iPhone 4

[kk.]

So you're parents don't buy you anything? I really, really doubt that. EMA gives the poorer children, who lets face it often go down wrong paths, e.g. Drugs and Drink, an incentive to do well at school and to stay on at school. I agree EVERYONE should get some sort of money, at least £10. But when people like the above start spewing crap that it should be scrapped just because they don't get any, I really don't care, they don't deserve it with that sort of attitude.

no, they dont. They buy food and drink, but thats it. I bought my 32" TV, xbox, ps3, computer, new furniture, everything. I even bought them a laptop and have saved £4000 for uni. if poor children often go down wrong paths, what do you think giving them £30 a week FREE is going to do? you just gave them the tools to buy drugs and put no effort into funding it themselves.

I agree that everyone should get it, but i take the approach of, everyone gets it, or no one should get it

[StefanWolves]

Anyone know when O2 are releasing prices etc?

I wish I knew what their PAYG pricing plans are going to be. I really can't wait. I've registered with Apple, O2 and Orange for them to e-mail me with details, I am that eager!

@Above; I'm glad we agree with one point, but when people who are narrow minded and who don't think about the bigger picture (THAT SOME FAMILIES REALLY ARE STRUGGLING), I just think hell with it, why should I bother saying everyone should get it when they're just probably spoiled and are throwing their dummies out the pram because they don't get an extra £10 a week.

I also agree with your view that SOME people will use it to buy drugs and drink, but most really, really don't. I spent mine on school equipment, but lets face it with £30 a week I'm going to have a Surplus, so I may as well save it for something I'd treasure?

[Recursion]

I wish I knew what their PAYG pricing plans are going to be. I really can't wait. I've registered with Apple, O2 and Orange for them to e-mail me with details, I am that eager!

@Above; I'm glad we agree with one point, but when people who are narrow minded and who don't think about the bigger picture (THAT SOME FAMILIES REALLY ARE STRUGGLING), I just think hell with it, why should I bother saying everyone should get it when they're just probably spoiled and are throwing their dummies out the pram because they don't get an extra £10 a week.

I also agree with your view that SOME people will use it to buy drugs and drink, but most really, really don't. I spent mine on school equipment, but lets face it with £30 a week I'm going to have a Surplus, so I may as well save it for something I'd treasure?

Well no, I agree, struggling families should get EMA, but then they should not be spending them on unndeeded items like the latest "must have" phone.

And to be fair, I agree with Kk. the people with work experiance beyond what is setup by their school are more likely to get a job, hey, I'm not jelous of EMA before anyone says that, I do on and off hours for a local school as their IT Techie and manage £200 or so a month.

[jackass]

no, they dont. They buy food and drink, but thats it. I bought my 32" TV, xbox, ps3, computer, new furniture, everything. I even bought them a laptop and have saved £4000 for uni. if poor children often go down wrong paths, what do you think giving them £30 a week FREE is going to do? you just gave them the tools to buy drugs and put no effort into funding it themselves.

I agree that everyone should get it, but i take the approach of, everyone gets it, or no one should get it

Totally agree with this, it's what i've been thinking for a long time. It should be changed.

[kk.]

O2 have an early upgrade offer calculator up!!

http://shop.o2.co.uk/new-iphone/earlyupgradeoffer.html

according to this, i'll have to pay £260 to end my contract, and be able to upgrade to the iPhone 4. But, #2, it may mean i have to pay the price of the phone. So im a bit confused lol. I paid £80 for my 16gb back in august last year. so assuming its the same, ill be on a new 24 month contract, and have paid £340. So ill be paying around £110 (selling iphone 3gs for around £230)

now, what i cant decide is whether to pay £450 for a new iphone, keep my current contract which expires in august next year, and sell my current phone. so ill be paying around the £220 mark. its double, but it means im saving £5 per month for 9 months until i downgrade, and am able to get the new iphone next year cheap cus of upgrading.

choices choices!!

[GommeInc]

Wooo, an EMA argument The whole EMA system needs to be scrapped. "nuff said"

Giving money out to students is a terrible idea, and if people need an incentive like money to go to school then they should hire some people to go around these peoples' homes and slap them with a haddock until they canny take no more. Students + money = bad idea, just give them the equipment/transport costs and it's guaranteed to not be a drain of funds, seeing as transport costs do not have a set price so the government could get students on transport for barely anything, seeing as alot of these transport companies are government funded anyway, so it's less government money wasted on people who spend it on the wrong thing (the EMA website strictly states it's for educational purposes, not iPhones, drugs, alcohol, TVs etc). The people who do deserve will not be treated any differently, seeing as they're spending it on the right thing anyway. And donating it is a waste of time and money, especially on the family because they should be entitled to some other type of benefit anyway.

/rant over about why the EMA is a stupid system.

Anyway, with that over Are there anymore rumours as to the price of the phone, or is it still hush-hush for now?

[kk.]

Wooo, an EMA argument The whole EMA system needs to be scrapped. "nuff said"

Giving money out to students is a terrible idea, and if people need an incentive like money to go to school then they should hire some people to go around these peoples' homes and slap them with a haddock until they canny take no more. Students + money = bad idea, just give them the equipment/transport costs and it's guaranteed to not be a drain of funds, seeing as transport costs do not have a set price so the government could get students on transport for barely anything, seeing as alot of these transport companies are government funded anyway, so it's less government money wasted on people who spend it on the wrong thing (the EMA website strictly states it's for educational purposes, not iPhones, drugs, alcohol, TVs etc). The people who do deserve will not be treated any differently, seeing as they're spending it on the right thing anyway. And donating it is a waste of time and money, especially on the family because they should be entitled to some other type of benefit anyway.

/rant over about why the EMA is a stupid system.

Anyway, with that over Are there anymore rumours as to the price of the phone, or is it still hush-hush for now?

my predictions are that it will be announced tomorrow. O2 are gearing up to accept texts to find out how much it will cost to upgrade new contracts tomorrow at noon, so, fingers crossed. It has to be soon anyway, because 15th is fast approaching! lol

[StefanWolves]

Wooo, an EMA argument The whole EMA system needs to be scrapped. "nuff said"

Giving money out to students is a terrible idea, and if people need an incentive like money to go to school then they should hire some people to go around these peoples' homes and slap them with a haddock until they canny take no more. Students + money = bad idea, just give them the equipment/transport costs and it's guaranteed to not be a drain of funds, seeing as transport costs do not have a set price so the government could get students on transport for barely anything, seeing as alot of these transport companies are government funded anyway, so it's less government money wasted on people who spend it on the wrong thing (the EMA website strictly states it's for educational purposes, not iPhones, drugs, alcohol, TVs etc). The people who do deserve will not be treated any differently, seeing as they're spending it on the right thing anyway. And donating it is a waste of time and money, especially on the family because they should be entitled to some other type of benefit anyway.

Wow, another narrow minded reply. You make it sound like they're just throwing money at us, they may do that at your schools, but they don't at mine. I have to be up to date with my coursework, my coursework must be up the standard of my predicted grade for the course. If I do not keep up with this I do NOT get my EMA. If I miss ANY lessons during the week I DO NOT get my EMA, even If I am legitimately ill. If I miss any days during the week I will NOT get my £30. If I miss behave in anyway (our school calls it getting a 'notice of concern'), this can very from bad language, anything 'against the rules', I will NOT get my EMA for the week and will NOT be illegable for my Semi-Annual bonus.

And another thing, you guys HAVE TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT. The only money I'm going to be putting towards the new iPhone is my SUMMER BONUS, of which I will only receive if I -

- Pass my Course
- And must be up to my predicted grades
- VERY GOOD behaviour (no notices of concern)
- 95% attendance during the year, illness is NOT taken into consideration

I don't know about the school's you guys go to, but you sound like they throw the money at us. Well not at mine, I work for my EMA, I work damn hard for it. I don't miss school, I do well at school, I behave, I revise, I do my work, I pass my tests. I earn my EMA, so therefore I DESERVE IT.

Yes I agree EVERYONE SHOULD GET SOMETHING, but lets face it, it's not going to happen, if your 'richer' families don't give you money or are unfair to you, then you have family problems. The fact is my family struggle to put food on our tables let alone giving money to their children.

Be fortunate for what you have, and don't be so narrow minded and stuck up, and actually be grateful for what you have.

[kk.]

moving back on topic...

[jackass]

Why do Apple insist on overpricing all of their products. Well, cash cows obviously, but still, put me off buying from them EVER.

And another thing, you guys HAVE TOTALLY MISSED THE POINT. The only money I'm going to be putting towards the new iPhone is my SUMMER BONUS, of which I will only receive if I -

- Pass my Course
- And must be up to my predicted grades
- VERY GOOD behaviour (no notices of concern)
- 95% attendance during the year, illness is NOT taken into consideration

And what about everyone else that does those things? They get nothing for it, and for all you know, they may work at the same level, if not harder. Complete ********.