Rumor: iPhones in the UK
A little birdie just flew into TUAW headquarters with a bit of news. It seems that the birdie's "friend" has seen an iPhone in the UK, running on the O2 network. Last we knew, a carrier had not been officially identified in the UK.Back in March, it was rumored that Apple was in serious talks with Vodaphone. Just three months later, it appeared that O2 pulled the carpet out from under Vodaphone.
Then, just a week ago, O2 told the press that they do not have a contract with Apple. This is getting exhausting.
Now we hear that an O2-powered iPhone was seen in the wild. We can't substantiate any of this, of course, but Steve was recently in London.
This is a rumor, folks, but let the speculation begin.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Alasdair Allan said 10:21AM on 7-10-2007
Interesting because O2 doesn't have an EDGE network in the UK. As far as I know the only operator in the UK to have a EDGE network is Orange.
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Sashel said 10:20AM on 7-10-2007
Ha Ha, i think its funny how there was this talk about how arogant apple acts and they will have trouble finding a carrier.
Now every big Carrier, T-Mobile, Vodafone, O2 are battling for the Deal.
gotta love the way apple is handling the carriers. I hope other Compans like Nokia also learn from it and there will be more pressure at carriers in the future.
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Andrew Ian Dodge said 10:29AM on 7-10-2007
Yes Orange is the only on EDGE.
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Leemo said 10:31AM on 7-10-2007
I think T-Mobile have an EDGE network too - my friend has a BlackBerry and I remember seeing it saying 'EDGE' on the screen...
Either way - o2 would be an interesting choice, and I can't see o2 providing an EDGE network *just* for iPhone, nor can I see Apple relying on GPRS.
-L
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jason said 10:42AM on 7-10-2007
Why do some many people have trouble spelling Vodafone?
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Fraser Drew said 10:46AM on 7-10-2007
Ok, we;ve been thro every operator... bring on the Orange rumors!
I would like it to be O2, they have excellent service, and you hear less complaints against them than other operators... and 48 hours early tickets for 'The O2'(aka millennium dome) sounds good to me!!
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M_Blest said 11:08AM on 7-10-2007
According to Digital Arts magazine Amazon.uk has listed the iPhone (but i can't find it..)
http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=8291
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Mel Boyce said 10:54AM on 7-10-2007
Just a note: in the article you refer to the telco as "Vodaphone" - It's "Vodafone".
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Josh said 10:56AM on 7-10-2007
it colud simply be an american AT&T iphone using O2's network in roaming.
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canestrini said 11:08AM on 7-10-2007
Thank you Josh, there we have it. It's the obvious explanation.
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Saxoprane said 11:21AM on 7-10-2007
Its called Roaming.
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nosebag said 11:19AM on 7-10-2007
The European iPhone is going to have 3G - it really is a dead duck without it over here. Apple will know that, and I confidently predict right here that a second gen iPhone will be released for the Euro market.
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Matt Smith said 11:34AM on 7-10-2007
The London Times listed this last week, and O2 soon after said that they hadn't been in talks. Shame that people don't follow the news in other countries as much as other countries follow their news.
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hardmanb said 2:07PM on 7-10-2007
As the Apple iphone introduction and marketing proceeds...and on to Europe and then Asia; criticisms are made and answered; and new apps are announced...I am amazed at the effectivness of Apple's strategy.
The realization and fear (and FUD) from MS's mobile platform and formats; phone makers; carriers; and core developers is amazing. Steve Jobs has, in a sense, declared war on the oligarchy's holding back the US mobile market...but so far...so good.
What interesting times we live in.
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basscadet said 11:55AM on 7-10-2007
o2 denying anything doesn't mean that they're not secretly dealing w apple and the latter has once again forbidden them to say anything to the public. Will a 3G version work with EDGE (for example a EU iphone roaming in the states) or can there be only one of the two?
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Mike said 12:28PM on 7-10-2007
This site should really be called TUIPW: The Unofficial iPhone Weblog. There is other apple news happening. Why don't you guys report it? iPhone is not the end all be all for Apple. This blog really has gone down, especially after the post updates regarding Erica's activation. Who cares, this isn't your personal blog its a blog that should inform about all apple new, not your activation issues. I can get that at numerous personal blog. Enough with the iPhone already. I really don't care who is gonna carry the service overseas....
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Me!!! said 12:38PM on 7-10-2007
YA WHATEVER!!!!! dont make rumours please.
just read this short article and you will be surprised
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6272226.stm
and the O2AT&T, it may be roaming.
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Leemo said 12:50PM on 7-10-2007
"Enough with the iPhone already. I really don't care who is gonna carry the service overseas...."
Well Mike - some of us reading this blog *are* overseas - and I certainly care about who's going to be bringing the iPhone to the UK.
The iPhone is a huge deal for Apple - hence the reporting of it here on the blog. Got some better Apple news to report? I'm sure they'd appreciate you sending them some tips.
-L
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Sam said 1:46PM on 7-10-2007
I agree that it would be ludicrous for Apple to attempt to launch the iPhone in Europe without 3G - after the huge crash at the start of this century caused by the networks paying billions simply for the required spectrum, then finding they had precious little money to spend on actual infrastructure, the networks have recovered - and over the past few years we have seen 3G coverage become almost as good as 2.5G.
3 UK in particular, the first 3G network in the UK (having no 2G network of its own) has expanded their coverage to the point where 3G data is available in most urban areas. An open, 3G iPhone, with 3's X-Series group of addon plans, would be perfect, in my opinion. X-Series offers a gigabyte of mobile data, pseudo-VoIP, instant messaging and streaming video via Orb or a Slingbox, on compatible phones - currently limited to a small subset of S60 and UIQ Symbian devices. The iPhone, with its high-resolution screen and Safari web browser would at first appear to be a perfect match for such a plan. Regrettably, the iPhone is a closed platform and a 2.75G device. You could still use all of the iPhone's functions in the UK, but here at least, the networks are more focused on implementing full 3G rather than what is essentially a stepping stone to a better technology they have already spend so much on and fairly far along in rolling it out.
I can see why Apple hasn't built 3G into the iPhone for the US market - I understand that good GSM coverage is difficult in many urbanised areas - let alone any sort of 3G coverage!
However I can only hope that releasing the iPhone without 3G is simply a way for Apple to get the device out into a large market quickly - and that Apple is already working on a 3G device for those of us living in areas where 3G coverage is already beginning to become as ubiquitous as GSM coverage!
Sam
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the1bigboy said 2:13PM on 7-10-2007
You do realise when a mobile phone enters a different country, usually it will connect to a local phone service?
I'm on O2-UK, so when I would enter the US, my phone would switch to the AT&T Network (it's even listed on the phones settings as 'cingual'), same if I go to spain, my phone will switch to one of the local networks to get service.
So this iPhone, has been brought from the US to the UK, the phone has been told to switch the the O2 network as AT&T have a service agreement with them - this allows the phone to work in the UK, but you still have to pay AT&T's international rates and you cannot put a local O2 SIM card in there, as the phone is STILL locked to the O2 Network - once the phone leaves the UK and goes back to spain, the phone will look for a local network, will see that AT&T is in service in this area and switch back to it's default network.
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