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O2 to carry iPhone in UK? [updated]
The Times is reporting that cellular service provider O2 has beaten out Vodafone and others to win exclusive rights to offer the iPhone in the UK. According to the report, negotiations are still ongoing with mobile phone retailers like Carphone Warehouse over an agreement to allow sales of the iPhone in their stores after a period of exclusivity with O2. The agreement between Apple and O2 is thought to include a share of revenues generated by iPhone customers, and O2 is expected to make the necessary network configuration changes to support iPhone’s at-home activation and features such as Visual Voicemail. As previously reported, T-Mobile is expected to offer the iPhone in Germany, while Orange is believed to be the front-runner to carry the phone in France.
Update: Bloomberg reports that O2 parent company Telefonica SA is denying the report. “No deal has been signed with Apple,” O2 spokesman David Nicholas said. “We don’t comment on rumor or speculation.” Alan Hely, London-based spokesman for Apple, said, “We’ll bring the iPhone to Europe in late 2007,” but declined to comment on any possible UK partners.
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1
This just in from Bloomberg:
‘Telefonica SA’s O2 wireless unit said it hasn’t signed a deal with Apple Inc. to be the exclusive U.K. network partner for the iPhone mobile device.
“No deal has been signed with Apple,” O2 spokesman David Nicholas said today by telephone from London. “We don’t comment on rumor or speculation.” ‘
http://tinyurl.com/35yxwy
Posted by Joshua on July 5, 2007 at 8:29 AM (PDT)
2
I really hope its not O2. Nothing wrong with them overall, but their GPRS is non-EDGE and so is even slower than AT&T’s in the US, not exactly the best part of the iPhone’s otherwise strong suite of features. BTW, look on the BBC News site for an unintentionally funny video of the iPhone in action - nothing data related works with any speed at all so the reviewer gives up and moves onto the next feature!
Posted by drevo_uk in UK on July 6, 2007 at 2:50 AM (PDT)
3
please God/steve jobs
please pick any other carrier in the uk.
vodafone, t-mobile, orange, virgin, fresh, smoke signals, just not the arrogant and useless O2. that company has the worst customer service, poor coverage and they’re pompous to boot.
Posted by no2 on July 6, 2007 at 10:01 AM (PDT)