Apple and Orange have announced that Orange will be the exclusive French carrier of the iPhone, which will make its French debut on Thursday, November 29. The 8GB iPhone will sell for 399€, or roughly $567, and will be sold in France through Orange’s online and direct retail stores. Details of available service plans have not yet been released.
“We are excited to partner with Orange and bring iPhone to France in time for the holidays,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone is an amazing product and we hope mobile users in France will love it as much as we do.”
“The iPhone is a marvelous product and will change how people think about mobile. I’m delighted that it is launching in France through Orange, and I’m sure that our customers share my excitement.
Our partnership with Apple is a natural fit because we are two global brands who share the same values of simplicity and innovation. It’s going to be a very merry Christmas for Orange customers all over the country!” said Didier Lombard, CEO, France Telecom.
This announcement comes less than a week after Apple stated that it had no set date for the phone’s launch in France, and confirms a statement made by Lombard that the launch would take place “during November”.