that queue, and I don’t want an 8Gb 3G iPhone, so I’ll have to wait for Apple to restock O2.
In the meantime though, there is the small matter of the new firmware. Super Monkey Ball here I come…
“Lite Activation” in iTunes for upgraders
Browsing through the confusion and anger on the O2 Customer Forums, I came across this post by chris22. He’s copied an email he received from O2 Customer Services detailing how to upgrade:
To upgrade to your new iPhone 3G, you’ll need to do the lite activation with your new iPhone 3G.
When you’ve received your iPhone, please follow the steps below to activate the new iPhone 3G through the ‘Lite Activation’ via iTunes:
1. You’ll need to connect your iPhone to your PC or Mac (Macintosh) via a data cable and then open iTunes on your PC or Mac.
2. You’ll then need to activate your iPhone via iTunes.
3. You’ll need to select the ‘Existing Customer’ radio button and then select the ‘Keep Number’ option.
4. You’ll then need to enter your mobile number
5. You’ll be sent a PIN (Personal Identification Number) to confirm that you’re the account owner.
6. You’ll then need to enter this PIN in the relevant field.
7. You’ll then be sent to last screen of activation (bypassing portal/iTunes account creation, tariff selection, terms and conditions).
8. Your iPhone will now synchronise with iTunes and it’ll be activated.
My first thought was that, seeing as the tariff selection screen in bypassed, how will this work for upgraders who are changing tariff?
Probable answer: I guess just go through the normal activation process rather than lite.
But then I thought – “Oh no, another PIN from O2!” Fingers crossed that this system holds up better than the PIN system used on the now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t upgrades website. Are we going to see another meltdown when thousands of people activate their new iPhones on Friday morning?
—
The email is posted in full at:
http://customerforum.o2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2567&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15
(scroll down a bit – I’m sorry but I can’t permalink to the exact post)
A response from O2
After yesterday’s debacle, I emailed O2’s CEO Matthew Key. There was no ranting from me, just a query to see if I will be able to buy a new iPhone on Friday. The emails are detailed in full after the “Read More” link, but here’s my summary of their response:
- New orders available from Apple, O2 and CPW stores
- Upgrades available from O2 and CPW stores
- We knew there was massive demand, but Apple didn’t give us enough to cover it
- If you don’t get one on Friday, we aren’t getting any more for a week
- Who would’ve thought the websites would get absolutely hammered?
I sympathise with the websites getting hit for 13,000 order submissions a second, but if you know there’s going to be massive demand, then you max out both the technological backend and fix the process so that orders are staggered. Come on, isn’t O2 a comms company?
I do appreciate that O2 responded to me, and that there wasn’t too much PR evasiveness in their reply. I knew that demand will still be high and stock low on Friday, so I’ll still be getting up early.
Read on for the letters in full.
UPDATE: Others have received exactly the same response.
O2 cockup redux
Bravo O2, bravo. Not content with Carphone Warehouse messing up the launch of the original iPhone, Apple’s carrier partner in the UK went one better yesterday. Despite knowing something the level of demand (having sent out thousands of text messages to people who had registered interest), both the ordering system and O2’s PR went titsup.
It’s not entirely O2’s fault. They probably don’t have the stock to cope for the launch of a highly anticipated product that is in massive demand globally. But that aside, the ordering website – for upgraders at least – was woeful, and had clearly not been properly load-tested. For upgraders, this was especially frustrating as they were only allowed to buy iPhones online. That website is now not accepting any upgrade orders.
Upgraders – you can still get a 16GB 3G iPhone on Friday
If you currently have an iPhone with O2 and want a 16GB 3G iPhone on Friday, you’ll have been frustrated to find out that O2 are already out of stock for online orders.
Fear not, I thought, I’ll just pop along to my nearest O2 store and pick one up. I’ll phone them up in advance though, to confirm that I’ll be able to get one.
You can tell what’s coming.
One phone call later…
The store manager tells me that he can’t sell me (an existing customer) a new 3G iPhone on upgrade even if he could, because his system won’t allow it. What?!
Another phone call later…
iPhone Customer Service tells me, after contacting upper management, “No, that’s not the case”. I can get one in-store on Friday. Store managers may be confused because their systems won’t let them upgrade existing customers yet – but they will do as of Friday morning.
So if you do want a 3G 16Gb version, I’d phone ahead and ensure that your local O2 store knows that they will be able to upgrade you.
Oh, and the CS rep also told me that store opening is not 7.02am but 8.02 am. Loyal reader, have a lie in
Existing O2 customers can now order iPhone 3G
I received a text from O2 this morning to say that existing customers can now order their 3G iPhone.
iPhone 3G is here
The iPhone you’ve been waiting to early upgrade to. Order from 8am today.
As an iPhone fan, we are offering you a special, early upgrade to iPhone 3G.
This offer is only available at o2.co.uk/iPhone until 11th October 2008. Terms apply.
You can’t upgrade from your iPhone, so you’ll need to go onto your Mac or PC and onto o2.co.uk/iPhone from 8am today. You will also need to have your account number to hand that you can find on top of your online bill.
Demand is expected to be very high, so to be fair to all customers, orders will be placed on a first come first served basis.
Initial successful orders will be delivered on 11th July by courier and will require a signature as proof of receipt.
*Subject to availability. Connection subject to status, new 18month minimum term contract, credit check & direct debit.
I’d love to order my new iPhone, but unfortunately as of 10am today, the upgrade link isn’t working 
And the sales option via the iPhone customer service line (2302) goes to a null tone, but you can’t upgrade by phone anyway.
Only on O2…
UPDATE: You can try an alternate upgrade link – http://upgrades.o2.co.uk/failover/index.html – but so far it’s only produced errors for me.
UPDATE 2: The site is now back online.
UPDATE 3: No it isn’t.