07/01, 3:10pm
Palm Pre O2 Exclusive Leak
Palm's UK event for the Pre will likely reveal O2 to be the sole carrier if tips are authentic. More than one source has told The Guardian that earlier rumors are true and that Palm is likely to imitate Apple's strategy for the island nation, which both gives O2 sole network rights and Carphone Warehouse the only third-party rights to sell the phone on O2's behalf. Reportedly, it has also echoed O2's coup for the iPhone by thwarting an attempt by Orange to land the same deal.
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06/09, 11:00am
Carphone and iPhone 3GS
The iPhone 3GS is seeing considerable early interest in the UK, claims third-party retailer Carphone Warehouse. The company announced preordering intentions shortly after the end of Apple's WWDC keynote, and claims that over 6,000 people registered for more information within a two-hour period. Preorders are scheduled to open on June 10th.
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04/29, 12:55pm
RIM to expand at retail
Research in Motion may have plans to expand its retail presence worldwide, reports from England indicate. Though the company's BlackBerry smartphones constitute one of the most popular brands, RIM has only so far maintained a small number of shops within its home country of Canada. The first location outside of regional borders should be in London, say staff from a flagship Selfridges department store, situated on Oxford Street.
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04/24, 10:05am
First LG Crystal vendor
UK-based cellphone retail chain The Carphone Warehouse said on Friday that it will be the first to offer the LG GD900 Crystal when it is released sometime in mid-May. The handset, shown off at the CTIA show earlier this month, come free of charge when users agree to a contract, though no details, including the partnering carrier, have been revealed. The phone will also be offered on a pay-as-you-go plan but hasn't been given a price.
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04/20, 1:30pm
UK iPhone sales sluggish
Sales of the iPhone are faring poorly at third-party UK vendor Carphone Warehouse, writes The Telegraph. The official carrier for the UK, O2, recently enacted new discounts, in which an 8GB iPhone is free with a £35 monthly subscription, and a 16GB model is free with a £45-per-month plan. Either option also requires agreeing to a two-year contract, however, rather than a standard 18-month period.
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01/23, 10:50am
Nokia Ships 1m 5800 Phones
Nokia has finished the week by revealing on Friday that it has shipped 1 million copies of its 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen phone. The Symbian S60 device has reached the milestone roughly two months after its November ship date and despite relatively limited availability early in the year that limited the phone to a just a handful of regions that include Hong Kong and Russia. About half of this number was shipped just in December, the company has also mentioned in discussing its financial performance yesterday.
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11/19, 12:10pm
BBerry Curve 8900 UK Decem
The BlackBerry Curve 8900 was given its second major launch today with news that UK retailer Carphone Warehouse will be the next to pick up the RIM smartphone on December 20th. The choice of carrier and pricing haven't been named but will see Carphone as the exclusive third-party to carry the device, which resembles a smaller, 2G-only version of the BlackBerry Bold. The 480x320 display, GPS and Wi-Fi of the more expensive phone carry over with EDGE handling cellular Internet access.
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11/03, 12:40pm
Win 7 and Win Mo 7 Bundle
Microsoft is allegedly planning to launch Windows 7 in the fall with a mobile bundle to drive sales, a rumor from the Register notes. Cellular retailer Carphone Warehouse is reportedly in the early stages of a deal for September or October next year that would give users both a copy of Windows 7 upon its launch as well as a free smartphone using Windows Mobile 7, which is also anticipated during the same year.
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11/03, 9:20am
3G-enabled MacBooks?
Apple's next move in terms of MacBooks will be to add built-in 3G connectivity, says analyst Neil Mawston of Strategy Analytics. Mawston contends it is a "logical next step" for Apple, and that the technology could be added to the Pro, Air, and/or regular notebooks. The incentive would be not so much outstanding demand, as the ability of carriers in the US and Europe to sell Macs to people who have already been lured to a phone network by the iPhone.
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10/06, 11:10am
Carphone to sell Macs?
Apple computers may be sold thorough UK phone reseller Carphone Warehouse this holiday season, rumors suggest. AppleInsider is reporting that sources close to the retail company have discovered placeholders in the reseller's inventory system, indicating that some outlets may start carrying Apple computers and accessories for the 2008 holiday shopping period.
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10/02, 2:10pm
Nokia CWM Phone Launch
As a companion to news of the 5800 XpressMusic touchscreen phone, Nokia today also kicked off the formal launch details of its Comes With Music service. The company now plans to ship the inaugural, modified 5310 XpressMusic on October 16th and will sell it exclusively through Carphone Warehouse for 130 pounds ($230). As promised, the handset will come with one year of unlimited access to music and will let owners keep any downloaded tracks if they choose not to renew the subscription. Pricing for a renewal still isn't available.
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07/24, 4:40pm
UK ISPs join piracy fight
The British music and film industries finally received the cooperation they have been seeking from Internet Service Providers in helping them fight illegal file downloading. A report on Thursday has six of the country's largest Internet providers sending warning letters to subscribers suspected of illegal file downloading and sharing. The decision to do so is commonly believed to be spurred by the British government, which announced earlier this year that it would impose its own laws forcing them to police how their services are used had they failed to cooperate voluntarily.
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07/08, 4:35pm
O2 vs. Apple on 3G supply
Apple is primarily responsible for iPhone ordering problems at O2 UK, the latter company is said to be claiming by e-mail. In response to an inquiry from one customer, O2 Sales Director Steve Shurrock is said to be blaming Apple for the almost immediate drain of online pre-orders. "We have been working continuously with them [Apple] to get as much stock for the UK as possible," says Shurrock. "Unfortunately, they have only been able to supply a small proportion of the number of phones we asked for, because they are launching simultaneously in 22 countries."
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07/07, 10:05am
O2 iPhone pay-as-you-go
O2 UK customers wanting a pre-paid iPhone 3G will have to wait longer than contract subscribers, the carrier has announced. The wording on its pay-as-you-go subsite has been changed to list availability for "later this year," in contrast with the July 11th launch for contract plans. One of the few third-party distributors of the iPhone, Carphone Warehouse, has meanwhile issued a statement saying that pre-paid 3Gs will ship "in time for the Christmas period."
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05/14, 11:15am
Telefonica iPhone Soon
Telefonica Europe chief Matthew Key today said that his company would make a joint announcement with Apple regarding the iPhone within weeks, hinting at a near term launch for an anticipated 3G upgrade to the cellphone. Key, whose telecoms group operates O2 in Ireland, the UK, and other countries, hasn't directly confirmed the device when asked about its existence but alludes to both its release and a possible expansion of service beyond just the O2 brand.
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05/08, 10:55am
O2, CW to restock iPhones
UK residents worried that they may no longer be able to get a 2.5G iPhone are safe, reports say. Although Carphone Warehouse sold out last week, and the O2 website presently states that neither the 8GB or 16GB iPhones are available, representatives from both retailers say that more stocks are inbound or already present for some of their sales venues. O2 notes that more 16GB iPhones have been ordered for web sales, while its high street retail stores should still have some in stock.
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05/08, 9:10am
Best Buy and Carphone WH
Best Buy and Carphone Warehouse on Thursday announced that they would create a new, jointly-run company to exploit each other's strengths. The total investment will equate to $4.2 billion and will see both the American electronics retailer and the British phone reseller take 50 percent stakes in the new venture, including both a financial stake as well as equal share in the 2,400 stores that make up the combined effort. Carphone Warehouse will continue to keep its landline businesses, while Best Buy will continue to own just under a three percent direct stake in its European counterpart.
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05/08, 7:35am
O2 out of iPhones
British carrier O2 today issued a statement on its website (not available outside of the UK) that the company has stopped selling the current-generation iPhone. Both the 8GB and 16GB models are listed as "no longer available" and have not been given a restocking date by the provider. Apple itself continues to list both versions as shipping within 24 hours, though independent phone retailer Carphone Warehouse has also reported selling out all its supply without expectations of new shipments.
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05/02, 9:05am
16GB iPhone sold out in UK
Stock of the 16GB iPhone has run out at third-party retailer Carphone Warehouse, says British newspaper The Guardian. This means that Carphone has completely sold out of the iPhone, as the 8GB version very recently sold out, and the company says that it has no intention of replenishing stocks in anticipation of a new iPhone expected during the summer. The same is said to be true of official UK carrier O2, although the company should still have some 16GB phones in its inventory.
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04/25, 10:05am
O2, CW out of 8GB iPhones
Two of the three vendors of the UK iPhone report they are out or nearly out of 8GB stock, according to multiple sources. The most deeply affected is Carphone Warehouse, which has confirmed a message from the Tradedoubler ad network, asking websites to stop promoting the £100 discount on 8GB phones as Carphone is out of stock. People can still technically order an the model from the vendor's website, but it is said that Carphone does not "expect to receive any additional stock at this time."
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04/21, 6:30pm
UK iPhones sell out
Sales of iPhones jumped rapidly throughout England last week, according to reports. O2 stores in London, Newcastle and Birmingham are said to have sold out entirely on April 16th, and only recently replenished their stocks. Meanwhile, a staffer from Carphone Warehouse's Oxford Street store in London says the location received a one-time doubling of daily sales from 30 to 60.
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04/15, 9:25am
UK iPhone price drop
The price of the 8GB iPhone is set to fall dramatically in the UK beginning Wednesday, according to reports. Starting on that date, the cost of the phone will drop a considerable £100, to sit at £169 ($335). The deal lasts until June 1st, and is applicable under any O2 tariff. The 16GB iPhone should remain unaffected, priced at £329 ($652).
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04/07, 5:00pm
Carphone Warehouse in US
Europe's Carphone Warehouse is coming to the US, reports say. The company is an independent cellphone vendor, and has some 2,300 stores scattered throughout European countries. It is now planning to open almost 1,000 stores in America, thanks to a partnership with big-box retailer Best Buy, which owns a 3 percent stake in Carphone. Some of these will be boutiques within Best Buy shops, but others will operate separately in different locations. The first American outlets should launch later this year.
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