The French and their iPhone....

Apple iPhone fans could get French bargain

By Claudine Beaumont

Gadget fans eagerly awaiting this evening's UK launch of the Apple iPhone could save their money and buy an unlocked handset in France instead, thanks to a loophole in French telecommunications law.

The iPhone, which costs £269, goes on sale in Britain at 6.02pm tonight, and iPhone owners will have to sign up to an 18-month contract with O2, Apple's exclusive iPhone carrier in the UK. Apple has signed exclusive network deals with mobile phone operators in several countries, including AT&T in the US, T-Mobile in Germany, and Orange in France.

But under French law, all mobile phones have to be offered unlocked, so that customers can use them on any network they wish. It means that in theory, British consumers could travel to France, buy an unlocked iPhone and then use it with their regular network in the UK, without having to sign up to an O2 tariff, which start from £35 per month.

However, it's highly unlikely that Apple will make it that easy for customers to get hold of unlocked iPhones and it is thought that Apple and Orange are working closely together to find a solution before the iPhone goes on sale in French stores on November 29.



Ben Woods, an analyst with CSS Insight, expects Apple to make it as difficult as possible for "iPhone tourists" to pick up an unlocked handset. "There are three things Apple could do to resolve this problem. The first is to make the price of an unlocked French device very high, at least two or three times the price of an Orange-locked handset, although that may not be allowed under French law because it could be seen as undermining the idea of customer choice and the reason phones have to be sold unlocked. But you can guarantee that if they make it very expensive, people will think twice.

"The second is to ensure the devices only support the French language, so unless you are bilingual, you will find it impossible to use. "The third option depends on the nature of the legislation. It is not clear whether French law demands that phones are unlocked to work on any network in the world or just networks in France. If it's just French networks, then Apple could ensure that unlocked iPhones will only work in France."

A number of customers couldn't wait until the iPhone's UK release and instead imported the handset from the US. It meant that in order to use the phone, they had to register with AT&T and pay expensive roaming rates when using the handset in the UK.

To get around this problem, many users hacked their phones to unlock them and allow them to run on any network, but Apple has warned customers that such action invalidates the warranty, and that future iPhone software updates may conflict with hacks, leaving the device unusable. Apple and O2 are expecting bumper sales of the iPhone this Christmas.

The device combines and iPod music player with a web browser and a phone, and was recently named Invention of the Year by Time.

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iPhone reaches Europe

By Nicola Leske and Kate Holton

FRANKFURT/LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Apple fans queued through the night in Germany and Britain to be among the first in Europe to buy an iPhone, the must-have gadget that is set to shake up the mobile industry.

Over 10,000 iPhones were sold by Friday afternoon in Germany, a T-Mobile spokeswoman said, after it went on sale at midnight in a Deutsche Telekom (DTEGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) shop in Cologne.

"It was love at first sight," said one 50-year-old man.

T-Mobile representatives handed out blankets and umbrellas as well as hot tea, coffee and pretzels for those waiting outside, before sales staff cheered loudly as the first customers entered the store.

In Britain, fans had to wait until 1800 GMT before the music-playing, Web-browsing phone went on sale at stores from Apple, mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse and mobile operator O2.

The queue outside central London's main Apple store stretched around the corner and long lines also formed in the city's financial area.

First in the queue, clutching a mug of steaming tea, was student Graham Gilbert, who arrived at 0830 GMT on Thursday and endured a wet and cold night on the street.

Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica's O2 and Carphone have pinned high hopes on the iPhone after more than a million sold in the United States in a few months.

"It's probably the most important phone this year in terms of the impact it will have on the mobile phone market but it's going to be a long way from being a best seller," CCS analyst Ben Wood told Reuters.

"But one of the things that Apple do very well is they spend a lot of time thinking about the consumer experience and we're going to see their competitors taking more of that approach."

Most analysts expect the device to be popular with a niche audience, in part due to its price tag, and those queuing on Friday in Germany and Britain were mostly young men.

Most European handsets are subsidised in return for long-term contracts but the iPhone costs 399 euros ($585) in Germany and customers must agree a two-year contract with T-Mobile for monthly fees between 49 and 89 euros.

In Britain the iPhone costs 269 pounds ($568) on top of an 18-month contract costing a minimum of 35 pounds per month.

"It's a magnificent product and it's very well marketed by Apple," said Greenwich Consulting's Fred Huet. "The real question will be how many they sell once the novelty wears off."

The phone will go on sale in France at the end of the month.

(Reporting by Kate Holton, Peter Griffiths, Alastair Sharp in London and Nicola Leske and Georgina Prodhan in Germany, Editing by David Cowell)

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Reuters: Deutsche Telekom wins iPhone deal

Reuters has announced that Deutsche Telekom has won the contract to sell the iPhone in Germany. Deutche Telekom owns T-mobile and will share voice and data revenues generated by the Phone.

According to Reuters:

Apple is expected to hand a UK sale deal to Spanish Telefonica's O2 UK unit, and a French deal to France Telecom's Orange, analysts say, though the companies have maintained strict silence about any deal.

Apple needs to get it's European Partners right, just before Christmas hits.

iPhone may go it alone in Europe

EUROPE - Apple might choose a retail-only strategy when it launches its iPhone in Europe, as operators are complaining about the firm's arrogant demands.

"Operators consistently told us – not for attribution, of course – that they had spoken to Apple and found the company 'unbelievably arrogant,' making demands that 'simply can not be justified, no matter how hot the product is,' Avi Greengart, a principal analyst covering mobile devices for Current Analysis wrote in an advisory report on Monday.

"Several [operators] were adamant that they will never offer the iPhone."

The operators didn't disclose to Greengart what demands Apple imposed on European operators, he said in a phone interview.

Apple is preparing a US iPhone launch on 29 June. The company has previously promised an European release in the fourth quarter of this year.

In the US the device will be available only through mobile provider AT& T, previously known as Cingular. Apple has previously said that it is looking for a www.vnunet.com for the entire European market.

Greengart suggested that Orange would be well suited to offer the iPhone, because it is the only operator that has significant Edge coverage in Europe. The first version of the iPhone will feature an Edge radio, but lacks 3G capability. Edge is commonly referred to as 2.8G because it offers slightly slower data transaction rates that 3G.

Instead of partnering with an operator, Apple could opt to sell the iPhone through its existing dealer networks or partner with specialized mobile phone retailers such as the Carphone Warehouse which has subsidiaries throughout Western Europe.

If Apple decided to sell the iPhone directly to consumers, it would have to sell the devices without simlock, allowing the buyer to insert their own SIM card.

This isn't an option for the US market because several providers don't use SIM cards, and because operators use different network standards that prevent the iPhone from working on some networks.

Going operator-free however would pose a new challenge for Apple because the phone relies on the provider to power features such as the visual voice mail. This allows the user to view the sender of a message and select it, instead of having to listen to the entire queue of left messages.

This would force Apple to host voicemail or seek an outside partnership to bypass the voicemail services that are offered by operators.

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iPhone Europe - Poll

The iPhone is slated to arrive in Europe this year end, but it may also arrive, according to some sources, in November.
Would you buy the iPhone when it arrives ?

Another bunch of iPhone surveys.........this time in Europe and the UK

and what do all the surveys tell us ?...That the iPhone will be a success.....Like we didn't already know !

First the UK iPhone survey (from IPhone.tv)

Demographics

The male/female split worked out pretty nicely - 46.6% were male and 52% female (and yes, a handful either weren't sure, or didn't care to respond)

Most (33.6%) were in the 25-34 age group, followed by 25.1% in the 35-44 age group, 17.1% aged 16-24, 14.8% aged 45-54, 3.5% aged 55-60, and 1.9% aged over 60.

The overwhelming majority live in London or the South East (32.1%), with the rest fairly evenly split between the other English regions, Scotland, and Wales. 7.5% came from outside the UK, primarily the USA and Germany.

26% of respondents own no Apple hardware at all, while 70% own at least one type of iPod. 17.8% own a desktop and/or notebook Mac.

Getting the iPhone?

When questioned on how likely they were to buy an iPhone when it arrives, 7.6% said that they'd definitely be getting one. A massive 46.2% said that they'd seriously consider getting an iPhone, but only if the available deal was attractive. 17.4% said they'd get it if nothing better was on the market, while 23.9% said that they were unlikely to get it, and 4.8% said they'd definitely not buy an iPhone.

When asked if the iPhone would replace their current mobile or be used in addition to it, 77% of the 379 who answered said they'd be replacing their current mobile phone, with the remaining 23% saying it would be an additional phone.

The price you pay...

On price, the majority (59.1%) of those surveyed said they'd only be willing to pay up to £200 (around US$400) for the iPhone. 26.7% would pay between £200 and £250 (US$400-$500), with 10.1% willing to pay between £250 and £300 (US$500-$600), and 4% bravely stating they'd pay over £300 (US$600) for the privilege. Of course, we don't know what deal Apple would throw in for the UK price it eventually sets.

iPhone Features and Follies

When it comes to assessing the best features of the iPhone, 24% of respondents ranked how the iPhone looks as its crowning glory. 14.5% noted its touch screen, 11% its Wi-Fi capabilities, 7.1% its multi-touch gesturing system, and another 7.1% just because it's an Apple product.

On the flip side, it wasn't surprising to note that the factors that could let the iPhone down were the cost (37.7%), a poor battery life (13.9%), not having a physical keyboard (10.4%), and being tied to a single mobile network (8.4%). Interestingly, only 4.5% of people thought that not having 3G was a major shortcoming, and in fact only 15% of respondents thought that it was one of the iPhone's three major failings.

iPhone Networking

When asked which UK network people thought would get the iPhone (presuming Apple sticks to just one), 29.8% noted O2, followed by 22.6% saying Orange, and 21.4% saying Vodafone. Only 11% thought T-Mobile should get the iPhone, narrowly beating Virgin (10.3%).

Just 1 in 4 people would be willing to switch their network provider to get the iPhone, with 38% saying they wouldn't, and 36% being unsure.

12.3% of respondents would break their mobile contracts early if it meant they could get an iPhone when it's released, with 61% not willing to, and 26.7% unsure.

The Rivals

When it comes to the iPhone's biggest rivals, over 1 in 4 respondents (26.4%) thought the Nokia N95 was its biggest threat, closely followed by the Sony Ericsson W950i (22.7%) and LG Prada phone (22.2%).

Asked more generally which mobile phone manufacturer is likely to deliver an iPhone killer, 32.8% said Nokia, with 29.8% plumping for Sony Ericsson, 13.3% for LG, 11.2% for Samsung, and 7.9% for Motorola. One respondent noted that the question was stupid - whether that's because no-one's got a hope in hell of killing off the iPhone, or it really was a stupid question, is hard to tell.

(My comments: Also check out the Helio Ocean (probably wont be released in Europe, but still........)

iPhone versus iPod

When asked if they thought the iPhone would damage sales of regular iPods, 62.5% said that it wouldn't, with 18.3% saying that it would, and 19.2% unsure.

Asked if they'd buy another iPod after buying an iPhone, 28.5% said that they would, with 26.7% saying they wouldn't. 44.8% were unsure.

From Canalys......( from PMP Today)

Canalys surveyed two thousand iPod users all over Europe. For these iPod users, Apple ranks top of all cellphone manufacturers and almost half of them say they are very likely to choose the iPhone as their next mobile phone.

“Apple’s rating improves dramatically when you talk to existing iPod owners,” Pete Cunningham senior analyst at Canalys said. “Almost half the respondents who owned an iPod rated Apple as likely to be considered for their next phone, compared to just 20 per cent for those who didn’t have an iPod, and they were five times as likely to give Apple the highest rating. There is a lot of loyalty that Apple can tap into.”

So now I know why I crave an iPhone so much.

Take part or view the results of the iPhone Europe Poll

The iPhone and Europe.....T-mobile VS Vodafone

Who will get to carry the iPhone torch in Europe ?
One report from Macworld says it's definitely going to be T-mobile......

Europe's mobile networks are battling for rights to distribute the iPhone here – and now it seems T-Mobile may lead the pack.

Contrary to previous reports which have claimed Vodafone or (possibly) Orange as most likely to seal the European distribution deal for Apple's future mobile device, it now seems T-Mobile is going to take the prize.

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.....But another on from 'InformationWeek' speculates it might be Vodafone.

Well, for starters, T-Mobile isn't the largest carrier in Europe. With some 200 million subscribers worldwide, Vodafone ranks as number one. Spain's Telefonica holds the number two spot. T-Mobile, a subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, ranks third overall (and sixth in Europe) with 101 million subscribers. Vodafone was considered to be the leader in the race to secure the iPhone for European markets due to its size alone. T-Mobile, which has half the number of overall subscribers, would limit the potential distribution of the device compared to other options.

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Well, I'm sure the Europeans just want want the damn phone to reach their shores.

Take part or view the results of the iPhone Europe Poll

T-mobile may snag iPhone Contract in Europe

T-mobile and Vodafone were in a close race to get the iPhone contract in Europe, but it looks like, T-mobile has emerged as the frontrunner.

T-Mobile has emerged as the frontrunner in the race to secure the exclusive European distribution rights for Apple's much-anticipated iPhone. The hotly contested contract will be worth millions of pounds to the winning operator.

Europe's biggest mobile phone networks, including Vodafone, Orange and O2 owner Telefonica, have been competing for the right to sell the combined music player, mobile phone, e-mail and internet device when it is launched in Europe this autumn. Apple has already signed an exclusive deal with AT&T to distribute the iPhone in the US.

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 favourite to land the deal.

T-Mobile has been particularly active in the music area and Gartner research director Martin Gutberlet doubts whether the iPhone, with its iTunes software, would fit with Vodafone's Live! portal.

But he thinks that Apple is adopting the wrong strategy by looking to sign an exclusive deal with one operator. "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," he says.

Gutberlet believes Apple will sign an exclusive deal with one company but realise its mistake and look for other distributors at a later date. He also points out that T-Mobile has little or no presence in Italy, Spain or France.

Europe's biggest mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse was also believed to be in talks with Apple but 3 was ruled out because the iPhone is not yet 3G-compatible. The exclusion was a blow for Hutchison Whampoa-owned 3, which is also one of the stronger networks in music.

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Take part or view the results of the iPhone Europe Poll

When will the iPhone arrive in Europe ?

Well, no one's sure when the iPhone will arrive in Europe, but one thing most are sure of, is that it will support 3G (It better !).
Some excerpts.............

• Apple has said that the iPhone will be released in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year, and third-generation (3G) mobile networks will be supported at an unknown date in the future.
  
  ArtsTechnica
  

• After threatening to drop a large-scale cellular service contract based on concerns that it would lock itself out of a trade-up to the iPhone, a Swedish firm has received assurances from its liaison at the provider that the coveted gadget would arrive as soon as September -- and, startlingly, that a version of the handset with 3G (third-generation) wireless Internet access would be in the provider's hands as soon as January of 2008.

• Thankfully, HSDPA also happens to represent Apple's best shot at selling the iPhone beyond American borders. In Europe, cheaper data rates and widespread 3G networks encourage Internet access from smartphones to the extent that many cellphone giants lavish more attention on their phone lineups for that continent than anywhere else.

• Apple Insider

Now, an older report from Gizmodo says Europeans should not expect the iPhone this year...

• The iPhone will be 3G when it arrives in Europe but it will not arrive for a year – not the end of 2007 as expected.
• Gizmodo
  

But, on the other hand.....

• Thanks to the french blog Le Blog iPhone, Apple is recruiting in Cork (Ireland) for the launch of the iPhone in Europe. The job ad was posted on the 26 of March, so we can guess that this role will be fit by the end of June. From my point of view, it probably means the iPhone could arrive in Europe in September-October.

• iPhonews
  

So, plenty of conflicting reports on the arrival of the iPhone in Europe. Take your pick....

Take part or view the results of the iPhone Europe Poll

Vodafone likely to get iPhone contract in Europe

Will Vodafone be iPhone's carrier in Europe ?

Apple has yet to say with which international carriers it plans to partner on iPhone distribution, but one Wall Street analyst is citing sources in saying that heavyweight Vodafone is all but a shoe-in for Europe.

"Our sources indicate that Vodafone is most likely iPhone's carrier partner for Europe," analyst Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research, told clients as part of a broad research note on iPhone. "We believe Vodafone's 200 million subscriber base (compared to 61 million for AT&T, its USA partner), broad country coverage, and investment in advanced technologies make it a strong fit for Apple."

Wu, who raised his price target on shares of Apple by $27 to $145 on Tuesday, went on to say that Vodafone's presence and coverage in 59 countries gives it the global reach that Apple and its customers are looking for.

Apple has said that it hopes to launch iPhone in Europe by the fourth calendar quarter of this year. In February the Cupertino-based company reportedly sent representatives to scout out a Unipart Trade Logistics-operated mobile phone repair centre in Europe to determine whether it would be suitable to handle iPhone repairs for the region.

Meanwhile, reports obtained by both AppleInsider and other Wall Street analysts have suggested that Apple could introduce a version of the iPhone based on 3G wireless technology in Europe during the first half of 2008.

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Take part or view the results of the iPhone Europe Poll