O2 employee reveals iPhone info in blog

Shops will open late on launch day and £219 fee for O2 customers wanting to switch to an iPhone

10 October 2007 13:47 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

An O2 employee has confirmed in a non-corporate blog that O2 stores will be open late on 9th November - what will be "iDay" in the UK for the iPhone launch.

In the States Apple and AT&T shops closed in the afternoon on the iPhone's launch day and then re-opened at 6pm and stayed open late.

Whether or not this strategy was to be repeated in the UK has not been confirmed by O2 or Apple, but the O2 employee states:

"We’ve just been informed of who will work the later evening especially for the iPhone and guess what? Your resident sales gal shall be there on this very exciting evening I cannot wait."

O2 has confirmed to Pocket-lint that the plan is to re-open the stores at 6.02pm on the 9th November and the stores
will be open late, although until what time is to be confirmed.

As well as the opening in the evening plans, the employee also reveals that current O2 customers wishing to switch to an iPhone should be very careful about timing.

"If you are an O2 customer already and if you upgraded before 18th September you will also pay £219 to come out of your current contract."

Ouch. We've contacted O2's press office to find out if this is the case and it seems that it is true, although not entirely accurate.

For any users who have taken out a new O2 contract on or after the 19th September (since the launch - therefore "knowing" the iPhone was coming to O2) there will be a £219 charge to break the contract and take out a new iPhone one.

O2 customers whose contracts pre-date the 19th will not pay the fee.