Orange gets UK iPhone deal
Mon dieu, c'est le JesusPhone!
France Telecom's Orange is to start selling the iPhone to UK subscribers later this year.
The company has yet to tell us the date, or pricing plans. But it did issue a short statement which confirmed an agreement with Apple to, "bring iPhone 3G and 3GS to Orange UK customers later this year. Orange globally now offers iPhone in 28 countries and territories."
The news will be a blow for O2, which has enjoyed a two-year exclusive distribution deal for Apple's mobile. Orange has been selling the handsets in France since 2007.
Orange UK said it would be selling the handset through all its direct channels, as well as with "selected High Street partners".
That's about all we can tell you.
But if you're a fanboi with an Orange contract that's probably all you need to know. There is a website to pre-register here. ®
COMMENTS
@ Andy Shaw and CitizenErazed
Yeah, it's the vagaries of the cellphone networks for sure that lead to these sorts of experiences. I was happy with Orange while I was living in Stoke-On-Trent, but after I moved to Birmingham and then later to Basingstoke, my Orange phone (well, phones plural, as I upgraded over the years) always had worse coverage than my partners phone on O2 or my work phone on Voda when I had one.
I've been really happy with O2s coverage where I use it, but that's the point - it's where you use it that the coverage matters, not an Ofcom map; a network might have 99.9% coverage, but if you live and work in part of the 0.1% area, that network is useless to you and you may as well go for one that has 98% coverage, but you're *in* that 98% area.
@ AC, 28th September 2009 12:06
Get over yourself. Is there really any need to be like that? Nobody else's who's commented has been nasty about their experiences, but I guess that's why you're an Anonymous Coward isn't it?
Other than that, I refer you to my previous comment:
I've been really happy with O2s coverage where I use it, but that's the point - it's where you use it that the coverage matters, not an Ofcom map; a network might have 99.9% coverage, but if you live and work in part of the 0.1% area, that network is useless to you and you may as well go for one that has 98% coverage, but you're *in* that 98% area.
Why the shock-horror!?
Why is The Register and every other media outlet so breathless with this news? I was always given to understand that Apple's iPhone exclusivity contract with O2 was likely to come up for review after two years, similar to the deal with AT&T in the US. It's standard business practice, after all. Maybe I made it up. Oh no, hang on: I read something about it in The Guardian in August last year: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/01/telecoms.mobilephones
Orange T-Mobile joint venture
Personally the IPhone is not my thing and I am not looking forward to more IPhone users not only arguing over the fact their phone is better than everyone elses but now that their network/tarrif is better than other IPhone users....
What with the New Orange/T-Mobile Joint venture soon to be in effect I think the Orange network will give the much hated O2 network (by me anyways) a good ol kick in the arse.
Oh Joy!
Now that the iPhone is on a network NOT made up of tin cans and string then maybe we'll stop hearing the shrill cries of the fanbois defending O2 when it goes down (again)
Personally as long as it doesn't stop Orange offering handsets that I actually want then I couldn't really care less.
