Orange to offer 3G iPhone in Africa, Mid East, and Europe

[PeterOd]

Orange works in Moldova too . It will be amazing to have iPhones in this funny country.

[glorfindeal]

Originally Posted by Rokken

and still no iphone for scandinavians :S

You all have cell towers there?

Glor

[safXmal]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Specifically, the French carrier said that later this year it will provide details on availability for Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, and its existing African markets.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

Which means that the phone will be sold unlocked. it's illegal in Belgium to sell locked phones

[PeterOd]

Originally Posted by eAi

Anyone made an "who's getting the iPhone" map?

[franciscoandre]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Specifically, the French carrier said that later this year it will provide details on availability for Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, and its existing African markets.

Just to let you guys know, in Portugal there's no Orange network. There is only an Orange-controlled or joint-controlled interests (non-Orange branded mobile operator) denominated Optimus Telecomunicações, S.A. Actually Orange SA is one of main Optimus' shareholders, but the biggest one is a sub-holding of Portuguese conglomerate named Sonae.

[AppleInsider]

Orange, the exclusive provider of iPhones in France, announced Friday a new deal with Apple that will see it expand distribution and service of the device to additional European countries, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.

Specifically, the French carrier said that later this year it will provide details on availability for Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, and its existing African markets.

A spokesperson for Orange parent company France Telecom told Reuters that the carrier will be the exclusive iPhone provider in Belgium and Romania, with co-exclusive or non-exclusive deals in other countries.

Orange joins Swisscom and SingTel, which also announced iPhone deals this week. Swisscom earned the rights to sell the device later this year in Switzerland, while SingTel through its subsidiaries said it would market the phone in Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia.

Earlier this month, America Movil said it would offer the Apple handset throughout Latin America, while Vodafone announced deals for Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey.

Telecom Italia Mobile will also be selling the iPhone in Italy, and Rogers will market the device in Canada.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[Rokken]

and still no iphone for scandinavians :S

[eAi]

Anyone made an "who's getting the iPhone" map?

[fpsanders]

Originally Posted by Rokken

and still no iphone for scandinavians :S

Originally Posted by eAi

Anyone made an "who's getting the iPhone" map?

We have Orange, We have Vodafone, We have T-Mobile. Just make up your mind guys and get that iPhone thing to the Netherlands

[shrimpcracker]

Originally Posted by Rokken

and still no iphone for scandinavians :S

Of course there will be an iphone for Scandinavia in June, Scandinavian carriers just know how to keep quit about it until apple says it is ok to talk.

[petermac]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Orange, the exclusive provider of iPhones in France, announced Friday a new deal with Apple that will see it expand distribution and service of the device to additional European countries, the Middle East, and parts of Africa.

Specifically, the French carrier said that later this year it will provide details on availability for Austria, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Jordan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, and its existing African markets.

A spokesperson for Orange parent company France Telecom told Reuters that the carrier will be the exclusive iPhone provider in Belgium and Romania, with co-exclusive or non-exclusive deals in other countries.

Orange joins Swisscom and SingTel, which also announced iPhone deals this week. Swisscom earned the rights to sell the device later this year in Switzerland, while SingTel through its subsidiaries said it would market the phone in Singapore, India, the Philippines and Australia.

Earlier this month, America Movil said it would offer the Apple handset throughout Latin America, while Vodafone announced deals for Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey.

Telecom Italia Mobile will also be selling the iPhone in Italy, and Rogers will market the device in Canada.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

As I understand it, Orange also operates or partly owns "3" in Australia, which was the first telco to offer 3G services in Australia around 4-5 years ago. Given that 2 carriers have been announced in Australia so far, Vodafone and Optus (a division of SingTel), thereby confirming a non exclusive distribution deal for Down Under, I now wonder if "3" and Telstra will also be offering the iPhone. I have read elsewhere on AI that Telstra will be. So maybe Australia will get 4 carriers with only Virgin on the outside. As Australia is a small market with a total population of 21 million, this is the best way to ensure maximum penetration and competition with data plans and contracts.

Well, I don't think we have long to wait now. The flurry of announcements are arriving now at the rate of 1 or 2 a week, with 4 weeks to go to Apples WWDC, there could be a few more deals to be made public yet.

Cheers

[nutts]

I guess they're waiting for Steve to show off the 3g version before they formally announce a carrier in Japan. Right? RIGHT?
Come on already, I'm waiting and I'm not getting any younger!

I wannnnnts my preccccccccccious!

[ajprice]

I wonder if the UK will get a second carrier alongside o2? Orange are getting a lot of action in Europe now.

[Bobo Decosta]

There can't be an exclusive carrier in Belgium! It's forbidden by law! Mobistar (owned by orange) might be the only one to carry visual voicemail, but it can't sell locked phones in Belgium.

[bluedalmatian]

Originally Posted by ajprice

I wonder if the UK will get a second carrier alongside o2? Orange are getting a lot of action in Europe now.

O2 said last Nov that they have a 5 year contract with Apple for exlcusive rights for the UK

[Dauphin]

"A spokesperson for Orange parent company France Telecom told Reuters that the carrier will be the exclusive iPhone provider in Belgium and Romania, with co-exclusive or non-exclusive deals in other countries."

this comes as an extreme surprise given the fact that belgian law clearly states that no device can be ether sold bundled nor locked to a particular carrier, so this will probably raise some questions; like:
-WIll it be sold "unlocked" only to belgian sim cards like the one in france?
-Will it be sol simply exclusively at ORANGE (so MOBISTAR, cause we don't have Orange here anymore)

I for one would like to see what happens next but i guess we'll only find out at the WWDC.
but if anyone knows any answer to my questions please do answer..

[samab]

There are 2 Belgium cases that have appealed up to the European Court of Justice on whether Belgium's anti-bundling law is against EU's consumer protection laws (the cases will be heard on June 17, 2008).

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/...ogy/iphone.php

Meanwhile, Belgium is thinking about repealing the anti-bundling law.

http://www.vanbaelbellis.com/files/B...08-100213A.pdf

Looks like Orange is betting that Beglium is going to kill their existing laws.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by PeterOd

<image of current and future official iPhone retailers by county

I forget, shouldn't China be shaded light-blue, too?

Welcome to AI.

[adamthecarny]

Originally Posted by PeterOd

map of countries

I think you forgot to colour in little old tassie sitting off the south east corner of Australia... Inbred or not they would surely have to be included in an Australian release.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by Dauphin

"A spokesperson for Orange parent company France Telecom told Reuters that the carrier will be the exclusive iPhone provider in Belgium and Romania, with co-exclusive or non-exclusive deals in other countries."

this comes as an extreme surprise given the fact that belgian law clearly states that no device can be ether sold bundled nor locked to a particular carrier, so this will probably raise some questions; like:
-WIll it be sold "unlocked" only to belgian sim cards like the one in france?
-Will it be sol simply exclusively at ORANGE (so MOBISTAR, cause we don't have Orange here anymore)

I for one would like to see what happens next but i guess we'll only find out at the WWDC.
but if anyone knows any answer to my questions please do answer..

I don't think the solution here is much of a mystery: They'll charge a significantly higher price for an unlocked, unbundled version of the phone, like they did in Germany and France.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

I don't think the solution here is much of a mystery: They'll charge a significantly higher price for an unlocked, unbundled version of the phone, like they did in Germany and France.

I wonder if Apple will sell the iPhone at a higher price and then have an instant rebate when you sign up to AT&T to offset the loss of iPhones being bought in the States and then sold overseas.

Perhaps Apple is opening up to so many other countries to offset this loss, but I've run the numbers, if the price stays the same and the average price for foreign markets stays buying in the US and sneaking into other countries will still be the cheapest solution.

[NasserAE]

Originally Posted by solipsism

I wonder if Apple will sell the iPhone at a higher price and then have an instant rebate when you sign up to AT&T to offset the loss of iPhones being bought in the States and then sold overseas.

Perhaps Apple is opening up to so many other countries to offset this loss, but I've run the numbers, if the price stays the same and the average price for foreign markets stays buying in the US and sneaking into other countries will still be the cheapest solution.

It is the best solution. That's what I thought when I read about the AT&T $200 rumors. I think Apple can avoid many problems by selling the iPhone at say $600 and AT&T will give you back $200 credit when you activate your iPhone. This way Apple will get almost the equivalent of the revenues sharing in advance and everyone is happy. The only downside is that buyers have to pay initial higher price but at the end it is the same.

AT&T 3G data plan is $35. Maybe AT&T will still keep the same $20 price instead of the $200? But what if I don't have 3G available in my area?

We will see in 4 weeks

[officerdick]

Originally Posted by glorfindeal

You all have cell towers there?

Glor

In Denmark we have 98% 3G coverage, WiMaxx in all major towns and cities. In Sweeden they have superfast broadband, Denmark is one of the worlds leading IT nations. So check your facts before being boastful, as far as i know 3G is hard to come by in the states.