Vodafone to sell Apple's iPhone in UK, too

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
Vodafone has reached an agreement to sell the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS in the U.K. and Ireland, an announcement that came just a day after Orange revealed it would also sell the handset.



Vodafone's new deal begins in early 2010, the company said Tuesday.



"Beginning today, Vodafone UK and Vodafone Ireland customers can register their interest in iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS at www.vodafone.co.uk/iphone and www.vodafone.ie/iphone respectively. Pricing, tariffs and availability information will be announced locally in the future."



The international carrier now offers Apple's handset through 13 companies, including operators in Australia, Greece, India, Portgual and South Africa. The company based in Newbury, England, is said to be the most profitable wireless provider in the world.



Monday, competitor Orange also announced it had reached an agreement to sell the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. But the Orange U.K. sales will begin this year, by the end of 2009, the company said. Orange is owned by France Telecom, which offers the iPhone in 28 countries and territories, including the corporation's home country of France.



For the last two years since the iPhone debuted, the handset has been exclusive to Telefonica's O2. With this week's two deals, though, it would appear that the flood gates have opened in the U.K.



Left out so far is British T-Mobile which, earlier this year, was rumored to be in negotiations with Apple. More recently, though, there was word of a possible merger between the company and Orange.



As the iPhone platform continues to mature and the device's popularity grows, exclusive contracts for the handset appear to be going away. In August, Apple reached a three-year deal with China Unicom to sell the iPhone in the nation of over one billion. But that non-exclusive agreement has also left the door open for Apple to come to an agreement with China Mobile, the world's largest cellular provider.
«1

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 32
    I remember a Vodafone rep trying to convince me to stay with them when I told them I was leaving for O2 and the iPhone. He said that the iPhone wasn't that great and that they could offer me a Nokia N95 for free!
  • Reply 2 of 32
    pxtpxt Posts: 683member
    O2 haven't had the bad press of AT&T, but more flexibility will sell more iPhones I'm sure.



    Also Vodafone have such coverage across Europe, there could be some synergies there.



    A while back I heard that the EU had forbidden Vodafone from reducing their roaming charges in Europe, as there were no other players that could compete across multiple EU countries. I wonder what happened to that. We definitely need a more USofE singularity of service in Europe. I was in Andorra last winter and my phone would switch between three countries within five minutes. </rambling>
  • Reply 3 of 32
    The competition promises to be interesting. All three have the experience in selling iPhones. The UK market is traditionally more liberal, than, say, French one.

    It's definitely for the better, that Orange's decided to fatten a bit.
  • Reply 4 of 32
    mpwmpw Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PXT View Post


    ...We definitely need a more USofE singularity of service in Europe. I was in Andorra last winter and my phone would switch between three countries within five minutes. </rambling>



    Surely you could've just chosen your service manually? Andorra isn't in the EU btw, so not the best example to use!
  • Reply 5 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Ireland is not in the UK - just so you know. Not that I've anything against the UK, they are just like everyone else.
  • Reply 6 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by G.O.A.T View Post


    I remember a Vodafone rep trying to convince me to stay with them when I told them I was leaving for O2 and the iPhone. He said that the iPhone wasn't that great and that they could offer me a Nokia N95 for free!



    How do you define "that great"? And how does he know what you're looking for. He could personally prefer the N95, people do. I'm sure he was just doing his job.
  • Reply 7 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    All I know is, down with Lisbon!
  • Reply 8 of 32
    mpwmpw Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    All I know is, down with Lisbon!



    It may well be all you know; but I've no idea what you mean?
  • Reply 9 of 32
    That will be a real bonus in Ireland as O2 have put limits on downloads to the iPhone, and their tariff has been high compared to that of the UK.
  • Reply 10 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mpw View Post


    It may well be all you know; but I've no idea what you mean?



    Here. Check out the green map down on the right. Our people voted no, but our government didn't like the answer they got. Our leader has a 15% approval rating, so I'm hoping we say no again. I'm definitely saying no. I find it hard to swallow even having to vote again. So much for democracy.
  • Reply 11 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wallymcgoo View Post


    That will be a real bonus in Ireland as O2 have put limits on downloads to the iPhone, and their tariff has been high compared to that of the UK.



    Yeah, competition in general too.
  • Reply 12 of 32
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    How do you define "that great"? And how does he know what you're looking for. He could personally prefer the N95, people do. I'm sure he was just doing his job.



    Those were his words and I wasn't looking for anything from them other than my PAC number as I was leaving. He could have personally preferred the N95, but I doubt it as Vodafone at that time appeared to be pushing it quite extensively. He was doing his job, but I didn't appreciate his derisory tone when he realised I had already bought the iPhone and there was nothing he could do to get me to stay with Vodafone. Maybe he'd had a day full of customers leaving to join O2.
  • Reply 13 of 32
    mpwmpw Posts: 156member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Here. Check out the green map down on the right. Our people voted no, but our government didn't like the answer they got. Our leader has a 15% approval rating, so I'm hoping we say no again. I'm definitely saying no. I find it hard to swallow even having to vote again. So much for democracy.



    Right; I was thrown as I was expecting your comment to be in some way related to the topic being discussed!
  • Reply 14 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mpw View Post


    Right; I was thrown as I was expecting your comment to be in some way related to the topic being discussed!



    It is, the topic contains the word Ireland!



    The last thing I want is a United States of Europe. Next thing we know there will be only one phone company.
  • Reply 15 of 32
    What's next - Asda Mobile?
  • Reply 16 of 32
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Ireland is not in the UK - just so you know. Not that I've anything against the UK, they are just like everyone else.



    But Northern Ireland is
  • Reply 17 of 32
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by star-fish View Post


    But Northern Ireland is



    True.
  • Reply 18 of 32
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by star-fish View Post


    But Northern Ireland is



    Them thar are warrin' words ya friggin' Yank!
  • Reply 19 of 32
    pxtpxt Posts: 683member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    It is, the topic contains the word Ireland!



    The last thing I want is a United States of Europe. Next thing we know there will be only one phone company.



    Politically, I would agree with you but from a services point of view, it's crap having to pay roaming when we are so many small countries so close together and increasingly part of a single market. I implement ERP software and on a project we might do a tour of the EU to rollout localisations. We end up with little bags full of pay-as-you-go sim cards.



    I'd like iPhone to support those international calling cards, so you enter your card number as a prefix and iPhone selects whether to use it based on where you are and where you are calling. The phone carriers would go mad tho.
  • Reply 20 of 32
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    All I know is, down with Lisbon!



    Hey i hope you guys say NO. We might just be able to deafen ourselves with our iPods then.
Sign In or Register to comment.