Apple abroad: T-Mobile iPhone in UK; Mexican iTunes Music Store

[AppleInsider]

A new report alleges that T-Mobile U.K. is secretly supplying the iPhone 3G unlocked, but only to its highest spending customers who threaten to transfer to another wireless carrier.

According to The Register, T-Mobile U.K. has authorized only 150 phones per week to be issued to certain customers. The phones, which are last year's model, are officially supported by T-Mobile, although the move is not sanctioned by Apple, which has an exclusive agreement with competing carrier O2.

"T-Mobile has imported an unknown number of iPhone 3G handsets from a European distributor," the report states, "which it will be supplying to customers paying more than £75 a month if they threaten to leave -- the latter clause enforced by allocating the handsets through 50 agents in the retentions department, and limiting those agents to three a week each."

T-Mobile is not advertising the offering, though, because they do not want to risk upsetting Apple. The carrier has an exclusive contract for the iPhone in the company's home country of Germany.

Last month, rumors surfaced that the iPhone 3G could be coming to the British T-Mobile after that model's exclusivity expires with carrier O2. The iPhone 3GS, however, would remain solely on the O2 network.

iTunes Music Store opens in Mexico; Online store in Brazil coming soon

Apple officially launched the iTunes Music Store in Mexico Tuesday. The destination has a selection of both Mexican and international artists from all major labels and "hundreds of independent labels."

"Launching with a catalog of millions of songs, the iTunes Store in Mexico features Mexican artists including Paulina Rubio, Vicente Fernandez and Zoe and a wide range of international artists including Shakira, Lady Gaga, Green Day and thousands more," Apple stated in a press release. "With most songs priced at 12 pesos and most albums at 120 pesos, the iTunes Store in Mexico is the best way for Mac and PC users to legally discover, purchase and download music online."

Though the store includes music and videos, there are currently no TV shows or movies available, according to an AppleInsider reader.

Songs sell for 12 pesos, while albums range from 90 pesos to 170 pesos. Music videos are 24 pesos. At 12 pesos, songs cost about 91 U.S. cents.

"The iTunes Store in Mexico is off to a great start with music from all of the majors and hundreds of indie labels," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of Internet Services. "And the revolutionary App Store in Mexico gets bigger and better with great new apps using amazing new features, and we can't wait to see what developers come up with next."

Another AppleInsider reader sends word that Apple's online store in Brazil is almost ready to open. According to MacMagazine, manually typing in certain addresses makes sections of the Apple Store available in Portuguese.

Some sources have reported that the regional store could open this month.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[iMat]

Here in Switzerland :-(

[AjitMD]

Apple needs to allow the sale of unlocked phones world wide at the full premium price. No reason to keep hi spending subscribers from getting what they want... especially if they or the carrier are paying top dollar. I imagine that there are a lot of folks in places like China and other parts of Asia, Latin America, Europe, etc who want a phone with no restrictions especially when they travel... and want to use local numbers. Plus they want to use features like WiFi, etc without restrictions or even tethering.

Even better would be if the customer could order the phones over the Internet and then BYO plan or SIM card.

[santana]

I've been waiting so long for this.

Thank you so much!

[charlituna]

Originally Posted by AjitMD

Apple needs to allow the sale of unlocked phones world wide at the full premium price.

it will likely happen at some point but for now they need to recover their R&D and regional testing monies and these contracts do that.

as for the thing in the UK. Tacky, very very tacky. I'm sure T-Mobile is going to take a hit from Apple if this turns out to be true and I have to say they deserve it.

[slcossio]

I've also been waiting for this, noticed this by accident at 1 AM when I was about to download an App... :P

I know there are still no movies available for download... but my question is, once (or if) they put movies for download, will we get the option of downloading them in English and/or Spanish? Or does it download both in the same file and I just select the audio kinda like the subtitles?

I ask this cause I like to watch movies in the original language, translations can really break a movie, or in case of animated movies, sometimes they're better (IMO, like Shrek, a lot more funny in Spanish), so it'd be nice to have the option...

[Chris_CA]

Originally Posted by charlituna

it will likely happen at some point but for now they need to recover their R&D and regional testing monies and these contracts do that.

How would they not recover these costs by selling at full cost to customers not with a contract?

[bmson]

Originally Posted by iMat

Here in Switzerland :-(

Still waiting for iTunes Store and iPhone in Iceland.
This is just ridiculous.

People are buying imported iPhone in Iceland for +800$ in Iceland.
They are buying 10$ iTunes card for +12$ from people living over seas.

There are over 2.000 iPhone in Iceland and here are people that are willing to pay.
How about offering us the possibility to do so.

[stokessd]

I'm on a Mexican iTunes store...

i feel a hot wind on my shoulder
and the touch of a world that is older
i turn the switch and check the EULA
i leave it on when in bed i slumber
i hear the rhythms of the music
i buy the product and never use it
i hear the talking of the dj
can't understand, just what does he say?

i'm on a mexican iTunes computer

i dial it in and iTunes the 'puter
they talk about the u.s. inflation
i understand just a little
no comprende - it's a riddle

i'm on a mexican iTunes computer

i wish i was in tiajuana
eating barbequed iguana
i take requests on the telephone
i'm on a wavelength far from home
i feel a hot wind on my shoulder
i dial it in from the south of the border
i hear the talking of the dj
can't understand, just what does he say?

i'm on a mexican iTunes computer

[Trajectory]

I'm sure the most popular app in the Mexico App Store will be the Cannabis App.

[delizazam]

This is another plan to rip people off, Iphone will be killed that day will come. I love apple but iphone just pit me off apple.

[AdamIIGS]

Originally Posted by delizazam

This is another plan to rip people off, Iphone will be killed that day will come. I love apple but iphone just pit me off apple.

[jcgnu]

Originally Posted by Trajectory

I'm sure the most popular app in the Mexico App Store will be the Cannabis App.

Isn't it already a hit in the US. I think it was created in Mexico, but sold better there.

No offense, just following the joke...

[monkeyastronaut]

Originally Posted by Trajectory

I'm sure the most popular app in the Mexico App Store will be the Cannabis App.

and it will be bought by drunk american springbreakers acting like monkeys in tijuana, baja and cancun. </stereotyping>

[lightstriker]

Originally Posted by stokessd

I'm on a Mexican iTunes store...

i feel a hot wind on my shoulder
and the touch of a world that is older
i turn the switch and check the EULA
i leave it on when in bed i slumber
i hear the rhythms of the music
i buy the product and never use it
i hear the talking of the dj
can't understand, just what does he say?

i'm on a mexican iTunes computer

i dial it in and iTunes the 'puter
they talk about the u.s. inflation
i understand just a little
no comprende - it's a riddle

i'm on a mexican iTunes computer

i wish i was in tiajuana
eating barbequed iguana
i take requests on the telephone
i'm on a wavelength far from home
i feel a hot wind on my shoulder
i dial it in from the south of the border
i hear the talking of the dj
can't understand, just what does he say?

i'm on a mexican iTunes computer

Very Good. Did you study with Frank Jacobs?

[newbee]

Originally Posted by delizazam

This is another plan to rip people off, Iphone will be killed that day will come. I love apple but iphone just pit me off apple.

Did you get tired of your other "handle" iphone1982 ??

[grayum]

Originally Posted by bmson

Still waiting for iTunes Store in Iceland.
This is just ridiculous.

same here in Singapore - double grumble