Apple, Orange to unleash iPhone in France on Nov. 29

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Apple and Orange jointly announced Tuesday that Orange, the leading wireless carrier in France, will be the exclusive French carrier partner for the iPhone when it makes its local debut on Thursday, November 29.



The two companies were widely expect announce plans for the Apple handset's French debut last month, but last minute disputes regarding both French law and the percentage of service revenues Orange would have to give to Apple spurred fears that the two parties would be unable to come to terms ahead of the holiday shopping season.



?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," said Didier Lombard, CEO of France Telecom, which owns the Orange brand. "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!?



iPhone is scheduled to go on sale on November 29 and will be sold in France through Orange?s online and direct retail stores. It's unclear whether the handset will be offered for sale via Apple's local online store. The Apple handset will be available in an 8GB model for ?399 including V.A.T. for any subscription to one of the dedicated rate plans and will work with either a PC or Mac.



As is the case with the US version of iPhone, activation will require an Internet connection; an iTunes Store account; the latest version of iTunes available at www.itunes.fr and a PC or Mac with a USB 2.0 port and one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later; Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later; or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise or Ultimate Edition.



iPhone will also launch in two other European countries -- the U.K. and Germany -- on November 9th.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 28
    must be a consolation for france after england kicked them out of the rugby world cup haha!
  • Reply 2 of 28
    How are they getting around the law that forces the phone to be unlocked?
  • Reply 3 of 28
    It will be interesting to see what the "unlocked" price will be as the french law WILL oblige both Apple and Orange to sell a stand alone version without operator ties. Rumours have it that an unlocked phone will be sold at an extortionate 999 Euro (1350 $ at least).
  • Reply 4 of 28
    According to Forbes.com Orange will give aapl 30% of revenues, plus it implies an unlocked version must be sold in France www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/200...fx4223909.html
  • Reply 5 of 28
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by artman1033 View Post


    According to Forbes.com Orange will give aapl 30% of revenues, plus it implies an unlocked version must be sold in France www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/200...fx4223909.html



    The french consumer watchdog is sharpening the knives as we write these messages, shall they not oblige.

    30% is quite a good revenue stream when you think about it. At an average price of (say) 50 euro before taxes (that would be 65$ at least), this would equate to 18$/month per customer or (say) roundabout 200$/year/customer. French contracts are typically two year ones => 400$/customer on top for Apple.



    I was not that far of the mark then when i suggested a RRP (unlocked) of 999 Euro (minus VAT = 800=>1050$).



    I wonder what the (Greg) Munster-man will make of this....
  • Reply 6 of 28
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mbaynham View Post


    must be a consolation for france after england kicked them out of the rugby world cup haha!



    Mate - that was Johnny Wilkinson -single handed- who kicked them out
  • Reply 7 of 28
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    I wonder what percentage Orange is giving Apple. ;-)
  • Reply 8 of 28
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Joe_the_dragon View Post


    How are they getting around the law that forces the phone to be unlocked?



    I'm sure they could double the price of the handsets and then Orange would offer a rebate for locking into their service. That would certainly turn many away.
  • Reply 9 of 28
    "Our partnership with Apple is a natural fit because we are two global brands who share the same values of simplicity and innovation"



    What, I therefore wonder, stopped Orange and Apple being a natural fit in the UK...?
  • Reply 10 of 28
    Canada for Christmas,

    Or my Looney is going to Boston (and the iphone dev team)
  • Reply 11 of 28
    Sacré bleu!
  • Reply 12 of 28
    That's quite a big new market for the iPhone in November.



    The combined population of Germany, France and the U.K. is just over 200 million.
  • Reply 13 of 28
    ....... added to the population of the USA, the iPhone will then be available to half a billion people!
  • Reply 14 of 28
    Really, any law-knowledgeable people able to tellus how they might get around that law? Or do they not mind about the law?
  • Reply 15 of 28
    I wonder what ZO has to say about this?
  • Reply 16 of 28
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JakeTheRock View Post


    Really, any law-knowledgeable people able to tellus how they might get around that law? Or do they not mind about the law?



    The law does not stipulate that you have to sell at the same price. The law just states that you HAVE to offer it s stand-alone. 999 Euro should be about right. It's aclled respecting the law but not living the law
  • Reply 17 of 28
    that is good for the french and apple they will sell lots of phones. i want to know when its coming to australia.
  • Reply 18 of 28
    buckbuck Posts: 293member
    What bothers me personally is that we'll probably see another firmware update on the 9th and then (maybe) on the 29th to accomodate those new providers. That means all of jailbreaking efforts have gone to waste, again.
  • Reply 19 of 28
    shetlineshetline Posts: 4,695member
    It'll also be interesting to see how much it'll cost to get an unlocked iPhone shipped from France (or from whatever other countries unlocked iPhones eventually appear in) to the US.



    By the time that there's a 3G iPhone 2, I'll be interested in this.
  • Reply 20 of 28
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Just curious, but do these other official carriers offer Visual Voice Mail too? Have they also made changes to their network?
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