iPhone fever rises as speculation mounts of 3G version in the UK

Posted in Mac news, iPhone News by admin. Published May 14th, 2008

iPhone fever rises as speculation mounts of 3G version in the UK

Speculation is mounting that Apple will imminently launch the first 3G version of the iPhone in the UK.

Speculation is mounting that Apple will imminently launch the first 3G version of the iPhone in the UK. Telefonica O2, Apple’s UK network partner for the combined iPod and mobile phone, revealed that it would make a joint announcement with Apple in “the coming weeks”.

Matthew Key, chief executive and Telefonica Europe, refused to be drawn on any of the details of the forthcoming announcement.

However, he pointed out that O2 has a multiyear exclusive agreement with Apple, with whom it won the coveted iPhone contract last year.

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In the UK, O2 received a boost from the iPhone, saying the device was primarily responsible for a 250pc increase in new contract customer additions in the first quarter.

“We are clearly still very happy with the customers we have got.

“It’s commonly known that if you try to buy an 8 gig iPhone we are out of stock, although we still have some 16 gig iPhones left.

“If you go back six months many of our rivals said they didn’t want the iPhone and, surprise surprise, now they have got it [in other markets] and are all shouting about it.”

Vodafone, which missed out on the UK deal, last week signed a non-exclusive deal with Apple to provide the iPhone in 10 more countries: Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey.

It has been suggested in the industry that Vodafone’s deal with Apple is more commercially attractive than O2’s.

But Mr Key said: “Clearly I don’t know the economic deals they have done, and I would reiterate we are very happy with deals we have done, which clearly they don’t know the details of either.”