Filed under: iPhone
Orange to start UK iPhone sales on November 10
Update: Orange has announced pricing for the iPhone, in a dizzying matrix of subscription & pay-as-you-go plans (Monkey, Dolphin, Canary, Racoon & Camel? Really?) matched with varying purchase costs. All plans include free unlimited WiFi access; wireless data is 250MB/mo on the PAYG plans and 'unlimited' (meaning 750MB/mo) on the subscription plans. Tethering is only available on the subscription plans.The wait for a new carrier for the iPhone in the UK appears to be nearly over. The Times Online out of the UK says Orange will add Apple's thrice-super phone to its stable on November 10, one day after O2's exclusivity for the device ends.
Orange announced in late September that it would be carrying the iPhone, though it only said then that it would have the phone later in the year. At least 200,000 people may want to circle the date on their calendars, since at least that many have reportedly pre-registered to buy the phone on the new carrier, despite not knowing how much the phone will cost nor how much the monthly plans will run them.
November 10 may be a bittersweet day for Vodafone. While it has announced its own deal to sell the iPhone in the UK starting in 2010, pent up demand from people who want the device but don't want O2 as a carrier may be lost to the new Orange option. Vodafone reports interim results on November 10, though it'll likely face as many questions about the phone it doesn't yet have as it will about its own numbers.
O2 will still carry the iPhone, though it's also got its mind on the Palm Pre, which it began offering as a UK-exclusive last week.
[via TimesOnline]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Joanna D said 1:45PM on 10-24-2009
O2 are terrible. £30 per month for 75 minutes and 125 text messages is ridiculous, as is their woeful 3G coverage.
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BEN CROMPTON said 2:39PM on 10-24-2009
Not strictly true... The 200,000 people (and I count myself in amongst them) have 'registered their interest' in the phone, nobody's bought anything yet.
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olivernward said 3:14PM on 10-24-2009
O2's coverage is nothing short of awful, in fact the worst i've ever experienced first-hand anywhere in the world. it's about time somebody else stepped up to the plate and had a go.
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s-max said 3:35PM on 10-24-2009
Yes O2 3G coverage is bad in all areas of the UK, compared to Orange. My only worry with Orange is it wifi deals it has. At least O2 makes up for there poor coverage with deals with BT Openworld and The Cloud. Orange on the other hand doesn't appear to have anything like this. I just hope they do for the launch and then they will have the best package.
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FaaizK said 8:50AM on 10-26-2009
Yes, the O2 wifi deals are fantastic, but the problem is O2 is pricy. When orange start selling the iPhone, O2 will have to lower their prices otherwise they are out of the competition so they will compete and lower their prices, O2 are only expensive because with the iPhone, they have no competition (until 10 November) so you'll just have to wait for O2 to lower their prices, then go with O2, that's what I'm waiting for!
cg0def said 3:37PM on 10-26-2009
well look at it this way, if orange falls short then there is always hope for vodafone. And in all fairness you couldn't really get any worst than O2.
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Rob47 said 7:42PM on 10-24-2009
My O2 hasn't been anywhere near as bad as you guys claim. The only area near me that has no signal is a really rough area I don't really go to.
Mind you I live near London so I'd guess that's where they focus most of their attention.
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Jacob B said 7:52PM on 10-24-2009
Yep, the O2 3G signal might not be the best, but I've always been able to make and receive calls even when other people have not had signal and the building is known for having poor reception.
What do you want, decent 3G signal, or the ability to make and receive calls/texts.
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Aly said 9:07PM on 10-24-2009
Having been with vodafone and switched to O2 to get the iPhone I have to say there is little if anything at all different between the two in terms of coverage etc. I just like the idea of some competition to help bring prices down....hopefully.
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pinoytutorial said 3:21AM on 10-25-2009
I guess no matter which carrier will handle iPhone, people are going to buy it. It has a lot of features and tons of apple apps are being developed everyday. There are certainly shortcomings for iPhone just as what David Pogue mentioned in his hilarious parody videos.
http://pinoytutorial.com/bestandworst/best-iphone-music-video-from-david-pogue
While it is true, apple's charms are hard to beat. That is why may it be Orange, vodafone or others, it doesnt matter. iPhone still get the honey. :)
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Kelmon said 5:30PM on 10-25-2009
I'll be in the market for a 3GS when I move back to the UK in December and it sure will be nice to have a choice. Next I will have to hope that someone has some stock of the 32GB White versions that I spent so long waiting for in Belgium before giving up. It will certainly be interesting to see what Orange is going to offer.
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roblathan said 5:49PM on 10-25-2009
Another win for Apple. Because of the App Store most customers would never even consider switching smart phones. I switched from the blackberry to the iphone but would now never consider switching to a new phone unless apps like NeuroMobile were available on the new phone. The carriers have done little or nothing to tie customers to their service. In long-run this will only strengthen Apple market position by driving pricing down and increasing the availability of the iPhone. Other smart phone makers will need to figure out how to overcome Apple application advantage.
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jon said 6:29PM on 10-25-2009
It is well known that ATT will lose their exclusivity in 2010 and it is also rumoured that Verizon is being lined up for the iPhone. Seeing as Vodafone (49% shareholder in Verizon) is not launching until next year, it begs the question: Is the next iPhone going to be LTE (4G) compatible, allowing it to work on Verizon's upcoming new network (currently CDMA-US Only), while at the same time coming to Vodafone on LTE and 3G??
Why else would they wait?
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SIP said 11:43AM on 10-26-2009
I bought a 3GS/32GB in white in July this year on PAYG. The O2 signal is so crap that I can't even get a signal in my house, outside my front door it's maybe 1 or 2 bars.
So, I have jailbroken it and unlocked it to use with my Orange SIM. 5 bar signal in my house. After many years of getting phone upgrades and signing new 12/18-month contracts, I went to a SIM-only set-up and with literally no hit on the talktime/SMS package, I am saving £20 a month minimum.
TBH, I can't see Orange becoming all generous and out-pricing O2. Have you seen the pricing on their data-packages? Anyway, product pricing can also be used to control availability -- after all, Apple is having some difficulty in meeting demand in markets outside the US, as reported only last week.
The biggest problem at the moment is that the cost of jumping on the iPhone bandwagon, the entry-point, is pretty high. Just think about it: how many people in your non-work Contact list are on monthly contracts? More than half the people on mine tend to be on PAYG and/or change their number every 12-24 months because they can buy silly packages offering rebates and the like.
If Orange gets greedy and offers ridiculous pricing, then I will stick with my current arrangements. If it offers good price-packages inclusive of unlimited data, then I will switch back to fixed-term contract, but only after July 2010.
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