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Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone... the big three are battling it out and speculation is coming from every direction. Walk in to any of their retail outlets and they are all hopeful.
Bringing iPhone in Britain will add more profits and publicity to any carrier which wins the right to carry the device in the country. Earlier this year, we've heard that Vodafone will most likely get the rights to sell Apple's handset in Europe. Now, we have another contender - Orange. Apparently, executives from both carriers are in the midst of negotiations with Apple to grab the exclusive rights for the UK market.
Mad4MobilePhones wrote:
At present, mobile phone retailers in the country are receiving emails and phone calls on a daily basis asking when the iPhone will be released, where they can buy it and how much it will cost. It is expected that Apple announces its partner-carrier for Europe by September, with a launch scheduled for mid-December.
TMobile? Doubtful... Vodafone?
Just as we thought that Orange and Vodafone are the only real contenders fighting for the iPhone rights in the UK, we have a new bit of information suggesting that T-Mobile will most likely carry the Apple's flagship device. It gets confusing.
DarlaMack wrote:
According to an article on Marketing Week: "It is thought that the company has narrowed the European shortlist to Vodafone and T-Mobile, but sources say the Deutsche Telekom-owned brand is the favorite to land the deal."
Somehow, I don't see this happening. Vodafone seems like a perfect fit for Apple, given the fact that they have the largest network. Still, Verizon is the largest carrier in the States, and it doesn't get to carry the iPhone…
T-Mobile does not operate in as many countries as Vodafone, and would be locked out of key European countries such as France, Italy, and Spain.
AppleInsider wrote:
Vodafone may not be the only European wireless carrier under consideration for Apple's iPhone contract in Europe. Meanwhile, a prominent market research firm says video services like iTunes are just a "temporary flash" along the way to better alternatives. And it's official -- one Beatle is on his way to iTunes.
AppleInsider wrote:
Germany-based T-Mobile may become the iPhone's official carrier for Europe, according to those close to the negotiations. Although it had been suggested that Vodafone would win -- an implication the carrier publically denied -- MarketingWeek reported last week that its rival at T-Mobile is favored as the sole outlet for iPhone sales in the continent.
Multiple operators? Most phones, if not all UK handsets have multiple operators, especially those of broader appeals, though PDA's differ, the Nokia 6230i is available across most networks for instance...
AppleInsider wrote:
"It would be in Apple's best interests to get more than one operator to distribute the phone because the European market is more fragmented than the US," one analyst told the publication.
An iPhoneAlley.com Administrator wrote:
It seems that expectations of the iPhone are just as high in the UK as they are in the US, but it's possible that due to a high rate of smartphone use in the UK, consumers there may not be as quick to buy an iPhone.
TechWorld wrote:
The research emerges as reports claim Apple is facing challenges finding a network willing to carry the device in Europe, with both Vodafone and Orange variously mooted as most-likely candidates to secure a European deal for the device.
To be honest, we might be in for a surpirse, there are no valid[/b[ sources, and as is repeated over at MacRumours forums, "It's all just speculation at the moment".
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