Orange / iPhone France Deal Close?

[MacRumors]

MacScoop claims that Apple and Orange are poised to deliver the iPhone in France. According to the rumor site, Orange made its first offer to Apple in May/June and is already prepping for the launch "just in case".

And earlier TimesOnline.co.uk had pegged Orange for France.

Apple is expected to launch the iPhone in only the UK, France and Germany to start with other european countries coming later.

Article Link

 

[jimN]

My friend asked the O2 customer service department about the iPhone and they claimed it would be released before Christmas. Given there's been no official announcement as yet it makes you wonder if they believe all the rumours too!

 

[thejadedmonkey]

Wouldn't that mean 3G iPhone?

 

[Chef Medeski]

My friend asked the O2 customer service department about the iPhone and they claimed it would be released before Christmas. Given there's been no official announcement as yet it makes you wonder if they believe all the rumours too!

Ummm Steve Jobs said himself its comin to Europe in 4th Quarter. And it would be stupid to release it in the two weeks after Christmas.

 

[whooleytoo]

Apple Europe are hiring support staff for the iPhone to be in place before Christmas - it will be launched before then, no doubt about it.

 

[wrxpert]

It's apples and oranges.





Sorry couldn't resist.

 

[Macnoviz]

damn, so close, but so far away legally. In Belgium (right above France, to the right of UK and left of Germany) you can't lock your cellphones, you have the legal right to use any carrier. Which means a lot of freedom, but also more expensive cellphones

 

[mpw]

...Apple is expected to launch the iPhone in only the UK, France and Germany to start with other european countries coming later...

And Jersey apparently. My local telco have a display of iPhones and are taking orders for a Christmas launch.

 

[Tsurisuto]

Go Orange!

I really hope that Orange gets the iPhone contract in the UK too. I have been with them for over 10 years, and I have never had any problems with them. They have excellent customer service and really good image branding.

 

[Entrance]

Me too

Okay so I know things don't work like this in the wonderful of business if but anyone from Orange is reading this forum - sign the Apple contract (maybe while your boss is on holiday). I'm a happy Orange subscriber too and if they could get the iPhone for the UK it would be just perfect.

I've just been given a free upgrade to a Nokia 6300 which looks pretty cool ... but nowhere near the iPhone course. It's okay if the Nokia ends up having a short time with me, I'll find it a good home, promise

Project Fruit Salad?

 

[sionharris]

I'm getting really peed off with Apple leaving it so late to announce a carrier for the UK. If it's O2 (have generally had a good experience with them so far and I am classed as a 'high usage' customer so I get good deals) then I will probably take the £100 rebate this year and downgrade my contract for 12 months in the hope that Apple upgrades the iPhone before Christmas 2008.

But I'm soo tempted to take the plunge straight away. Gah.

[Save money, Sion. Wait until it has 3G and a long battery life.]

 

[zedwards]

Ouah!!!!

That would be a nice surprise to have an iPhone at the end of the year!

 

[TheChillPill]

No UK deal has been made as yet - o2 have a handset they are 'testing', and I assume other networks are doing the same.

Interestingly though, the o2 techs have been somewhat disappointed with it - speaking to someone that is part of the test team last friday, their opinion was 'you're paying for the name and that's all'. However, the next sentence was 'get an xda for free instead', so I guess they simply don't 'get it'.

 

[Fairly]

OK in the UK But

Orange are OK in the UK but they're expanding all over the place and when companies do that they normally suffer growing pains. Scaleability, chaos replacing organisation, etc. They're in more than half a dozen EU countries and still on the move. Slovakia, Romania, Spain - the list goes on. Sounds to me like a new AT&T.

 

[unilad]

3g??

Hey,

If Orange does get it does that mean the iphone will be 3G?

Thanks

 

[MattX]

IPhone with O2 in UK

I expect that the Apple / O2 deal is sewn up. This page here seems to confirm it.

 

[weckart]

According to this site linked from Macbidouille the iPhone will be launched in the final week of September after MacExpo, somewhat earlier than expected. Orange refuses to confirm or deny, so it is still anyone's guess.

 

[TheChillPill]

I expect that the Apple / O2 deal is sewn up. This page here seems to confirm it.

That is just another one of many sites 'speculating'. o2 haven't signed anything yet, but are still in talks and their techs are still testing.

Also, it will definitely not be 3g on launch (in the UK at least) because the largest part of their testing revolves around network speeds without 3G.

 

[jimN]

I got to use one belonging to one of the Apple guys in the Regent's Street store yesterday. It was on wi-fi and he flat out denied it being a funny import - Apple had obviously issued them some that were effectively not mobile phones. He remained tight lipped about providers, price points and a release date and said that obviously they knew things that they weren't allowed to tell us - having seen the way Apple plays things I expect that he knew little more than I did.

"Ummm Steve Jobs said himself its comin to Europe in 4th Quarter. And it would be stupid to release it in the two weeks after Christmas."

I don't doubt we'll see a release before Christmas, my point was that the O2 reps have nothing official to go on nor do they even know if they'll be the company with the phone, so it's those rumours they're listening to. Do try to pay attention.

 

[dalvin200]

I expect that the Apple / O2 deal is sewn up. This page here seems to confirm it.

and the price is good too - £0.00

although 200 mins is very lame..

 

[juanm]

damn, so close, but so far away legally. In Belgium (right above France, to the right of UK and left of Germany) you can't lock your cellphones, you have the legal right to use any carrier. Which means a lot of freedom, but also more expensive cellphones

ouch! Apple won't sell it without a contract anytime soon. And if they release it without a contract in Belgium (no need to say where it's located, just follow the fries smell) at a decent price and unlocked, it would create a whole industry of iPhone exportation, thus affecting other foreign carriers.
Have you ever had another phone tied to only one carrier?

 

[juanm]

I got to use one belonging to one of the Apple guys in the Regent's Street store yesterday. It was on wi-fi and he flat out denied it being a funny import - Apple had obviously issued them some that were effectively not mobile phones. He remained tight lipped about providers, price points and a release date and said that obviously they knew things that they weren't allowed to tell us - having seen the way Apple plays things I expect that he knew little more than I did.

In Spain, the main Apple reseller (K-Tuin) had some for expo too, but only until the July 31. Apparently, they had to give it back.

 

[Macnoviz]

ouch! Apple won't sell it without a contract anytime soon. And if they release it without a contract in Belgium (no need to say where it's located, just follow the fries smell) at a decent price and unlocked, it would create a whole industry of iPhone exportation, thus affecting other foreign carriers.
Have you ever had another phone tied to only one carrier?

no, it's not possible to sell locked phones over here. It's about consumers rights. The only thing you do see is "packs" which have a phone and a contract, but you aren't bound to that contract.

 

[mpw]

In Spain, the main Apple reseller (K-Tuin) had some for expo too, but only until the July 31. Apparently, they had to give it back.

Jersey Telecom have had a display for a couple of weeks, they're taking orders of interest without setting a price or a firm release date. They're confirming it'll be on their network around 'Christmas time'. JT are the largest telecom company here and were the only one until about a year ago. The other two operators only have mobile network whereas JT offers the full range of landlines, broadband, mobiles etc. etc. they've traditionally been closly linked/partnered with O2 in the UK.

 

[Devil's Refugee]

Should be reasonable to assume it will be announced during the Keynote speech at the Paris Expo in September.

Softpedia are still maintaining it's Vodafone though

Posted yesterday:

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Voda...-the-iPhone-039-s-European-Launch-63134.shtml

Couple of issues with this one though, they seem to claim Apple have admitted to launching a 3G phone for Europe from the outset.....I don't seem to remember any such claim.