T-Mobile announcing German iPhone deal tomorrow?

Perhaps demonstrating how wide the rift between T-Mobile Europe and T-Mobile USA really is, Germany's Rheinische Post is reporting that Deutsche Telekom will announce tomorrow that its carrier unit will exclusively offer the iPhone in Germany. Details on the partnership are slim at best, but the two most important nuggets of information seem to be known: November 1 for €450 (about $612), which we assume is for the 8GB unit. Of course, the next biggest question is whether this'll be an EDGE or 3G unit -- and if it's 3G, can we please get an HSDPA Enabler for $1.99? No?

[fathertorque @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:40PM]

I don't think that's the case as T-Mobile is not present in Europe largest cell phone market, Italy. Vodafone is a more likely candidate on this regard.
But maybe there will be more than one carrier for Europe, which is not like USA IMHO.

[shadow @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:02PM]

Italy is far from Europe's biggest cell phone market, that would be Germany, than France, and the UK, than Italy at #4. The Italians are just the cell-phone craziest people you will ever meet.

[fathertorque @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:10PM]

Maybe you don't even live in Europe so try to google at least before talking. An example: http://www.budde.com.au/Reports/Contents/Italy-Mobile-Market-Overview-Statistics-2158.html

[Cactus @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:57PM]

This rumoured announcement seems unique to Germany at the moment, so it's even more speculative to speak about how this will affect the iPhone's deployment across Europe.

Nevertheless, if it turns out it DOES have Euro-wide implications, T-Mobile is in a roaming alliance with Telecom Italia Mobile... so you'd likely end up seeing TIM land the iPhone there.

And, to settle your little spat: Italy has Europe's 2nd largest number of mobile phone lines, after #1... Germany. You might have been thinking about number of lines per capita, as Italy is the leader there with _substantially_ more phones than people.
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/24410.php

[david @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:42PM]

And here are some worldwide stats in case anyone was interested in those. Unfortunately they are a year old :-(

http://www.cellular.co.za/stats-main.htm

[Blackster @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:49PM]

come again! 450€? i don't think that many people are going to buy that! i for one wouldn't ;)

[arthur barnhouse @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:53PM]

$600 for an iPhone!? What American would pay such a price!?

[Alan Partridge @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:08PM]

People would be expecting this level of functionality at the prices being mentioned http://three.co.uk/xseries/what_is_x_series.omp

Unlimited Windows Live Messenger
Unlimited Skype to Skype calls
Unlimited data
Web surfing (Yahoo! Search, Yahoo! Go)
Mobile Mail (Yahoo! Mail, Gmail and other ISPs)
Podcasts
eBay - Free in your price plan
Unlimited access to Slingbox &/or Orb
£10 ($20a month)

They're in for a big surprise!

[scy @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:18PM]

When the Moto Razr originally came out it retailed for $500 and it was (is) just a phone

[Alan Partridge @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:24PM]

Whoops sent that last bit before i had finished

Basically you can get a free Nokia E65 with:
300 anytime, anynetwork mins
150texts
18month contract
Unlimited Windows Live Messenger
Unlimited Skype to Skype calls
Unlimited data
Web surfing
Email (Yahoo! Mail, Gmail and other ISPs)
Download podcasts
Unlimited access to Slingbox - watch your TV from anywhere
Unlimited access to Orb - access files on your pc from anywhere

for the equivilent of $70 a month, how can the iphone compete with that?

[nikster @ Jul 3rd 2007 10:32PM]

How can it compete? Here's a clue: Most peope bought 8GB versions that are $100 more than the 4GB versions. That should tell you that price is not an issue.

Here's the Ferrari of mobile phones, and it can be yours for a paltry EUR 450. I don't know about you but mobile phones really are more of a fashion statement than any other consumer electronics.

Bottom line: The E65 will not get you laid. The iPhone just might.

Apple is so brilliant to wait with its Euro deal until sales have started. Now the operators will do almost anything to jump on the bandwagon.

[snife @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:52PM]

seems expensive - we always get our phones cheap in the UK

[Maff @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:11PM]

We get them cheap because they are subsidised by contract. If you by a phone without a contract, they cost a fortune. It's just that Apple are going to be cheeky and sell them expensive *with* a contract, like they've done stateside.

[Nando @ Jul 3rd 2007 3:59PM]

:T-Mobile jingle: Get More!

[Robert Aitchison @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:00PM]

I wonder if that means you could buy in Europe and use it in the US on T-Mobile (or another) network.

[Jamar @ Jul 3rd 2007 10:15PM]

If they toss the activation, probably. I've heard of locked T-Mobile UK/DE phones supporting T-Mobile US SIMs- something unique about the way they lock theirs (they only lock their phones to T-Mobile so any T-Mobile card will work, whether it be in Europe or the US; nice to know if you go to the UK or Germany a lot).

[Müsli @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:13PM]

why not it´s the only carrier with a good EDGE network at least in germany but why edge you can get UMTS nearely everywhere and with other carriers in germany there are UMTS flatrate´s for 25€/month T-mobile has no flatrate at all i think the minimum you pay is 50€ for 150min/month web on the go

[kludge @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:22PM]

T-Mob NL has flat-rate (Pocket Internet Total) HSDPA :

$9.95 for 64Kbps
$19.95 for 192Kbps
$49.95 for 384 Kbps
%69.95 for 1.8 Mbps

http://www.t-mobile.nl/persoonlijk/htdocs/page/diensten_fun/internet_email/wat_heb_je_nodig/tarieven.aspx

Edge? No Edge in NL (cmiiw), you got 3G everywhere here.

[ScOObyDoo @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:29PM]

If the iPhone enters Europe subsidized (ie for around EUR100) with a 3G radio then there will be 600000 pissed off users in the US.

Cause there is no way it'll sell for EUR600 and without 3G. Apple will have to give in, or give up when it comes to Europe.

[nikster @ Jul 3rd 2007 10:36PM]

Yeah, up until the iPhone, 3G was the realm of hard core mobile warriors with laptops. Hardly a mass-market.

With the iPhone, those 3G networks will be put to good use for the first time. I mean, most phones have web browsers and such but they are so crappy to use that no one bothers to get a data plan. Once you have iPhone's maps, Safari, and email apps it's a totally different value proposition.

[IsLNdbOi @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:30PM]

Would people in Europe even buy a phone without 3G capabilities?

[snife @ Jul 3rd 2007 4:53PM]

We'd buy a phone without 3G (most of us do), but we likely wouldn't buy an iphone where one of the main features is web browsing.

[nikster @ Jul 3rd 2007 10:37PM]

[whoops responded to the wrong comment above - sorry!]

Yeah, up until the iPhone, 3G was the realm of hard core mobile warriors with laptops. Hardly a mass-market.

With the iPhone, those 3G networks will be put to good use for the first time. I mean, most phones have web browsers and such but they are so crappy to use that no one bothers to get a data plan. Once you have iPhone's maps, Safari, and email apps it's a totally different value proposition.

[tsik @ Jul 3rd 2007 5:56PM]

I don't know about you guys but i'm willing to stop my current contract with e-plus and change to t-mobile for having the iphone!450 euro sounds a lot but i figure the iphone is worth it plus I expect that a prepaid version should become available in europe as it is in the states..of course until the iphone finally does become available,the new ipod 6G will be introduced,hopefully this time in a worldwide launch,to europe and the us..when this happens choosing the iphone might become a harder choice than it currently is!

[rob @ Jul 3rd 2007 6:15PM]

SO the big question is if we get the T-Mobile Euro Version can we use it on the U.S. T-Mobile Network?

[VJH @ Jul 3rd 2007 8:47PM]

no, it's very unlikely. Very little phone sharing goes on between T-Mo's European and US groups.

[Jamar @ Jul 3rd 2007 10:22PM]

Like I've said earlier, though- I've noticed that T-Mobile Europe only locks their phones to the whole T-Mobile network instead of locking them to a particular country's T-Mobile. Thus, if the iPhone in Europe doesn't have activation, pop in your T-Mobile US SIM and you're good to go (minus the visual voicemail, but frankly, that's all AT&T has going for it).

[nikster @ Jul 3rd 2007 10:38PM]

I thought t-mob advertises "international" use for reasonable rates on all t-mob networks?! maybe I am mistaken...

[Jamar @ Jul 4th 2007 5:30AM]

Maybe that's what they mean by reasonable rates... pop in a T-Mobile UK/DE/NL/wherever card and enjoy local rates in Europe.

[qwert @ Jul 4th 2007 2:47AM]

while t-mobile has the best network (i get coverage almost everywhere), it also has the worst branding issues.
not only are the phones locked (even the ones with expensive contracts, and not just the prepaid ones), but they have a fucking ugly branding as well. take the beautyfull erricson m600i, with its sexy black or white with blue design. want it from t-mobile? no problem, but you get it in grey with pink, and a giant t-mobile logo printed on it, combined with t-mobile software, in a t-mobile packaging.

this kind of stuff caused me to change to O2. my nokia 5500 has absolutely zero branding and no simlock, and i can use 02s network and t-mobile.

i wonder if t-mobile can life without their branding addiction, should they really get the iphone.

[Black Pearl @ Jul 4th 2007 2:22PM]

according to this (german)

http://www.handelsblatt.com/news/Unternehmen/IT-Medien/_pv/_p/201197/_t/ft/_b/1289241/default.aspx/gerangel-um-deutschen-iphone-vertrieb-geht-weiter.html

nothing is under wraps yet

[neek @ Jul 12th 2007 12:18AM]

All of you guys talking about using a Euro T-Mobile iphone in the States, have you ever stopped to realize that the phone will be in German? You can't even get a U.S. iphone to change the language to Spanish. Kudos if you find a way to change the language of the entire phone.

-neek

[Thorsten @ Jul 18th 2007 6:45PM]

Oh man I hope we can change the language to English.
I cannot stand to run Mac OS X in German.
I can never find anything, I would hate to run the iPhone in German.
Well maybe it wouldn't be too bad, but Mac OS X in German I just hate, I find the translation really bad, but thats probably just me, as I started to leaarn the Mac OS fromt hemIssing Manuals, in Enlgish