toggle

AAPL Stock: 497.67 ( 0 )

MacNN News

Apple CEO announces O2 iPhone in UK

updated 05:55 am EDT, Tue September 18, 2007

O2 iPhone coming UK

At the special press event in London, Apple CEO Steve Jobs early Tuesday announced that mobile carrier O2 would begin selling the immensely popular iPhone in the UK starting November 9th, confirming circulating reports about signed Europe deals. The device will be available for �269 without any rebates or subsidy and will be offered with three separate plans: �35, �45 and �55 per month. Each of the three plans will offer free data traffic along with access to a network of 7,500 WiFi hotspots, while users will billed for their calls and messages. "We are coming to the UK and wanted to pick the best carrier and that is O2," Apple's Jobs said at the news conference. Other reports indicate that T-mobile will sell the device in Germany and Orange will sell the device in France.

by MacNN Staff

(27)

TAGS :

Apple

Share the Article

Facebook Twitter Delious Slash Dot Digg

toggle

Comments

sixcolors
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

09/18, 06:09am | report spam | close Reply |
clearing up things

To make things perfectly clear to everyone; I'm using a Mac right now. I have one to my left and one behind me. There are two downstairs on my couch and another 3 in the basement. The only PC I have is on the floor and isn't plugged in.

I'm no MS fan boy, but man are they easier to deal with. If only they made better stuff...

repi8
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2007

0

09/18, 06:09am | report spam | close Reply |
@sixcolors

Care to elaborate what you are so pissed about?

jarod
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2005

0

09/18, 06:18am | report spam | close Reply |
To sixcolors

What exactly are you so upset about? And how exactly is Apple doomed to fail. If you don't like the prices or the deals, then leave the UK, the place where a stupid chocolate bar costs 3x more than anywhere else around the world. Wanna stay in the UK, pay the price. It's that simple.

sixcolors
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

09/18, 06:18am | report spam | close Reply |
elaborating...

Apple introduced a phone that has old network standards (EDGE) in an area where UTMS has better coverage. They are almost the most expensive phone available, but not the best (no GPS, no UTMS, no 3'rd party Apps). They are pissing off the carriers and segmenting a market that probably could have been joined to enjoy data roaming at better rates.

Steve is an arrogant a**, read engadget for the Q&A and you'll see what I mean. John was right to fire him in the 80's, they should have never let him back.

Apple is on track to do the same things that let MS take over 90% of the market. They are closed to what people want, instead they tell people what they want. Every time you stop listening to people and start telling people things, you fail.

Apple will do this once again. They are always market players willing to come along, play nice with their partners, listen to their customers and they will take the market share. Steve may have a better product, but that doesn't always matter.

sixcolors
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

09/18, 06:29am | report spam | close Reply |
Live in Canada mostly

Although I am in the UK alot, I live primarily in Canada. Trust me that things are far, far, far better in the UK than Canada with wireless data plans etc. My problem with Apple does not extend to O2, I love the UK carriers. My issue is with Apple. They are doing the same s*** they did in the 80's. They have a good product and they are extorting too much money from their customers for it. People won't put up with it forever.

Not only that they are inflexible in how people use the products that they buy. Remember once you finish paying for the iPhone it becomes yours, it's no longer Apple's! If I own something I can do whatever I want with it. That's how things work. Custom Apps, unlocking, all fair game. I am paying full price for the f�cking phone. But Steve seams to think that he has the right to dictate what I can do with something I own; he has been quoted saying that Apple is playing a cat and mouse game with unlockers and jailbrakers and that they have to stay one step ahead. That's c***! It's my phone, not his! A feeling shared by most people when you come right down to things.

When you make people feel that way about you, they look elsewhere. When you combine that feeling with a price that should give a normal person sticker shock, the holiday won't last long.

Why am I so angry. Two reasons:

1. I develop software for Mac OS X

2. I own quite a few Apple shares.

ViktorCode
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2006

0

09/18, 06:48am | report spam | close Reply |
why worry?

sixcolors, I still don't understand what you don't like.

Apple's iPhone is not the product you want to have? Just buy the one that is closer to being your ideal. And did you think that in Europe Apple will sell some different type of hardware? They could, but why do it now when the hype will drive the sales across the ocean, 3G or not. You think that Apple shares will become useles paper in coming months? Then sell them now while the price is still good. Surely, you won't miss this opportunity, right?

sixcolors
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

09/18, 07:14am | report spam | close Reply |
Shares

Probably will soon, my target for a partial sell off is near. However, long term Apple is being arrogant again... it will hurt them.

Apple can do wrong and it is.

repi8
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2007

0

09/18, 07:16am | report spam | close Reply |
@sixcolors - consider

The last hour I have been looking at different mobile plans with the assumption that I have an unlocked iPhone and would like to choose a carrier and a plan. I got lost in thousands of combinations both at AT&T and T-Mobile whose only plan is to confuse the h*** out of any customer and suck as much money from them as possible. Into this pit of bullocks Apple has brought a) an amazing device, b) new mobile technology (visual voice mail) and c) simple and easy to understand plan that gives you what you need - voice, messaging, unlimited data. To be able to do that it had to go into a special relationship with the carrier or it would not have the leverage to pull it off. I don't know how dizzyingly complex plans are in Europe but I guess a plan as clear as the one with O2 is probably a breadth of fresh air as well (and you get free WiFi!!!!!).

In terms of the phone itself. The latest technology, the more megapixels, every possible feature. That is not what makes Apple products work, be usable and be used. There are features missing in iPhone, but I do believe it makes the best overall package.

Unlocking, they don't need to offer it. It was obvious there would be a hack and there is. They have to appease the carriers and they did, for those that want an unlocked phone, the solution is available. Third party applications. Are there as well. And having a product that they just developed themselves it would be nuts to put out an official SDK. They have the hacker to be the pioneers and test things out without Apple taking any responsibility for what comes out of it. In the meantime they can develop iPhone into what they want it to be and then at some point also introduce a stable and bullet-proof SDK. The users that really want it, have the apps. The developers that really want to develop for iPhone can. And Apple does not take the heat for every issue that might go wrong.

I think they have a good plan that is working out quite well. As a share-holder you can be happy. As a wannabe iPhone developer it will just take some more effort to make it.

The thing that I do agree with is that the opportunity to unify European Mobile market by going for one or two carriers that would cover the whole EU and so perhaps enable easy roaming through what should be one market was lost.

And yes, I hate that iPhone as well as iTunes store is and will not be available throughout all the countries in European "Union". That really sucks.

Frogmella
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Sep 2001

0

09/18, 07:58am | report spam | close Reply |
cost

I think sixcolors makes some fair points. However, it's all about cost. �269 for a product as advanced as this is an absolute steal - below cost most likely. Apple get a rumoured 40% of the operator revenue (that's why they too have to prevent the unlockers), so their cut is at least the same again on top. Call it �520 all-in.

�520 is an absolute premium price for a 'phone, and one I would hesitate to pay - at least for a few moments. However, add on the commitment to a fairly average service for 18 months and it's not just not something I can justify purchasing.

And I too am a long-time Apple fan, BTW.

So, yes, I

ViktorCode
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2006

0

09/18, 08:07am | report spam | close Reply |
�520? how come?

40% more from �269 will make the amount of money for Apple equal to �377.

miawj
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2005

0

09/18, 08:20am | report spam | close Reply |
re: �520? how come?

40% of 18 months at �35

Jonathan-Tanya
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2004

0

09/18, 08:39am | report spam | close Reply |
40%

I am not from the UK but, the fact that O2 had 40% to play with....strikes me as being odd, and suggests something about the state of competition in the wireless marketplace....competition is supposed to drive prices down, but operating on razor thin margins, they were not.

JulesLt
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2005

0

09/18, 08:50am | report spam | close Reply |
JulesLt

I don't think they're doomed to fail, but I for one feel I made the right call in getting an iPod touch. At the moment I pay 10 quid a month for 300 mins calls + 300 SMS. For another 10 quid a month I can get 3Gb of data on a 3G network - which is not unlimited, but is near unlimited in terms of mobile use. And that is as a USB dongle I can plug into my MacBook, not locked to a device whose ability to act as a modem for your laptop has been crippled.

That's $40 for what I need vs a minimum $70 and a long period of lock in.

So in answer to Jarod - the issue is that I can get a better deal, cheaper, but don't get to use an iPhone. If Apple/O2 want to exclude me and sixcolors as potential customers - that is their call. It's just a shame to feel you're being pushed in the direction of a device you don't really want.

testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

09/18, 08:52am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: @sizxcolors

The last hour I have been looking at different mobile plans with the assumption that I have an unlocked iPhone and would like to choose a carrier and a plan. I got lost in thousands of combinations both at AT&T and T-Mobile whose only plan is to confuse the h*** out of any customer and suck as much money from them as possible. Into this pit of bullocks Apple has brought a) an amazing device, b) new mobile technology (visual voice mail) and c) simple and easy to understand plan that gives you what you need - voice, messaging, unlimited data. To be able to do that it had to go into a special relationship with the carrier or it would not have the leverage to pull it off. I don't know how dizzyingly complex plans are in Europe but I guess a plan as clear as the one with O2 is probably a breadth of fresh air as well (and you get free WiFi!!!!!).

That's right folks. We're now to the point where people espousing little to no choice as being good for the consumer. No need to have a company offer differing computers that fits differing people needs. We only need one. Offer different phone plans to people? Oh, that's too complex. Just offer us up one. Who cares whether you need text messaging units, we'll just add it in to give you unlimited numbers. Same with a data plan. Make sure that gets put in there and forced upon you, for we don't want people thinking they don't need it (esp. if they travel, so we can suck them dry of their money with all that roaming data usage you can't stop!).

I do feel sorry for you that you can't decide what plan is good for you. But I will not believe that having just one small subset of options is better then having more. (And why do the UK'ers get three option plans, when the US customers are stuck at one???)

And I certainly don't want to hear how Apple is changing the cell phone industry. The only thing apple is doing is learning from the industry how to make $$$. From the monthly kickbacks on the phone, to locking it down with no 3rd party apps, to charging to convert your music to ringtones. The 'plus' side is they try to make it look good by not being 'overly' greedy.

And where does MacNN (or whoever they're quoting) get the 'no subsidy' concept? I would think getting a chunk of change in return for selling the phone would count as a subsidy, doesn't it?

Oh, and are they sticking with EDGE to help keep it locked into O2 payouts?

deVilliers
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2007

0

09/18, 09:06am | report spam | close Reply |
relative expense

At present, the cost of the Apple iPhone appears to be higher in the UK than in the United States and higher relative to other UK networks.

The iPhone is for sale across the Atlantic at $399.99. This translates at approximately �200. The UK list price is �269.00.

The subscription plan is relatively expensive for those who would use the telephone mainly to make telephone calls. A subscription of �35 includes 200 minutes (and 200 text messages). It is not clear if these minutes include calls made at peak times and to any network - although this should be likely.

By comparison, for �28 per month, the 3 Network offers 750 minutes per month (and 150 text messages). For �30 per month, T-mobile offers up to 900 minutes or 1800 text messages.

Also, the phone does not provide a 3G service. This is somewhat offset by the free access to the cloud wi-fi hotspot network. However, outside of these areas, the data service will be slower than that offered by the 3G networks.

Therefore, the iPhone is a relatively expensive choice in relation to other networks for those that use their mobile telephones predominately for telephone calls or text messages. In addition, the iPhone is relatively more expensive to those in the UK than it is to those in the USA.

As the price of the iPhone is relatively expensive, it is probable that the earlier purchasers of it will be less price conscious consumers. One also wonders whether UK consumers who are price conscious but who place a high value on the iPhone will delay a purchase in expectation of a price cut similar to that which was seen in the United States.

de Villiers

njfuzzy
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Apr 2001

0

09/18, 09:15am | report spam | close Reply |
The hidden gem

Nobody seems to be talking about the big news here... The UK iPhone plans include hotspot access

In a country as small and densely-populated as the UK (I lived there, I think I can say that) the odds are much greater that you'll be near a hotspot at any given time. This could easily make up for the lack of 3G.

I just wish we had a similar deal here. Oddly, AT&T does have a hotspot network, which their DSL customers get a discount on-- but iPhone and AT&T wireless customers in general don't get a deal. Hook us up, Steve!

koolkid1976
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2003

0

09/18, 09:16am | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Re: @sizxcolors

"Oh, and are they sticking with EDGE to help keep it locked into O2 payouts?"

Maybe. I think the prime reason Apple is sticking with EDGE is so they can setup another surge in sales when they switch to 3G.

kerryb
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

0

09/18, 09:18am | report spam | close Reply |
Steve don't shoot!

I don't see a gun in Steve Jobs hand when you walk into an Apple store. I've had the iPhone since June 30th and just love it. It is the most advance phone in the market and the price reflects this. Apple is taking advantage of the telephone companies more than the consumer. Att and it's European counterparts made special deals with Apple to get their hands on the iPhones clients. Blame the carriers if you don't like the service and remember you don't have to buy an iPhone but you will be missing a great phone.

hayesk
Professional Poster

Joined: Sep 1999

0

09/18, 09:57am | report spam | close Reply |
Simple answer sixcolors

Don't buy the product if it doesn't meet your needs. If enough people agree with you, Apple will change their ways.

But to claim Steve should never been let back in Apple is laughable. Without Steve Jobs, there probably would be no Apple today. Arrogance is sometimes needed, and yes, it ticks some people off in the process, but if you look at their balance sheets, it seems to have made a whole lot more people happy.

I'm a developer too and while I don't agree with every decision Steve Jobs makes, I'm not going to pretend he didn't do anything good for the company.

imagine engine
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

0

09/18, 10:05am | report spam | close Reply |
HSDPA

Was there any word at the press conference when Apple will be releasing an iPhone which supports HSDPA (3.5 G) used in most countries especially the UK? Also what about an internal GPS receiver to better assist with navigation?

OtisWild
Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2005

0

09/18, 10:08am | report spam | close Reply |
T-Mobile?

Given that iPhones are what, Quad-band, can USA subscribers to T-Mobile use their SIMs in the European T-Mobile phone?

If they're shipped unlocked in Europe, talk about grey market action.. Boy will ATT look like a steaming bag of stupid..

vasic
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2005

0

09/18, 10:17am | report spam | close Reply |
losing focus here

Everybody seems to be caught up in the rage over pricing/lock-in, etc. Like everything else, iPhone (and its plans) will be more expensive in the UK than in the US, at CURRENT exchange rates. So are Macs (or PCs), iPods, cars, etc. Mind you, the US price of US$400 is before retail tax. Since the VAT in the UK is much higher than the averate 8% retail tax in the US, that price difference is smaller than it actually appears.

One last thing. Make no mistake, folks. IPhone will sell just like it did in the US. Here's why.

My wife and I have identical phones now. Sony-Ericsson Walkman W600i. I use everything: FM radio, MP3 player, camera for photos and video, speakerphone, voice dialing, even the LED light (as a torchlight/flashlight), data tethering to my MacBook, in addition to making calls, sending SMS, etc. My wife makes and receives calls, checks her voice mail and occasionally snaps pictures (which I have to download onto our iMac).

When I buy an iPhone for my wife, she will:

make and receive calls;

check her voice mail (visually);

watch movies/TV shows on it;

listen to music on it;

show off our family vacation pictures on it;

surf the web on it;

check her e-mail on it;

watch you tube videos on it;

look up shops on google maps on it;

All this without ever asking me for help.

That is the iPhone difference.

Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 1999

0

09/18, 12:25pm | report spam | close Reply |
and yet...

despite all the valid points that have been made, I wager that UK retailers will have sold out of iPhones after the first weekend.

Why?

because everyone needs to have the latest phone, car, patio heater etc.

sixcolors
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2001

0

09/18, 12:56pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: simple answer etc...

Oh BTW I have 3 iPhones :). They are good but not great...

Nokia and Samsung have some good stuff coming too; copy, make cheaper, co-operate better with partners... Remind you of something that happened in the mid to late 80's?

coldfusion1970
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2004

0

09/18, 03:11pm | report spam | close Reply |
a right touch

Well a couple of months ago i would have jumped at this (even with the 18 month contract), but now that the iPod touch is almost here, why would i want a iPhone?

I get all the best features in the touch and avoid the expensive contract ...

TiDual
Forum Regular

Joined: Nov 2001

0

09/18, 04:33pm | report spam | close Reply |
because you don't

get all the iPhone features. No Mail, no Calendar editing, no widgets, no google maps, oh, and no internet access when away from WiFi, oh and no phone.

That said, why don't the complainer's just buy the iPhone and unlock it (a now trivial process) ... I'm thinking of cancelling my Touch order (for the above reasons) and doing just that. The price is the same: in exchange for all the above features, I have to live with 8GB less.

jonbwfc1
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2003

0

09/18, 05:38pm | report spam | close Reply |
quick calculation

Just checked - 'the cloud' unlimited sub on it's own is 7 pounds a month. So you can in theory say you're getting that as part of the tariff.

Now, if you buy an 8GB ipod touch and then sub to The Cloud for 18 months, that'll cost you a total of (18*7)+199 = 325 quid. The iPhone itself attracts a 70 quid premium over the same spec Touch, so the phone contract is actually costing you about 500 quid over the 18 months (or more if you sub the higher tariff) or 28 quid a month, give or take. Looking at UK 'non iphone' tariffs,

Nearest Orange equivalent would cost you 32 quid a month Vodaphone will give you 120MB a month with text & minutes for 32 as well Three will give you you a more or less equivalent pack (more minutes less texts) for 35 quid a month with the first three months free - total cost over 18 months of 29 quid a month.

These however are all 'proper' 3G, not EDGE. In practice given you can't use the iPhone as a modem anyway, I'm not sure how much difference that will make.

So overall it's not that far off the average in terms of value. Which says a lot about how rubbish UK mobile deals are if the iPhone isn't looking like an expensive option...

Show More Comments

Login Here

toggle

Network Headlines

02/15	Sony completes Ericsson stake buyout...
02/15	Apple upgrades iBookstore with screenshots...
02/15	Congress asks Apple to answer questions...
02/15	FLA head describes Foxconn plants as...
02/15	Apple asks to sue bankrupt Kodak in...

Show All

02/15	Sony completes Ericsson stake buyout...
02/15	Congress asks Apple to answer questions...
02/15	FLA head describes Foxconn plants as...
02/15	Apple asks to sue bankrupt Kodak in...
02/15	Apple voluntarily pulls iPads from...

Show All

02/15	Apple upgrades iBookstore with screenshots...
02/15	Congress asks Apple to answer questions...
02/14	Apple attempting to disrupt Siri hacks...
02/14	Readability iOS app delayed, Android...
02/13	Apple launches 2012 back-to-school...

Show All

02/15	Monster iCarPlay Wireless FM Transmitter...
02/14	Refurb. 16GB iPhone 4, now only $259...
02/13	Refurb. Flip UltraHD Pocket Digital...
02/10	$380 off refurbished 2.8GHz Mac Pro...
02/09	iHome Dual Alarm Clock for Apple iPod...

Show All

toggle

Apple CEO announces O2 iPhone in UK

updated 05:55 am EDT, Tue September 18, 2007

O2 iPhone coming UK

clearing up things

@sixcolors

To sixcolors

elaborating...

Live in Canada mostly

why worry?

Shares

@sixcolors - consider

cost

�520? how come?

re: �520? how come?

40%

JulesLt

Re: @sizxcolors

relative expense

The hidden gem

Re: Re: @sizxcolors

Steve don't shoot!

Simple answer sixcolors

HSDPA

T-Mobile?

losing focus here

and yet...

Re: simple answer etc...

a right touch

because you don't

quick calculation

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

10 Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace

Apple CEO announces O2 iPhone in UK

updated 05:55 am EDT, Tue September 18, 2007

O2 iPhone coming UK

Related Articles

Recent Articles

clearing up things

@sixcolors

To sixcolors

elaborating...

Live in Canada mostly

why worry?

Shares

@sixcolors - consider

cost

�520? how come?

re: �520? how come?

40%

JulesLt

Re: @sizxcolors

relative expense

The hidden gem

Re: Re: @sizxcolors

Steve don't shoot!

Simple answer sixcolors

HSDPA

T-Mobile?

losing focus here

and yet...

Re: simple answer etc...

a right touch

because you don't

quick calculation

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

10 Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace