UK Networks - O2 v Orange

This one's for those in the UK who have an iPhone on Orange or O2

I'm currently on O2 with my iPhone 3G but my girlfriend, a long time Orange customer has recently upgraded to an iPhone 3GS. Being able to do some tests myself (using both our phones) for things such as 3G coverage, signal strength etc I am still deciding whether to move to Orange (who, on paper seem to have the bigger and better network that can handle the iPhone's demand for data easily) or stick with O2 whom I have not really had any issues with other than the less than impressive 3G coverage in certain areas - but is this enough to switch networks?

also, if any of you know of any flaws in either networks plans (data limits, loop holes etc)

Speaking of data limits - does anyone know the 'fair use' limit for O2 compared to Orange (which I think is 750MB/Month)

This is just a general 'what do you think' post really, as I am 50/50 at the moment whether to stay with O2 or move to Orange (I plan on finalising my decision when a new iPhone is announced, so I suppose that will be a factor in this too. Speaking of which, do O2 still hold any exclusivity rights to a new iPhone? Or is it fair game now for all?

I am in the exact same position here too. If we can't get a good deal from o2 (when it comes to upgrading to the future iPhone) I will be switching to Orange regardless. We have a lot of power with Orange, my dad joined them when mobile phones were only just coming in (the big black and white mobiles with long ariels) and has remained with them since. The whole family in-fact has been with them for a long time, 6 phones on high end contract means getting good deals when you get put through to customer services. My Brother has just got an iPhone 3GS on Orange, it is unfair to compare the 3G coverage/speed between the networks as mine is the 3G while his is the 3GS. I am sure there are some videos on youtube comparing two 3GS's on Orange and o2, I will have a search now and post them.

Edit:
Ok here is a video comparing them. They both have full bars so it is comparing the speed of the networks. Orange loads some pages faster while o2 loads other pages faster, I don't really understand it if I'm honest. What matters more to me is which network covers more areas, I can't actually get a 3G connection in my house (o2), yet my brother can on his 3GS which is on Orange. However this could be because of the improved signal receiver (or whatever it's called) on the 3GS which is why you can't compare them. If there are accurate statistics on which has better coverage in most areas, that will decide the winner for me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_TQA2K3nCg

As a current O2 customer and an ex Orange customer all I will say is I will probably never return to Orange, their network is THAT bad (or at least was that bad when i was with them)

I am in the process of moving from O2 to Orange.

I bought the iPhone 3G a little over a year ago and in the process, moved from Orange on my old phone (a Palm Treo) to O2 on the iPhone as that was then the only option in the UK.

O2's coverage is dreadful here in leafy Warwickshire. Admittedly when at Home I get no real coverage from anyone, but with O2 even at work in town there is usually no signal - or at best Edge or only GPRS.

So last month I started working on disconnecting from O2. This took 3 weeks and a number of emails asking for some progress. Finally, on Christmas Eve I received a test message to say it was unlocked.

I changed over to the Orange SIM I had bought for the purpose. I managed to get it connected, despite being at Home with almost no signal (much better signal than O2 but still not good). However, when I returned to work after Christmas I discovered the SIM does not work with 3G.

I now have a SIM which - according to Orange - does work with 3G, but still nothing better than GPRS. The signal when in town is maxed out, but still no more than GPRS. I am trying to find out why even this SIM will not receive 3G despite being assured that it is a 3G SIM.

So now I have what is effectively an original iPhone, i.e. no 3G.

This is PAYG, so I paid £400 a year ago for the phone, rarely got 3G with O2 because of their crappy signal and still can't get 3G with Orange for some reason. I have tried resetting the Network settings on the iPhone, I registered the SIM to this phone online and I have tried reconnecting the phone to iTunes. It shows the correct phone number in iTunes, but still no change. Orange have been in contact by email quite a lot. They promised to phone me but keep doing so when I am at Home with no signal, instead of at work where I get a signal.

I still feel I am very close to having a superb device which will be very useful (at work at least), but I am beginning to wish I had never bought the thing.

It looks nicer than the Palm Treo, but that did work. ;D

My girlfriend recently got an iPhone 3gs with Orange (i'm with 02) and the guy stood in front of us and told us that orange had the best 3G Service of all the networks..

What a statement to make.. So far no matter where in the UK we are, o2 have the same or quite often better signal than Orange.

The only reason she went with Orange was because they were offering her a slightly better deal..

I know with Orange you can get unlimited texts on an iPhone, whereas it seems to be quite difficult these days to talk O2 into giving you their unlimited text bolt on (I have it, but only because I already had it and told them I'd go elsewhere when they told me I couldn't have it after I upgraded). As for signal strength and 3G reception with the iPhone specifically, I couldn't comment - but when I was an Orange customer the reception certainly wasn't better than other networks', in fact it was decidedly worse. And their customer service is awful, as well. I'd never go back to Orange, even for the iPhone.

I am still trying to get my iPhone to receive 3G on Orange.

It seems there should be an option under Settings, General, Network, called Cellular Data. For some reason, my iPhone does not have this option. I have the option to enable 3G, which of course I have done, but below that is Data Roaming, with no Cellular Data option between the two.

I have tried resetting the iPhone back to factory default. I even tried Jailbreaking it, although I have now reset it back to normal again. Still no change. Does anyone know if Orange lock this out? If not, why does that not appear on my iPhone?

Do not switch to Orange! I unfortunately moved into an area where it is imposible to pick up O2 and was forced to switch to Orange, it totally sucks by comparison.

I mean O2 customer service must be the worst in the world but at least when they havent messed your bill up or whatever other crazy shizzle they fancy that month, the phone, reception, wifi etc etc works great unlike on Orange. Also weirdly on Orange if when you hang up people cant call you for around 60 seconds or so, they just go through to answer machine which is really annoying!

You know if someone says Ill call you right back you just end up with a message saying you have a voice mail cause they cant get through.

Plus I have never once connected up to Orange wifi, I dont think it exists and Orange cant give you any info regarding it either!

Nighthawk4 said:

I am still trying to get my iPhone to receive 3G on Orange.

It seems there should be an option under Settings, General, Network, called Cellular Data. For some reason, my iPhone does not have this option. I have the option to enable 3G, which of course I have done, but below that is Data Roaming, with no Cellular Data option between the two.

I have tried resetting the iPhone back to factory default. I even tried Jailbreaking it, although I have now reset it back to normal again. Still no change. Does anyone know if Orange lock this out? If not, why does that not appear on my iPhone?

Click to expand...

On mine you go to settings/general/network and the very top line says enable 3g? I have no Cellular data part either.

B005T3R said:

On mine you go to settings/general/network and the very top line says enable 3g? I have no Cellular data part either.

View attachment 12067

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That is good to hear. Thanks.

Exactly what I have, except of course mine does not say 'Orange 3G' at the top of the screen - it just says 'Orange' plus the little circle for GPRS.

I know what you mean, I sometimes get that little circle and no 3G in my house even though the majority of the time it is 3G.

I wouldnt sweat it, the 3G service is appalling compared to O2's.

I must live in the only city where Orange's 3G coverage and speed is far superior to o2's.

I had an iPhone 3G on o2 for 7 months, it had a decent 3G in the city centre with a speed of 1.8mbps most days, but at home I rarely got 1 bar of 3G. Rarely got a decent GPRS signal.

Since moving to Orange last month to get the 3GS, I've got 3-5 bar 3G signal at home always, and an average speed of 1.5mbps. Some days I even got 2.4mbps. In the city centre the speeds are comparable with o2.

The guy in the Orange shop wasn't very knowledgeable. I asked him about free wifi. He said they're all free In fact Orange have a deal with BT Openzone, the same as o2 (who also use the Cloud). Granted, your own router and free wifi hotspots are free.

Also he said "you'll get 5 bars of 3G in the city centre". But when I asked about download speeds and subscriber ratios he was bemused. I told there was no point having a strong signal if the cells were oversubscribed, or we all have meagre speeds.

Not that it mattered, and I tried a PAYG SIM for speeds anyway, before I took the plunge of a 2 year contract.

So, for me, in Leeds, Orange is far superior so far.

SV

So is it cloud you use with orange then? I noticed it came up when I did a search but it wouldn't except my number and dude at Orange didn't know so I never bothered followed it up.

Leeds must be great for orange cause where Im at I have full reception permanently yet my 3G is as slow as 56k modem and thats only when it is working which is at best 50% of the time.

B005T3R said:

So is it cloud you use with orange then? I noticed it came up when I did a search but it wouldn't except my number and dude at Orange didn't know so I never bothered followed it up.

Click to expand...

No, o2 have arrangements with BT Openzone and The Cloud. Orange just have free access to BT Openzone.

SV