No, but I guess they could do a deal to let iPhone customers use the BT wifi network. That would be good.
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Apple to Partner with O2 for iPhone UK? Orange in France?
- Thread starter needthephone
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No, but I guess they could do a deal to let iPhone customers use the BT wifi network. That would be good.
Only people in the US think that wifi is useful in this context. If I'm in the back of a car, on most trains, out of the middle of a city ec etc you need 3G/HSDPA for true internet connectivity. Wifi is no-where near ubiquitous enough for a mobile device in the UK, at least.
Anyway, I expected to get up this morning and see this all over the news and it isn't. I didn't believe it last night and I don't now. I'd believe Orange in the UK as it has an underutilized EDGE network.
As much as I'd like 3G (well HSDPA and even HSUPA too if all the apps on the iphone are ajax/web based) I dont think Apple will do it. We'll the EDGE device too.
The iPhone sales will be disappointing and the media will pan the device accordingly. I won't be picking an iPhone up if so.
Sign the online petition for 3G/EDGE on the iPhone in the UK...
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/iPhoneUK/index.html
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/iPhoneUK/index.html
Same applies for any country - wifi is only in built-up areas.
If the iPhone doesn't have 3G, MMS, a video camera and is subsidised on contract, it will fail miserably in the UK.
I know that but free metropolitan wifi is a lot more common in the US, I'm led to believe.
I think it'll get by with just 3G out of that list.
I think WiFi is probably more ubiquitous than you realize. It just doesn't typically work when you're moving (or its not setup for that anyway). Though I guess I should say that some planes and some trains have it.
I wonder whether these 3G providers do have Edge data capabilities, they just don't make it widely known since they have 3G they want to sell. Another possibility is that Apple will have a 3G phone available (in Europe only or Europe and US) by November, but they don't want that fact widely known because it might hurt sales of iPhones in the US before then.
I do think it would make no sense to sell iPhones in Europe if they could only use GPRS, but either of those two explanation would suffice.
A few other things bear repeating here. Apple has said that AT&T is NOT paying them any portion of subscribers monthly fees. The assumption was that they were because why else would Apple grant exclusive sales for one provider in each market. However, Apple has said nothing about AT&T paying Apple for each iPhone sold. The presumption has been that AT&T isn't subsidizing the phones. However, its clearly possible that they are and we just don't know about it.
Others have reported that Apple is getting 50% margins on these phones (presumably without any subsidy from AT&T). However, those reports are highly questionable. At the very least it would mean that other phones in the same price range have much higher revenue margins. I doubt that. The components in this phone are likely custom made, and are very high quality (as anyone who has seen it in person can attest). It would not surprise me to learn that Apple makes only its usual 30% or so margin on these phones even after a $100 or more payment from AT&T. The components are that high quality.
Most wifi networks charge and at least require signing on. I'm in Manchester, wifi is everywhere but it isn't always easy to join, even if the access is essentially 'free'.
Seriously Europe and Asia decided long ago that wifi wasn't the way we'd go for mobile device such as the iphone.
I'm not so sure. MMS is very popular. In addition, a decent resolution camera would be good - 2Mp is pretty poor by 2007 phone standards.
As a current O2 customer, i am obviously extremely pleased at this news, if true.
However; even if it is announced today, i doubt the packages will be revealed until a lot closer to the release date, and that's what is important here - no point having the iPhone if the data tariffs remain the same.
Also, i don't know about the U.S., but mobile customers in the UK are not used to paying much for handsets, if anything at all. In fact, in some cases, you can even get a FREE iPod with a FREE phone just for signing up, so asking someone to pay £300 for a handset will be risky.
Oh, and this story is on the BBC News website now, which i think gives it a bit more credence, personally.
However; even if it is announced today, i doubt the packages will be revealed until a lot closer to the release date, and that's what is important here - no point having the iPhone if the data tariffs remain the same.
Also, i don't know about the U.S., but mobile customers in the UK are not used to paying much for handsets, if anything at all. In fact, in some cases, you can even get a FREE iPod with a FREE phone just for signing up, so asking someone to pay £300 for a handset will be risky.
Oh, and this story is on the BBC News website now, which i think gives it a bit more credence, personally.
In Finland Nokia is starting to move things towards UMA-technology. That means it works as a MobileVOIP when you start a call in WiFi and can transfer you automatically (without interrupting the call) to a GSM-network if you move outside the WiFi-area. Calls started within a WiFi-area are most of the time free even if you get changed into a GSM-network.
Indeed, I see that Orange is even offering a free Nintendo DS Lite with all new contracts. Annoying, when I've recently bought two for the kids
Here's the BBC report:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272226.stm
Not clear what the £300 is for. I sincerely hope it will be available for much less than that with a contract, otherwise why would anyone buy it when other smart phones can be much less or free?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272226.stm
Not clear what the £300 is for. I sincerely hope it will be available for much less than that with a contract, otherwise why would anyone buy it when other smart phones can be much less or free?
Well it being O2 is good news, as they're my current provider
It if isn't 3G, then that is pretty pointless. Why buy an internet phone if the service will genuinely suck? (admittedly I'll use it on WiFi more often than not, but Google Maps while travelling will be invaluable)
It if isn't 3G, then that is pretty pointless. Why buy an internet phone if the service will genuinely suck? (admittedly I'll use it on WiFi more often than not, but Google Maps while travelling will be invaluable)
Looks like a good way of harvesting email addresses....
Doesn't everyone have a dumping pot email address they use for signing up to things like this?
Yes, I do and, oddly enough, I get less spam sent to it then to my 'proper' email addresses
Not clear what the £300 is for. I sincerely hope it will be available for much less than that with a contract, otherwise why would anyone buy it when other smart phones can be much less or free?
I think it's a basic estimate on the current exchange rate: $2=£1, so the $600 price tag in the U.S. is halved. However, I think it's more likely the 4Gb version will be that price - the 8Gb will be closer to £400 if they decide to charge. We always get ripped off.
Here's the BBC report:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6272226.stm
Not clear what the £300 is for. I sincerely hope it will be available for much less than that with a contract, otherwise why would anyone buy it when other smart phones can be much less or free?
the same thing was said in America. 5 days later, iPhone is completely sold out.
I hope that Apple can negotiate a simplified payment plan with O2 because their current ones seem to be all over the place. I wouldn't know where to start trying to choose one of their current plans - which all come with wait for it drum roll, 1MB of free browsing each month!
NO 3G!?!?!? That is ridicoulus!
You can´t win anything but laughter by releasing an "Internet"-Phone without 3G here in Germany (maybe in all of Europe). Even my 2 year old SonyEricsson phone works perfectly as a Bluetooth UMTS-Modem with my Macbook Pro. Why would anyone buy a phone with last-gen technology???
You can´t win anything but laughter by releasing an "Internet"-Phone without 3G here in Germany (maybe in all of Europe). Even my 2 year old SonyEricsson phone works perfectly as a Bluetooth UMTS-Modem with my Macbook Pro. Why would anyone buy a phone with last-gen technology???
Keep it in perspective - Mac enthusiasts were always going to ensure brilliant first week sales, hence the reason the first million flew off the shelf - it's called preaching to the converted.
The same will be the case in the UK - except we have FAR less enthusiasts here, naturally. If they send a million iPhone over here in the first week, they'll do well to sell a tenth of those.
The key for Apple is converting those who need convincing. How many will be sold over the next few weeks online? I doubt they'll reach two million in total.
3G is the most over-hyped mobile technology ever. The networks paid - literally - BILLIONS for the 3G licences, and ever since they've kind of sat around wondering what the heck to do with it.
Hence they've tried to push mobile video conferencing (have you EVER seen anybody using this ? I have it on both phones on my account, and I've never even bothered to play with it). Since that's a flop, they've tried to push ridiculous ideas like TV on mobile phones via 3G (err...no thanks). T-Mobile seem to be closest to 'getting it' with their Web'n'Walk package, marketed as mobile internet.
So - I don't think 3G is a make or break for many people. In fact, I think most people (read: not people who read internet forums!) don't know or care what it is.
My last 2 or 3 phones have been 3G and you know what ? - it no way lives up to the hype. Browsing using Opera Mini feels no faster than doing it on dialup, and 3G coverage in the UK is spotty at best. Plus my provider (Orange) has had real problems with the handoff between 3G and GSM modes - sometimes I've been stuck with no signal at all, even when there's a great GSM reception.
I still think the best option for everybody would be if the iPhone was just sold unlocked - but that's just not how business works. If every network had the iPhone, then there's no reason for an of them to code Visual Voicemail, or bring out a good unlimited data package, etc. The networks will be willing to do this only if the know it means they'll attract loads of new customers because they are the only ones with the iPhone.
It does seem strange that different networks will get the iPhone in different territories though...
Hence they've tried to push mobile video conferencing (have you EVER seen anybody using this ? I have it on both phones on my account, and I've never even bothered to play with it). Since that's a flop, they've tried to push ridiculous ideas like TV on mobile phones via 3G (err...no thanks). T-Mobile seem to be closest to 'getting it' with their Web'n'Walk package, marketed as mobile internet.
So - I don't think 3G is a make or break for many people. In fact, I think most people (read: not people who read internet forums!) don't know or care what it is.
My last 2 or 3 phones have been 3G and you know what ? - it no way lives up to the hype. Browsing using Opera Mini feels no faster than doing it on dialup, and 3G coverage in the UK is spotty at best. Plus my provider (Orange) has had real problems with the handoff between 3G and GSM modes - sometimes I've been stuck with no signal at all, even when there's a great GSM reception.
I still think the best option for everybody would be if the iPhone was just sold unlocked - but that's just not how business works. If every network had the iPhone, then there's no reason for an of them to code Visual Voicemail, or bring out a good unlimited data package, etc. The networks will be willing to do this only if the know it means they'll attract loads of new customers because they are the only ones with the iPhone.
It does seem strange that different networks will get the iPhone in different territories though...