Helpdesk: Dismay as customer finds her new iPhone is not compatible

O2 is not able to offer 4G for the iPhone due to a complicated difference in mobile frequencies which each company owns.

“At no point did the customer advisor mention that the iPhone 5 was pretty much the only smartphone which her firm sells which is not compatible – or that the only way to swap was to buy out of my contract at a later date.

“It is completely beyond me why myself and no doubt thousands of other customers in my situation would have to pay such a fee for 4G service.”

RW, Leith

A: At the time of the iPhone 5 launch, the only operator that could offer a 4G service was EE. This was because they successfully lobbied Ofcom to allow them to use some of their existing surplus 3G spectrum for 4G use. We never marketed the iPhone 5 as a device that would be supported by 4G on our network. This was because we didn’t know what 4G frequency we would be awarded. Any customer who buys an iPhone 5 from us can receive a 25 per cent reduction on the cost of ending their contract early, and upgrading to a compatible phone once we launch our 4G network. The mobile phone manufacturers decide which frequency bands will be supported on the phones they manufacture. While the iPhone 5 won’t be compatible for 4G use on O2, it is fully supported by our high-speed 3G network. If customers specifically want to take advantage of our 4G service when it’s launched from the summer, we have a number of compatible handsets available.

“We would encourage any customer to check the features and specifications of a mobile they are interested in buying to ensure it fully meets their expectations.”

• If you have a consumer issue that you would like tackling, contact Jane Bradley on 0131 620 8432 or e-mail [email protected].