O2

O2 is rumored to drop the price of the current iPhone in the UK as Orange competes to carry the popular Apple branded handset on its network outside of France.

If this rumor is to be believed, May would mark the beginning of O2’s iPhone price cute that would make it free on plans that cost £35 and up a month. O2’s price cut is in preparation of a possible revamp to the iPhone come June. Meanwhile, Orange is looking to expand its sales of the iPhone from France in to the UK.

Via: iPhone Alley

What started as a few people concerned about iPhone signal strength in the UK, has turned into a lively thread on Apple’s discussion boards. Many British iPhone users are reporting that the signal strength from the O2 network is significantly less than other phones on the same network.

The thread, found here, has started a discussion that has some users suggesting anything from restoring the firmware back to 1.1.2 or just taking it back and getting a replacement iPhone.

Some users, like “afcbdave” wonder if it is O2 or Apple’s fault:

Been on Orange for 15 years and bought iPhone on Saturday with O2. Never been unable to get a signal here with Orange but have only managed one bar on rare occassons on the iPhone in 48 hrs. Is this a fault with the phone or do O2 simply not have as good a coverage as Orange?

There has been no official response from Apple and the discussion thread is still listed as “Not Answered”

[Via Information Week]

The European iPhone is right around the corner and its been rumored that Apple is using Firmware 1.1.2 in the wild (most likely to optimize the iPhone for O2’s cellular network) but a recent hands on by T3 shows that alongside some new features, some Jailbreak methods are ineffective.

According to T3, Firmware 1.1.2 patches the TIFF exploit found in Safari which was used to Jailbreak the iPhone. However, the most popular Jailbreaking method, jailbreakme.com will be rendered useless as it utilized the exploit to gain access to the iPhone’s innards.

If hacking up your iPhone doesn’t interest you then you’ll be pleased to know that Firmware 1.1.2 brings support for more languages such as Cantonese. In addition, you’ll have access to every Cloud Wi-Fi Hotspot in the UK to compensate for the lack of widespread EDGE access.

Via: Gizmodo

Well, Apple’s “special” event in London, “Mum’s no longer the word” has revealed a long awaited but no crippled product: The iPhone. Unfortunately the price is a lot more than the US version, have limited (30 % Data coverage on EDGE and GPRS) coverage but will be on O2’s network. 

Press Release Below

Apple(R) and O2 announced today
that O2, the leading wireless carrier in the UK, will be the exclusive UK
carrier for Apple’s revolutionary iPhone(TM) when it makes its debut in the UK
on November 9. iPhone combines three devices into one-a mobile phone, a
widescreen iPod(R), and the best mobile Internet device ever-all based on
Apple’s revolutionary multi-touch interface and pioneering software that
allows users to control iPhone with just a tap, flick or pinch of their
fingers. Apple sold its one millionth iPhone just 74 days after it went on
sale in the US on June 29.
  “We’re thrilled to be partnering with O2 to offer our revolutionary iPhone
to UK customers,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “US iPhone customer
satisfaction is off… more...

If you were driven mad by the flurry of rumors surrounding the iPhone’s European launch you can rest assured that we now have concrete evidence of what networks the Euro-phone is launching on and a set date of when more information will come in.  Les iPhones viennent, les iPhones viennent!

Three carriers have been announced for the iPhone in Europe: Orange, O2 and T-Mobile. Now if you’ve been desiring an iPhone and live in Europe you surely have been keeping up on the rumor mill and you’ll know that T-Mobile had been heralded as the German carrier, this is correct (is it just me or is the Apple-o-sphere been a leaky faucet when it comes to rumors)?

Next up is Orange and O2. The earlier has been selected for France and the later for the U.K. (start saving your pennies Aaron)! However it gets interesting, similar to AT&T all three carriers have had to cut out a revenue sharing deal with Apple. Previously these figures were only speculated upon by analysts and Bloggers but we have a concrete number this time: 10% of voice and data revenue for every iPhone user… more...

While we have been tossed around the rumor mill concerning the iPhone’s upcoming European launch, we still have news coming about on possible carriers and this time it is O2 and Vodafone.

Whether this rumor holds any weight has yet to be determined but could be false even though a popular retailer is running with this.

The closest thing we have to anything official is that O2 may have won an exclusive contract with Apple to carry the iPhone. While this has yet to be confirmed it is all we have.

However there was a brief posting at Mobiles.co.uk (now pulled) that listed the iPhone for O2 and Vodafone. The link for an O2 iPhone had appeared here and a Vodafone iPhone here

Currently the both links redirect to http://www.mobiles.co.uk/lg-prada.html displaying the LG Prada on either network. It just goes to show that even online retailers can fall victim to online rumors.

Via: MacNN

Rumors swirled amongst the Blogosphere about which European carrier would get the iPhone. Early on it was suggested Orange could carry the popular device due to their lack of any restrictions that would be set in place. Them it was rumored Vodafone would get the iPhone but now it seems O2 won over Apple.

Oh and before this it was rumored that T-Mobile would get a little iPhone action. I for one am glad all the rumors for some of the European iPhone release have been quelled.

O2, have fun with that iPhone and reader prepare to ponder who will carry the iPhone for the other parts of Europe.

Read More:Forbes

It has been rumored that O2 beat out other wireless carriers such as T-Mobile and Vodafone to carry the iPhone. If this is true as The Finacial Times claims it is then Apple will supposedely do a different carrier for each country in Europe for the iPhone’s release late this year.

As of late we’ve heard confirmations and denials as to which carrier would get Apple’s iPhone and many were uncertain of it’s fate in Europe due to the lack of 3G in the device as 2G networks such as EDGE are very rare.

O2 has also beaten a strong competitor, Vodafone to the punch if this rumor can be confirmed. But we’ll know very soon if it is as the contract will be signed quickly which will be followed up by an announcement.

But Apple is still negotiations with other wireless carriers across Europe and for when the iPhone’s exclusivity ends with other carriers such as O2.

Via: Pocket-Lint

As a user of O2UK in England, this news comes with open arms, although I’ll try not to jump the gun.

According to VNUNet, O2 are currently holding talks with Apple regarding the exclusive rights of the iPhone and with news that the device will now be holding an 8 hour battery life (up from 5) and a scratch resistant screen, demand is surely going to be high for what some people regard as the second largest mobile phone carrier in the U.K, at least, behind Vodafone.

IT Week conducted a survey with a variety of mobile phone carriers, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile included,  who all declined to comment on whether or not they have held talks with Apple. O2 UK, however, has suggested that all the other carriers are in the same boat as them.