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Apple's Negotiations and the iPhone in Europe

I will be angry if we get the same phone as the USA, but for a tariff that is double the price or something like that. I'll just end up getting a touch when I visit New York someday. Either that or I'll be unlocking an iPhone.

I agree that Vodafone know the business very well. They really do. I am with them and I am very pleased - I used to be on O2.

It might be more prudent for people to buy and iphone and use web and walk (Tmobile) - even without EDGE.

I can just see colleagues of mine asking me why I don't have the iPhone, because I use Apple stuff and am seen to be one of two in the department 'supporting' Apple.

I can tell you now, unless I think the deal is attractive, I am not signing to O2 for something like 2 years (some people might realise this is crap too) just to use an iphone, where I can get a 'better' phone (Camera, 3G, more storage, 'normal' keypad) for free and on a 12 month contract at half the price...

Good luck Apple. If you're with O2 you'll need it here in the UK.

Sabenth said:
it would be interesting if it was to be released then but again no one knows really whats going to happen and if o2 have paid way over the top we the end user will end up suffering again. Iam happy with my nokia on t mobile and unlimited net usage not sure iam prepared to o2s data rate prices.
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I think you have the right idea here.

villainx said:
Personally, I rather Apple create a win win for the carriers.
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Why on Earth would you say that? I still think an unlocked iPhone in the Apple stores would outsell every phone. With a 2 year contract at a high price, students will avoid it (for one).

firestarter said:
Agreed.

This mad deal with O2 is not good news. O2 are going to have some serious lock-in on their contracts, and high prices too :mad:

Maybe I should just get the iTouch this time 'round. I'm not going to be locked in to O2 for 3 years.
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Me too. The touch is the only viable option for me now. I am not spending more than 18 months with O2.
 
ma2ha3 said:
why cant apple just make a phone, why need to fix carrier?
i see that 3G most unlikely appear in europe now
but since gsm does not work in japan, only 3G will introduce in japan next year.
at that time, maybe it will appear in europe
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Visual voicemail.. it's incredible you know ;) But I agree, they would sell a hell of a lot of more phones that way, and as someone else said, if the carriers don't make "any" money of the iPhone.. why push for the sale?

The answer is greed of course.. if they get 40% of the monthly bill.. that's quite a bit of extra cash.
 
jubjub said:
Visual voicemail.. it's incredible you know ;) But I agree, they would sell a hell of a lot of more phones that way, and as someone else said, if the carriers don't make "any" money of the iPhone.. why push for the sale?
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I really couldn't give a **** about visual voicemail if it locks me to a carrier for 2 years at £40 a month. All plans are outdated after 12 months and they start to really screw you.

Even if they don't make any money initially, if more people join O2 that other networks, they might become number 1 provider. The UK market is pretty saturated. Once people are on a network, they will usually stay, thus more money in the long run.

Different carriers also means it'll cost loads to roam - something I currently enjoy for cheap with Vodafone (passport). This has just convinced me to get a touch - if anything at all.
 
I don't mind the idea of being under contract and under specific data plans for the iPhone. ;)

What I do mind is Apple's approach to handling mobile carriers. If this 40% figure is true, then it really does sound like a horrid deal for O2. Sure, O2 didn't have to be stupid enough to sign it, but I just don't like the approach by Apple to use it's weight and push others around. I guess this doesn't have anything to do with a product. Apple did make a great product, but like many of my favourite musicians, movie stars, etc.... some of their attitudes suck, I'm sure.
 
O2 are starting to advertise and increase awareness/put in the contract details about it's EDGE network - a system it wrote off previously. That in it's self doesn't look for a 3G iPhone

I wonder how O2 shareholders feel after they back them to spend Billions on a 3G license ?
 
Jowl said:
O2 are starting to advertise and increase awareness/put in the contract details about it's EDGE network - a system it wrote off previously. That in it's self doesn't look for a 3G iPhone

I wonder how O2 shareholders feel after they back them to spend Billions on a 3G license ?
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Pretty pissed.

shakalys said:
well if this is true when apple could launch iphone in europe with 3g enabled and update firmware for existing Iphones...
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I still think proper 3G with a webcam for iChat support would be immense.
 
The article loses a bit of credibility when they say -

The rush to secure an exclusive iPhone deal has also been called into question by the arrival of the iPod Touch device, which does everything the iPhone does except make phone calls.
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If only ... :(
 
Have to agree,that if it has no 3G and you are locked into a ridiculously long and costly price plan (which seems likely seeing that o2 has paid way over the top for it ?)-it will be an itouch for me at the moment.
The new year will no doubt bring the 3G with 16GB iphone and,possibly lower price plans if o2 dont shift as many as they hoped.

No doubt we will all find out tomorrow the good or bad news.....:confused:
 
Italy?

I'm wondering what will happen with the europeans left out...Italy first of all, which basically is the biggest mobile phone market in Europe with a 130% penetration, and a number of phones just a step behind Germany. It seems none of the mobile providers here was crazy enough to bend over 90° at first sight with Apple :rolleyes:
It will be funny to see the future developments, I think there are going to be even big differences among the various "deals" Apple is signing, and I'm sure there *will* be win win situations. Maybe even for customers (?)

Anyway, I think this strategy is quiet adventurous, looking more like a kind of mobster-style handling than something professional and serious (to me).
 
Well if the US strategy is anything to go by I'm not sure Apple will release the phone tomorrow. Surely they must want a bit of hype first? People around me are like i-what? I'm guessing the October date is correct.

Depending on o2's pricing I think I'm just gonna unlock the phone and use it on Orange. Also it really needs to be 3G to be a deal breaker. I've tried edge on Orange before and it really is slow at loading WAP pages - imagine what it'll be like for the real web!

Maybe o2 are giving away 40% of revenues because Apple have allowed them to subsidise the phone, as is pretty normal in the UK.
 
Unless Apple pulls out a trump card in the form of 3G, and a decent camera that includes video, then the iPhone is not going to appeal to many UK buyers, used to higher-spec phones. Especially if it's going to be expensive.
 
Philsy said:
Unless Apple pulls out a trump card in the form of 3G, and a decent camera that includes video, then the iPhone is not going to appeal to many UK buyers, used to higher-spec phones. Especially if it's going to be expensive.
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Clearly you haven't used this phone. I have, and what it offers is infinitely more interesting that 3G LOL.

When you hold one in your hand, you are going to want it.
 
iJed said:
If the iPhone is not 3G in the UK then Apple are going sell considerably fewer units than if it did have 3G. I think it would be a big mistake to release this in Europe without the 3G radio. Especially if they hope to charge similar prices to the US.
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Apple isn't selling to people who want 3G. Apple is selling to people who want a phone that works, where _all_ features are actually usable to a normal human being, that has a built-in top-of-the-range iPod, not the equivalent to some cheap £20 MP3 player, and that has a full, usable Internet connection.

And these people are the big, big majority.
 
Philsy said:
I've heard that the web browsing is slow compared to 3G, and remember that most of the UK doesn't have EDGE.
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According to theregister, one phone company is right now working their ass off to switch everything over to Edge. I wonder why they would be doing that. And if most of England has coverage, that is good enough for me :D
 
Going with o2 in the UK is an absolute scandal. Apple is a company that prides itself on standing out from the crowd; devices that are a thing of beauty, technology to covet.

So choosing o2 is a bit of a contradiction. Of course o2 would agree to the terms - they are losing customers hand over fist since being taken over by Telefonica. Inflexible upgrades (some times you cannot upgrade, they force you into a lesser yet more expensive contract), date plans stuck in the 1980's, Indian call centres manned by people they have dug out of the nearest mental asylum and UK customer services so bad that they make Virgin Media look like a beacon of achievement.

Apple should have been less stringent and used a more reputable provider that is on the rise rather than one who is finished. Seriously, it just makes sense to have Apple working with Vodafone or t-mobile.

:(
 
cervaro said:
The lack of 3G would be a backward step in Europe, and Apple should realise that. People like the latest technology, and no 3G would make it look the iPhone look a bit crippled. The cost of data traffic will also be a factor in the iPhones success over here too, and it can be very expensive (from bitter experience), so hopefully O2 will address that matter too.
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Actually, most people don't care about latest technology, they want stuff that works. That is what Apple products and Apple marketing are about: Not "what can this phone do" but "what _does_ this phone do for you".

Get any potential customer to take an iPhone in their hand and use it, and they won't care one bit whether it uses 3G, EDGE or trained pigeons.
 
There is no official European law that prohobits the locking of phones to a certain provider. It's the country itself that issues those laws atm.
Example: in the Netherlands its a common practice to lock phones, in Belgium it is prohibited
(because it violates the fair competition law)

so we get unlocked iphones or NO iphone :mad::( (in belgium)
 
abrooks said:
Have you seen O2's 3G coverage? Pretty meagre and definitely hasn't been invested heavily in.

Map.
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Very good point.

Another map:

1380530641_375848e896_o.png
 
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