Orange UK to sell iPhones on November 10th
updated 09:30 am EDT, Mon October 26, 2009
May try to circumvent offering lower prices
The UK division of Orange will begin iPhone sales on November 10th, according to regional newspaper The Guardian. Although Orange originally announced its intentions to carry the iPhone in late September, it has been hesitant to provide many more details. The date of the 10th is said to be significant though, as it is allegedly the day after O2's iPhone exclusivity ends.
Phones with an Orange subscription should be available in the company's own retail stores, and through third-party vendor Phones 4u. Carphone Warehouse is also expected to become an outlet. Orange's CEO has warned the public, however, that it should not expect price breaks as a form of competition with O2. Instead the company is said to be exploring other options, such as accessories or preloading App Store titles.
Lower prices may become necessary once Vodafone begins selling UK iPhones in early 2010. 3 is also said to be angling for a deal with Apple, leaving T-Mobile as the only major cellphone carrier in the country without official iPhone plans. It is however thought to be quietly offering iPhones as an incentive to high-paying customers threatening to leave.
