O2 Has UK iPhone Carrier Contract
Mobile/Cell phone operator O2 is reported to have won the lucrative deal to sell Apple’s iPhone in the UK. Press reports this morning (July 5th 2007) said that O2 is set to sign an exclusive contract shortly and should have the new phones on sale in time for Christmas.
A spokesman for O2, which is owned by Spain’s Telefonica, declined to comment on the reports. Perhaps Steve Jobs has had a word with him about keeping everything hush hush!
Vodafone had previously been tipped as the likely winner of the contract. We reported on this last week.
The agreement with O2 is reported to include Apple receiving a continuing share of the revenue generated for the network operator.
A deal would give O2 not only a considerable sales boost but the additional brand cache because of the already iconic nature of the Apple device. It is a critical contract because mobile networks are facing slowing growth in mature markets such as the UK.
O2’s expected victory will come as a major blow for Vodafone, whose chief executive Arun Sarin had been very keen to land the distribution rights. AlthoughI think any company would. Mr Sari may have been disuaded by Apple’s famously tough commerical terms.
The handsets are expected to be sold for about £300 and O2 will be hoping that the lure of the fashionable phone is enough to win customers from rival networks. It will with me, i am not happy with my current operator. Plus it just so happens that my sister is with O2 so she will be able to “reffer a friend” and get a discount!
[...] Originally Posted by mrpotatohead Hello, I thought I’d bring this post back from the dead and say that the iphone is a bit of a disappointment, just can’t wait to get my potato hands onto the gphone (google phone) i beg to differ. i was in the US in July and I got my hands on one. I have to say i was well impressed. The only thing stopping me taking my credit card out of my wallet was the fact it wont work over here. i still considered buying one though its a joy to use, so inivitive, intuitive, so so easy to use. and the web (yes the REAL web) on a mobile phone. its a pleasure to use. with the integrated iPod (granted 8gbs is a little skimpy) its definitely top of my xmas list for santa this year. i know the us version did not include 3G funtionality but there is talk they are to include it in the european release. lets hope so! Is there any word on the carrier yet? Early reports said Vodaphone were favorites to the contract, but in early July the BBC business website claimed o2 were now closing in on the deal to be the exclusive carrier stocking the units from novermber 2007, just in time for the xmas market. TechJuicer