Eat your hearts out, HTC Universal owners (especially those who have just bought a S$1,888.00 Dopod 900!), when you hear how much others are paying for a HTC Universal in their native countries.

The official O2 online shop for UK is peddling the much coveted BLACK O2 Exec at another discounted rate of only £129.99 (S$379.31) right now, as long as you:
1) are a UK resident AND,
2) sign up for one of its tariffs (i.e. mobile subscription plans).


The cheapest tariff, being at a contracted £19.00 for a full 12 months, adds up to a total bill of £129.99 + (£19.00 x 12 months) = £357.99 (S$1,044.58).

Expect even more discounts if you are a student there. Student Rate for the O2 Exec is at a drooling £104.99 (S$306.32), which with the cheapest tariff equate = £104.99 + (£19.00 x 12 months) = £332.99 (S$971.79).

In short, the following are the UK rates for an O2 Exec (includes tariffs):
- Non-student = £357.99 (S$1,044.58).
- Student = £332.99 (S$971.79).
Bear in mind, you'll need to be a UK resident (or find one!) to qualify and there is no international warranty for the O2 Exec.

Phone a UK friend, anyone?

Wah very bad siao, make us so tui.

At least find a way for us the get the stuff and share the love mah.

If you look at their Samsung D600 - it's for free if you sign up one year plan.

How about Singaporeans studying there? Can they qualify?

Bro duckling,

Yes, they do. I was previously told that each individual in UK is allowed up to a maximum combined number of 19 UK lines for the various telcos there; not sure if this still applies.

I'm getting my friends who is staying there and also my clients to help me buy the Universal - $400 and pay them $500 as a token. Total plus shipping should cost about $1K.

Wonder does it come with SIM unlocked? If not how do I go about doing it?

student discounts?????? why didn't you say so earlier!!!!!!

yea i mentioned this in the thread about the re adjusted prices. the cheapest way to get this device is either ebay, or a friend in the UK.
i got my SPV M5000 on orange (same device, but im a "valued orange customer" so they gave it to me for free, on a 25 pound a month plan, for 12 months and i get 1000 off peak and weekend any network minutes, free incoming calls.
i really really wish they would implement these subsidy systems in malaysia and singapore....i work and study , so i spend like quarter a year in malaysia/singapore and the rest in UK. would be nice to have a decent calling plan instead of paying through my nose for prepaid and roaming when im in that part of the world.....
the silver universal looks a bit ugly i think...dosent suit it....and light colour makes it look even larger
if you want to buy it on pre paid (no subscription needed) then i think need to wait at least 2 or 3 months for it to be available on payg.
black o2 design is good, the gunmetal of my m5000 is also good.

just looked at pics of the silver universals on the net, they look white in some of the pics......mmmmmm white.......can match ipod lolz, but maybe a bit plasticky looking for such a expensive device

Too bad .. not many of us got friends in UK .. so Dopod is the only alternative ...

Bro keeping,

Oops .

Bro duckling,

Sounds like a good deal, if they are agreeable .

Still, remember that the above discounted price included a minimum contracted amount of £19.00 x 12 months = £228.00 (S$664.99) for a mobile tariff. Though your friend/client would be able to use that tariff to place calls in UK, he/she will lose a chance to possess a phone, which usually is the main drawing point for signing up for a mobile plan in UK.


There have been varying accounts of this. Some say that that not all O2 Execs are SIM-locked, but for the ones that are, there are at least 2 options to unlock:
1) the UK O2 shop can do it for you at a fee.
2) some dodgy UK mobile phone shop at a fee.

Suggest you ask whoever is getting for u to test with a non-O2 SIM-card, before shipping it back to u.

Like it has been revised to £149 per set.

Haha...those pay S$1888 ... really tio chop carrot head sia...

if you guys can get together some kind of order i will try and see if its possible to make a purchase for you guys. my friend works for o2.
or maybe i'll just buy a few units and sell them off when i visit singapore in december :D

Bro cychiam,

U are quite right; its only a one-day discount .

Updated prices for an O2 Exec in UK (prices and currency rates @ 1GBP = 2.92319SGD are as of 23/11/2006):
- Non-Student Rate: £149.99 + (£19.00 x 12 months) = £377.99 (S$1,105.22)
- Student Rate: £124.99 + (£19.00 x 12 months) = £352.99 (S$1,031.86)

Hi,

How about SIM-lock? Anyone here can unlock it?

Thanks.

The cheapest tariff is actually the Data 5 tariff @£8 per month so your calculation should read £96 + £230(Online deal is £149, shops price is £230) = £326 (S$948.80). If you have an old phone to trade in, even better, £50 off just for you sir; total is now £5.99 (S$803).

I will know if this actually works by this weekend if my lazy brother, who was suppose to get this deal to try this one instead.

Err XDA Exec for S$803 anyone?

For S$803, people will flood this threat trying to buy ah ....

guys...

Assuming this is the amt u pay --- S$1,031.86

i also realised the subscription price is not inclusive of VAT which is 17.5% /month. after which.. if ya wanna ship it back to sin... using fedex or dhl.. its about 150...how about bank TT to the person in uk? there will be charges too...

Is it really worth?

VAT is an extra S$50. Royal Mail (with full insurance) costs <S$40. TT charges <S$30. Add another S$120 to the total.

It is still worth it!

VAT is like GST and its monthly

Assuming this is the price 149.99 + [12months x (19 pounds + 17.5% VAT)] = 417.89 pounds (S$1211.88)

Now, if it has to be shipped back, Fedex or DHL would charge about S$150.00. That would become S$150.00 + S$1211.88 = S$1361.88.

Also, how about payment to the person over at UK? Bank TT? There would be charges too (don't think its cheap as well).

please advise if my calculations are accurate. If they are, is it really worth it... really?

i don't see the data 5 tariff on the o2 shop... any advice on that? its there anyone that can work a detailed info out? meaning which plan and where to sign up.... the process on shipping the thing back to sg... so that with only just one method.. we will be certain.

Google ""Data 5" O2 tariff". It's a shop only tariff so you can only sign up at O2 shops. The phone costs £230 at the shops. But it still works out cheaper (£342.80). You guys will have to figure out shipping for yourselves since I have someone to bring it back to me.

Royal Mail postage is calculated on the following assumptions. Singapore being Zone 1, small packages at 1.5kg (assuming thats what the Exec weights) will cost £14.42=S$42. I got this idea from this thread in XDA Developer so at least we know its definitely doable.

This is not an MO BTW, more of a discussion of how you can get a friend or relative to get the Exec at slightly better prices from the UK. Like all things unconventional there will always be people waiting for you to fail. But if it works, its all good. Caveat emptor.

any idea whats the price for terminating the contract?

Er... really have to balance the cost savings with the fact that you don't have local warranty. I faced this situation with one of my previous pda phones i got from overseas.

If "touch wood" the device somehow K'O's after a week (like what i experienced).. or maybe a few months later, you'd end up with a rather expensive paper weight on your desk.

Hmmm... but can courier it back to UK for warranty claim though, so maybe it can be worth it if the cost savings are substantial. :)

IMHO, Dopod is really killing the market for their own device by pricing it so high, potential customers end up looking for other cheaper sources, hear that Dopod??? We want better prices!

Early termination usually not worth it. Consider it all absorbed. StarHub ETC is S$400 if more than 6months left or something. You cannot have your cake and eat.

Like I said earlier S$888 can pay for shipping many times to the UK.

agree with you...

I saw the data 5 thingy.. but does not state the price of the phone though..

In a nutshell, if were to get online, it would be more expensive compared to getting from o2 retail and sign up for the data 5 tariff. Right?

Yes. The phone is more expensive by £80 but the tariff is cheaper by £132. Nett savings = £52.

even for O2 UK?

Yup, so overall.. do save. Well, i gotta run through my friend to check. Did u get urs via that method?

will try and get through my friend too. see if i can work somethin out with him.

alright my friend's gonna help me get it this saturday. hopefully can get it at the prices you guys quoted. gonna be buyin it from the shop and bundling it with the data 5 plan mentioned a couple of threads back.

will keep you guys updated on the development.

Okay got mine!!

Grand total = 6*35*1.175 = £246.75 + (6*16*1.175=£112.8) = £360 = S$1050.

I now have S$838 as buffer against any repairs I might have to make.

Fixed contracts ma, like my deal now, free phone some more die die chop your head when you try to potong contract man!

Talk about cheap. Prices include VAT already.

So total is
(6*35)+(6*16)=S$892

You know what, forget the local warranty, just buy two phones from the UK and leave one as spare. You cannot be THAT unlucky. Go buy beer with the S$100 remaining to drown your sorrows if both phones die on you.

nshon,

don't really follow your calculations. Well, as u did mention about the data 5 tariff... u did not get urs through that way.

Which particular plan or method did u do this by? A link would help :)

I have a brother that cannot follow instructions. Anyway it worked out cheaper. He walked into Carphone Warehouse and got the freephone deal. Needs some nego skills la but pricing more or less the same.

Think the Data 5 tariff is still better. Follow the XDA Developer link I gave earlier, many have done it.

thanks pal.. i PMed ya as well.. Hee.. is this Desperation or Determination? HAHAHHA

Think its also important where the person is located. A O2 store might be easier to locate. Well then, I'll settle for the walk in type to get the data 5 tariff. *fingers crossed*

Bro Zerocool2311,

I think there are easily more CarPhone Warehouse outlets than O2 ones in UK .

oh is it? hee.. i don't know bro. Well, i think getting from the o2 store can already. as nshon mentioned, needs some neg skills (and i don't know is my friend capable of that). so play safe. walk straight to o2 store. hee...

i don't understand your breakdown. could you make it clearer? sorry about that

also could you explain in detail how your bro did the nego? is he a long time O2 customer or something?

why 6 x 35 x 1.175? and then the next one x16?

i take it the 6 represents the 6 months for a total of 12 months and the 1.175 is VAT right? but you said later that VAT is included so what plan is this 35 and 16?

Well, i think if its done via a walk in at a O2 retail shop, would be more straight forward.

Well, not to confuse myself any further, I think I'll stick to the data 5 at the o2 outlet.

just wanna check.. is this an ongoing promo or a short term promo?

Darn! That's sooo much more affordable!
I have a friend in UK but it's kinda "not so nice" to get him to go through so much trouble

Not a promo man. If you can wait it'll only get cheaper.

Much better to have a younger brother who wouldn't dare to say no. Tell you what, present it this way, if your friend not very 'techy', offer to pay half his mobile subs to get the phone, even cheaper(for you) and he'd think "hmm someone to pay half my sub", it's all in the presentation.

yo man could you explain the pricing that you paid for?