Orange to offer iPhone in UK? (Rumour)

I hope Orange doesn't, based on peoples responses on these forums about o2's coverage and customer service... In my experience o2 has been about 5 times as good as Orange, and on and around Southampton University (where I am) Orange has basically no reception, which is appalling.

I'll be very pissed off if this does happen - I've just left Orange for O2 as it was the only way to get an iPhone and O2's 3G coverage is awful compared to Oranges, certainly here in the Midlands anyway. Quite often it isn't even Edge but GPRS I'm getting - surely O2 have to have the worst data coverage of any of the UK networks?

SimonCarbon said:

I'll be very pissed off if this does happen - I've just left Orange for O2 as it was the only way to get an iPhone and O2's 3G coverage is awful compared to Oranges, certainly here in the Midlands anyway. Quite often it isn't even Edge but GPRS I'm getting - surely O2 have to have the worst data coverage of any of the UK networks?

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I too have just left Orange after 13 years to get the iPhone from O2. Saying that Orange customer services has gone really down hill over the last few years. Coverage has been rubbish at weekends too sometimes the signal just drops off for hours at time.

O2 have been pretty good with there customer services so far. Maybe it's a good thing.

No official word from inside Orange. Staff haven't been told anything or even hinted at this.

That said as with most big companies the staff are the last to know, but the first to be asked

I hope they do get it though it'll be great for everyone if they do.

If I hear anything I will post on here.

I bet we get a memo on Monday though after news has spread like this.

Ps
The story at work is that Apple offered the iPhone to Orange first, but we didn't accept it. Probably due to the revenue sharing thing. I bet the boss is pissed now - ha ha

Ick. I'd rather see any UK network get the iPhone before Orange

ParishYoung said:

No official word from inside Orange. Staff haven't been told anything or even hinted at this.

That said as with most big companies the staff are the last to know, but the first to be asked

I hope they do get it though it'll be great for everyone if they do.

If I hear anything I will post on here.

I bet we get a memo on Monday though after news has spread like this.

Ps
The story at work is that Apple offered the iPhone to Orange first, but we didn't accept it. Probably due to the revenue sharing thing. I bet the boss is pissed now - ha ha

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Was actually Vodafone who had the deal but apple pulled out as they were unhappy with Vodafone for reasons no-one has disclosed. Then they offered it to o2 about 3 months before it launched.

As for Orange getting in on the act, i doubt it as rumours say the o2 agreement is 5 years but i'll need to check that.

I HOPE Orange gets it. I am with them for 12 years and was considering leaving them SOLELY for iphone 3G's sake. I will wait now. I have never had any signal trouble, always was able to talk to someone helpful on the customer services, and their retentions' department will bend over for you before you leave them for another provider. been getting a new phone +credit in my account every single year, after I was asking for my PAC.

I will be calling them tomorrow pretending I am leaving for O2 because of the iphone and see if they will let anything slip...

Psyxologos said:

I HOPE Orange gets it. I am with them for 12 years and was considering leaving them SOLELY for iphone 3G's sake. I will wait now. I have never had any signal trouble, always was able to talk to someone helpful on the customer services, and their retentions' department will bend over for you before you leave them for another provider. been getting a new phone +credit in my account every single year, after I was asking for my PAC.

I will be calling them tomorrow pretending I am leaving for O2 because of the iphone and see if they will let anything slip...

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I wouldn't expect too much buddy. As far as we (customer services) know, this is 100% unofficial and not going to happen. We are currently pushing promotions such as "No iPhone 3G, no problem!!" and such.

Retentions will be the last too know, and I doubt asking for a PAC code would immeidatelty get you a free iPhone even if we do launch them.

I asked around today, but no one knew anything. Although some people seem to think they know who to ask (further up the chain) who would know if we are or not.

As usual, as soon as I hear anything I'll let you guys (and girls) know.

I've actually been very happy with O2 thus far... up until the 4th of July, when things started going downhill.

Now, I'm secretly hoping for it to be Vodafone, provided they can provide equal value tariffs, since Vodafone is the only provider to be able to get a singal into my workplace.

I'd like to see the exclusive agreements vanish altogether and the phone be available on any network.

Just gotta pursuade everyone to install "visual voicemail"
Although I wouldn't use it anyway.

ParishYoung said:

Ps
The story at work is that Apple offered the iPhone to Orange first, but we didn't accept it. Probably due to the revenue sharing thing. I bet the boss is pissed now - ha ha

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Same thing with Verizon in the US. They didn't like the revenue sharing thing. What's ironic is that Verizon is half owned by Vodafone... AND Verizon is a CDMA carrier... meaning Apple would have had to make a CDMA version for the US and a GSM version for elsewhere.

It does seem a bit unlikely - it would effectively mean that O2 only signed an 11 month exclusivity contract, which I cannot imagine for one second.

Reading the original article from ElectricPig (a site I've never seen before) it seems to be based on old rumours that Apple was unhappy the UK was the world's iPhone unlocking capital and that O2 had a bad start to iPhone sales.

My current Orange contract doesn't expire for another 10months, but regardless I'm sure Orange will find a way to rip me off for trying to upgrade my phone which is currently a HTC Touch.

Besides, isn't it a common opinion that O2 have better coverage than Orange?

Enough with this.

What's ending in October/November is the distribution deal with the local networks.

Meaning that from that point on, anyone who sells apple hardware will be able to sell the iphone, and you will sign up for the O2 contract online using itunes.

But the network will remain O2.

I hope that's not true. I left Orange for O2 in January to get the original iPhone, and have since upgraded to the 3G.

O2's 3G coverage in Gloucestershire isn't brilliant; had much better reception with Orange. I personally believe they have better customer support too.

Orange iPhone UK?

So, October almost here and no sign yet. As with a lot of people, I've heard the rumours that "some people" have got through to a department at Orange that "unofficial" hinted that October would be worth waiting for -mate of mine rang Orange to say that as a high spender for the last 5 years he'd be going to O2 for an iPhone, he was told to hang on til October.

Actually he didn't and got an iPhone, which he's since taken back. In our neck of the woods O2 is hopeless for 3G.

I'd love an iPhone and will get one when:
a. It 's available on Orange or
b. O2 improve their 3G network away from major cities.

Can't tell which will come first, but the October Orange rumour is the best hope on the table, I mean, O2 expand their network?!

Beardy man said:

So, October almost here and no sign yet. As with a lot of people, I've heard the rumours that "some people" have got through to a department at Orange that "unofficial" hinted that October would be worth waiting for -mate of mine rang Orange to say that as a high spender for the last 5 years he'd be going to O2 for an iPhone, he was told to hang on til October.

Actually he didn't and got an iPhone, which he's since taken back. In our neck of the woods O2 is hopeless for 3G.

I'd love an iPhone and will get one when:
a. It 's available on Orange or
b. O2 improve their 3G network away from major cities.

Can't tell which will come first, but the October Orange rumour is the best hope on the table, I mean, O2 expand their network?!

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I am still hoping Orange will get it. To be honest, they might do, with all the reception troubles it had so far, Apple and O2 are accusing one another.

I am also waiting to se what google will do!

I hope so. I dont care who the 2nd network provider in the UK will be, but it needs to happen asap.

IMHO the service and attitude of O2 towards UK iPhone customers has been shocking, and some competition would do the world of good.

iPhone on Orange in the UK

I for one am just chomping at the bit, waiting to hear...

I've had 5 phones in the last 11 months from Orange because for some reason they LOVE sending me the faulty ones, so I was considering just packing in my contract, giving them the termination fee and going out and getting my iPhone ... I'd love to hear that they would be doing the iPhone 3G though, would mean I wouldn't have to switch provider, go through the hassle of transferring my number over, and I know I would be getting a product that I can go into my local apple store if I'm having issues with it ... Orange are a nightmare for giving me duff phones, why won't they just hurry up and announce they're going with apple!!??

I called on Friday and asked for me and my wife to be upgraded to the N96 handset. the guy asked for £300 and I laughed. I asked him to put me through to retentions so I can have my PAC. When the retentions guy came to the phone stuck with the story that the N96 is not negotiable on the price and I told him this is probably because all other phones available with orange are crap.

I told him that I want to get either the iphone or the blackberry storm, or the android and he said I am making the right choice!


I asked him to go ahead and send us our PAC codes. Have they lost their minds or are they trying to send existing customers away?

I, for one am waiting for the three aforementioned phones to become available so I can make my choice...

Well October has come and gone and we still have no iPhone on Orange UK.

I think we should probably give up on this one. It's not likely for Apple to start selling the iPhone on other networks.

I see no reason for this to happen.

I would rather see Apple selling the phone unlocked and SIM free through their own stores / websites.

Makes more sense to me

orange to offer iPhone (uk)

Seriously ... October come, and gone?? ... i didn't think that the 13th meant that the month was over ... news to me!

walldawg84 said:

Orange are a nightmare for giving me duff phones, why won't they just hurry up and announce they're going with apple!!??

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Probably because it was a completely false rumout, and they're NOT going with Apple?

walldawg84 said:

Seriously ... October come, and gone?? ... i didn't think that the 13th meant that the month was over ... news to me!

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that may be so, but I'll bet you any amount that you can count, that October WILL come and go, and there'll be 1) no iPhone 3G on Orange and 2) not even an ANNOUNCEMENT to that effect.