Apple Watch - expensive airtime plan prices?

[phonek]

Does anyone think the price of adding an Apple Watch (or similar 'sync' devices) to phone plans is expensive? 

I just bought a new sim-only iPhone plan, but adding an (owned outright) AW is nearly the same price for absolutely nothing extra but the right to use the same data as the phone. See below... 

£8.00 - phone airtime plan:  32GB data (Volt Benefits make it 64GB). 

£7.00 - watch sync plan:  ^just to use same data as above on AW. 

= £15.00. 

So O2 are charging almost the same price just to add an AW to your plan, as the whole of the phone's data plan itself! Completely overpriced IMO. 

It's not like you can shop around separately for AW plans as they have to be joined to main phone plans. So basically O2's pricing reflects the fact they can take advantage of having a completely captive audience already on their phone plans. 

[madasaf1sh]

@phonek 

That is the same near enough as all other networks, as they all charge around the same..

EE - £7

Vodafone - £7.50

Three - £7 

It wouldnt surprise me if Apple took a cut, for access to there servers etc...   

And seems fair to me for a service that is provided...

[phonek]

@madasaf1sh 

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@madasaf1sh wrote:

And seems fair to me for a service that is provided...

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What 'service provided'? 

Sure they all charge similar amounts, so this isn't an O2-only problem. But my point is what are we getting for such high amounts? Just for the right of another device to use the same amount of data we already paid for on the phone plan... i.e. basically nothing. 

It's analogous to them wanting to charge you extra to use each and every extra device on your phone plan when tethering. They obviously don't do this, as it'd be ridiculous for something you've already paid for once already. So why on earth are these 'sync' devices treated entirely differently in having to pay so much extra just to use THE SAME DATA? 

And remember, AW's use tiny amount of data compared to phones, so you're paying a huge amount for a fraction of the data usage. 

[jonsie]

Couldn't agree more

You don't pay extra for x number of devices connecting to your home wifi

The only thing that surprises me is that your watch actually performs as it should on the O2 network

[phonek]

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@jonsie wrote:

Couldn't agree more

You don't pay extra for x number of devices connecting to your home wifi

The only thing that surprises me is that your watch actually performs as it should on the O2 network

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Why do you say that, is it unreliable? 

[madasaf1sh]

The watch is connecting to a specific service provided by Apple and you are connecting to infrastructure that the watch connects to that is provided by o2

Nothing is provided for free, and devices connecting via a hotspot connection, don't have to have a separate number issued for them to be used....

So take it up with Apple as to why there services require a separate number, with a separate data plan in order for them to work over mobile data... and ask why every network chargers around $10 per month (using dollars as its simpler)... 

Dont like it, then just buy a none LTE device, or better still buy a Garmin... 

[Enlli]

@phonek A trawl through this forum will show that there are many people have problems connecting and synching their Apple watches. 

And when it happens O2 seems at a total loss.

As to wether I would pay to connect it as cellular, the answer is no. I'm content with connecting by Bluetooth 

[gmarkj]

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@phonek wrote:

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@jonsie wrote:

Couldn't agree more

You don't pay extra for x number of devices connecting to your home wifi

The only thing that surprises me is that your watch actually performs as it should on the O2 network

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Why do you say that, is it unreliable? 

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We have a whole guide for Apple watch issues

Activate Apple Watch Guide 

[Oxonian]

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@phonek wrote:

So basically O2's pricing reflects the fact they can take advantage of having a completely captive audience already on their phone plans. 

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In a word @phonek, "yes". I think that O2 take the view that if you can afford an iPhone and you can afford an Apple Watch, you ca afford to make a monthly donation to their profits. As @madasaf1sh has suggested, there are probably some costs involved, but much of the pricing of the mobile network operators is based around what the market will stand - ie what customers will pay. 

[phonek]

Whatever any pseudo-reasoning you apply here.

From the customer perspective, there's no reasoning for the fact that £8 for 32GB (64GB Volt) data [phone] vs. £7 extra for nothing extra [watch], clearly equals low value to said captive customer.