The wait for Apple iPhone is finally over in UK and Germany. T-Mobile in Germany and O2 in UK launched the iPhone in European countries on November 9.
Thousand of fans queued-up outside stores in Germany to buy the mobile phone from Apple. T-mobile has already reported that they sold over 10,000 devices during the first day on sale. In Britain too there were long queues outside Apple and O2 stores British operator has sold ten of thousands of Apple iPhones in the UK since the ultimate gadget went first on sale on Friday.
In Britain iPhone costs 269 GBP (approx Rs. 22,007), with 18 months contract with O2. While in Germany, T-Mobile is selling the iPhone at 399 euros (approx Rs. 22,962).
It seems the phone is doing well in Germany and UK. Let’s see if it appeals to the French youth as well. The iPhone is being launched in France on France Telecom’s Orange, by the end of this month, while Asians will have to wait until 2008 to get their hand on the device.
O2, the UK servicer provider is calling the iPhone the fastest-selling device we have ever seen.
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Apple is imposing numerous restrictions on iPhone sales to slow down the unauthorised unlocking of iphones. Starting from Thursday, Apple no longer will accept cash for iPhones and will sell only two devices per person. Apple will be asking for a credit or debit card for payment to discourage unauthorized resellers.
Customer response to the iPhone has been off the charts, and limiting iPhone sales to two per customer will help ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift. According to Apple, about 2.5 lakh iphones out of 14 lakhs were purchased recently to unlock and resell them.
Currently Apple iPhone devices are available only in the U.S. and can work only with AT&T carrier, however, unlocked iPhones are relatively popular not only in the U.S., but also in Europe and even in Russia. Recently France has prohibited Apple to sell locked phones in France. As a result, as soon as the company starts to sell its iPhone in France via Orange, customers will still be able to use iPhones in any networks.
Some experts, however, are of the opinion that the ‘restrictions on iPhone sales’ have little to do with censoring the unlocking business, and more with Apple’s holiday marketing and sales strategy. Read more… »
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Apple is releasing an unlocked version of the iPhone in France through European mobile carrier Orange amid pressure from French consumer laws which specifically prohibit the dependent sale of a product and a service. It means that Orange will have to sell the iPhone with and without subscription. Apple is not happy with that.
The will allow users to run it on various cellular networks. Orange will offer both a locked version for its French net for about $560. The price of an unlocked version, which is likely to be higher, will be disclosed shortly. Unlocked iPhones can be used on any network. It can also cost consumers more money, too - users of unlocked iPhones will usually connect to a network that doesn’t have a flat rate data plan, forcing users to pay higher rates for EDGE data usage
Orange, which is owned by France Telecom initially won the exclusive rights as the sole provider to offer the iPhone, giving it the same agreement Apple has used with other service carriers. Apple recently signed exclusive deals, similar to the one with U.S.-based AT&T, with Britain’s O2, the wireless division of Spain’s Telefonica, and with Germany’s T-Mobile, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom.
From the outset, Apple’s decision has come under concerted attack by hackers trying to unlock the phone’s SIM card, thereby allowing the phone to run on a network other than AT&T. Apple has made a just-as-concerted counter-attack to undo those hacks.
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